'Revolution': Creator Eric Kripke and star Elizabeth Mitchell on tonight's return premiere

Credit: NBC

In the fall, Revolution became one of NBC's biggest freshman hits in years, helping to propel the network to number one during November sweeps (bolstered by a lead-in from The Voice, and considerable Live+3 DVR viewership). NBC made the risky gambit of putting the show on hiatus for four months, at great detriment to the network, so that it could keep its Voice lead-in. Tonight's midseason return sees Rachel Matheson (Elizabeth Mitchell) reunited with her children, Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) and Danny (Graham Rogers), in the fight against the Monroe Militia alongside Miles (Billy Burke), Nora (Daniella Alonso) and Aaron (Zak Orth). Kripke, current showrunner and the creator of CW hit Supernatural, has promised that we're in store for some huge shocks in the premiere.

Kripke and Mitchell participated in a conference call to discuss tonight's huge premiere, as well as dishing on what the rest of season one has in store.

What is about genre shows that appeals to you?

Elizabeth Mitchell: That's a great question. Do you want to say Eric?

Eric Kripke: No, ladies first.

Elizabeth Mitchell: Thank you. It's lovely to be called a lady. I have to say I'm a huge fan of adventures. I love to read them, I love to watch them. They go on in my head. So I think anything kind of epic and adventure wise is always a huge draw for me. It's what I like to watch and to get to actually do it, to be in something that's Lord of the Rings or Star Wars or any of those things it's just what my passion is, kind of where I go to escape. So that's what draws me to it.

Eric Kripke: Yes, and coming at it as a writer it's really fun to write genre not just because you can have some - not just because you can explore some mind-bending concepts and have lots of fun action but because you really get to discuss issues and really subversive ideas that you never would be able to get away with if you were writing a straight drama and you get to talk about just - you really get to explore some really edgy stuff about murder and death and redemption and as long as it's hidden underneath people swinging swords at each other, you get away with it. So that's been really fun for me because we've been able to - I've been able to say things and talk about things that I would never be able to otherwise.

Elizabeth Mitchell: A lot of freedom.

And Elizabeth you were talking about how you love being in like action adventure oriented type shows, are you going to get to do any action of your own this second half of the season?

Elizabeth Mitchell: Yes, yes we are. And my father will be thrilled because that's really the stuff he likes to watch the most. I think that Linda Hamilton's his favorite actress. [Laughs] I do get to do some more actiony type stuff and I have a wonderful time. I love that stuff.

Eric Kripke: Yes she totally kicks ass.

Can you talk about the challenges of having been away for awhile, and how you're going to reintroduce things to viewers? Also, what are your concerns about your long hiatus?

Eric Kripke: Sure. Yes, I mean, look: any time you're off the air for four months, you hold your breath and you hope fans come back, but we take solace and encouragement from a few things. ... I think there's a long history of genre television really working with these large breaks in between like Walking Dead or Game of Thrones, and also ... the second half of the season is such a different mission and quest and energy than the first half that it really does feel like a natural break. It feels like it's its own particular season of television in that the first half was the drive to find Danny was prologue to it opening up into a much larger and more epic and exciting story.

So I think because there's such a natural break in the storytelling, I think people will be able to jump right in and watch one recap and remind themselves where all the characters were and then dive in the way that - I won't see Game of Thrones for literally a year and then I'll watch one 90-second recap and be right in the middle of it.

And then finally, you know, the break gave the writers and the producers and the actors like a minute to really explore what was working about the show and what wasn't working and how to make it better.

You're returning to an NBC that's kind of different too. Things have sort of changed for the network in the past couple months. Any thoughts about that?

Eric Kripke: No, like any good player we just keep our head down and focus on our game. And, I mean, look, we're coming back with The Voice and the fact is there is no bigger show on television and there's no better lead in. And we're very, very happy and grateful to have such a monster hit as our lead in.

