Revolution S2 E1 – “Born in the U.S.A.”

They’re totally going to hook up.

NBC’s sci-fi show Revolution is back for their sophomore season – the make it or break it time when it comes to mythology based shows. When last we left our heroes and villains, the power was turned back on but at great cost. Atlanta and Philadelphia were destroyed by bombs, and now, in the aftermath, the grab for power – the kind that runs the country, not the lights – has changed.

In fact, a lot of the show has changed; in some ways it feels like a bit of a reboot. After the dramatic attempt to turn on the power, mass destruction was unleashed – and the power was shut off once again. Since a lot is left unexplained, I suspect flashbacks are on their way.

Everyone’s scattered to the four corners – Monroe is wandering around, making his way as a bare knuckles boxer, Charlie roams around the Plains Nation, hooking up with a guy named Jeff and searching for the aforementioned half-naked, half-crazy ex-General, so she can kill him. In a place called Willoughby, Texas,  Miles is burning stuff down, with blood all over his hands (literal, metaphorical), while Rachel hides away with her dad, Dr. Gene Porter, trying to heal her psyche.

At one point, Dr. Porter fixes Miles’ wounds and warns him away from Rachel. This pretty much guarantees them hooking up at some point, FYI.

Aaron, is also hanging around Willoughby. He’s got a new girlfriend (Cynthia, who probably has an expiration date on her somewhere, knowing this show) and a lot on his mind. The power went off and he doesn’t think it’s going back on. In the woods one night, he spies “fireflies” and begins to have some ideas about energy found in nature.

Sebastian Monroe: No power to wash his clothes with, so he skips them entirely.

Charlie finds Monroe and is about to kill him when he is grabbed by a group of men who speed him away. I hate when the guy you’re going to shoot with an arrow gets kidnapped! Charlie’s pissed – does she have to save Monroe so she can kill him? Or is she willing to let those mystery dudes do it?

Jason and Neville are in a Savannah refugee camp, still searching for wife/mother Julia, who was in Philadelphia when the bomb hit. Neville is losing hope – and the ability to shave – while Jason has been using his time to work out because damn. Bless. As Neville tips towards suicide, Jason calls him names until he pulls his father back from the edge. Dysfunctional doesn’t even touch these two and yet they are my favorite characters on the show. They manage to work the love/hate thing beautifully and really, Neville is the best sort of villain – he’s fully conscious of the decisions he makes and he really, sincerely doesn’t give a crap who gets hurt. And Jason can’t seem to get away from his father’s hypnotic pull. It’s a perfect set-up.

Mr. President, you may have made a truly terrifying nemesis.

The camp is shocked by the arrival of a mystery ship and soon gets some political speechifying from one Secretary Justine Allenford, who happily informs them the President has left his exile and is headed back to the White House to run the country. Yay! says the crowd. Neville does not join in – he has a sneaking suspicion that the President was responsible for the bombings (and the murder of his beloved Julia) and if that’s the case? There will be blood.

Miles decides to take Dr. Porter’s advice and leave town. Rachel begs him to stay but he says when they’re together, bad things happen. Which also guarantees they’re going to hook up at some point. Before Miles can get too far, he runs into a bandit attacking a family. He breaks it up by killing the guy and realizes something weird is going on.

No kidding, dude.