Oh, Say, Can You See? - Revolution, Season 2, Episode 3

Secretary Allenford isn’t dumb or naïve after all.  In fact, I’m wondering if her little jaunt last week wasn’t an attempt to draw out an assassin and find out who her enemies are.  Tom finds himself and Jason flag patches, probably ripped from old Boy Scout uniforms.  After Jason whines about food service work (can you imagine this little shit working at Mickey Ds?), but before Jason can ask why there are stars and stripes on the patches,  father and son are chicknapped.  They are taken to a building that is eerily empty, while presumably close to a refugee camp full of people who would really like a roof over their heads.  Just sayin.  Jason shows some spirit, and seizes a gun from one of their attackers.  Tom, stupidly, tells him to relax, these people are just going to ask them some questions.  Little quibble- always hold on to the gun.  That way you can ask some questions of your own.  Their kidnappers toss out Tom Neville’s real name and old rank with the Monroe Militia, but Tom is unfazed.  Everyone’s favorite conspirator reminds them that he had to flee the Monroe Militia, which is a smart thing to reveal.  You can’t be executed for treason if you didn’t owe anyone your loyalty.  Tom spouts the same nonsense that Allenford told the refugees, but leaves Georgia blameless and puts everything on Monroe, which Tom is certainly entitled to do after Monroe’s treatment of him and Jason.  Allenford then comes out, gives Tom a speech that is meant to be totally not reassuring, but leaves the impression she’ll find something for him to do anyway.  Does Allenford know that Tom was in the tower?  I don’t think so, or Tom and Jason would both have had tragic accidents.  Does Allenford know how much Tom knows about the power and the pendants?  Does Allenford even know about them?

Aaron has told the wifey about his awesome backpack trip last year, and she is just as dumbfounded as we would expect.  Aaron’s nanotech lecture would seem like mumbo-jumbo to anyone, and at least as goofy as her god talk sounds to him.  But this way, when Aaron inevitably gets involved in future squabbles over turning the power back on, wifey will know what’s going on.  If she’s still alive by then.

I guess we can conlude that Allenford definitely knows creepy henchman of Titus Andover.  We find out that sick looking girl is his wife, who I guess is okay with her husband’s kiddie porn.  Not sure if blood transfusions can replace dialysis, but it’s working in TV Land, so who am I to nitpick?  As Miles is being hooked up to Mrs. A, Rachel appears and bludgeons people, freeing Miles, who insists on bring Mrs. A.  We think at first that Miles is trying to be a hero, especially after they break out another townie and hightail it back to Willoughby.  But Miles Matheson was a general in the Monroe Militia- he knows all taking kidnapping hostages, which becomes obvious when Titus WASP-Last-Name shows up with the Sons and Daughters of Anarchy.  We find out as Mrs. A is presented to Titus alive, that she SO wants a divorce, but Miles is adamant- the town will only survive if Mrs. A Goes back to her husband.  I feel for Mrs. A.  Last season, Miles would have found some cool way of giving her her wish.  But he’s now only a town drunk, with no mission except to get the residents of Willoughby safe passage away from Titus’ Reavers (Firefly reference).

Charlie and her new bud are hitchhiking through the Plains Nation, looking for Monroe.  Charlie gives new bud some info, and he tells her finding Monroe alive will keep his father alive.  We hear a crunching sound behind Charlie, and she turns back to see that Monroe has knocked out the bounty hunter (probably not a good one).  Monroe has been using his detective skills to root around the bounty hunter’s stolen wagon, and found flyers offering a reward for him from the US Government.  Charlie looks at him to say “Yes, I know.  I hope they fucking kill you.”  Then Monroe pulls out for Rachel.  Intrigued, they wake up Sleepy and interrogate him.  Turns out the captive-dad-as-hostage story is crap.  Which is good, because Charlie wasn’t going to care about Sleepy’s dad anyway.  Monroe knocks sleepy out again and Charlie tells Monroe to leave him, and changes course for Texas.  Monroe informs her he’ll go with her.  What help he would be able to give, and whether Rachel would even want it, remains to be seen.

Mrs. A chooses suicide instead, possibly because Rachel decided to leave her unattended.  Miles, realizing this will end badly now no matter what, prepares surprises for the invaders.  But even carefully laid plans can be overthrown, and Miles’ plan is only half-assed.  The invaders don’t even let out the last wagon before attacking, hacking townies as they run through town.  Aaron leads the last civilians of Willoughby to a building they can lock from the inside.  The look on his face as the ax is coming thru the door is fucking priceless.  Aaron has been resigned to dying at least twenty times throughout the story, without actually dying, and today is no exception.  We hear machine guns, a strange sound on this show as few people in power-less America have the bullets for guns anymore, let alone enough to feed an automatic weapon.  It’s strangely reassuring, especially when you realize the machine guns are taking out the Reavers.

Titus finds his wife, the touching scene where he basically treats her like a doll reminds me of the barber from Sweeney Todd.  But Titus’ grieving is cut short by Creepy Henchman, who smothers Titus My-Last-Name-Is-Better-Than-Yours.  Goodnight, sweet prince.  Stay away from the pre-teens!

Miles and Rachel fight the good fight.  Even one-handed, Miles just keeps slaughtering Reavers, while Rachel stumbles around with an arrow really really close to her aorta.  I personally feel she’s been stumbling through the entire series, but at least she and Miles have finally decided to face life and a future full of stupid mistakes together.  Rachel’s dad is shooting Reavers, and some cavalry or other saves the day, as Rachel collapses.  We end with Miles staring, confused, and not at all relieved at the sight of soldiers hoisting the US Flag over Willoughby.

Flag symbolism has been big throughout the series.   Tom Neville found one in the Monroe Militia and killed its owner.  Nora hoisted her shirtsleeve to show her flag tattoo as a symbol of a resistance movement.  Flag patches abound in this season, and now we see Miles eyeing the hoisting of a flag with… almost dread.   For most of America’s residents, the re-establishment of the US government will be a godsend, especially in the food-poor Plains Nation and the nuke-ravaged East Coast.  Whether California or Texas would feel any need to rejoin the Union is another question.  (And would they have to?  Can California and Texas argue that with the dissolution of the US Government 16 years ago, so went any obligations from joining in the first place?)  But our cast of characters knows, that the last thing the nuke launcher called himself is a “Patriot”, right before blowing his brains out.  Revolution has done a good job of showing a cast of characters who cannot, in good conscience, support the old government.