"Love" REVOLUTION, Finally

Article first published as "Love" REVOLUTION, Finally on TheTVKing.

NBC's Revolution is finally finding its legs in the second season, which paused with the mid-season finale "Everyone Says I Love You" last night. In the installment, there are many people missing, and some doubting their sanity when they see things they don't expect to see. It's not much of an episode for closure, but it does further a number of arcs in a satisfying manner.

Aaron (Zak Orth) is front and center at present, suddenly having the power to heal even more wounds, and not just for himself, which he discovers when Cynthia's (Jessica Collins, Rubicon) knife wound disappears. But it's not actually Aaron doing any of this. The nanotech that saturates the world recognizes Aaron as the man who woke him up and is bending to his will, as well as appearing to him (and only him) in the form of a childhood friend.

Revolution has barely begun to scratch the surface of what the nanotech means for the characters or the planet. It definitely doesn't understand human emotions, letting Cynthia die again later in the episode, after Aaron has been screaming at it to go away. Yet, they understand preservation, killing Dr. Horn (Zeljko Ivanek, Damages) and the other Patriots who threaten Aaron. Have they already outgrown the human they've been helping now, and what drives them? These are interesting questions that the show will hopefully delve into down the line.

This series must strike a balance between character development and mythology, something the entire first season struggled with (not to mention plot holes and bad acting from the younger cast members, which seems to have mostly fixed itself over the summer break). There are plenty of viewers who are watching to unlock the mystery of this dystopian America and find out what political faction can seize control, but there are others who just want to see what will happen to the people they've become attached to.

"Everyone Says I Love You" mainly serves the characters, letting Miles (Billy Burke) fess up to long-hidden feelings for Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) after a very revealing flashback, Rachel tells her daughter, Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos), just how much she is loved, and Rachel is worried about her MIA dad (Stephen Collins, 7th Heaven). Yet, this also ties into the larger arc. For instance, Miles is looking for Aaron to heal him from an infection. But will the nanos abandoning Aaron mean that Miles is out of luck?

I feel like this is a good way to handle things. Rather than keeping the elements separate, the series is starting to really weave an interconnected story and use all of its very talented adult cast appropriately, allowing them more layers and history. Thus, it's improved markedly.

Monroe (David Lyons) is one who has benefited from this shift. Once a pretty flat villain, he's now a broken man, having lost his nation, and is only getting by because of the hope that he might find his long-lost son. Miles is the key to the boy's location, tying Monroe and Miles together once more, and along the way Monroe has to do some things to protect our heroes, something we don't expect from him prior to this. Very interesting, and dynamic.

And, of course, Revolution is still going to try to shock fans with the Big Reveal from time to time. Among the many happenstances in "Everyone Says I Love You," the most surprising may be when Tom (Giancarlo Esposito) finds Julia (Kim Raver) alive and remarried. This not only throws Tom for a total loop, making his grief a waste of time, but also destroys the reason behind the mission he is on. There's no telling how he may proceed now, especially because it seems Julia isn't willing to just come home with Tom and their son, Jason (JD Pardo), but also asks that Tom abandon his quest.

Practically everything Revolution has done in its sophomore year has been a step up over the freshman run. If it continues this in the second half of the season, it just may crack into must-see, recommended TV. It's certainly got some great elements!

Revolution will return soon to NBC.

REVOLUTION Still Same Old, Same Old

Article first published as REVOLUTION Still Same Old, Same Old on TheTVKing.

NBC's Revolution begins its second season tonight with "Born in the U.S.A." It's been six months since the bombs decimated Atlanta and Philadelphia, and the survivors of the Tower have spread out. Some are settled in a small town, others have taken off to find missing relations, and still others are out on their own, heading down a self-destructive path.

First things first: the power is back off. Turns out, it only stayed on for a few minutes. Why? Well, no one knows, or at least no one viewers are familiar with knows. There are hints that this is still an ongoing thread, though, and I look forward both to further exploration of the topic, and movement on the getting-it-back-on front. This central storyline often takes a backseat to personal issues, but it's really what drives some of the most exciting episodes, and should be paid more attention to.

The most likely to be involved in this arc is Aaron (Zak Orth). Though he has moved into a house with a woman (Jessica Collins, Rubicon) and teaches elementary school, he still worries about what is going on in the world at large, and is curious about strange behavior by fireflies and other insects. He's got to be the one to figure things out, or at least spur the others to go somewhere they can find more information.

