Revolution's Return 1x11 "The Stand" First Minute Sneak Peek

Watch the complete first minute of Revolution's return episode, 1x11, "The Stand". Presented by Eric Kripke and JJ Abrams.


New Revolution March 25 at 10/9c on NBC!

10 Things You Need to Know About Revolution's Return

The revolution is about to begin!

On Monday, March 25 (10/9c), Revolution returns after a four-month hiatus — and though it's been quite a while since the show has been on the air, the NBC series will pick up exactly where we left off, with Miles (Billy Burke) & Co. on the run from Monroe (David Lyons) and his fleet of newly powered helicopters. But will they be able to make a daring escape? In short, duh! The show can't end like that! But what's in store for the survivors? The cast and executive producers teased what's coming up at Saturday's PaleyFest panel, moderated by TV Guide Magazine's Michael Schneider. Get the scoop below:

1. The Blackout, revealed: "We reveal why the power went out and we do it early," executive producer Eric Kripke said, noting that it will open the door to a bigger mystery. "It will be fun to see the audience's reaction to it." Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) actually knows the real reason, so, "there's no reason she wouldn't say it."

2. The world expands: As Monroe's power grows, so too will the world of Revolution as the group may need to rely on other territories in the fight against Monroe. "This revolution against Monroe really begins," Kripke says. "[They] all join together to take on this evil tyrant." But executive producer Jon Favreau noted that loyalties with these other federations may change as power shifts hands. Among the new faces is Leslie Hope's President Foster, the leader of the Georgia Federation. "She's badass," Kripke said. "She's really steely and strong and has her own management style that is quite different than Monroe's."

3. Charlie's not a kid anymore: Even though Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) has been reunited with her mother Rachel and brother Danny (Graham Rogers), she will continue to fight for the rebellion, which will put her at odds with herself. "Is she able to keep her humanity through it all?" Spiridakos said. She may find help in that department in Jason (J.D. Pardo), who Spiridakos noted will be around the rebels more in the second half of the season.

20 things we learned from the Revolution PaleyFest Panel

   After Friday night's spoiler-free PaleyFest panel for "The Walking Dead," Saturday night's (March 2) panel for "Revolution" was practically the opposite.

   Eric Kripke, J.J. Abrams and the cast were fairly forthcoming about what fans can expect both when "Revolution" returns to NBC on March 25 and beyond.

   That, of course, means that if you want to go in with a completely clean slate, you really don't want to read the information after the break.

So click through for 20 things we learned from the 'Revolution' PaleyFest Panel.

   20) Nobody on the "Revolution" writing staff cared about the Super Bowl. Remember that whole blackout thing during the Super Bowl and all of the "hilarious" jokes on your Twitter feed about "Revolution"? Well, it turns out that the shows writers weren't even watching the game. They were working on breaking story and one of the assistants read about it on social media. "We all had a moment like, 'Ah. I wish we were airing the next night,'" says Eric Kripke.

   19) They're overjoyed that they've been gone since November. You may miss "Revolution" and NBC may miss the show's ratings, but Kripke and company are giddy. Well, they're not really "giddy," but they're very good at putting a happy face on the break. "I'm very grateful for it, becuase I think creatively it really paid off and I believe very strongly that the second half of the season is better than the first," Kripke says. They said the same thing at TCA Press Tour in January, so it's gotta be true.

   18) Eric Kripke thinks he knows what the show did well in its first chunk of episodes. "I thought we did a pretty great job introducing the characters and these wonderful actors," Kripke says. "Character really has to come first in a show like this and it's more important than the genre and it's more important than the big concept, because stories come and go, but if you can make the characters stick, then I think you have a chance as some longevity and I think we did that well. We got to know them. We got to understand them. They got dimensionalized, they all sorta came to life, which is in a large part due to the incredible job that all of these incredibly handsome people on the stage have done."

