Revolution: S01E02 - Chained Heat.

While I wait for the rest of the Subspecies series to arrive, I thought I'd crack on with some more Revolution before the midweek TV clusterfuck started. Enjoy!

Chained Heat largely concerns new character Nora, a woman who is intertwined in Miles past, which I assume we'll learn more about as the show goes on. Miles and Charlie find her in a militia chain gang but they bust her out pretty easily, as far as things go. However Nora makes it ten times harder by refusing to come with them until they take one of the guards sniper rifles because she is now part of the bleeding heart, patriotic resistance (see: terrorists). I mean there is other plot, twists and so on but this is a heavily serialised show and if I note down every little piece of plot scattered around I may as well just turn this review into an episode recap.

And honestly Chained Heat was a really solid episode and because of that I really don't have a whole lot to say. As much as Supernatural and Arrow angers me, at least it gives me a lot to talk about. Don't misunderstand me, this show isn't perfect, but it more than functions and is perfectly solid. There is nothing overtly wrong here that hasn't already been mentioned.

What I definitely do want to draw praise on specifically though is the action, I'd gotten used to great action in pilots and then shit action through the rest of the series but aside from some odd cinematography, the action is still just as enjoyable as it was in the pilot. I mean this isn't an action show but I think it has the best action out of any of the shows I'm currently doing on this blog. That being said, weird CGI wounds, what the fuck is that about...

The only thing I want to draw specific complaint towards is our central character Charlie, I know I already complained about her last week but this week her shittiness is drawn central focus, as she's forced to face herself and grow a fucking pair, so I feel it okay to break my own rule I literally just set up to talk about her again (Locke: so professional). Namely because despite this, nothing changes, she doesn't become any less annoying, it does nothing to add any flesh to her character, she is still just a selection box of the worst tropes of teenage characters. And that fucking expression Spiridakos pulls, what is Charlie meant to be, constipated? That shit looks real painful, honey. I mean it isn't like I don't get why she's written the way she is, this is a dark, dystopian world, we need at least one window of wide eyed innocent idealism but she doesn't come across as anything other than a completely unlikeable person, I cannot stand her. And when her idealism literally contradicts common sense and puts her friends and family in greater danger it's just stupid on both the characters and the writers part. It defeats the object of innocence in a story like this if you portray it as something bad. I mean Aaron is pretty innocent and idealised too and he doesn't come across as nearly as much of a cunt. I couldn't even enjoy the conflicts between Miles' and Charlie's personalities because Charlie was so unanimously wrong in everything but still smugly acted like she was right. I really hope they sort her out over the next few episodes.

Although the show is already starting to pile on the mysteries which is giving me frightening Lost flashbacks, this episode was actually a lot stronger than the pilot and I really enjoyed that one so as you can guess I enjoyed this one even more. If it continues like this, I think this could end up being my favourite show that I'm reviewing. Right now the only complaint I have is with Charlie, what a horrible, horrible character.

Pros;

• Miles is probably my favourite character out of any of the shows I am currently reviewing.
• If it's good enough to leave me with very little to say, then you know it's good.
• The action is great in this show.

Cons;

• This show is heavily serialised, although I don't have problems with this as such, I know a lot of people do and I must admit the slow drip of information in this episode was a little frustrating more for predictions of the future than the episode itself.
• CGI wounds, really?
• Charlie, I fucking hate you.

Think About It!

-Locke