I have to admit, "Born in the U.S.A." really upset me by killing off Aaron. He ranks at the top of the list of favorite characters, and it would be a shame to lose him so early in what could be a long run. I was furious at the show and ready to rail against it had there not been that final scene of him opening his eyes again. Without it, this review would likely be colored by strong emotion and be much less positive.

Aaron dies when the small town where he, Miles (Billy Burke), and  Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) are living are attacked by raiders. This is an interesting turn and definitely one that people in their situation would have to deal with, but I can't help comparing Revolution to The Walking Dead here. The town is surrounded by a wall, like Woodbury, though it keeps out living humans, not zombies. And the leader of the raiders (Matt Ross, Big Love) does have shades of The Governor in the way he runs his camp and the falsely pleasant demeanor he tries to exude.

Unfortunately, while we know fans of good TV like this sort of development based on The Walking Dead's ratings, Revolution is much more poorly written than that show, meaning it suffers when it invites comparison. I'd rather they try to differentiate themselves more. It may be that this similarity was not purposefully conceived, but now that it's obviously happened, it's best to abandon it quickly and move on.

Miles is still playing the hero in "Born in the U.S.A." He tries to leave the town, but comes back when he rightly fears they will be attacked, leading to he and the sheriff getting captured. I guess this means the sheriff is probably expendable and will die soon. Miles could end up getting his job, and then he'd have a real reason to stay, even though that would be out of character for him. Though it wouldn't be the first time Revolution let someone veer out of character, and Miles always walks a thin line between believability and stereotype.

The gripping drama of this setting goes to Rachel who is deeply damaged by the events at the Tower. She is haunted and feels guilty, looking like a hollow shell of a person. Mitchell handles this beautifully, really making us understand her pain. Sure, she'll have to come out of it sooner rather than later, but I'm in no hurry to see that happen if only because I like that Mitchell has meaty material to mine, as the scripts aren't always worthy of her.

Rachel is staying with her father (Stephen Collins, 7th Heaven) during her time of healing. It's nice that she gets to go home to a caring parent who can take care of her, as that seems like just what she needs in her sorry state, even if he doesn't seem to be really helping much. Of course, I like Collins and I like this part, especially because it expands what we know of Rachel, so he joining the cast as a new main character is a welcome development.

Rachel's dad talks about how she has always gone for the wrong guys until she met her now-deceased husband, Ben (Tim Guinee). I can definitely see some truth in that, coming through in the way Mitchell plays Rachel. However, her dad is totally wrong that Miles is one of those "wrong" guys. Miles certainly has been selfish and careless from time to time, but bringing Rachel home at a critical junction should have earned him points, and defending the town ought to, too. And Rachel isn't exactly a perfect girl, either, making her share of mistakes. Really, Miles is a great combination of the bad boy and the noble man, at least in the episodes that serve him well, so perhaps he's the right mix for Rachel to end up with, even if he is her brother-in-law, since that seems to be where Revolution is heading.

In season one, Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) is initially painted as the main character. This is unfortunate, because while she works OK as a member an ensemble, her role isn't strong enough to hold the show. Considering this, I was hoping she'd stay with the group for awhile and not get played up. No such luck.

In "Born in the U.S.A.," Charlie strikes out on her own in search of Monroe (David Lyons). We don't know why she does this because the episode doesn't tell us explicitly, so we must assume it's holdover anger from last year. Maybe she still wants revenge for her brother's death? And her father's? She certainly doesn't want to be Monroe's friend, aiming an arrow at him. But it's hard to find anything compelling about her story. Plus, she was settled for a couple of months in the town with the others before she went hunting, so it would be nice if Revolution explained why she decided to depart when she did, what is so urgent about her quest.

In fact, we only get a couple of small glimpses at the intervening six months. This is fine, letting the story reset itself, and there's always the possibility of seeing more down the road.

Before Charlie has the chance to kill Monroe, he is nabbed by some bad guys. I'm much more interested in his story than Charlie's. His nation fallen, Monroe is hiding in New Las Vegas, getting into fights for money, gambling away his earnings, and generally acting like he doesn't care about his life. This makes sense, given the circumstances, and while we don't know why he is kidnapped specifically, there are plenty who'd like to get their hands on Monroe after everything he's done. Yes, we'll have to deal with Charlie intruding in the arc, but this still should be pretty interesting over the next few weeks.