Pictures of Revolution Panel at PaleyFest 2013

7 Reasons to be Excited for Revolution's Return

   It's been a while, Revolution. We've missed you. At least those of us who still remember the NBC hit after its seemingly endless four month hiatus. But now Revolution's return is only a few weeks away (March 25 at 10/9c) and the question is: does anyone still care? Creator Eric Kripke sure hopes so. "I think, honestly, it's an engine that's humming better than it ever has," he said. While Revolution was the biggest freshman hit of the fall season, many viewers were left lukewarm by the midseason finale. After taking this time off the air to reevaluate, Kripke now believes the show's return has what it takes to attract old fans, those still on the fence as well as a whole new audience. "We've learned from our mistakes and really sort of figured out what works and what doesn't work," he tells TVGuide.com.

Still hesitant to commit? Here are another seven reasons to be excited for Revolution's return:

1. Things are going to get moving — and fast! With Supernatural's Kripke and Lost's J.J. Abrams at the helm, viewers expected the same quick-paced storytelling we'd come to know from the pair's previous series. Unfortunately, Revolution's first 10 episodes — while a fun ride — moved at a snail's pace. (Ten episodes just to get one kid? Sheesh!) That's all going to change when the show returns. "It explodes into a big ball of fury after this," Billy Burke, who plays Miles, says. "I know [Kripke and Abrams] want to hasten, quicken the pace," Captain Neville's portrayer Giancarlo Esposito says, adding that they also plan to swiftly answer some of the series' biggest burning questions, including why the power went out!

2. There are going to be higher stakes (and an actual revolution) Now that Monroe has power — not to mention helicopters — gone are the days of a simple search-and-rescue mission. "It'll evolve into a really sizeable quest," Kripke says. "I think we really look at the first 10 episodes as the prologue to the story ... now it's time for the revolution to start." But things won't' be so easy for our heroes as they set out to restore power worldwide. "They've got crossbows and swords and [Monroe] has M16s and choppers, so they're woefully overwhelmed and outmanned and outgunned," the creator adds. To help even the playing field, Kripke hints that the rebels might look to outside forces for help. Georgia, perhaps?

3. We'll see a larger, complex world à la Game of Thrones "We've seen personal relationship struggles and personal revolutions happen, but we haven't seen how this particular power outage has affected the whole world. We're about to," Esposito teases. With the revolution finally beginning, everyone has their own role to play, roles that will take them outside of the Monroe Republic. "We'll see the Georgia Federation this season, we'll see the Plains Nation this season — and they're wildly different nations ... We really want this to evolve into kind of an American Game of Thrones." Kripke says. But with the world expanding, don't expect our recently reunited gang of misfits to stay together too long.

Revolution Winter TCA Tour 2013

Pictures from: 2013 Winter TCA Tour, Revolution. Billy Burke, David Lyons, Elizabeth Mitchell, Eric Kripke, Giancarlo Esposito, J.J. Abrams, JD Pardo, Tracy Spiridakos.

In Deep with Director J.J. Abrams

JJ Abrams: “We do live in a world where the unbelievable is very possible”

   Combined, his proven intelligence, genuine compassion, and innate curiosity of infinite and mysterious possibilities have made him one of our greatest storytellers. Born in New York and raised in Los Angeles, JJ, born Jeffery Jacob Abrams, has vigorously propelled his way to the top of high-tech, action-packed, entertainment. From sixteen years old, to now, JJ has gone on to create, write, direct, produce, and compose music for television series and films that lifts you up in some sort of emotional epiphany, throws every preconception to the ground, entertains, and above all, reminds you of what is possible. Some of which have been: Felicity, Lost, Alias, Fringe, Mission Impossible, Star Trek, and Super 8.

   From a brave and dedicated kid with a dream, to now CEO of his own Production Company, working alongside his childhood hero, and father of three, ruled with grace and humility, he is easily one of my favorite people; a friend that everyone deserves.

6 Tips About Revolution's Return

   "The revolution and the battle against Monroe really begins."

   That was the party line Sunday at Revolution's panel during NBC's winter TV previews, as executive producer Eric Kripke promised reporters that the second half of the series' freshman season will actually begin to deliver on the promise of the title.

   When last we left Miles (Billy Burke), Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos), Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) and the rest of the gang, they had escaped Monroe's (David Lyons) clutches only to come face-to-face with his fleet of helicopters — all thanks to Rachel's pendant amplifier, which provided power to his new army.

