Welcome back Revolution lovers,
The story of human misery and revenge continues in “Patriot Games”, The exciting post apocalyptic adventure of life in the United States continues in an episode directed by industry veteran Charles Beeson.
“Patriot Games” was co-written by Paul Grellong and Anne Cofell Saunders, two experienced creators we have all enjoyed in series such as Battlestar Galactica, Chuck, Eureka, and Terra Nova, each a favorite television series of this editor.
“Patriot Games” deals with the darker, less joyous side of life and the consequences therein. There are lessons to be learns from those illustrated by the series creators, clearly imparted by the classic Procol Harum melody “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (1967) and excellently performed by the actor.
Therefore, this editor’s grade for Patriot Games? A well deserved “A PLUS”! Bravo!
In Revolution “Patriot Games” these three creators, Beeson, Grellong and Cofell Saunders, bring to life the bitter emotions that are running rampant through our heroes, (and villains) lives after Atlanta and Philadelphia were erased from existence at the conclusion of season one by “Patriot” nuclear weapons devastation.
Few series have dared to deal with nuclear obliteration (Jack Bauer and 24 come to mind) in such a stark fashion replete with the refugee camp located near Savannah, Georgia were seemingly hundreds of thousands now live in a tent city while the Patriot’s arrive from their exile in Guantanamo Bay Cuba.
One of the newer additions to the cast is the talented Steven Culp. Culp portrays Patriot Edward Truman who many should recall from his many series and movies including Star Trek Enterprise, 24, The West Wing, Stargate Atlantis, and more recently in Body of Proof and Longmire.
Steven Culp fans may also recall his memorable portrayals of Robert F. Kennedy in the classic cold war historical thriller “Thirteen Days” released in 2000 and “Norma Jean and Marlyn” (1996).
The Edward Truman character is recurring in nature, scheduled for at least six total episodes in season two of Revolution. Culp is a fine addition to the cast as our trapped heroes deal with the situation in Willoughby Texas now under a state of occupation by Edward Truman and his Patriot Army!
Another character enhancement is what has been done with Charlie Matheson (Tracy Spiridakos). Although I liked her innocent portrayal in season one of Revolution, this reviewer witnessed some on Twitter and Facebook complaining that Charlie was a whiner.
In season two, subsequent to being taught the ropes by uncle Miles Matheson (Billy Burke), Charlie has matured into a young, often horny young woman with a much tougher exterior visage than in season one.
One question remained from the previous episode “Love Story”. Was Titus Andover (Matt Ross) actually killed by Patriot minion Garret (Jason Douglas), or was Andover simply imprisoned after a black bag was shoved over his head and knocked out. Miles learns the shocking answers that lay within the “Patriot Games” story arc!
Patriot Games:
We begin with the standard “previously in Revolution” which relates where our heroes have been and what they have been doing.
Rachel Matheson (Elizabeth Mitchell) was shot with two arrows during the melee when Titus Andover’s troops overran and pillaged the town of Willoughby Texas.
Now assumed to be under the care of her father Doctor Gene Porter (Stephen Collins), Rachel must have been struggling for her life, but we learn that she survived!
We start off in Pottsboro, Texas just before Halloween. Charlie is inside a restaurant of sorts eating dinner. Our grown up Charlie is sipping on a tumbler of whiskey with her meal.
She is sexually approached by what we are to assume are Titus Andover’s evil clansmen who run the facility. This reviewer was hoping Charlie would simply kick them in the balls, but that was not to be!
Charlie rebuffs the advances only to discover that she has been drugged after the vile clansman tells her he is not quite through with her yet.
As she begins to pass out from the drug in her drink, Charlie see a group of men closing in to gang rape her. Yikes!
As evil men begin to sexually assault Charlie, suddenly “Bass” Monroe (David Lyons) appears kicking in the tavern door.
In another great fight sequence, our former General Sebastian “Bass” Monroe makes mincemeat of the vile evil men who tried to rape Charlie, threatening to send them to their maker in the process of saving poor drugged Charlie’s life!
It is always nice to see David Lyons in a well choreographed fight sequence! Well done Revolution creators, well done!
We segue to Rachel. She has woken up in her bedroom in Willoughby, Texas. Other than some blood stains on her clothing from her wounds, she has survived with her father Gene’s help.
