Series premiere review: 'Revolution' - 'Pilot': The night the lights went out

What did everybody think of the new NBC drama?

<p>JD&nbsp;Pardo and Billy Burke in &quot;Revolution.&quot;</p>

JD Pardo and Billy Burke in "Revolution."

Credit: NBC

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I posted my review of NBC's "Revolution" over the weekend. Now it's your turn. (Or, it is for those of you who didn't already watch it online and comment in the initial review.) For those of you who just saw it, what did you think? Did this power-less world seem intriguing or boring to you? Do you want to know more about where all the electricity went? Did you feel this was a better post-Fring role for Giancarlo Esposito than his "Once Upon a Time" gig? Did you like the swordfight? Do any of the teenage characters do anything for you? And will you be watching again next week? 

Have at it.

Alan-sepinwall-sm
Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching
Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

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  • Mastershake_talkback_profile

    War Chief Shake Zula

    I feel a bit meh on it at the moment, but I also feel the familiar tug of genre programming to watch just in order to figure out what the f___ is going on in that world. I may watch next week. It's weird how leader chick kinda looks like Kristen Stewart when she was in that Snow White movie over the summer.

    September 17, 2012 at 11:04PM EST Reply to Comment
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      balls Balls.

      September 18, 2012 at 1:33AM EST
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      ZacharyTF I was hoping when they went by Wrigley, there would be a sign proclaiming "2015 World Series Champions. Finally!" :-)

      September 18, 2012 at 2:01AM EST
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    Austin

    Seems like they blew through like 8 episodes worth of story in the pilot. They didn't build up to the reveals enough.

    September 17, 2012 at 11:05PM EST Reply to Comment
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      martha Completely agree. I couldn't believe they only spent a couple minutes getting to Chicago. I figured it would take a couple episodes at least. The trek could have been fascinating and would have given us the extra time we needed to get to know (and care about) the characters.

      September 17, 2012 at 11:59PM EST
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      balls Balls.

      September 18, 2012 at 1:35AM EST
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    Sobie

    I never ever EVER want to live in a world where Gus Fring has to answer to guy who was The Cale

    September 17, 2012 at 11:07PM EST Reply to Comment
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      Peter I know, David Lyons totally sucked hard at playing leafy vegetables. How could we possibly be expected to believe that he could command the chicken man.

      September 19, 2012 at 4:13PM EST
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    SaveFarris

    So the brother that drove around South Carolina went to live in Chicago while the brother that lived in Chicago went to live somewhere else.

    Granted I wasn't paying the exactest of attention but ... why?

    September 17, 2012 at 11:12PM EST Reply to Comment
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    Narrim

    Quantum Ranger just showed up and died. I'm completely turned off after the amount of hype that built up in my body for the whole minute he was in the plane.

    September 17, 2012 at 11:19PM EST Reply to Comment
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      Russell Dude, I feel ya. I was hoping that Quantum Ranger would be a recurring bad guy character. I also feel bad for the actor, playing a failed rapist!

      September 20, 2012 at 5:34AM EST
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    Dennis

    I only watched until the end hoping someone would take out the annoying brother and sister.

    September 17, 2012 at 11:36PM EST Reply to Comment
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    jackie

    ...meh? I also think it is totally logical and not at all crackpot-y that my internet connection barfed right around the time this show started. Like it was punishing me for watching something about a future with no electricity that could be really interesting but was instead aggressively mediocre. Except for the Esposito portions.

    September 17, 2012 at 11:38PM EST Reply to Comment
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    sheryl01

    Write a comment...I think they all have very clean, very new clothes, all things considered.

    September 17, 2012 at 11:41PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Batfink_talkback_profile

    chuchundra

    I'm pretty meh about it. My wife was a lot more positive about it than me. I think I'll give it a few more shows to see if it turns into anything interesting.

    Some thoughts:

    -Giancarlo Esposito, what the heck is up with your accent? It seems to be some kind of generic southern something or other, but it fades in and out at random times. It's very distracting.

    -What's with the fat Google guy? Fifteen years of living as subsistence farmers tends to thin people out. It's a minor thing, but it shows a lack of thought put into the reality of the premise.

    September 17, 2012 at 11:42PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Midnight_run_mca255950_talkback_profile

      sepinwall When I interviewed Esposito, he said the accent was something they tried in the pilot that will be much less noticeable going forward.

