Monday, January 27, 2014

Revolution, Season Two, Episode Twelve: Captain Trips


The crew has arrived back at Willoughby to discover that Charlie and Gene are missing. Connor is quick to snark about the humble surroundings he now finds himself in.  Miles notes that Charlie and Gene's things are missing. They all head out and stumble across the tent city which has been created to deal with outbreak. When they see Gene chatting with Truman, Monroe snarks about how quick Gene switched sides.  Miles looks through binoculars and spots Charlie.   Rachel notices that the tents are quarantine tents and the people are wearing masks.  As they continue to watch, a wagon rushes in with a new patient and Gene and Charlie run to help.  The patient is taken into a tent and Gene starts to initiate medical care.  The man quickly dies, as Gene works furiously to save him.

Gene heads out to see Truman and demands to know when the medicine is getting there.  Truman says three days and Gene is not at all pleased.  Truman says that they are in this together because his men might possibly die alongside the residents.

On the hill, Rachel says that they have to get down there.  Miles is quick to offer up Connor because know one knows him but Connor makes it clear that he is not walking into a plague.  Rachel says that because charlie and Gene are at risk, she is the one who is going to go.  Rachel puts on a mask and slips in with a group of residents to enter the camp.  For someone so highly recognizable, she is able to slip in awfully easily.  Rachel makes her way to Charlie and Gene and Gene confirms that they are in the middle of an outbreak which is just getting started.  Rachel asks about Aaron but before either Gene or Charlie can respond, Truman approaches.  Truman immediately demands to know where Miles and Aaron are and Rachel lies and says that she came alone.  Gene tells Truman that if he really wants to stop the outbreak that he needs Rachel's help, then he reminds Truman that they are in this together.  Truman consents but promises Rachel that when this is over, they are going to have a chat. 

Julia and Neville meet at the Washington memorial. Neville tells Julia that her new husband has Jason in captivity.  Julia asks where but Neville does not know.  Neville says that if Jason breaks, he will tell the patriots everything about them.  Julia makes it clear that she does not care about any of that and is only interested in freeing their son.  Neville tells Julia that she is the best chance they have because her husband is pulling the strings and then leaves.

We get a flashback to two years after the blackout.  Jason is very sick and Neville promises to find some food.  Julia makes it clear that if he isn't successful, Jason will die.  Neville makes his way to a campsite where two men are roasting meat and are surrouned by canned goods.  Neville explains that his son is sick and starving but the men declare that they only have enough food for themselves.  Neville argues that people used to help people and then he draws a knife on the men.  He is quickly overpowered and then beaten by the both of them for his trouble.

In present day,  Gene walks into a tent where Rachel asks him when he slept last.  Rachel and Gene talk about the disease being typhus.  Gene explains that the symptoms match but that the disease is not running the way it should. Gene adds that they are losing people by the hour and that this is exactly like how he lost his wife.  Rachel comforts her father and promises that they will figure this out.

Aaron looks for Grace only to discover that she left him and Priscilla a Dear John letter.  When Aaron turns he discovers that the nanos have appeared to him in the form of Cynthia.  The nanos tell him that he has to face it.  Aaron tells the nanos that they don't get to look like Cynthia.  The nanos then ask if Aaron has ever been to Lubbock Texas, which has the largest concrete cowboy. Aaron asks where the nanos went and they claim that they didn't go anywhere because they are in everything.  The nanos tells Aaron that all of his questions will be answered in Lubbock Texas and that if he doesn't leave, Aaron and Priscilla will be in danger. Aaron asks from who but the nano does not answer. Priscilla appears and asks who Aaron was talking to.

Charlie walks into the morgue tent and draws a sample of blood from one of the dead.   Charlie gives the sample to Rachel, who immediately begins to work with it.   Rachel heads outside to find Gene and tells him that blood tests reveals that this is not a naturally occurring typhus and that it was made in a lab. Rachel suggests that the Patriots started this outbreak on purpose.  They walk through the camp and Gene has doubts about Truman wanting to wipe out the town.  Gene asks how they stop it and Rachel suggests that the Patriots have a cure and a vaccine.  Gene says that he thinks he knows where they would keep it.  Rachel hangs white sheets which signals the cavalry that she has left them a note.


Connor, Monroe and Miles discuss raiding the Patriots holdings in order to find a vaccine. Connor declares this crazy because they don't even know if a vaccine exists.  Monroe argues that the outbreak is serious.  Connor says that he has seen a wave of disease before and that he is not going to walk back into this because this is not his problem.  Monroe asks for a word alone with Connor and the two men leave.  Behind closed doors, Monroe tells Connor to play ball and bury his sad story.  Monroe explains that to get the republic back, they are going to need Miles's help and Miles is crazy about Rachel.

Back at home, Julia tells her husband that she has been having nightmares about the break in.  Julia explains that she would feel safer if she knew that they caught the person who broke in.  When he says he cannot talk about it, Julia begs and again asks if the man has been found.  Finally, her husband admits that they are questioning him.  Julia pushes and asks where Jason is being held and is told that she will be kept safe. 

In another flashback to two years after the blackout, Neville is lamenting that he is not able to do his one job - keeping his son alive.  Julia suggests that they are going about this the wrong way because there are men out there who are stronger than Neville but not smarter.  Julia suggests that it is time they use their strengths - their intelligence. 

In the present, Julia is lying next to her sleeping husband.  Julia lights a candle and heads into his office.  Once there, Julia looks through the files until she finds out the information on Jason she and Neville need.

Connor, Miles and Monroe break into the town and find soldiers burning the clothing of the dead and sick. They all raise their masks and head further in.  When they arrive at Patriot holding area, they find it stripped clean.