Rachel calls for Miles but receives no response. She heads outside to find that Willoughby appears to be calm and orderly.
Children are preparing for Halloween when Miles appears to inform her she was knocked out for two days and lucky to be alive thanks to her father, Gene.
A smiling man approaches. He introduces himself as a Patriot Director named Edward Truman. Truman is apparently an official representative of the United States Government sent to restore order subsequent to their landing from Cuba back on the mainland.
The Pariots purpose, Truman informs them, is to reestablish order and peace throughout the region, indicating that he hopes to see more of her in future. Rachel does not trust Truman.
We learn that Tom Neville (Giancarlo Esposito) has successfully infiltrated the United States Patriots as they captured Willoughby, Texas, just in the nick of time to save Miles and Rachel.
Jason Neville (JD Pardo) has somehow been separated from Tom Neville after a fight in which Tom was injured.
Patriot Lieutenant Vincent Cooke (Damon Carney) doesn’t like Neville who has arrived late to work as a result of his injury. Cooke is laying in wait to ambush Tom Neville the next time Neville makes a mistake.
Why? It is fairly obvious Lieutenant Cooke is envious of the attention Tom has received from Secretary Allenford (Nicole Ari Parker) for saving her life and considers Neville a threat to his power.
“Sharp as a tack” Neville observes that Lieutenant Cooke appears to be a drug addict seeing a series of “needle track marks” running up Cooke’s left arm. Tom knows Neville’s weakness and tracks him that evening to a house of prostitution and drug dealing where a hooker greets him.
That’s all for Lieutenant Cooke, Neville bribes one of the hookers to leave him alone for “two hours” and enters the room where drugged Cooke is passed out on a bed. Binding Lieutenant Cooke to the bed, Tom taunts him demanding to know where his son Jason was taken.
Cooke says he does not know, but will give Tom a promotion. No deal. Tom administers a lethal dose of the narcotic and kills Lieutenant Cooke. What is interesting in this segment is that man’s (and women’s) weaknesses are running wild, prostitution and drug addiction are rampant, just as they always have been despite foolish efforts of governments to legislate morality.
It is Halloween night and kids are trick or treating. Rachel senses that Truman and his Patriot Army are planning something big. Using a ruse that Titus Andover’s men are still roaming outside the town gate, Truman orders Willoughby be locked down.
Miles plans to search outside the perimeter, ordering Rachel to cooperate. Naturally, stubborn Rachel refuses and slips out to join the Willoughby Halloween party. Rachel sneaks into and searches Truman’s office and finds a folder with the Eye of Providence on it.
Rachel finds a battle map with the Willoughby Train Yard clearly circled but is suddenly caught in the cat by Truman escorting her back to her father’s home. Doctor Gene Porter promises it will never happen again. Unfortunately, Patriot Truman knows that Rachel is going to be a problem.
After Truman leaves, Porter begs Rachel to stop interfering and getting involved with everything to save others. Porter breaks down in tears when his daughter does not agree.
He does not want to lose his daughter again. What father could say he would not say and do the same things to save their daughter? No good parent I know of would do otherwise.
Aaron is starting to become concerned when Miles tells him they and the entire town of Willoughby are under lockdown by the Patriots.
As a point of analysis, it appears to this reviewer that Aaron’s state of worry or agitation is directly tied to his nightmares. This will prove to be exactly the case later near the conclusion of the episode.
Aaron is clearly worried about Miles and Rachel, but can do nothing so he heads home to sleep and be with his girlfriend Cynthia (Jessica Collins).
Outside the Willoughby township, the Patriots catch an unfortunate townsman Bryce Gordon (Chase Joliet). It is clear they intend to use his as a scapegoat to keep the town under lockdown. Miles looks on from his hiding place as the so-called Patriots tell Gordon “the Andover clan just killed “ as they slice him to bits.
One other note on how fun the series is, notwithstanding the constant killings, is the sword swooshing sounds. Having been an amateur sword fighter in young days, the sound effects are perfect!
We move to Charlie and Monroe near a campfire. She is still in a semi drugged condition. Charlie asks why he saved her?
Monroe informs Charlie he needs her to take him to her mother to make amends for what he has done.
Charlie does not believe “Uncle Bass” Monroe for one little second! (who the heck would for goodness sakes?). Charlie tells Monroe he is ‘a sociopath” with a look of contempt on her face!
