Revolution‘s band of fighters have finally reached Philadelphia, but the City of Brotherly Love it ain’t. In fact, the survivors’ troubles are only beginning now that they’re in enemy territory.
Here,
co-executive producer David Rambo previews Monday’s big midseason finale (NBC, 10/9c), which features an internal conflict for Miles, the reveal of
Monroe’s plans and a possible mother/daughter reunion. The EP also teases what’s in store for the second half of Season 1 (hint: it involves travel), which kicks off on March 25.
TVLINE | What challenges lie ahead for Miles, Charlie and everyone now that they’re in Philadelphia?
Next week will be the first time that all the Mathesons are in the same city since the premiere. So there are lots of opportunities to see what could happen there. A big challenge for Miles is — [as] part of him revealed in the hallucination he had last [Monday] — if Monroe asked him to come back, he would like that. We are going to see Miles and Monroe come face-to-face, and Monroe is going to ask him to come back to the militia.
TVLINE | How does that meeting compare with the one that we saw in this past episode? (Granted, it was a hallucination.)
[Laughs] Well, the hallucinations pretty much express Miles’ own internal needs and wants. Really it was from Miles’ heart, the hallucination. But Monroe really means it when he says, “I want you back. Come back.” We’ll see that next week. Of course, that’s a crisis for Miles.
TVLINE | Despite the fact that obviously something really horrible went down between them and Miles tried to assassinate Monroe, is there a feeling of brotherhood and love when they meet again?
A lot of that’s going to be revealed in [Monday's] episode…. It’s really the heart of the episode. I can tell you we really go pretty deeply into how the bond was formed, how far back in their lives it goes and the crisis that that presents in the present for them both when they come face-to-face. And there is an epic sword fight. I have to say that. It’s fantastic.
TVLINE | Can you hint at all about why Miles would even consider realigning himself with Monroe? What’s in it for him?
Is it a sense of purpose? Does he miss the power? That’s it exactly. He had a very strong sense of identity when he was creating the militia with a guy who was really his brother and his best friend… So he misses that relationship. He also had a much stronger sense of identity when he was in the militia and building something and had the respect and the force [and] the might of a fighting force to command. It was very seductive to him. He liked it. In a funny way, he doesn’t really know who he is as a Matheson yet. But he knows who he is as General Miles Matheson.
TVLINE | Now that Charlie is in Philadelphia, will there be a reunion or fleeting moment where she and Rachel come into contact?
I don’t want to give you any spoilers about the family. But I can tell you that the writing staff watched the final edit of next week’s episode together, and we were all in tears. So there’s a lot of emotion to come from the Matheson family in particular.
TVLINE | Is Monroe going to retaliate against Rachel for the stabbing? Or has she actually managed to spare herself?
She spared herself because now he really does need her. She’s a scientist.The stakes are a lot higher. She’s going to be watched and guarded, building what he needs her to build. But she’s done everything against her will. She was trying to sabotage Monroe. But whether or not she’s able to do that now, we’ll find out.
TVLINE | That definitely was a bomb that she was building?
It definitely was a bomb. Clever mother.
TVLINE | So far, the pendants has been explained pretty neatly. Is there more to the story than what we’ve seen?
Yes. [Laughs] There is more. I know there are some viewers who are counting pendants. Very closely. They don’t all agree on how many [we've seen], but they’re counting pendants.
TVLINE | Will Charlie cross paths with Jason/Nate now that she’s in Philly?
We’ve not seen the last of Jason at all. Yes, their paths will cross again.
TVLINE | Is there one big question that we should expect to get an answer to in the finale?
Yes. The finale will answer some questions, but it will pose even more because it is a really good cliffhanger. One of the big things that will be revealed actually, I believe, is what Monroe’s plans really are.
TVLINE | Billy Burke said he imagines the other republics are going to go to war with Monroe because it seems like he wants world domination.
Yeah. We’re talking very much about the other republics as we look at writing the second half of the season. I’ll tell you, last week we had [executive producer and pilot director] Jon Favreau with us for a day in the writer’s room. He loves these other republics, what they could be. He gave us some fantastic ideas about what these other places in North America might look like 15 years after a blackout.
TVLINE | Does that mean we might actually get to see some of them in the second half of the season?
We very possibly will.
TVLINE | I’m really curious about them, especially Texas. Did Texas swallow up New Mexico? Is that why it’s bigger?
No. Texas has reclaimed parts of Mexico after the blackout. It just took the northern chunk of Mexico where there’s a lot of manufacturing and raw materials.
TVLINE | You mentioned a cliffhanger. Is it going to be like, “OMG, I cant believe that just happened!” or “What on earth will happen in the first minutes of March 25?!”?
I would say both. We’re going to be off the air for four months. We have to give people something to look forward to in March.