And so we're hopeful that we'll come back strong. Again: one, because the episodes are really strong and in my mind I love the first half but I think the second half is better no question. And we have a hell of a lead in so those things are all reasons for hope.

Credit: NBC

At Comic-Con you told us that we would learn why the power went out fairly early on in the season and you delivered on that. But with this midseason premiere, it seems like there are nearly twice as many questions as we had to begin with. What can you tell us about what we're going to learn about the overall mythology for the second half of the season?

Eric Kripke: Yes, I mean, what you just described is pretty much my MO which is start answering questions and then ask more and then answer those. And I think that's what viewers can expect in the second half of the season which is I really favor in a really aggressive red-blooded pace of storytelling. Endless mystery is not really my [thing] and anyone who's watched any of my shows will know that.

So for me, it's about in episode 13, Rachel reveals pretty much every single thing there is to know about why the blackout happened. And every time I watch that scene, that scene that is like -- and she's brilliant in it -- but that scene's a hard swallow every time because you're like "Wow. we're just saying it." And it goes against many of your baked-in sure-weather instincts ... not to have the scene that reveals every single thing in three minutes.

But the reality is [Writer-director] Jon Favreau was hanging out with us in the writer's room and we were discussing the problem that, as a character, Rachel knew why the blackout happened and she was back in and among heroes, she wasn't captive anymore, and we were really wrestling with the question "well why wouldn't she just tell them?" And then Jon, who came in and was able to provide much needed perspective, just looked at me he was like "she would tell them so have her tell them." And I said "yes you're right. You're right, she would say it, so she has to say." And so she does.

And so we reveal really why the blackout happened but the card I think we have up our sleeve is I think the explanation really opens the door to much greater story possibility. ... I don't think we box ourselves in a corner. I think we open a door to a whole new world. And then we ask more questions. Because for me ... the story was never about what caused the blackout. I think ... for me it's like the show isn't just based on one particular mystery, it's based on these characters and this world and this kind of transformed landscape that they have these adventures in.

It's risky and it's surprising ... but I think it turns out okay because there's so many other storylines about the characters. ... But I will say ... I'm literally turning in the season finale later today, and having now, in detail, seen what happens through the end of the season, I think we answer most if not all the questions that are being posed. And then we start asking new ones, but that is ... my way.

Do you have maybe a favorite scene or moment coming up that you can talk about without spoiling too much and if not then a favorite moment from earlier?

Elizabeth Mitchell: ... I have a scene in the moonlight next to water with Miles that is probably one of my favorite scenes, as much for the silence as for the words. I enjoyed playing it, I enjoyed reading it and I just kind of got a chance to do ADR [Additional Dialogue Recording] for it and I normally can't watch myself, but I liked it. So I think that's probably one of my favorites. It was simple and lovely and exactly the kind of thing that I like to play and to watch. So just a simple little scene. I don't know if anyone will feel the same way but that was one that I truly enjoyed and I thought that Billy was terrific and great fun to watch.

Eric Kripke: Yes no she's right, that scene's awesome. And it hints at, and we can spoil that part, and say that it hints at a deeper, more fraught and complicated history between Miles and Rachel and it's all mostly done in looks. And so much is conveyed with very little dialogue and it's a thrill to watch them work.

I would add to that that there are actually two - the ones that I'm thinking of are two Elizabeth scenes so well done Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Mitchell: Thanks Eric.

Eric Kripke: So one is in -- and I don't want it spoiled -- but the final moments of episode 11 when we come back are just such an insane neck-snapper of a twist and it's so awful and wonderful and you kind of can't believe you're watching it, and there's tears and there's knives and it's just awesome. And then I would say in the first run when Rachel shanks Dr. Jaffe with the screwdriver. That's like a personal favorite in the writer's room. Like, we love that. She just jabs him in the chest and then says to Monroe, "Now you need me."

