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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

20 Burning Questions From Revolution's Pilot

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   I can't say I was surprised that the premiere of Revolution Monday night left me with far more questions than answers (after all, the series is produced by Lost mastermind J.J. Abrams). Whether or not the NBC drama will actually resolve all these mysteries is something we'll have to wait and see. Until then, here are the 20 biggest questions that will be keeping me up at night, in no particular order. [Spoilers ahead]


1. How did Ben and Rachel know about the blackout beforehand?

   Minutes before the blackout hit, Ben (Tim Guinee) ran home with a box of supplies and told Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) to start stocking water. His wife wasn't too caught off guard, seemingly knowing about the impending light-pocalypse already (though, she didn't immediately start running the faucets like any sane person would do). How did this couple know about the blackout before it hit, while the rest of the world remained — pun fully intended — in the dark?

2. What was Ben's profession?

   With an apparent inside track to all the latest blackout knowledge, Ben's apocalypse expertise is most likely connected to his job pre-blackout. Was he a mad scientist? A spy? A station worker for the Dharma Initiative? Or — more likely — a government employee privy to some top-secret project?


3. What was Ben so eager to download?

   And more importantly, why does the program he used to download it look like something out of a bad '80s movie? Seriously. I didn't even know they made interfaces like that anymore! But whatever content he downloaded, it must be exceptionally important since Ben safeguarded it for 15 years before passing it on to Aaron (Zak Orth) at the first sight of militia. (Side note: Do you think there's a knockoff of that USB drive on Etsy yet? It's geek-tastically adorable.)

4. What caused the blackout?

   While Aaron postulated it might have been the result of a solar flare or an electromagnetic pulse, could any of those have really stopped batteries, solar power and car engines from working? I'm actually asking here. Physics is a little out of my comfort zone. Whatever the cause, creator Eric Kripke has assured us that the answer is theoretically possible. So get thinking and share your theories in the comments below!

5. Which is more believable: a worldwide blackout or the Cubs winning the World Series?

   Apparently, baseball's favorite underdogs are gonna win it big this year! At least on Revolution. Viewers can catch this little Easter egg when the camera pans over the decrepit Wrigley Field of the future, where the sign outside boasts "2012 World Series Champions." Though, for a lot of people that simple line of text might be even less believable than the series' imagined apocalypse.

6. What kind of juice cures an asthma attack?

Not joking, I could use some of that. It's probably cheaper and definitely way less nerdy than the inhaler I have to tote around. Though, I gotta agree with Danny (Graham Rogers). That stuff does look pretty awful.

7. Why is Charlie selfishly hoarding that Rubik's cube?

   Kids don't have video games, Bop It or anything fun like that in the future. You gotta give them something to play with besides a pile of dirt! Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) keeping that Rubik's cube in her secret lunchbox is a truly deplorable moral act. She should be ashamed.

8. "What's in the whiskey, b----?"

   It's probably smart to be suspicious of anyone who carries poisoned whiskey on her at all times, so I recommend keeping a close watch on Maggie (Anna Lise Phillips). There's definitely more to the hot doc than meets the eye.

9. Is Nate good or evil?

   This (very sexy) young man seems to hold quite a high rank in the militia, yet when he has her cornered, Nate lets Charlie go. Is this all part of a long-term, dastardly plan or does he actually have feelings for her?

10. More importantly, is Nate single?

   J.D. Pardo, who plays the arrow-toting cutie, is a relative unknown, though I'm sure that'll be quick to change (especially since he's going to appear in the final Twilight installment!). His rather sparse online bios make it hard to determine anything of his relationship status, but let's stay positive! I'm starting on our Pinterest wedding board as we speak...

11. Does Miles actually know how to turn the power back on?

   And if he does, why hasn't he done so yet? Is Miles (Billy Burke) staying quiet out of self-protection or is there some larger threat if the lights go back on? My guess: a little bit of both.

12. Is Aaron on the Hurley diet from Lost?

   It's been 15 years, bro. You said it yourself — people are starving. What are you eating? Them?

13. Why did Sebastian turn against Miles?

   When the blackout hit, Miles and Sebastian (David Lyons) were the best of friends. So what caused the former army buds to turn on each other? Thanks to the upcoming myriad of flashbacks, we'll probably get our answer pretty soon. But one thing's for sure: Bass' betrayal (whatever the cause) fully supports my theory that anyone with a tattoo of their own name shouldn't be trusted.

14. What happened to Rachel?

   There was something strange about the way Ben warned Charlie about her mother's death "out there." That's just a little too vague, if you ask me. How exactly did she die? That is, if she's even dead at all...

15. What exactly happened during the past 15 years?

   After the blackout, society collapsed. The government we've known becomes replaced by a series of tyrannical republics, including one run by Bass, now known as General Monroe. How did these dictators rise to power? Is there any sort of political conglomerate, like a post-apocalyptic U.N.? I'm sure poli-sci nerds everywhere (and me) are itching to learn!

16. What's with all the Henley shirts?

   I don't know where the future-dwellers get their clothes (are they hand-me-downs or made by hand?) Whatever the case, there seems to be a rule that all post-apocalyptic guys have to wear henleys. Danny, Sebastian, Miles and Nate all sport the style in the pilot. And while the foursome are looking mighty fine, I can't help but feel that Dexter's Dexter Morgan might pop up at any moment with a roll of saran wrap and his signature apron to reclaim his wardrobe.

17. Whose side is Grace on?

   First, the woman in the farmhouse rescues Danny, but then she goes and hands him right back to the militia! Whose side is she on exactly? Whatever the answer, who else is guessing that Grace (Maria Howell) wasn't just an algebra teacher back in the day?

18. Where did all these people learn sword-fighting?

   I like to imagine that after the blackout, fencers and Shakespearean actors held training camps to teach their communities how to defend themselves now that firearms had been outlawed. The likelihood of this theory is low, but it'd make for a great, comedic flashback (hint hint).

19. Who's Susan?

   When we first meet Bass, he's excitedly texting his ladyfriend Susan. This might just be the crazy fangirl in me, but I can't help reading into every little detail and wondering if we'll be hearing more of the mysterious Susan later on.

20. "So... What now?"

   The final moments of the pilot packed quite the punch, making for a very classic Abrams cliff-hanger (old-school computer and all). Why does Grace have the same USB drive as Ben? How does it make the power work? Who was she chatting with? Give me answers now! One thing's for sure though: the pilot's final moments set up the next episode perfectly and had me mirroring Grace's mysterious IM buddy, begging, "What now?"

What do you think were the biggest questions of the pilot? Do you have any theories that would answer these questions?

Source:  TVGuide