One group that may want Monroe is the United States government. Sailing in from Cuba, rebuilding the White House, the unseen President wants to be back in charge. I assume this is the same President from when the power went out, so his term is long expired and he failed to hold the country together, which doesn't give me a lot of confidence that people will fall in line for him. But he could either publicly hang Monroe as a traitor to score some points, or use him to make Monroe's former subjects fall in line. Either way, the government seems the most likely organization with the ability to catch Monroe.

That being said, though the government is the most obvious choice, it could also be someone with a personal vendetta, like Charlie. There's got to be plenty of those out there. What I'm saying is, take my theory with a grain of salt, though it seems reasonable to me.

The reason we know the government is on the move, besides a brief, unexplained glimpse of activity at the White House, is that a representative sails to shore near Tom (Giancarlo Esposito) and Jason (JD Pardo), who are looking in Atlanta refugee camps for the missing Julia (Kim Raver). The pair haven't decided whether to approach the boat yet, but they likely will be involved in whatever is going on here.

Now, this could pull them away from their current mission. They can't exactly keep asking about Julia if the government is rounding folks up and moving them or assigning them some task. However, in this post-apocalyptic world, it makes sense few would have time to indulge in such hopeless pursuits as looking for someone who quite likely will not be found.

It must be said that the balance between Tom and Jason has definitely shifted, and that is to be appreciated. Both have been through a lot, and it has shaped them in different ways. Though they're not at odds as much as they once were, there is still thick tension between them. I wonder how long they can remain a pair alone.

I like the approach Revolution has of tying their characters into the larger arcs, approaching the big issues from the small scale. There's many things the show does wrong, including being cheesy and under developing its stories and players, but this is not one of them. It is far more interesting to have Tom and Jason, two familiar, main characters, get caught up in something and experience it from their viewpoint than to introduce a bunch of new people or take the situation broadly in an army vs. army scenario.

"Born in the U.S.A." has some good beginnings and a few really nice scenes for the a couple of the most excellent actors in the cast to show some range. It does still suffer some of the flaws of season one, being predictable and inconsistent, but for now I think it's worth keeping tabs on, as it still could eventually reach its potential, evident by several elements already present, and that would make for an amazing show.

Revolution airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

No Ordinary Family Fall 2010

     It's hard to keep up with all of the television on now, especially with so much worthy of review. So with none of the new pilots this falling knocking my socks off, I decided to just let them all build up on my TiVo until I got around to them, and so I wouldn't waste my time with those canceled quickly. As such, today was the first day I began tackling those new series, and did all ten episodes (including a rewatch of the pilot) of ABC's No Ordinary Family in one day. Here's my overall impression, having given myself about one hour to digest and reflect on all of the TV.

     This show is pretty cheesy. So often there are things we are just supposed to overlook. For instance, in the third episode, we're really supposed to believe that Stephanie's (Julie Benz) engagement ring was just found at the scene of another crime, days later? Really? Or that the guys that J.J. (Jimmy Bennett) invited over for poker would just give up all that money to a kid they're not friends with and who claimed to have never played the game so easily? Or in the same episode, two teenagers could so elegantly break into a high school to fix a sculpture? Or that Jim's (Michael Chiklis) fire proof-ness extends to his clothing? Or that the family can afford the suddenly huge increase in budget for food and sneakers that Stephanie requires, not to mention household repairs, without hardship? There's a lot the writers (or maybe editors) are asking us to overlook here and take for granted.

     That being said, there is so much potential in this show, it drives me crazy. Here is a well defined family, with normal family issues, along with the host of new things cropping up because of their super powers. Each of the Powells is handled by a capable actor, and their family chemistry is solid. Not only that, but George (Romany Malco) and Katie (Autumn Reeser), the parents' best friends, are also so incredibly likable, that they have become my favorite characters. This is a very talented cast put together, and they know exactly who they are playing. Whatever level of cheesiness makes it through, I still want to watch these six people, and what they are going through.

     Equally impressive is Will / Joshua / The Watcher (Josh Stewart, Dirt). His creepy mystery has held my attention beautifully through ten episodes, and the more I find out about him, the more I want to know. His motivations are obviously murky, with some allegiance to his boss, Dr. King (Stephen Collins), but some also to unknown feelings. He has not revealed all he has learned about the Powells, and I do believe he may have genuine feelings for Katie, at least, I hope he does. However, I predict a King / Watcher showdown as a centerpiece in the second half of the season, if not the season finale. It's something I greatly look forward to. And if the Watcher survives it, perhaps an upgrade to full time cast member in season two?

