Revolution 2.14 "Fear and Loathing" Review: Shifting Perspectives

    This week’s episode of Revolution, “Fear and Loathing,” was written by the team of Anne Cofell Saunders & Matt Pitts and was directed by Liz Friedlander. Cofell Saunders and Pitts last collaborated on episode seven of this season, “The Patriot Act.” This is Friedlander’s first time behind the camera for the series, but her credits include The Following, The Secret Circle, 90210, and The Vampire Diaries.

    This week’s episode picks up right where we left off with Monroe (David Lyons) and Connor (Mat Vairo) being captured by Gould (Timm Sharp) with Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) left to rescue them. Aaron (Zak Orth) and Priscilla (Maureen Sebastian) are still being held by Peter (Daniel Henney). Miles (Billy Burke) and Rachel (Elizabeth Michell) have agreed to work with Tom (Giancarlo Esposito) and Jason (JD Pardo).

    I loved the scene between Miles and Tom when Miles tells Tom essentially to his face that he’s never liked him. But he does feel badly that Tom has lost Julia. It’s wonderfully ironic and beautifully delivered by Esposito when he replies, “there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to see her face again.” And then Esposito turns the knife by saying that he’s glad that Miles finally got together with his sister-in-law. Esposito hilarious calls Miles a sicko and he replies with “Dick.”

    In scoping out Willoughby, the group discovers that Doyle (Christopher Cousins) has arrived and Jason immediately recognizes what he’s up to – building the “re-education” center. Jason and Tom are both disturbed by Doyle’s presence – Tom for Julia (Kim Raver) and Jason for the torture he endured. Luckily, Miles and Rachel are both suspicious of the Nevilles and manage to double cross the double crossers. I was really happy to see Tom actually resort to telling the truth. However, Miles refuses to give up Monroe. Tom’s not wrong to call them on backing Monroe after all he’s done. He even reminds Rachel that he killed her son. Tom merely says what a lot of viewers have been thinking – so I’m really looking forward to their answers this week.

    In Lubbock, Texas, Aaron and Priscilla learn that the nanotech is sick and dying because there is a problem with the code that they created. Eventually the code will corrupt and die, but the nano will die. Peter sees this as a blessing. Priscilla doesn’t want to save them. Aaron tells Pete that it’s a machine, not God. Pete maintains you can’t fight fate and that this is a new God. Peter is determined to make them help whatever it takes – he’s clearly as crazy as Aaron thinks. Henney does a great job at being creepily earnest.

    Priscilla urges Aaron to do nothing and just let the code die. But Aaron is not willing to leave things up to fate. He’s terrified of losing anyone else. There is a super freaky lightening storm that we can only assume is a manifestation of the nanotech dying. The last time we saw a similar lightening storm was when Aaron turned the power on at the Tower.

    In the end, Aaron and Priscilla appear to help Peter, only to have Aaron kill the code. It was lucky that Aaron was smarter than either Priscilla or Peter and was able to fool them about what he was doing with the code. Aaron tells Pricilla that the nanotech has been watching them all along, so of course, he couldn’t tell her he was agreeing with her because then they would know. In a fantastic twist, Aaron suddenly finds himself waking up in a perfectly normal, electrically powered 2014.

    Gould plans to make some money and punish Monroe by making Monroe and Connor participate in a dog fight – a fight to the death. Monroe commits to teaching Connor how to kill him. Monroe tells Connor that he has a blind spot that even Miles doesn’t know about. Connor resists, and Monroe tells him that he got Connor’s mother killed. It’s another wonderful scene with Lyons. He looks Connor in the eye as he tells him the truth and there is only the tiniest tremor in Lyons voice to indicate that he actually does feel remorse about it. Connor finally starts to fight.

    Monroe wants Connor to carry on the legacy. It’s worth it to die and it’s worth all the bad things he’s done if Connor remakes the Republic. The close ups of their faces in this scene show that Monroe had been taking a lot of hits to his face, but Connor’s face is mark free. It’s yet another brilliant scene with Lyons as he confesses his one regret is that he ended up alone. He makes Connor promise to find someone – NOT CHARLIE! – to settle down with and have kids. It’s this seemingly selfless wish that finally breaks through to Connor. There’s a brilliant shot of Lyons’ face just at the end of the scene when a brief tightening of his eyes might indicate that he’s not being sincere.

    During the fight, it seemed as if Monroe left his blind side open and then blocked Connor, seemingly having lied about the blind spot. However, Connor gets the upper hand, and Monroe simply nods, telling him to make the killing blow...

    Meanwhile, Charlie goes to Duncan (Katie Aselton) for help in rescuing Monroe and Connor. Duncan immediately realizes that she’s going to be in trouble with Gould, so she serves Charlie up to Gould who immediately chains her and pimps her out – big mistake. I thought it interesting that Charlie appeals to the feelings that used to exist between Duncan and Monroe. There’s no sentiment on her part, she’s just using it for leverage. Duncan, however, is a lot more interested in self-preservation than a former lover. Once again, it’s fun to see Charlie fight her way clear to rescue the boys. And in fact, save Duncan’s life along the way. It’s their lives that they bargain with not something as trivial as men.

     I adored that Duncan gave the mercenaries to Charlie, putting her in charge. As Duncan points out, Charlie is the one who earned them. I’m hoping that viewers, like me, are now ready to see Charlie in a more mature leadership role – she’s come a long way. Last season I was very annoyed with her telling the experienced soldiers like Miles what to do. This season it feels more right. I loved the look of complete incredulity on Monroe’s face that he’d been replaced by Charlie! I also loved how funny Connor thought it was.

    What did you think of the episode? I think the story has set us up to go in some really interesting directions now. What exactly do you think is going on with Aaron? Do you think Miles and Rachel will really back Monroe? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.