Rachel, Charlie and Gene are working on patients when another sick person is brought in.  Rachel looks at the various sick and dying people and when she looks at Gene, she becomes concerned.  Rachel pulls Gene aside and explains that the Patriots are only targeting certain people.  Rachel believes that the patriots are using the outbreak as cover and explains that so far an epileptic,  a bi-polar person and alcoholic have died.  Rachel suggests that this is culling to make the town pure.  Gene suddenly collapses to the ground coughing. 

Rachel makes her way outside and takes a note from under a rock.  Inside a tent, Gene is giving orders to people to help the other patients.  Gene explains to Charlie that he still has work to do.  Charlie wonders how Gene was dosed and Truman offers his condolences before leaving.  When Rachel enters, Gene tells her that she needs to stop worrying.  Rachel reveals that Miles doesn't have the medication yet and they begin to plan what to do next.

Julia and Neville again meet at the monument, where Julia reveals to Neville where Jason is being kept. Julia suggests that her husband could walk Neville in.  Julia makes a plan for Neville to capture Doyle at a dinner party she is planning, so that they can get to Jason.  Neville points out that if they do this, there is no going back.  Julia again makes it clear that all she cares about is Jason.  Julia declares that she will do whatever it takes.

In another flashback, we see Julia approaching the same men that Neville did.  Julia asks for food and the men declare that they have plenty of food.  They ask Julia what she is offering in return, so Julia starts to unbutton her shirt.  Julia walks into their tent and one of the men follows, while the other sits with the fire. Neville makes quick work of the man who stayed outside and then uses a shotgun to kill the one with Julia.  When Julia emerges, she is covered in blood.

Truman and a guard find Rachel, who claims that she is out for a walk.  Truman suggests that this is a good time for Rachel to tell him where Miles is.  Miles and Monroe make short work of Truman and the guard.  Rachel reveals that Gene doesn't have much time left.

Aaron and Priscilla argue about the nanos intentions.  Aaron wants to go to Lubbock Texas and Priscilla says that she is not scared of the nanos. Priscilla begs Aaron to come with her but he says no and in turn asks her to come with him.  Aaron argues that he cannot face this alone but Priscilla turns him down and starts to walk away.  The nanos appear briefly and Aaron is forced to pull Priscilla away before a tree can fall on her.  They head away together, with a nano firefly following closely behind them.

Truman awakes and is stunned to see Monroe.  Miles tells Truman that he knows Truman infected Gene.  Truman says that if Gene die,s he will die a hero and that he is just trying to help.  Miles then injects Truman with a sample of the typhus and he starts to scream.  Miles tells Truman that his life is now dependent on revealing where the antidote is.  Truman says that if he reveals the location, they will keep the antidote for themselves.  Miles counters and suggests that Truman take them to the antidote.

Gene is really sick and he explains to Charlie that during the cholera outbreak, he and his wife jumped right in to help.  Gene warned his wife not to get to close to the sick but she used to rock the sick kids to sleep.  Gene says that he is glad he will be able to see his wife again.  Charlie says that he is not going anywhere. Rachel informs her father that he does not get to stop fighting. 

Neville makes his way to Julia's new abode as planed and slips into the kitchen brandishing a gun.  When he makes his way into the dining area, he finds Doyle holding a gun to Julia and the room filled with armed men.  Doyle threatens to kill Julia if Neville refuses to put the gun down.  Neville drops the gun on the table and it is picked up by one of the soldiers.  Neville starts to try to talk his way out of this.  Doyle tells Neville that Jason didn't break but he caught them because of the way Neville is always looking at Julia, who is a wild cat in the sack.  It seems that Doyle knows all about Julia searching his office and the secret meetings between Neville and Julia.  Julia asks for the return of Jason and Doyle asks what makes her think that Jason is still alive.  Doyle tells Julia that he really loved her.  Neville asks what happens now and Doyle says that they are going to have a series of conversations separately.  Doyle tells Neville and Julia to say goodbye because they are never going to see each other again. The soldiers grab Neville and Julia, as they scream and fight.

Connor is now dressed as a patriot and Miles tells him not to screw this up.  Connor points a gun at Truman and orders him to move. 

Gene is still in his sick bed and coughing violently.  Rachel and Charlie rush to his side and try to comfort him.

Truman and Connor are making their way through the compound and Connor says that if Truman tries anything he will die. When they walk into the office, Truman signals the guard that something is up with Connor with a slight shrug.  In the office, Truman opens the safe and Connor orders him away from it to get the vaccine himself.  Connor grabs a few vials and Truman asks to take his but Connor says not until Truman walks him out of town.  Patriot soldier break in and Connor quickly puts a gun to Truman's head.

Revolution continues to feel very fractured and that is because its main characters are so split off from each other.  We have Aaron headed to Lubbock Texas and Neville and Julia running amok of The Patriots in Washington.  It seems feels like watching several stories wrapped into one.  It's really a shame because the only story I am really interested in is that of Julia and Neville. 

I am very happy to see Neville and Julia working together again. As partners, they are smart and exciting.  This episode felt like a tease because once again they were pulled apart.  Julia at this point is easily the most interesting female character on the show.  She has not taken to her bed in the face of tragedy, the way that Rachel did and she actively thinks through a plan of action, rather than rushing forward in full gear spunky agency the way that Charlie is often wont to do.  The more Julia's character develops, the more interesting she is to watch.

At this point, the story really feels kind of directionless.  There doesn't seem to be a real antagonist and instead they are all just running around trying to fight the man.  This has allowed Miles and Monroe to team up, which is nothing but pure fan service but it does not provide a clear direction, in the same manner that the first season had.  I want this show to start to go somewhere; they've had more than enough time to create a story plot.