      September 18, 2012 at 7:06AM EST
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    Other Scott

    Esposito was excellent, as was the guy who played Miles. There really is potential for a good show here, it's just a matter of getting past the generic introduction and into some good solid writing. Hopefully, four or five episodes into the season they have enough background that they can get to doing some good character work.

    I tend to be over optimistic on things like this though.

    September 17, 2012 at 11:57PM EST Reply to Comment
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    GarySF

    Thought this has some potential. The sword battle was exceptionally well done. Didn't care much for the deux ex machina -- they arrive in Chicago and the FIRST PERSON they talk to is Miles? Curious to know why the power went out, as well as how Ben knew it was about to. Enjoyed Gus Fring as the heavy, but he needs to do a much better job securing his prisoners. Skeptical that Miles' former friend Monroe could become such a powerful person -- he just doesn't look the part. But we'll see. I'll come back for at least one more episode.

    September 17, 2012 at 11:59PM EST Reply to Comment
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      The Bandsaw Vigilante When the father was dying, he told the daughter the name of the hotel in Chicago where they could find his brother. So while the journey to Chicago felt way too easy, all things considered, them going straight to the hotel was logically accounted for.

      September 18, 2012 at 3:04AM EST
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      Jacob I thought more convenient was Asthma Boy collapsing at the house of someone else who had power and was apparently some sort of co-conspirator in whatever. Now talk about convenient!

      September 18, 2012 at 4:36PM EST
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    GarySF

    Google guy says he has (present tense) $80 million in the bank, but certainly paper currency has no value now, nor would he have any way to access his wealth without working computers, the combination to a bank vault, etc. I'm sure that was just pure exposition...wouldn't these people already know Google guy's background if he was a good friend of Ben's?

    September 18, 2012 at 12:05AM EST Reply to Comment
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      Florida Fan Too slow a start. The fight scenes looked too rehearsed not realistic like Person of Interest. Football was better.

      September 18, 2012 at 12:22AM EST
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    John

    Well, I liked the premise and Esposito when I first heard about it, and then the lukewarm reviews came in, which lowered my expectations. I'd say it's not as good as I was hoping but not as bad as I feared (unlike the Last Resort pilot, which was just as good as I was hoping). I'd give the first episode a B. I liked Esposito a lot. The Google guy was better than I was expecting. Uncle Miles was fine, and I'm hoping they got the terrible writing out of the way with that "We're all gonna end up with our heads on a stick" line (ugh). The kids were nothing special, especially the boy. We'll see.

    September 18, 2012 at 12:21AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Image_talkback_profile

    unclevanya

    After 15 minutes of Fox Network's Mob Doctor. I was certainly going to check out Giancarlo Esposito on NBC. It was as insulting as Mob Doctor.
    This show is is geared for kids! Put it this way, I wouldn't let a 11 year old watch Breaking Bad, this for them. Monday night at 10 p.m ? It's not happening.
    This show is such a combination of so many shows, wouldn't even bother to name them.

    September 18, 2012 at 12:21AM EST Reply to Comment
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    David

    Very, very lame.

    September 18, 2012 at 12:36AM EST Reply to Comment
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    Josh

    I'm just glad that hipster Harry Crane is back in our lives. (FYI: I know that's not the guy who played him)

    September 18, 2012 at 12:43AM EST Reply to Comment
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    hckleinman

    I posted by thoughts in my tumblr blog: http://hckleinman.tumblr.com/post/31437116664/a-long-time-ago-in-a-hunger-games-far-far-away

    The short version is that it felt like Star Wars set in the Hunger Games. With lots of gender swapping.

    September 18, 2012 at 1:22AM EST Reply to Comment
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    balls

    Balls.

    September 18, 2012 at 1:36AM EST Reply to Comment
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    Col Bat Guano

    This was as dumb and unbelievable as Revenge so I'm sure it will do well.

    September 18, 2012 at 2:13AM EST Reply to Comment
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      Cal It's on NBC, so I'd say probably not.

      September 18, 2012 at 9:07PM EST
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    CD

    I was hoping for this to be bad so I don't have to continue watching since I literally have almost 20 shows to follow.

    However, I actually turned out to be quite good. I think the pilot for The Event was better though but this wasn't bad at all. I will continue watching as long as it remains interesting AND ratings suggest it will be renewed. If it does poorly in ratings, I will stop watching even if it's good; I don't want to waste my time.