   Impending battle aside — and there will be many on several fronts — Kripke says that at its core, Revolution is a family show and in the second half of the season, the Matheson family will be tested. "The story becomes about can this family — some of them are related by blood, some of them are just related by loyalty. Can they stick together in the face of these overwhelming odds and this overwhelming danger?" Kripke says. "And can you maintain your soul when you're a warrior?"

   "This is The Waltons with swords," he adds. "We really want to make sure it always has an incredible amount of heart."

   Check out what else is in store for Miles & Co. when the series returns this March:

How J.J. Abrams Pitched 'Revolution'

   It started with two men sword fighting in front of a Starbucks.

   Writer-producer Eric Kripke dreamed up that surreal image last summer. His previous series Supernatural was inspired by a similarly random mental snapshot — “a girl on the ceiling on fire.” Now he had this new idea, the coffee shop sword fight. Kripke didn’t know who the fighting men were or why they were using medieval weapons. He only knew he wanted to somehow take modern-day America and roll it back pre-industrial times, to write a quest story like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, only in a land peppered by freeways and fast food restaurants.

   “I wanted to take everything I love about Lord of the Rings — swords and swashbuckling and quests and damsels in distress — put all that deep nerd fantasy stuff on the American highway,” Kripke says.

   So he took the idea to primetime’s reigning master of big concepts, producer J.J. Abrams (Lost, Person of Interest), who saw the potential, particularly the inherent appeal of a back-to-basics rustic setting. “It’s wish fulfillment,” Abrams says. “We’re constantly being bombarded. It’s a silencing of the din that we live in right now.”

   Moreover, Abrams says stripping away technology can help a show creatively, just like with the stranded island castaways on ABC’s Lost. “One of the things that’s difficult and frustrating about all the technology we have is it eliminates a lot of potential for drama,” Abrams says. “[Characters] can communicate instantly, they can research things, they can jump on a plane and be anywhere. Writers contort themselves to eliminate cell phones from scenes. And one of the beautiful byproducts of Kripke’s idea is that there’s no longer that immediate access.”

JJ Abrams at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

J.J. shows Jimmy a special prop he received a long time ago and talks about his new show, "Revolution".

JJ Abrams and Eric Kripke Interview with NY Times

Here's the challenge for Eric Kripke, the producer in charge of “Revolution,” an NBC series set on a future Earth without electricity: Take a horror story and make it a fantasy.

   Make his characters — and thus the viewers at home — want to keep the lights off and the phones uncharged and the hospitals unequipped.

   Mr. Kripke succeeds, in the premiere episode on Sept. 17, by suggesting what can be done with power when it lands in dictatorial hands. An unexpected subtext for a drama seen Mondays at 10 on NBC — but then, the network needs a jolt. It’s betting on “Revolution” to deliver one.

   “We wanted not to tell a typical apocalypse story about the end of things, but to tell a story about the beginning of things,” Mr. Kripke said in a telephone interview. That’s the reason he and his producing partners set the series 15 years after the blackout, on a North American continent being reclaimed by nature and divided into warring republics.

   “Instead of decimation,” he said, “the show is about heroes on this great epic quest.” To turn the lights back on, maybe, or to keep them off.

   Mr. Kripke, best known for the CW series “Supernatural,” “pitched a show about heroes and villains and the journey that these characters are on,” said J. J. Abrams, one of his producing partners. (Jon Favreau is another.) “What fascinated me,” Mr. Abrams said in a separate interview, “is the idea that when the power goes off, the power shifts. What does that look like?”

Revolution Vs. Person of Interest

   "Person of Interest" is an intriguing show about our current society, drenched in technology, involving surveillance that watches our every move. A machine then processes all of that information, predicting crimes to a precise degree.

   "Revolution," on the other hand, is a new series that involves a future Earth without any technology. There is no running water, no cars, no planes, no anything involving machines of any kind. Although the ideas are on opposite sides of the spectrum, they have a few similarities that may attract the same types of viewers.

Interview with JJ Abrams on Revolution

   JJ Ambrams, excecutive producer of Revolution, gave an interview where he talks about the main premise of the show and delivers some light about what to expect from it and the direction they want to take. Definitely a Must See.