Revolution (the TV show)

[Clod Stomper]

I looked, but apparently no one has commented on the show yet.

It's on NBC right now. Second episode. Background is, it's set 15 years in the future after all electrical items have ceased to function. Has flashbacks to present time occasionally.

SPOILER ALERT............

So far, it's reasonably entertaining. I have some problems with the premise, though.

-It's supposedly 15 years from now (or thereabouts). The most popular rifle in the US right now is the AR-style rifle. But apparently 15 years from now, most of what is left are Civil War era weapons.

-Militia (characterized as the bad guys/new government) have sprung up and are terrorizing the citizens. As if there aren't enough good guys with guns to prevent that sort of douchebaggery.

-Firearms are illegal for anyone except loyal militia. See last point.

-I REALLY have a problem with them calling the tyrannical government soldiers "militia". Militia, by definition, are citizen soldiers. Hardly the type to suppress the populace.

I'll keep watching for now.

I'm surprised I didn't see anyone else post about the new show. I apologize if someone did and I missed it.

Will

[glowdotGlock]

I watched it last week but wasn't very impressed. I don't look for it to be on next season. I may be wrong though.

[gjohnsoniv]

I was not impressed. Probably won't watch anymore of it. Good premise, bad execution.

[Clod Stomper]

I do seem to be more easily entertained than most.

Gotta go watch some potatoes boil...

[walton6467]

I've watched both episodes, I was struck by the fact that the girl who was three and has grown up in a chaotic/anarchist/martial law type society has such a firm grasp of individual freedoms and such a current mindset on the value of human life. She seems to be the only character on the show who feels remorse over the loss of life. The young girl is very liberal in her mindset, while her wily, streetwise, combat trained Uncle is very conservative in his way of thinking. She is shown killing and regretting it, he is shown NOT killing and regretting that.

Otherwise my main gripe was their muskets and the wagons had 15 year old rubber tires. Has anyone EVER seen a car tire last 15 years?

[Guest sL1k]

Was anyone else trying to figure out what the "sniper rifle" actually was ?

[xRUSTYx]

Otherwise my main gripe was their muskets and the wagons had 15 year old rubber tires. Has anyone EVER seen a car tire last 15 years?

Yup ... On my dad's old viper

Never got driven and the tires were ATLEAST 15-16 years old

As for the show -- The wife & I have seen both episodes. We happen to like it

[Clod Stomper]

Don't know what kind of rifle it was, but I think I would have rather used that crossbow to take out the guy carrying it rather than a crude pistol. But, of course, firearms are ALWAYS more deadly than bows and arrows.

[atlas3025]

I like that "Gus" (Giancarlo Esposito) from Breaking Bad is the #### heel. He is sensational. They have already presented him as "the Bad Guy", but they also have shown why he does what he does, and that he isn't necessarily evil. He explains that the current government is all they have to keep society from totally collapsing, and ultimately, all he wants to do is get home to his family, which is noble.

Like all network television programs, it is too "clean". It just isn't gritty enough, and I can't quite figure why. Being an AMC drama fan (Breaking Bad, Hell on Wheels, Walking Dead) my standards are absurdly high, but still...big budget network TV should be able to get it right. Maybe the budgets are too big? TNT's "Falling Skies" has the same problem.

There has been plenty of killing and questionable morals, but it just seems too gratuitous and processed, or "Hollywood". Also, how are their clothes all so clean? How do they all look so good?

I DO like that they keep making the point about firearms being illegal and the punishment is death. They present the law as unfair and totalitarian, which promotes our beliefs in the importance of the 2nd Amendment. Clearly the show has a patriotic tilt to it as they associate the American Flag as to be hated by current government /"militia". They have tied the 2nd Amendment to the notion of what it means to be "American".

I will continue to watch the show as long as it holds my interest.

Edited September 25, 2012 by atlas3025

[Guest ochretoe]

The show is so-so but the premmis is stupid. All electrical devises stop working for ever. I can see an EMP or solar flare knocking out the grid but any rechargeable things would work. If the laws of nature were stopped and electricity stopped working I guess they don't have to worry about thunder storms any more.

[BryanP]

Otherwise my main gripe was their muskets and the wagons had 15 year old rubber tires. Has anyone EVER seen a car tire last 15 years?

I can forgive the black powder. You figure if they can't make more ammunition components, making your own black powder is something many people can learn to do.

Or the asthma inhaler? Even if the medications are good, the propellant would have long leaked out by then. Or all of the 15+ year old clothes that are in pristine condition? Oh, and apparently The Apocalypse genetically selected for attractiveness.

