Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Revolution, Season One, Episode Eight: Ties That Bind

This episode begins in Freeport Louisanna, with Charlie et al trying to a cross bridge.  The problem is that the bridge is surrounded by militia.  They head to the checkpoint and start to cross but Milles notices a weapon and instructs everyone to turn and run like hell when he says so.  They make a break for it and are instantly fired up. They manage to get off the bridge but the militia pursues them. They hide in what looks to be an abandoned factory and Charlie says that she has never seen weapons like that.  Miles replies that the weapons come from the armory in Philadelphia and the man in charge of the militia is Sgt. Will Strausser.  Both Nora and Miles warn Aaron and Charlie that Strausser is not a man they want to meet because he is dangerous. They decide that with Strausser there that they are going to have to try a bridge, which is one hundred miles away.

When a soldier reports back to Strausser that the milita lost contact with Miles, for his trouble, Strausser stabs him in the stomach.  As Miles, Charlie, Aaron and Nora are leaving the factor they hid in, the militia shoots a flare into the sky and call out to Nora that they have Mia.  Nora takes off running, though Miles tells her that this is a trap. When they arrive back at the bridge, they see Mia tied up.  Nora admits that Mia is her sister.  Once again, the militia is using family bonds to force people to do exactly what they want.

We then move to a flashback two months after the blackout.  Two little girls are hiding underneath their beds, when a man enters. The next day they get our from under the bed and Nora says that she is going to go and check out the house and asks Mia to stay where she is.  When Nora checks on her parents, she discovers that her mother is dead.  Nora lies to Mia and says that her mother left them a note instructing them to find their father.  Back in the present, Strausser says that gravity is restricting Mias organs and that it is a horrible way to die.  Strausser adds that he wants the necklace and Miles Matheson for his crimes against the Republic. 

As they walk away, Aaron says that he doesn't understand how they have so much information on them but Miles says that it's Nate (by this he means Jason). Miles says that Strausser lives for this kind of thing and demands that Aaron hand over the necklace, which he quickly does.  Miles uses his knife to try and break the necklace but it seems indestructible.  Nora interrupts and says that they are not going to give Stausser the necklace and they are going to save Mia.

Jason is being beaten in a cell and Tom Neville walks in and orders them to stop.  The soldiers say that they are under orders and so Tom asks which orders are more important than his.  Neville is told that the are under orders from Monroe.  This shocks Tom, so he asks Jason what he did and Jason replies, "what do you care?"  Neville then rushes into Monroe's office and finds him in discussion with Col. Faber, about a lighthouse which was turned on. This is the lighthouse that Aaron accidentally turned on in the last episode.  Monroe asks for a moment in private but Monroe insists that anything Neville has to say to him, can be said in front of Col. Faber. Monroe asks about Jason's punishment and learns that Jason bribed a stable hand for information on Strausser's whereabouts. Neville says that Jason is worried about what will happen to Charlie because he has a weakness for a pretty face.  Neville promises that he will keep Jason in check but Faber and Monroe have decided to send Jason on a diplomatic mission to California. Neville says that it is 3000 miles across the mountains and even if Jason did make it, "those heathens have been known to send our boys home in a box." Monroe believes he is being generous out of respect for Neville and says that it is either California, or Jason faces execution for treason.  Neville then leaves the room.

Nora has made explosives which the team then explodes, killing several militia.  While the militia hurry to help the fallen, Miles and Nora hurry forward and cut Mia down. After they escape, Miles tells Mia that it is good to see her again but Mia says, "really, we're going to pretend we're pals after what you did to my sister." Clearly there is some sort of history of betrayal and distrust here. When she learns that they are on a mission to save Danny, Mia is not impressed but tells them that she knows a man who has a ferry, who can get them across the river, but it won't be cheap.  They are forced to hide in a storm train when Strausser comes close to their position.

We get another flashback, this time to Gavelston Texas, four months after the blackout.  Mia and Nora are walking on a beach and then approach a house that has clearly seen better days.  They call out for their father but no one is home. Mia asks about where her mother is and demands to know what is going on and in frustration, Nora tells Mia that their mother is dead.  They decide to wait there for their father.

In present day, Miles believes that Strausser is not visible to them because he is busy preparing an ambush.  Mia pulls Nora aside and says that she took a trip to Texas and found their father and he is alive.  It turns out that while they were journeying to find their father, he was trying to find them.  He buried their mother and assumed that they were dead too and so never returned home. Tears come to Nora's eyes and Mia says that their father is grey now and cranky.  Mia asks Nora to come with her to see him. Mia believes that they should get out of the Monroe Republic and reminds Nora that no one is hunting them in Texas.  Nora says that she promised to help Charlie free her brother and that after this is done, she will be free to go with Mia. Mia replies that if they go into Philadelphia that she won't get alive.  Nora says that this is about Charlie's family and Mia reminds her that she is Nora's family. Nora tries to get Mia to agree to come with them to Philadelphia but Mia believes that this is a suicide mission.  Mia promises to get them across the river, before heading to Texas on her own.


When they head down the river, they find that the Coyote is dead.  Miles believes that there is no way they are getting across the river now and Nora declares this the work of Strausser.

Neville is in his study, when his wife walks in and asks their maid Rose to join them.  Rose says that she cleans houses for a couple of the other officers as well and over heard the Fabers talking about their son Steven and  his involvement in the resistance.  Neville replies that this is a serious accusation and Rose swears that this is the truth.  Julia tells Neville how horrible this is because he, and Col. Faber are amongst Monroe's closest advisers. Neville asks how long Julia has known about this and she answers, "Rose let it slip a few days ago, but you know me, I'm thrifty, I like to save up for a rainy day." Julia says that Monroe is sending their son to California for asking a stable boy one stupid question and asks what Monroe would do if he found out about this. Neville answers that he can imagine and tells Julia that he loves her.

