Monday, September 10, 2012

The Pros and Cons of Revolution's Pilot episode

Revolution hits next Monday on NBC, but you can watch the whole Pilot right here, right now (embedded in this post). I'm going to talk about the pilot episode, so here's your spoiler warning. :)

PRO and quite possible CON: I'm divided on how I feel about the "miracle exemption" employed for this series. I know, that sounds bizarre considering that I have no problem with the miracle exemption of Superman (that being that all of his powers emerge from being on a planet with a yellow sun). However, in the end, I think I liked that J.J. Abrams is taking a risk with a "Miracle Exemption" so strong, it can only be described as "physics has gone crazy." Once you swallow the fact that electricity doesn't work (nevermind the fact that electrical impulses fire constantly through the human brain and nervous system) then the world-building can begin.
THIS is the protagonist of the story. Her name is Charlie Matheson played
by Tracy Spiridakos. You don't meet her until 12 minutes into the pilot.
CON: It takes us a while to figure out who to root for. This pilot doesn't start out with a dream sequence per se, but it does introduce us to a scientifically-minded man named Matheson who has some inkling of what's about to happen in the world short of the blackout. Then the pilot advances 15 years to a post-apocalyptic world and this guy is still around, still healthy, and well respected. Okay...he must be the one I root for. Nope, they shoot him dead shortly after that. This smacks a little of a dream sequence in the "I just wasted 15 minutes of your life and now I'm introducing you to the real protagonist."

PRO: Bows. Taking a page from the Hunger Games, there are lots of fit young people shooting bows with deadly accuracy. It looks cool, and adds an athleticism that you just don't get with a pistol. However, in a country like the United States so overloaded with guns that you could probably stack them from the ground to the moon, you kind of have to wonder where all the guns went.

CON: Rape is how you find out who the bad men are. They wake up the girls in the middle of the night, try to rape them, and then get killed in a gruesome manner. I think "rape" is an overused theme in fiction and writers could stretch themselves a bit to find other more creative ways to show "I am an evil person."
Giancarlo Esposito, definitely one of my favorite actors today.
PRO: Giancarlo Esposito. This actor played "Gus" in "Breaking Bad" and boy did he ever do a great job. He's also the genie of the lamp in the show "Once Upon A Time" and I think the "Magic Mirror" as well. So aside from his career just exploding with fantastic jobs (as it should because the guy is one of the best actors around), he gives a chilling performance as the leader of the militia. Very non-stereotypical but definitely evil. And it doesn't involve even the hint of "rape". Rather, his most telling moment is when he admits to being a former insurance salesman. I always knew those guys were the devil.

PRO: The post-apocalyptic scenery. The ruins of Chicago are magnificent. The countryside is outstanding and completely overgrown. And the planes falling out of the sky and exploding before the title sequence will send shivers down your spine.
These guys think they have what it takes to bring in one guy who tends
bar. Think again, you guys are all toast.
PRO: Miles Matheson, the dead Matheson's brother, is a frickin' ninja. When you meet him, he's just some forty year-old dude tending bar. But the militia comes for him with guns, bows and arrows, knives, and about twenty incredibly fit men. This forty year old former marine KILLS THEM ALL. I'm not kidding. It's a blood bath. He leaves bodies strewn about like a Tony Jaa film. I was like...holy crap, this guy is a complete BADASS.
Miles Matheson killing everyone that came to "take him in." The
choreography in this fight was pretty incredible for a t.v. show.
So with more pros and cons, I think that J.J. Abrams may have a winner to replace "Fringe" which is signing off the air in the spring of 2013. If you've watched the pilot, what do you think? And do you intend to watch Revolution?

40 comments:

  1. I'm specifically avoiding the pilot to watch it live, but I am SO excited!

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  2. I'm guessing it may be a while till Australia sees it. But I'm so out of touch with TV nowadays I don't really know if we're up to date yet or not :) Somehow I doubt it!

    This one sounds interesting, though this is the first I've heard of it.

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  3. I had issues with the pilot as well. Thought it was a bit cliche. Will watch a few more and see what happens.

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  4. "We're sorry, but the clip you selected isn't available from your location. Please select another clip." :/

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  5. I saw the pilot too.

    I have mixed emotions about it. I'm a big JJ Abrams fan, so of course I'll tune in.

    From the pilot, I think maybe I just have Hunger Games burnout or something. Or maybe the plot was just too predictable.

    Abrams is good at throwing us curve balls, so I'm hoping for more as the series continues.

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  6. Maybe they used up all the bullets in fifteen years. Though if they could make bullets in the 18th and 19th Centuries you think they could still make them even without electricity.

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  7. I was mixed as well. It has potential. I always give pilots wiggle room because I know they are trying to set up the whole thing in 40ish minutes.

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  8. @A Daft Scots Lass: It was interesting for sure :)

    @Sunny Kern: lol

    @Trisha: Are you not able to view it online?

    @Alex: There were certainly some "cliche" elements. I need more than one episode to know if this is gonna be a winner or not. They have a lot of potential in this new world.

    @Elise: OMG Where do you live? France?

    @Jay: I like Abrams so I'm planning on watching the series every Monday.

    @P.T.: That doesn't make sense.

    @Adam: Thanks for visiting sir!

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  9. I've been wondering about this show. Keep us posted on whether or not it's worth my time. I always think it takes a few episodes for a new show to get rolling. Pilots are almost always mediocre. Thanks for the review.