     As far as the major arcs and plot twists, there have been some pretty good ones. J.J.'s nemesis slash math teacher, Mr. Litchfield (Jason Antoon) had an excellent run at trying to prove J.J. was a bad kid. I totally believed he would drop the issue when he did, because as much as he watched J.J., I think he knew that something extraordinary was going on, and knew who saved his life. I've also been really into Stephanie and Katie's research of Dr. Volson, as well as everything that goes with that. I dig the whole back story with Dr. King and Dr. Volson, much of which has yet to be revealed. Could Dr. King be Dr. Volson? Only time will tell. Also, why is Dr. King holding on to the body of the Powell's pilot (Tate Donovan, Damages)? The fact that the pilot was played by such a wonderful actor makes me think there are plans for him. There's no need to waste Donovan.

     I also give the show credit for a heck of a fall cliffhanger. Shortly before the closing credits, the Watcher wiped Daphne's (Kay Panabaker) memory, going all the way back to just before she acquired her powers. The Watcher has been shown killing a number of people before this, and not all (any?) of them deserved it. But here, instead of killing, he simply wiped away some memories. Sure, it's cruel, but it's also a bit merciful, for him. Why did he do it, and what will the consequences of his action be? I am fully intrigued.

     This series will not make any Top Television Shows list at this point, because there are still a number of bugs to work out. However, building blocks have been laid that could really prop the series into something awesome, given the right growth. I'm hoping it gets that. Soon, if it wants a second season. No Ordinary Family will return on January 4th.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional tv news, follow Jerome on Twitter.


Article first published as TV Review: No Ordinary Family Fall 2010 on Blogcritics.

No Orindary Family has an accurate title

    ABC has a new drama that combines the superhero genre with the traditional family formula.  In the pilot of No Ordinary Family, the Powells, along with a pilot, crash landed in a plane into the Amazon River.  The pilot of the plane, Mitch McCutcheon (Tate Donovan, Damages), died in the accident.  But his body is now in a lab, and who knows what will be learned from the corpse.  Did he develop something special, too?  Will be be revived somehow?

     Matriarch Stephanie (Julie Benz, Dexter, Angel), who is a renowned scientist, had brought her family with her on a research trip to study a rare flower that supposedly has lots of mysterious properties.  I assume that the flower is related to the glowing things in the water, and that is how their powers were developed.  Although she told her boss, Dr. King (Stephen Collins, 7th Heaven) about the flora, she did not reveal to him that she now has super speed, and can run in excess of 700 miles per hour.  Stephanie's power of being extremely fast makes sense for her character, as she never felt like she had enough time to devote to her job, her kids, or her husband.  It was why her marriage was suffering and she felt disconnected from her family at the time of the accident.  The rest of the clan similarly got abilities that matched something lacking in their life.  Son JJ (Jimmy Bennett, Star Trek) was the dumb one, so now he is super smart.  Daughter Daphne (Kay Panabaker, Summerland) was laughed at behind her back for now knowing that her boyfriend was cheating on her.  Daphe obtained the power to look into anyone's eyes and hear what they are thinking, making secrets from her nearly impossible.  Husband Jim (Michael Chiklis, The Shield, Fantastic Four) felt weak after giving up his dream of being an artist to take a steady job of sketching for the police department.  Now he is super strong, and can leap, excuse me, bound a quarter of a mile at a time.

     Jim and Stephanie kept their powers from each other when they first learned of them, but each shared the secret with a co-worker, showing that their bond is at less than full strength.  That's because, despite the comic book arechtypes, this is also a family drama, with real family issues to work through.  The series tries to balance the two, and, at least in the pilot, it did a pretty good job of it.

     Jim quickly learns, while chasing down a perp he heard about on his police scanner, that the Powells aren't the only one with extraodinary abilities.  The bad guy can teleport, making Jim's job of catching him difficult, indeed, but he eventually succeeds.  Jim wants to put his newfound talent to good use, and his Assistant District Attorney friend George (Romany Malco, Weeds) is going to help him.  Accordingly, George has built a high-tech command center in his garage, from where the two of them can keep an eye on the city.  No word yet if Jim will include the rest of the family in his activities.

     It's a strange concept, but it doesn't feel like a strange show.  It's a bit unique, but it has the possibility of going somewhere.  Unlike the recently canceled Heroes, the focus of the stories is not on a comic book situation, but the real life relationships in a family.  It's hard to tell how great the series will be from a pilot, but this one was pretty decent.  No Ordinary Family airs Tuesdays at 8pm on ABC.