Rachel digs up Monroe – who isn’t dead. Are we shocked?
Yes, this is my shocked face. Actually I’m kinda shocked because Rachel is
actually doing something which MAY not cause a complete apocalypse – which is
kind of unusual. Rachel being active usually leads to the end of the world in
some fashion.
Monroe wakes up with Rachel, Miles and Charlie stood over
him – and he’s so completely out of it on drugs he babbles on about how Miles
missed him and is his bestest friend. He
also wants to know where is son is. Charlie wants to know why Rachel had
the whole 180 on Monroe – Rachel says because they need him. And because
Charlie asked her to.
Living under the Patriots isn’t all wonderful – Cynthia complains
to Aaron that the Patriots are dictating what books they can teach to children,
Aaron’s worried about being overheard and a building explodes. A rather big
explosion at that.
Aaron quickly checks on Cynthia as they were both thrown to the floor, she’s fine – but many others aren’t. Dramatic scenes of the injured follow and Rachel runs to help her dad, the doctor, help people. He has his surly face on.
Gene angrily confronts Patriot head Truman and accuses
him of setting off the bomb and killing 3 people. Truman’s not having it –
calling Willoughby the USA’s town and adding that it’s Gene’s job to keep the
town healthy, happy and compliant (“compliant” huh? That’s an expansion) – if Gene
is a loyal American that is. So much for Gene opening his eyes and confronting
his bosses.
Truman makes a dramatic speech about the attack blaming
more killing clans and, of course, justifying a larger military presence,
imposing a curfew and sealing the gates. Keep ‘em scared and people will accept
anything to keep them safe. And Rachel is taken aside by Calvin – a doctor who
worked in the same department as her when she worked on creating the Nanites
that turned off the power. He wants to talk.
Apparently Calvin is now the presidents senior science
advisor. He was the one who made the wanted posters for her – because he wanted
to learn about nano-tech from her, which he calls a genius accomplishment
(though she doesn’t accept that because of how much damage it did – he says it’s
still genius, even if it is disastrous). He also realises the nanites can do so
much more than turn off the lights – and shows her pictures of the people
Aaron burned with the nanites. He thinks the nanites have been modified –
which Rachel claims is impossible. He’s not buying it – why here, of all the
towns the patriots control – are the nanites acting up – if she’s not behind
it, who is?
On to Rachel & co meeting with Aaron and warning him
that Calvin’s going to want to get vivisecting. They have to get him out of the
town with Monroe – which Aaron is so thrilled about since he trusts Monroe as
far as he can throw him. Either way, he is not leaving without Cynthia, because
if someone wants to get Aaron, they will use Cynthia.
Flick to Gene who is looking all tortured and having a
flashback to 7 years after the blackout where he and what looks like the whole
town are gathered to bury and burn several wrapped bodies. The town had a
cholera outbreak that took his wife among the dead and when he returns home
there’s a man waiting for him offering sympathy – and with a cholera vaccine.
The man says he doesn’t want Americans to die from a “grimy 3rd
world disease” and wants Genen’s help getting his country back
He goes to see Truman and meets Calvin: he recognises the
Triangle symbol some of the patriots use on Calvin’s jacket and has a flash of
people being tortured and a cloth with that symbol. Calvin wants to know if
Rachel has said anything about him – sorry Calvin, I guess you’re not high on
her priorities list. Gene also doesn’t seem to be that thrilled with the idea
of spying on his daughter. And has another flashback:
9 years after the Blackout now, watching a man being
tortured and helping them to keep the victim conscious when he passes out. Gene
is clearly troubled by this but in return the Patriots give his town medicine –
and assure him they’re the good guys.
Unable to leave Willoughby, Miles uses reflective metal
to send a message to the still slightly zonked Monroe. Charlie has checked the
guards and there’s a lot more than usual. They don’t know what the Patriots are
planning but there’s no way they can get Aaron out – which is when Gene appears
(you need to make your secret plotting more secret guys) and volunteers to get Gene
and Aaron to freedom! He has a cart with a hidden compartment that he takes out
of town to go find medicine – and they’ll let him out because they still need
meds, even the troops. Rachel is wary – but Gene says he has to do it – this is
his redemption moment for all the blind eyes he’s been turning.
Aaron apologises to Cynthia for making her leave her home
– but she tells him home is where they both are.