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  10. I don't know when I'll get a chance to check it out, but it sounds like things are too regressed and overgrown for just 15 years.

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  11. @Elise: Okay, how did you make that little emoticon? That's clever. I need to copy it.

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  12. I look forward to this show, although a part of me makes this feel like a Walking Dead/Hunger games mashup (lead girl totes a crossbow), but depicting a world where electricity is impossible is a compelling concept and might help viewers appreciate it more? After all, it only takes one mega ionic burst from the sun to render our electronic devices useless, but not remove electricity altogether, of course. :)

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  13. All right, i'm skipping this post for spoiler reasons. But thanks for the reminder. I have to go set my DVR

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  14. Of course, I haven't seen this.

    Wouldn't you know it, I have a book that begins with the MC being raped. Haven't got past the first 3chapters though and it wasn't done for the shock value, but from a weird incident in the news some years ago.

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  15. I definitely like Giancarlo (awesome name, isn't it?) so I'll watch a few episodes to see if it captivates me enough. This pilot was nice but meh.

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  16. I plan on watching it.

    By which I mean "I plan on setting my DVR to tape all the episodes but then I'll probably never get around to watching them because I've already got to go watch all of 'Shameless' on DVD and I need to watch all the 'Firefly' episodes I taped but I only watch a couple of hours of TV a week and also football season just started and I like to watch a game a week, so I'll probably delete them around January."

    Let me know if it's any good.

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  17. I watched this over the weekend and was really disappointed. The acting was uneven, the plot too much of a stretch , and the action scenes seemed like something you'd see in a cheesy 80s TV show.

    I have hope it will improve and am giving it 4 episodes to improve. Many pilots are shot at a different time than the actual show and hopefully the writers have made the appropriate adjustments. If not this show will be one of the first to get cancelled as I'm sure it is expensive.

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  18. Haven't seen the pilot yet, but I'll probably check it out since it has some similarities to my story - vaguely. It's interesting about the guns, because that's a question I had to deal with in my story too. It's actually a big plot point in my second novel.

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  19. I'm really worried about this show. I want it to be good, but I'm worried it won't be. All the network shows I watch are comedies. The only dramas I watch are HBO.

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  20. Don't like the premise, don't like JJ Abrams anymore. Will wait and see, but I'm not planning to watch it.

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  21. I am definitely going to be tuning in. I love J.J. almost as much as I love Joss. This looks pretty outstanding.

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  22. Thanks for the spoiler alert because I'm planning on watching this one.

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  23. I'm glad you gave a spoiler alert -- I'll read your post after I see the pilot, which might not be until Monday.

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  24. Can't say I find it very appealing. JJ has let me down once too often.

    mood
    Moody Writing

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  25. It does sound like a good show. And although I love bows, I do wonder where all the guns went.

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  26. Sounds like I might like it, but I'll wait until it comes on TV.

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  27. I can't wait to watch this... it starts next week for us Aussies too...

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  28. This one sounds too much like all the other big sci fi shows that they tout at the beginning of the season that if they make it to the end of the season don't make it to a second season. That is, I expect it to crash and burn. Like Terra Nova. Like Flash Forward (I think that was the title). What came the year before that?

    Anyway, I'll just get sucked in and then I'll miss it when it's gone. So, I'm trying a new thing. If this makes it to a second season, I commit to watching season 1 on DVD during the summer. If it doesn't, then I won't miss it when it's gone.

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  29. I'm gonna miss Fringe!

    But I have my DVR set for this one. Thanks for the summary!

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  30. It sounds intriguing. I think I'll set the DVR and check it out. I do love dystopian and I don't mind cliche if it's well done. Thanks for your input, Michael:)

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  31. It can't possibly be as entertaining as your review of it! I'll have to DVR it now.

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  32. Hmm, I may be back to watch this. Haven't made up my mind yet.

    .......dhole

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  33. So I watched it. And I don't think I'm going to be watching anymore of it. I'll stick with my Glee (starts tomorrow!), my NCIS, my Walking Dead. Those are the only ones I can think of right now because they're all coming out in the next two months. XD

    Re: the guns. Didn't the militia head say that guns were outlawed? Just saying.

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  34. As you know, I don't have commercial TV. I sat here and watched it on the small screen. While I see the show could have promise, I remember what drove me nuts about commercial TV. IT'S THE COMMERCIALS. YIKES!!!

    Thanks for the opportunity to see what's out there, but it'a not enough for me to 'hook up'.

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  35. I just heard about this the other day. I'll give it a chance. I do like Abrams' stuff.

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  36. I saw many commercials for this during the Olympics. I thought everyone looked too perfect for a post-apocalyptic world. I was on the fence about seeing it. After reading your review, I'll give it a try.

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  37. Overall, I'm super-excited for this show! I think my favorite thing about it is that it's basically the typical fantasy quest epic (main character's town gets burned down, she starts a long quest to get her brother back and save the world and also meets lots of eccentric companions along the way) with the dressings of a dystopian thriller (which it's really not, tonally-speaking) and basically I'm just excited for genre-splicing that makes the fantasy quest fresh again.

    Also, when I conceptualize it like that, I'm able to ignore a lot of the wonky plothole stuff because in the end, I think that stuff is a gimmick but not really the point.

    I'm also excited to see the main character's development! She's starting off kind of weak (gets saved a lot, at least in this episode), but given the sort of story this is, I'm expecting her to take several levels in badass.

    That's what would happen with a male character anyway, so if it doesn't happen here I'm going to give the show tons of side-eye.

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