“Revolution,” NBC’s post-apocalyptic science fiction thriller, directed by J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” Star Trek) returns Wednesday. It follows a ragtag band of survivors 15 years after the start of a worldwide blackout which took out every electronic device in one fell swoop.
On the first season, the only people with the ability to reverse the damage were the Mathesons, thanks to a pendant-shaped USB drive that held the secret to bringing the power back. On the explosive season finale, the power went on, which was cause for momentary celebration until turncoat Randall Flynn (Colm Feore) used it to launch missiles at Atlanta and Philadelphia to “unite the nation.” And then, the lights went out again — this time for good.
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As a veteran of “Lost” and “Fringe,” director Abrams is no stranger to big-budget science fiction productions. “Revolution” promises twists, turns, and captivating story lines, and after a May green light for Season 2, the show teases a much grittier take on its new issues.
Here’s what you can expect on Season 2:
1) Those bombs? They cause big problems. On edge all summer after “Revolution’s” cliffhanger ending? Spoiler alert: They can’t stop the bombs. The second season steps neatly into the ending of the first, but then another wrench is thrown into the works when the power goes off again.
“When the power goes off, something else happens. It’s a little bit of a sense of a rip in what’s normal, in the reality that we all know,” said J.J. Abrams. “It’s a very subtle, very small rip, but it begins in a way that is very compelling, very creepy, and a little odd. It starts to really take form as the season progresses.”
Audiences can expect to be kept on their toes: after all, everything that can go wrong, goes wrong.
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2) Monroe and Miles will team up. “The idea is to create a villain this year that’s so bad and so insidious that even our heroes and villains have to band together to face this threat,” showrunner Eric Kripke told Comic Con audiences in July.
The villain Kripke alludes to are the Patriots, a group of “Americans” who believe they’re restoring order to the country. Bomb launcher Randall gave audiences a taste of what the Patriots are capable of on the season finale.
3) Expect more grit and violence. Death is a common theme on “Revolution,” and the post-apocalyptic setting makes for grungy, dismal sets. Expect this from Season 2, as well, but taken to another level as the characters are plunged further into various conspiracies and forced to fight for everything important in their lives.
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4) New locations promise new issues. The story jumps three months into the future as the Mathesons move across the wasteland of the United States into another refugee city in Texas. Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) finds herself in New Vegas, with a vengeful mission to find Monroe (David Lyons), and Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) has a nervous breakdown that lands her back at her father’s house in Willoughby, Texas. The drama only continues from there, as the problems become much, much bigger than the Monroe Republic.
“Some things are happening [in Willoughby] that might not be considered normal, and the idea behind this season is that the power has gone off but something else has gone on,” Abrams said.
5) New faces and changing relationships. The move to Willoughby brings about an entirely new crop of survivors, including Rachel’s father Gene Porter (Steven Collins) and Aaron’s new love interest (Jessica Collins). The audience will also get a better insight into the people involved with the Patriots.
“Revolution” premieres at 8PM on Wednesday. Watch the Season 2 trailer below: