This week, we get a closer look at the rebellion effort to reclaim the United States, and Aaron and Maggie get closer to finding out about what may have caused the Blackout.

One thing I actually really enjoy about ‘Revolution’ is the way it captures America’s militia-run, electricity-free future is how much it may mirror our past. Parts of this show feel like they were lifted and adapted from Civil War era photos, especially with the use of muskets, old pistols, and even in the costuming details, instead of camo fatigues, the clothes feel more elegant and structured, in flat wool colors, and this week, we got a better look at the people who want to reclaim the United States government. Of course, its a very small glimpse, and when Nora takes Charlie and Miles back to their base with the rifle she lifted, it seems that the rebellion isn’t doing very well, after a brutal attack from the militia. What you basically see is a bunch of young people dying, and while Charlie is horrified, immediately trying to help, Miles sees it as another inevitability, asking why Nora would so willingly side with “a lost cause.” Of course, watching people die in front of her inspires Charlie to want to fight back against the system that killed half her family. Miles wants nothing to do with it, but apparently they really need Nora to help get Danny back, so he sticks around. He ribs Nora for her relationship with the group’s leader, a priest.

But meeting up with the rebellion leads them to a man named Jeremy (played by genre TV fave Mark Pellegrino, a vet of both ‘Lost’ and ‘Supernatural’) Jeremy is a militia man who uses things like Russian Roulette to extract information, as well as a cheerfully diabolical method of ammo conservation. Jeremy’s assault on the rebels leads to one big character reveal: Miles doesn’t just know Sebastian Munroe, he used to be his second-in-command. Every brutal tactic that the militia learned and continues to learn was because of his ideas and training, and thus, guys like Neville and Jeremy are basically Miles’ creation, not born cruel or ruthless, but made into that. It’s the biggest piece of character development the show has offered, and as one character says, Miles is a war criminal. This makes Miles as a character make a bit more sense. He’s not just a generic badass because the show needs him to be that, but its engrained as a part of the universe they live in. Another fight with the militia leads to the militia’s retreat, now that the rebels have their hands on a seriously high-powered sniper rifle with bullets big enough to take down an elephant. Charlie and Nora rescue Miles from Militia capture by blowing up the bridge they plan to cross, showing off both Nora and Charlie’s tactical ingenuity.

In the most affecting storyline of the night, Maggie and Aaron explore Grace’s house in search for some answers about the flashdrive, and not finding much. In a fit of frustration, Aaron begins to explain why he so desperately wants the power to come back. Aaron was the victim of bullying in school, but was able to move beyond it and grow up, getting the life he always wanted. (Remember, Aaron was a Google CEO.) But in this new world, the bullies not only thrive, they run the whole country. Aaron’s feeling of helplessness is one of the more palpable feelings that this show has managed to convey. They find that the circle on the drive has lit up and suddenly – the power comes on. Marvin Gaye’s ‘Heard it Through the Grapevine’ pipes in through headphones and Maggie’s iPhone boots up, showing off pictures of her children. Aaron puts on the headphones, and listens to one of the most sublime pieces of music of the 20th century, so clear and crisp and real, and then suddenly, as quickly as it started, it vanishes. The two stare at each other in quiet devastation.

And finally, Danny proves that he’s not the television equivalent of a soggy piece of wonder bread when, after receiving cruel treatment from one of Neville’s men, who’s upset that Danny killed his best friend with a crossbow. Danny fakes an asthma attack to get the soldier down to his level and then throttles him within an inch of his life. A look passes between Neville and Danny, and its about the closest thing to respect Neville will probably ever give him. Anything that involves Danny being less than a wet blanket is always good.

  • Best line of the night, when Jeremy watches everyone’s shock about Miles past: ‘This is so dramatic. You guys remember ‘One Life to Live’?”
  • I cannot get over how much I enjoyed the scene between Aaron and Maggie, mostly because it was tangible. Imagine how much you’d start to miss hearing your favorite songs. “It’s music.” he says to her, like he’s talking about finding the Ark of the Covenant. “It’s Marvin Gaye.”
  • As many of you lovely commenters pointed out, yes, Maggie’s kids are probably in England, as opposed to the horrible thing I was imagining for them. But what happened to Aaron’s wife? I want to know these things.
  • It is admittedly much more fun to watch the adults, who remember the old world, as opposed to those who don’t. As a person who lives their life immersed in media, losing that as a frame of connectivity would be very polarizing.
  • I like the idea that the militia purposefully has to turn to antique weapons whose ammunition can be forged as opposed to manufactured.
  • Maggie’s phone boots up with 11% power? On an Apple product? Sweet dreams are made of this.

Did you miss an episode? Check out our recap of last week’s ‘Chained Heat‘.