    September 18, 2012 at 2:53AM EST Reply to Comment
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      Kyle7 Good demo numbers for a pilot are no guarantee for long-term success, especially when talking about network sci-fi shows. V, The Event, Terra Nova, and FlashForward are all recent examples of great first episode ratings that didn't remotely hold up. I know V did get a second season, but that was in large part because ABC wanted to save face by renewing at least one of their 2009/2010 dramas.

      It's a better sign than if it had tanked in its premiere, as little-watched pilots almost never rebound in this day and age, but a 4.1 now is no guarantee of future success.

      September 18, 2012 at 3:45PM EST
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    Jason

    I was looking forward this but that pilot episode was kinda dumb.

    I'll stick around a couple more episodes because of the warm glow of Gus Frings still emanating from Giancarlo Esposito, but if it's going to be 40 minutes of angsty teens to 5 minutes of badassery every week, I'm out.

    September 18, 2012 at 3:36AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Stubby1_talkback_profile

    cadfile

    I really don't know why it seems they want to do "Lost" again. I was hoping for something new plot wise. There are a ton of plot holes but I'll check out a couple more episodes to see where they are taking it.

    I kind of liked the Caesar/Napoleon look they gave the milita leader's tent(?) Really a tent?

    Did the militia kill or round up all the gun smiths because you can make guns and ammo without a power grid.

    "Dark Angel" back in 2000 did a better job with the no power story although the power was restored partly which I believe would happen in the real world.

    Anyhoo, I do plan to see what happens in the next couple of episodes

    September 18, 2012 at 3:42AM EST Reply to Comment
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      Mark in Omaha They made gunpowder and guns for over 400 years with no electricity.

      We managed to have a central government for almost 120 years with no electricity and had Senators and Representatives in Washington DC. from Oregon, California, and Washington state with no transcontinental railroad (or Panama canal).

      Electrons no longer flow, violating the laws of Physics. How are you going to write anything where that will ever make any sense?

      Did everyone forget about steam power?

      Not holding out much hope that this will amount to much.

      A much better show would have focused on the slow decline of civilization (IMO).

      September 18, 2012 at 7:08PM EST
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      Col Bat Guano You know, if electrons can't flow then gunpowder won't work either.

      September 18, 2012 at 8:32PM EST
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    Parker

    Did this power-less world seem intriguing or boring to you?
    - Boring.
    Do you want to know more about where all the electricity went?
    - No.
    Did you like the swordfight?
    - No.
    Do any of the teenage characters do anything for you?
    - No.
    And will you be watching again next week?
    - No.

    September 18, 2012 at 5:03AM EST Reply to Comment
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      CSS On the money. From a storytelling pov this was just absolute garbage.

      September 18, 2012 at 6:47AM EST
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      Joyeful Does this comment sum up everything I feel about this show?
      - Yes.

      September 18, 2012 at 7:48AM EST
    • Godzillavseaster_talkback_profile

      Dezbot I liked the swordfight, but otherwise, I agree with your post. Blech.

      September 18, 2012 at 12:32PM EST
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      Hwat If there was an interesting story around the loss of electricity, but it feels like its just a MacGuffin to allow them to tell soap stories in cheap sets.

      September 18, 2012 at 4:56PM EST
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    Adam

    #1 it was not a reality show with people trying to become sining stars, cooking stars or millionaries in one way or another. That alone made me like it.

    I'll agree they blasted through an entire season of storyline in the first episode. In LOST terms would JJ had the losties opening up the hatch in the first episode? A pilot should open up the season's storyline, which I thought was going to be finding the brother. Guess it's going to be about saving the brother, who was taken before we even got a chance to know the character. Lame.

    Like the flashbacks though. Hope they keep doing that a lot to answer some of the questions about what the heck has happened in the last 15 years.

    September 18, 2012 at 8:22AM EST Reply to Comment
    • Midnight_run_mca255950_talkback_profile

      sepinwall "#1 it was not a reality show with people trying to become sining stars, cooking stars or millionaries in one way or another. That alone made me like it."

      If that's your criteria for liking a show, I can point you to a few dozen other scripted series that are MUCH better than this one.