And Gene meets an old friend – Shaw, the man he used to
help torture people. He takes Gene on to see Calvin who wants to know all about
Aaron – especially how he came back to life. Calvin thinks Rachel used the
nanites to resurrect him; and Aaron has gone missing. Gene stands firm and
rather than claiming ignorance starts talking about how he regretted working
for the Patriots and how wrong her was to think they were helping. Calvin says
what I’m thinking – it’s a little late to be clutching his pearls now and mocks
Gene’s attempt to downplay his role in the killing and torture. Calvin threatens
to slaughter the town until Gene co-operates and Gene folds - Aaron is the one controlling
the machines.
Gene leads them to where they plan to get Aaron out of
the town – but Rachel doesn’t show up. She and Miles are watching from a
distance – Miles suspected that Gene was one of the Patriots (technically true)
and commiserates with Rachel that her father is a torturing murderer who
betrayed his own family. There there. Making awful decisions may be a family
trait. (Miles then unnecessarily explains how he figured out that Gene was a
traitor). When they don’t show, Calvin rightly guesses that Gene has been
revealed as a spy – and that his daughter is going to be Very Unhappy.
The gang are all following Plan B: go through the sewer
tunnels while Truman orders all his men to find Aaron and Rachel at all costs.
And Calvin notices the sewer lines on the city plans. A troop of men find the
building they’re in and begin pounding on the door as Aaron and Cynthia escape
into the sewers. They follow the tunnel along and come out outside the town –
to two men pointing guns at them. Things look difficult – until Monroe attacks
both men and easily slaughters them. Then has a sit down – he’s still kinda
woozy.
More guards arrive with automatic weapons – Monroe runs and Aaron and Cynthia take cover. The guards reach Aaron and start dragging him and Cynthia away. The glowing fireflies appear and the two guards on him and Cynthia become human torches – while Monroe kills the other two while they’re distracted. Cynthia and Monroe both give us stunned eyes witnessing the man who burns people with his brain
Monroe leads them away, he thinks burning people is a
nifty trick and Cynthia is terrified of him though Aaron reassures her (not
only because Monroe is on her side but Aaron could pull the burny burny trick) –
but she’s not afraid of Monroe. She’s afraid of the guy who KILLS PEOPLE
HORRIBLY WITH HIS MIND!
As far as fears go, it’s not that unreasonable
Back at Willoughby, Calvin threatens Gene again. Just for
funsies really. Miles, Rachel and Charlie need to be escaping but, alas,
something bad has happened in Rachel’s life which means COMPLETE AND UTTER
COLLAPSE must now follow. Someone find this woman a bed to take to. She sobs
inconsolably and Charlie holds her.
Now to the east, Neville is still trying to deprogram his
son Jason after being in the Patriot training camp and Justine still thinks it’s
a waste of time and that Jason will most definitely kill them both – especially
since more cadets are approaching and they need to leave stealthily. Neville
cuts Jason free – but also threatens him with death.
They move out across some fields with the odd ruined farm
building and are ambushed by cadets. They take cover and Neville indicates that
he doesn’t have any bullets. Jason grabs Justine and yells that he’s a cadet
and has a captive. He goes in shouting that he’s a cadet. There’s a moment’s
silence and he calls Neville to come in, it’s safe. Justine doesn’t agree – but
when Neville goes he finds Jason, with a knife and a fair bit of blood – and some
dead bodies. Lots of powerful nearly expressionless face acting I’m not even
going to begin to try and parse – Jason gives the knife to Neville, his hands
still bound.
That night they have a nice bonfire and Justine wants to
leave, even though she’s a wanted fugitive to the Patriots. She had written off
her son as beyond hope when he became a cadet, but seeing Jason save Neville’s
life has convinced her there’s a chance she can reach her son. She gave up on
him and that preys on her; then she collapses suddenly. Jason asks what Neville
did to her and gets a patented Neville look in response.
Justine wakes up when Neville throws a bucket of water on
her and she’s chained; he reminds Justine that she really should have been
worried about trusting Neville not Jason. Her husband is Patriot High Command –
he wants to know where her husband is
“Grimy third world disease” is unnecessary and
stigmatising with a whole lot of west-is-best thrown in. Especially since there
are so many other way he could have expressed his horror over Americans dying
of a disease they thought long since defeated there.
Wording aside, these are elements of a dystopian I like to see explored because they so rarely are. Dystopians taking part in modern, developed settings forget just how many advantages we get from the technology, hygiene, medicine et al that we take for granted – just things like clean tap water make so much difference. It’s interesting to see that both Revolution and The Walking Dead are now touching on or exploring these elements – adding more depth to their dystopian worlds.
I am glad that Gene was revealed (and there was some
backstory to why he joined the Patriots in the first place) since that
storyline could have dragged on and on for a long time
I’m torn – I want Justine on side and more developed but
at the same time I like that Neville is so very focused on his own goals and
won’t be derailed from that.