Charlie, Miles and Aaron decide to head to Morgantown.  Nora stops to talk to Mia, who apologizes and says that her idea wasn't so hot. Mia says that she is going to head to Texas and asks her sister one last time to change her mind but Nora says that she is sorry.  Mia says that it's a long walk and she doesn't want to do it alone.  Nora answers that she wished that could and asks for a few weeks to get Charlie's brother back.  Mia with tears in her eyes says that Nora won't come back and reminds Nora that she needs her.  Charlie interrupts their conversation and tells Nora to go with her sister and that she doesn't have to keep her promise.  Charlie says that she would give anything to spend time with her father.  Nora grabs her bag and Miles starts to say that it will be tougher to get Danny back without her but he is cut off when Nora kisses him and says that she will see him around.  Miles answers that he doubts that they will ever see each other again.   Nora and Mia leave together.

Monroe is looking on while Faber is being beaten.  Monroe says that Faber's son had enough explosives to blow them to kingdom come. Apparently, everyone was executed, including John's son.  Monroe says that though John claims that they have been estranged for years, he cannot trust where John's loyalties lie.  When Monroe asks Neville how he found out about this, Neville smiles and responds, "trade secret." Monroe tells Neville that he did him a favor and promises not to send Jason to California, but warns Neville that he has to keep Jason in line.

Mia and Nora are walking away and Mia asks if Nora is still thinking about Miles. They are intercepted by Stausser and it turns out that Mia was working for him all along.  Mia hands over the necklace and says that she led them to the ferry landing like he asked and that they will be easy to pick up. Stausser says that both Mia and Nora are free to go.  When Nora asks what Mia did, Stausser replies, "she just saved your life."

When the militia rides off, Nora asks Mia how she could do that and if her being strung up was all an act.  Mia says that she spent the last year hunting down rebels and when Stausser found her, she didn't have a choice.  Nora asks Mia if she real found their father, and Mia admits that she didn't. Nora is upset that Mia lied to her and points out that her friends risked their lives to protect her from Stausser and are now going to die because of her. Nora walks away and tells Mia not to follow her or find her.  Mia again says that they are sisters and asks if Nora is going to choose her friends over her, but Nora walks away.

Charlie, Aaron and Miles are walking, when Aaron realises that the pendant is missing.  Suddenly, they come under fire from the militia.  Miles calls for them to hold their fire because he is coming out. Nora is sneaking up on the militia and kills one man with a knife and takes away his gun.  When Miles faces Stausser he is told to drop his sword.  Miles calls Stausser a sociopath and says that before the blackout, he was "locked in a rubber room." Stausser asks, "do you ever think that maybe society was sick?" Nora fires her weapon giving Miles a chance to escape.  When he pulls the trigger on the gun he managed to grab, Miles discovers that the gun is out of bullets, so he takes Stausser out in  a hand to hand fight, grabs his sword and leaves. They run until they reach a cliff and then jump into a raging river.

When they get out of the river they make camp.  Miles approaches Aaron and asks what he thinks will happen if Monroe figures out the necklace.  Miles says that Monroe does not care about lights, all he cares about are weapons.  Miles believe that people are going to die by the boat load all because Aaron couldn't tell if a girl had her hand in his pants.  Aaron is angry and tells Miles that he gets it and asks him to get the hell out of his face. Miles walks off.  Alone with Charlie, Nora apologises for what her sister did and says that a couple of years ago she would have done the same thing without blinking an eye.  Charlie points out that she wouldn't now.

We get another flashback to Nora and Mia as children. Mia asks if they are going to die because people are dying all around them. Nora assures Mia that the only thing that matters to her is watching out for her. Mia promises to look out for Nora as well.  The two girls cuddle in bed.

Back at the Monroe compound, Stausser hands over the necklace to Monroe who thanks him for his loyalty. Monroe points out that there has been so much fuss for such a little thing.  Jason is lying in bed and Julia checks in on him.  Julia then tells Neville that she is sure the general is going to sleep well thanks to him.  Julia points out that Monroe trusts Neville  and asks how Neville would described Monroe's emotional state.  Neville tells Julia to just say what is on her mind.  Julia believes that Monroe has not been the same since the defection of Miles and that he has become more and more paranoid and as evidence points out what he did to Jason.  Julia does not believe that Monroe is not fit to lead but Neville tells her not to say that to him or anyone.  Julia continues on and says that they need a real leader and points out that Neville has no limit to how far he can go and what he can achieve.

Monroe approaches Rachel and holds out the necklace.  He says that now she has everything she needs.  Rachel is working on a device that I assume will allow the necklace to supply power.

Grace is writing in her cell and Randall Flynn enters and tells her that he has something she needs to see which has ramifications for everyone.  It seems that they have traced the pendant to General Monroe.  Grace asks what he is going to do about it and Randall replies that he is not going to do anything and that she will do something.

I liked this episode for various reasons and chief among them is Julia.  Before this we knew precious little about Julia other than the fact that she is Jason's mother and Neville's wife.  Neville be a vicious, violent man but it is clear that Julia does all of the thinking and strategizing for the family through little whispers in Neville's ear. He seems to trust her judgement implicitly.

It was great to see Charlie put Nora above herself.  Charlie has a tendency to make everything about her.  I still don't like her character though.  I was however disturbed that Nora actually had to battle between her loyalty to Charlie and her loyalty to her sister.  Nora has actually known Charlie for a New York minute and that promise should mean nothing against a loving sister who says that she needs you. The fact that Nora needed Charlie's permission to follow her heart was disturbing. I further didn't like that Nora's reluctance was proved right because Mia ended up being a betrayer.