Elizabeth Mitchell: People come up to me and say that to me. People come up to me and they go, "Oh now you need me." And I'm like "okay!" [Laughs]

Eric Kripke: This, like, badass chick with a screwdriver and that was really funny and awesome and surprising and brutal and it was just great. We talk a lot about in the writer's room how we want to do this - maybe it will be a webisode, we'll probably never do it but we call it like "The Short, Sad Life of Dr. Jaffe". ... I love that we have such a complicated lead character and a complicated hero who basically, like, provides intel, gets the guy captured, gets him in front of Monroe and then to apologize stabs him in the chest with a screwdriver.

Elizabeth Mitchell: Well sorry. It's really horrible. When you hear it, it's horrible.

Eric Kripke: Yes but it's what she has to do to survive and protect her children and I think people understand and go with it and it just makes her - I think it just makes Rachel that much more awesome.

Credit: NBC

Will Grace (Maria Howell) be a bigger part of the season going forward?

Eric Kripke: Yes ... I mean, we see a glimpse of her, or you've all seen a glimpse of her already at the end of episode seven and episode eight ... where we reveal that Randall has brought her to this kind of - to this particularly mysterious location.

And really starting with episode 11 we start to reveal what that place is, why Randall has brought her there, what he wants from her and then the story progresses from there. But the location - the place where they are really starts to become important to story to the point where it starts to have its own gravitational pull in the story. Not literally, figuratively. And every character starts getting drawn closer and closer towards it because it's such an important location and because what Grace is doing there is so important.

About Tracy [Spiridakos] and JD [Pardo]'s characters. Will we see anything develop between them?

Eric Kripke: Yes we definitely will. JD's character is named Jason. It was Nate, but his real name is Jason. Jason goes through some seismic shifts with his father, who's Giancarlo [Esposito], with his relationship with the militia and that Charlie has a front seat to a lot of those really dramatic turns, in that there is this sort of static friction between the both of them that draws them closer. And then we blow it all up because these types of relationships in these types of shows are about the push/pull and about the friction of will they get together or won't they and what obstacles do they have to overcome.

Elizabeth Mitchell: And they're freaking gorgeous together.

Eric Kripke: They're good-looking people.

Credit: NBC

And Elizabeth, how will your character's stakes be raised?

Elizabeth Mitchell: Well with the things that happen in the first episode back I think that my character's stakes -- I mean I'm sure they probably could get higher, but right now I can't imagine how. What she wants to accomplish, what her goal is, the protection of her daughter, her family -- it's operating at such high stakes that at times I'm always amazed she doesn't just burn out and extinguish. So I think that people are going to - I mean, I've enjoyed the shifts for her. I've enjoyed both her strength and her, I don't know, sometimes sociopathic intensity. But I always go back to the mother in her and I'm fascinated by that.

Going back to the notion of binge-viewing, how important was it for a lot of questions to be answered now at this point in time? Was there a sense of urgency?

Eric Kripke: I certainly felt having gone back and having a had a minute to go back and analyze the first ten episodes I thought our pace of mythology reveals was probably a tiny bit slow. At the time you're so focused on establishing character and establishing world and especially on a genre show where it's an entirely new world with new rules and you spend a lot of time making sure that you've got those straight and that you're setting it all up properly.

But once I looked back at all the completed episodes if I had a criticism in the storytelling it was that I was feeling I think the same impatience that the audience was feeling over the last couple and they were good stories and good episodes but I had that kind of vibe of like okay get to it, get to Danny, let's see what's going on, let's get to the next part, I'm ready, I get it, let's do this thing. And once we realized that then the writers sort of collectively looked at each other for the second half and said, "Okay let's course correct and let's blow the doors off it and let's get everybody together.

And there's probably a lot of answers that we're giving in the second half that probably could have waiting until season two but we felt that we should smoke them if we've got them and we knew what some of our answers were and we knew that we had these big reveals up our sleeve and they're just wasn't any reason to withhold them. So we just started spending our coin and I think the episodes reflect that.

I think you'll look at the second half and there's probably no one episode that doesn't have at least one big moment that either unveils more mythology or is a seminal moment in one of the character's lives that transforms them and we really work hard to make sure there's something like that in every episode.