      September 18, 2012 at 8:45AM EST
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      Hwat Where as I think they skipped a bunch of filler, which other shows might have used for padding. And hope they don't do any more of those damn flashbacks.
      Or I would have i planned to watch again.

      September 18, 2012 at 5:07PM EST
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      SlackerInc I'm in agreement that I would have preferred a lengthy stay in the time period just after the lights went out, showing how people reacted. To jump forward fifteen years strikes me as a mistake (although maybe it's true that they just don't have the budget to do what I was envisioning).

      September 23, 2012 at 7:25AM EST
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    RSG

    Meh. Lead actress had about as much charisma as a cardboard box. Didn't love the obvious Hunger Games ripoff. Dialogue so-so and the soundtrack sounded like it was stolen from Bear McCreary's Caprica score.

    I don't think I'll waste the DVR space.

    September 18, 2012 at 8:30AM EST Reply to Comment
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    ChampSkins

    I will give it a chance... Seems like it has some potential. Funny thing is I liked the actors much more in the Mob Doctor than Revolution, but I will not be going back to it, as it was just bad.

    September 18, 2012 at 8:57AM EST Reply to Comment
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    Robin

    As a pilot it was better than Flash Forward, light years better than Terra Nova, and in the end about on par with Jericho, which I ended up sticking with for a season and a half. I'll watch it again next week, and will probably give it at least 4-5 episodes, unless it goes totally off the rails or the kids turn into the sniveling brats from Terra Nova.

    Liked Miles (don't watch Breaking Bad, so I know nothing of the actor like most of you all). Liked Aaron in that nerdy background character way. Was fairly meh on everything else, but there was nothing I hated. It was fairly predictable, although I have to admit that they grabbed me with the scene with the woman with the computer--I want to know about that.

    Biggest letdown -- the airplane wasn't from Oceanic Airlines.

    September 18, 2012 at 10:42AM EST Reply to Comment
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      Robin Also, I agree with others that they blew through a lot of storyline in the pilot and the geography was out of whack. My assumption is that the family moved from Chicago into the suburbs after the blackout, and that they were living somewhere like Morris, IL. That would be rural enough to be "Sylvian Estates" but close enough that it would only take a day and a half to walk there (slowly). Yeah, I'm a geography nerd.

      September 18, 2012 at 10:46AM EST
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      Lisa At worst, Revolution will be a guilty pleasure. I'm hoping it will be better, though. Giancarlo Esposito was wonderful. Please tell me they didn't sign up Elizabeth Mitchell (Charlie's mom) to play 2 scenes in the pilot and then kill her off, though.

      September 18, 2012 at 11:51AM EST
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    Boricua in Texas

    This was generic and forgettable. I groaned and rolled my eyes at the "twist" from the end of the episode. Ugh.

    September 18, 2012 at 11:23AM EST Reply to Comment
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    Brian

    Very similar to Kevin Costner movie "The Postman". I liked the movie, but a series about it?

    September 18, 2012 at 12:20PM EST Reply to Comment
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    BigTed

    Okay, time to nerd out on this show, Comic Book Guy-style:

    Why can't anyone figure out how to start a car without electricity? (Or if the mysterious anti-tech bomb prevents fuel from sparking, why do guns still work?)

    With all these open flames keeping things lighted indoors, why is no one suffocating from carbon monoxide poisoning?

    Would militias really get Americans to give up all their guns in 15 years? What ever happened to having to pry them out of "my cold, dead hands"?

    Where did everyone in the Chicago suburbs get those cool crossbows?

    If, as we're told in the pilot, turning the power back on would just allow militia leader "Monroe" to grab even more power, why do we care if that ever happens? And if some shadowy cabal caused the power outage in order to gain power, isn't that a ridiculously complicated way to to it? (I mean, what would you rather have, control over a bunch of random corn farmers, or an iPhone?)

    September 18, 2012 at 1:18PM EST Reply to Comment
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      gazza I was leaning towards a conspiracy group shutting off the power to save the planet...but thats just a guess. No power means no easy way to pillage the environment and its likely that the human population would drop drastically over the first year or two, allowing nature to reclaim a lot of ground.

      Just a guess but it would explain why members of the conspiracy group appear to have been sitting around doing sweet f all for the past 15 years.

      September 18, 2012 at 8:50PM EST
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      SlackerInc I love your last parenthetical question! Literal LOL, nice one.

      September 23, 2012 at 7:33AM EST
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