Revolution - Recap: Sins of the (Surrogate) Father
Recap video and review of Revolution - Season 1 Episode 14 - The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia:
In ratcheting up the action and explaining the bigger mysteries of the series' backstory, Revolution has occasionally forgotten the utility of the more character-oriented stories the show used to tell earlier in the season, where we were learning about who these people are/were, in ways that would also drive the action forward. "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" is a return to form for Revolution, as it not only focuses on developing one of its best characters, it also serves to advance the overarching narrative of the rebels' battle against The Monroe Republic -- a battle that could soon be escalating to total war. The episode doesn't have the huge, explosive action setpieces of past episodes, instead opting for smaller one-on-one combat moments that, in my opinion, actually work better. Particularly in this instance, as the fights between Miles (Billy Burke) and ex-friend/protege Alec are up-close and personal, and communicates the friction between them much better than a shouting match would. That said, I still wish the show had avoided teasing out the mystery of what Miles did to Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) that caused their fall out all those years ago, since the show needs to jettison the mysteries and get to telling incisive character arcs. But at least it's a mystery centered on character, and not on the broader mythos of the series. And really, when you get down to brass tacks, "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" tells a story that makes the wait for another character-centric tale worth the wait.
Credit: NBC
The story centers on Miles, Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) and Nora (Daniella Alonso) as they travel to the Georgia Federation to prevent one of Monroe's operatives from detonating a nuke. It eventually turns out that the operative is Alec, a friend to whom Miles fulfilled a father/mentor role. President Foster (Leslie Hope) of the Georgia Federation, a woman whom Miles had previously wronged, orders him to prevent Alec from achieving his mission. It's the old rationale of "Well, I trained him, so I'm the only one who's capable of stopping him." And hey, it's as good a narrative justification for Miles being released by President Foster than any other. Yet we also get the sense that Miles wants closure for the wrongs he's committed against someone he once cared about, as many of Miles noble acts feel like atonement on his part, for better or worse. Through flashbacks, we learn that one of Alec's missions while serving under Miles was to assassinate a general from Texas. Believing to have succeeded, Alec returned to Philadelphia, only to learn that not only did he fail, but he was identified by his target. In order to avoid a war with Texas, Miles turns Alec over to Texas, telling him simply that it's part of "the job". Alec eventually did his time and returned to serve in the Monroe Republic, only to discover that Miles had betrayed the cause and left, meaning that Alec's sacrifice, which he did for Miles and the Monroe Republic, was for nothing. Alec has held a grudge ever since, and this conflict serves to illustrate just why Miles is so reluctant to fulfill the same father/mentor role in Charlie's life.
Credit: Brownie Harris/NBC
As he rationalizes to his niece at the end of the episode, after having killed Alec in a climactic face-off to prevent him from detonating the nuke, Miles states that everyone who gets close to him gets hurt, because he always finds a way to end up hurting them. It's a succinct summation of why Miles is such an introverted loner, and Billy Burke does a tremendous job with the material. There's even the possibility of the cycle repeating itself, as President Foster offers to make Miles a general again, placing hundreds of soldiers with thousands of guns under his command. The goal? All-out war with the Monroe Republic, as President Foster vows to blast the "third-world" republic into oblivion for Monroe's attempt to neutralizing the Georgia Federation's numbers advantage with a nuclear bomb. Miles is obviously considering the offer, but with great pause, as the lure of power threatens to undo whatever progress he's made as a man of noble merit. Miles and Rachel are the two best characters on the show, for my money, and it's to this episode's credit that it zeroes in on them with such focus.
Credit: Brownie Harris/NBC
On the topic of Rachel, we get an answer to two big questions tonight: why she didn't turn the power back on years ago, and what, exactly, was the electronic bug she extracted from the body of her late son, Danny. We learn, as Rachel continues her journey with Aaron (Zak Orth), that the electronic bug was a nanite, a device that essentially keeps sick people alive. The device helped subdue the larger medical issues plaguing Danny as a youth, yet the power being turned back on would have short-circuited the device and rendered it ineffective. However, with Danny dead, Rachel confronts an old friend named Jane, who knows how to turn the power back on. Jane is introduced when she rescues Rachel and Aaron from an attack by marauders, utilizing an electronic device to essentially burn the would-be rapists alive. It's a startling moment that illustrates the contrasting nature of Jane's personality, as she's equal parts severe and noble in her motivations. We learn that she doesn't want to help Rachel turn the power back on because it would mean the death of her partner, a woman warding off stage four cancer with the help of the nanites.
Credit: Brownie Harris/NBC
This confrontation between Rachel and her former friend, much like the parallel story with Miles, illustrates her desire to atone for all the deaths she's caused. When Jane tries to intimate that Rachel would commit the same sins all over again if it meant saving Danny, she admits that though it would mean she would hate herself forever, no. She wouldn't. It's a powerful moment for Rachel, who comes to the realization that all the awful things she did to keep Danny alive ultimately didn't matter. Jane's partner overhears this conversation between the two, and intercedes, commanding Jane to give Rachel what she wants, or she'll make the decision for Jane by killing herself. This is a moment of equal resonance, which is remarkable, given how little we know about Jane or her partner. Yet Rachel now has the tools to continue her journey. And not a moment too soon, as Monroe (David Lyons), is apparently growing more unhinged, having murdered one of his own men, whom he suspects has helped Captain Neville (Giancarlo Esposito) escape. All hell is set to break loose, and it all feels more resonant when the characters at the heart of the matter are more fleshed-out and three-dimensional.
Credit: Brownie Harris/NBC
I enjoyed "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" for its commitment to character development, and in its parallel exploration into Rachel's perceived failures as a mother, and Miles' failure as a father figure. These are the kinds of rich character stories that make the series feel more substantive, beyond the action and mythology. It can only serve the series well, going forward.