[Caster]

The premise is stupid as was stated. First off, mechanical diesel engines would all work fine. Magneto fired gas engines would work, that means generators and small engines. It would take a SERIOUSLY HUGE EMP to knock out EVERYTHING and I ain't buying it. I have a '66 dodge Monaco with a 383 and a point distributor. It'll be running in the worst of times. I have yet to discover anything in my studies that suggests an EMP will affect breaker point/magneto ignition. There's no silicone technology there so what's there to be hurt?

[Guest BungieCord]

In the opening episode, in the first few minutes, a commercial airliner fell out of the sky allegedly because all its electrical systems had gone unpowered, yet the flashing anti-collision lights were working up to the moment of impact. Then two teenagers who were too young to possibly have any memory of riding in a fossil-fueled vehicle escaped from a wrecked RV they were exploring by kicking out the windshield. Which begs the question(s) how they could have known the windshield could be kicked out in the first place, much less why they made no effort to shield themselves from hail of flying glass shards ...unless they already knew about shatterproof automotive glass.

That was all the longer it took me to recognize this for typical (substandard) network television schlock and change the channel.

...I have yet to discover anything in my studies that suggests an EMP will affect breaker point/magneto ignition....

The Enola Gay and Bockscar didn't seem to mind it much.

[atlas3025]

Which begs the question(s) how they could have known the windshield could be kicked out in the first place, much less why they made no effort to shield themselves from hail of flying glass shards ...unless they already knew about shatterproof automotive glass.

A small nit to pick...just because automobiles don't function anymore doesn't mean the kids hadn't had a lifetime of vandalizing the ones they run across.

Also, they have showed the woman in her attic typing frantically at her functioning computer in both episodes, so I think they will go with some non-conventional form of "EMP"...like maybe it wasn't an EMP at all, but some sort of computer virus or similar nonsense. I don't think it will stand up to scrutiny either way.

It is interesting that most of us--myself included--get all worked up about the plausibility of this show, but we are fine with The Walking Dead, in which somehow zombie muscles function in total absence of oxygen.

[daddyo]

Just when you thought television couldn't get any dumber, they come out with this garbage. Muskets/flintlocks? REALLY????

It's obvious NBC is trying to capitalize on the success of The Walking Dead. BIG. HUGE. FAIL.

[frankmako]

i watched it and the no gun thing just makes the show a bunch of crap for me.

[Caster]

Well, remember people, the scenario is set in CHICAGO so a lack of guns is plausible. BUT, you'd thing in 15 years, they'd trickle back in. Not enough information yet. In a massive permanent outage, travel will all but stop so if you're in an area where very few weapons are present, they're undoubtedly going to be scarce for a long time coming. If I know us rednecks like I think I do, we'll be hoarding them more than ever here below the Mason/Dixon so like i said, it's plausible that a quality weapon is not to be had in a communist occupied city like Chitcago.

[xRUSTYx]

Everyone thinks EMP, BUT, in last nights show, they *ponder* whether or not something is continually keeping the electrical grid shut down. Something like a constant EMP, and those that where those special "necklaces" are somehow not affected.

Is there even such a thing? Something that can be run as a constant EMP, instead of an EMP that hits quickly (like a nuke detonating in the sky?)

Edited September 25, 2012 by xRUSTYx

[MiddTennTaco]

My girlfriend forced me to watch it. It hurt my soul seeing flintlocks and middle ages style armor. It's all pretty cheesy but I have a feeling that it will get better as with all shows.

[Guest ochretoe]

The flintlocks are about the only thing I do agree with. My flinter is going to the end of the world with me. It is a smoothbore, will shoot shot or ball,flint is easy to find, all parts are very easily fixed and wheel weights everywhere for ammo. I also have a recepit for black powder. I haven't made any yet but with practice I bet I could.

[Guest HvyMtl]

The really awful commercial, with the obviously fake sword fighting, turned me off. I didnt watch.

[Caster]

Watched the second episode on the DVR. It's losing me fast. I think the show has a lot of potential but they need to kill the stupid girl first. She's a friggin idiot. Too bad she's a main character.

[mcurrier]

AS AN EXPERT IN POST APOCALYPTIC ECONOMY...

http://drezner.forei...litical_economy

(Link fixed. Tried to post from my tablet, was having great difficulty.)

Edited September 26, 2012 by mcurrier

[Sean]

I've only caught part of the first episode. But it is filmed here where I live.

sent from my toilet phone

[Makiaveli]

On the muskets etc comments...remember electricity is gone. Not stuff was zapped, but electricity itself doesn't work. So 15 years later I think ammo is going to be in short supply. You can only reload so many times right? How many people can make new primers and cases without electricity?

As to armor, the first American colonists started wearing breastplates again due to the Indians using bows, so seems logical to me they would wear what works.

Over all, it's a TV show. It's not going to be perfect. If you can suspend disbelief to enjoy a zombie show, why not roll with electricity not working?