Elizabeth, when the show resumes, where is Rachel's mindset with regard to Monroe, the rebels and being with her children?

Elizabeth Mitchell: She wants to be with her children. She wants to kill Monroe. I think that Rachel is somewhat, in my mind of course but everyone feels that way about their own character, such a tragic figure. She's tried so hard to do the right thing for so long and she's possibly one of the worst people I think. I think that her mindset is on survival and her mindset is on revenge and in a horrible awkward way her mind is on good parenting which she's not very good at. But I think the sad thing was that she probably at one time truly was. So it's just what this world has created and she's a direct reflection of that.

So her mindset is revenge, love and trying to do the right thing. We'll see if it works.

Can you tell us a bit more about how your character’s role changes because if she’s in charge of that then she would have a much more powerful role as the season progresses, right?

Elizabeth Mitchell: Yes, well Rachel has a lot more to do in the second half of the season which is really fun. And yes, I mean as the preview suggests, that’s the quest, that sums it all up for her, and trying to, you know, patch her family back together and trying to figure herself out and sending her child again; that’s the worst and all of that.

So Rachel’s quest is specific and she’s incredibly proactive. She’s making a straight line towards what it is that she needs to do.

And the fun part that, you know, Eric had talked about before is that she also unloads everything; the entire secret, the entire history in one crazy conversation in Episode 1 - 13.

So I think that people will enjoy the fact that she has a lot to say and that her admonition or her quest is very powerful and proactive which I love in a character. It’s always nice to see women, people, anyone - your protagonist going after what she wants full force. So I think that’s going to be fun.

Credit: Brownie Harris/NBC

And can you say whether we will see something more personal in this story for her in terms of maybe a romance?

Elizabeth Mitchell: Yes, you will see - we will see echoes of what has been and what could be and what might be now, and there’s definitely more passion for her in the second half, which by the way if really fun. I mean I always find it kind of interesting to see where people’s hearts lie. So we get to see that for sure.

On the family dynamic among the group for the second half of the season:

Eric Kripke: I think there will be lots of conflict. I mean I think for us it's really the three of them is such a center of gravity for the show and of the Mathesons and the show is really at its heart a family show and the issues we discuss and the thematics we explore are much more about family than they're about anything else and can this family stay together in the face of these overwhelming odds.

And if you had to make a choice between for instance revenge or keeping your family safe, if you had to make a choice between fighting for the greater good or protecting your children, these are the types of questions and conflicts we really explore on the show. And I think between all three of them there's a very rich amount of material to play both in the character histories and the beautiful job that the actors are doing.

And Rachel and Miles have a very complicated history which we'll begin to unveil and explore and more and more in the second half. I think Rachel and Charlie have a very complicated present because Rachel hasn't been in her children's lives for years and now suddenly she's coming back and both mother and children have expectation as to how it's all going to go but of course it doesn't go at all like that because they're different people and they're basically strangers. And even though you don't want to feel resentment you can't help but feel resentment and you don't want to feel frustration but you can't help but feel frustration and we want to play it. And the actors are beautifully playing it in a very realistic way of what this reunion would be like which is it wouldn't be all wine and roses, it would be actually very painful and awkward and complicated.

But I think what's really important and I think all of these characters' saving graces are that they're all really trying and that they really want to overcome those obstacles and they really want to be a close family and they really want to correct the mistakes of their past and they're not always successful and sometimes they make newer and even worse mistakes but they're always really trying. And I think that's really important.

I think that's what makes them all - that's why I'm rooting for all of them and that's why I love all of them because they all want to be better and they all want to overcome their pasts and for me if there's a major thematic on the show it's that which is trying is the thing and that we'll all be - it's like we might not be able to make the world a better place when it's all said and done but if everyone keeps trying then I think that's what important and we try to reflect that in the characters as well.

The mid-season premiere of Revolution airs tonight at 10/9c on NBC.