Charlie attempts to attack him, but still drugged, Monroe easily gains control of Charlie, indicating that she will not be offered a choice in the matter!
A short scene segue to Aaron. He is having nightmares and seeing things. His crazy visions have returned.
In another psychotic episode Aaron falls to the ground while Cynthia rushes to his side. Apparently having visions again, Aaron believes that he was at Titus Andover’s camp where Mile is. Cynthia wakes him up, soothing and hugging Aaron, however she is thinking that Aaron is going mad.
But the strange thing is that Miles is searching the supposedly deserted camp of Titus Andover. Fireflies are buzzing around him, lighting the area with the altered energy source we observed in earlier episode that Aaron has talked about.
As Miles enters Titus’ office area at the old camp location that Aaron can see with his visions, Miles finds out that the evil perverted child molester malcontent is still alive!
Titus Andover pulls a pistol on Miles blaming him for the death of his beloved wife.
Andover also complains about “that Judas (Garrett) packing my family into a train.”
Miles is unaware of what Andover talking about as Titus pulls the trigger on the gun. Oops, the magazine is empty. Miles moves to defend himself stabbing Andover in the stomach, killing him.
We move back to Willoghby township the evening of halloween, Rachel is approached by her old friend Ken the Butcher while outside on the street during the celebration.All seems to be in order as they chat about how the kids are enjoying the Halloween diversion from the recent trouble in the town.
Over some wine inside his Butcher shop, Rachel shares details of what she klnows and suspects the Patriots are up to.
Trusting Rachel is unaware that Ken IS A PATRIOT even as he promises to protect her. Ken beckons Rachel to walk down to his cellar with him to get more wine.
Once downstairs, Rachel see Eye of Providence documents! Rachel attempts to escape, but in her still weakened condition Ken knocks her out and drags her deeper into the cellar. Rachel wakes up, suspended from the ceiling by a rope. Ken is observed calmly digging Rachel a grave!
Ken admits to being a Patriot for the last seven years. He does not want to hurt her, but she knows too much, Ken says.
Rachel in a burst of energy stuns Ken using her body weight to rip her hand clean from the rope. Rachel drops to the ground and dispatches her former friend.
Well, at least the grave is dug, so she places him in it! Rachel procures all the documents from Ken’s cellar as leaves quickly.
Scene switch back to after the killing of Lieutenant Cooke, Tom Neville assumes his leadership role without asking permission. Secretary Allenford arrives asking him what he is doing?
Neville informs her Cooke did not show up for work, so he ordered the troops to “saddle up” and when is Cooke coming to work? Allenford informs Neville that Cooke was transferred and he is now in charge of her cadre.
As the episode draws to a conclusion, Miles is in the Willoughby train yard. He finds out to his astonishment that Scott (Ashley Wood) is there with his Patriot men… and Garrett who are in process of executing two people who will be utilized to further the cover story to keep Willoughby under lock down!
Miles is seen by two guards and takes off for safety. We learn that Aaron is not hallucinating, but has acquired a powerful weapon, his mind! Aaron can visualize Miles escaping from Scott, Garrett and the Patriots. Just as the two soldiers corner Miles, Aaron somehow sets them on fire using!
Aaron wakes up in his own bed after the vision of his mental projection of power!
Back at the train yard, Miles stares in absolute horror at two BBQ’d bodies as the swarm of fireflies, that must have supplied the energy to ignite them drifts off into the night.
Somehow these events are connected to the nanites in Aarons body and the energy of the altered fireflies.
Miles escapes unscathed and returns to Willoughby seeking out Rachel to share what he has learned during his patrol outside the locked down town perimeter.
In the final sequences of the episode inside the town, Miles and Rachel are having a drink and exchange information. Rachel’s papers and Miles reconnoiter confirm that Willoughby is now under Patriot occupation.
Miles states “every good occupation needs a resistance” volunteering himself and Rachel to “fix it”. Rachel looks worried and with good reason; the so-called Patriots have murdered anyone who gets in their way!
Meanwhile, Charlie and Monroe are a mere 10 miles outside Willoughby and headed their way setting up the story arc for the next great episode “One Riot, On Ranger!”
We welcome you back to our dedicated Revolution series review site and hope you enjoy our analysis of the second season of this outstanding science fiction drama program!
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