The Breakdown

The episode begins with Charlie and Monroe scouting Willoughby. They see that the Patriots have occupied the town.

The Patriots’ commander is surprised when his men bring him the charred bodies of the guards from the train yard in the last episode.

One Riot One RangerAaron tells Miles and Rachel that he saw what happened in the train yard. He tells that that he’s pretty sure that the nanotechnology did it. Rachel argues against that it couldn’t be the case, but Aaron is adamant about it.

The Texas Rangers arrive in Willoughby. Their leader notes that the Patriots have invaded their sovereign soil. Both sides draw weapons, but Truman calms the situation. Miles tells Aaron and Rachel that he knows the Rangers’ leader; he tried to kill him when the Monroe Republic was clashing with Texas. Miles hopes that he’s gotten over it because the man is their best hope for starting a war against the Patriots.

Allenford informs Neville that he is to accompany her security detail to Washington, D.C. the following morning.

One Riot One RangerMiles sends a sheriff’s badge to the Texas Ranger, John, who then visits him in the police station. John is stunned to see him and asks why he shouldn’t just have him executed. Miles replies that they have bigger problems. He argues that Texas is the 800 pound gorilla that can get in the Patriots’ way. John refuses to take action without proof; he has orders to make a treaty instead of going to war. Miles tells John to meet him alone a midnight, and he’ll give him the proof he needs.

Miles leaves the meeting and reunites with Charlie. She tells Miles that her mother is wanted by the Patriots, which doesn’t make sense to him because they could have taken her into custody at any time. Miles wants to take her to Rachel, but she asks Miles to follow her.

Aaron is still struggling over what happened with the nanotechnology. He flashes back to his first meeting with Cynthia. Aaron applied for a teaching job, and Cynthia is reluctant to hire him because he smells of alcohol and doesn’t smile at all. He convinces her to give him a chance.

One Riot One RangerBack in the present, Aaron packs his bags and leaves.

Miles is shocked when Charlie takes him to Monroe. He turns to leave, but Monroe tells him that he’s there to help him stop the Patriots. Monroe says that the Patriots nuked their city, and they are trying to pin it on him. He’s asking for a truce. Miles reluctantly agrees, and the two former enemies start planning what to do next.

Cynthia finds Rachel and tells her that Aaron is gone. The show flashes back to Cynthia giving Aaron a gift: chattering teeth. Cynthia’s husband shows up and gives Aaron a hard time.

Miles, Monroe and Charlie search the train yard for clues, but they don’t find anything but wagon treads. Meanwhile, the Patriots watch their movement from afar.

One Riot One RangerAllenford’s caravan meets up with another group of Patriots who say that they were sent to meet her. Neville smells a trap and open fires on them before they can kill Allenford. A gunfight ensues, during which Allenford is shot.

Aaron is hanging out by himself in an old boat yard. Rachel finds him and tries to convince him to come home. Aaron tells Rachel that what happened with Miles in the train yard is the first time he’s set something on fire. Aaron then confesses how he accidentally killed Cynthia’s husband and the woman he was cheating with the nanotechnology.

Neville and Allenford get to safety, but he needs to remove the bullet from her torso. She tells Neville that she wrote a letter to the Patriots’ High Command about how they were sending the healthy and young to a new camp to be reprogrammed. The conditions were awful, including drugs. Allenworth protested, and the attack appears to their answer. Neville is about to walk away from her when she tells him that Jason was sent there. Allenford promises to take Neville to his son if he helps her.

One Riot One RangerCharlie, Monroe and Miles are searching the wagon trail when the Patriots open fire on them. One-by-one, Monroe and Miles take the men out while Charlie provides covering fire. They isolate the one remaining Patriot, who happens to be the one who was with Andover’s men as well. Miles has the proof he needs to give John.

Unfortunately, Rachel shows up at the mill and finds Monroe there with them.  She prepares to open on fire on Monroe, but Miles stops her. They need to hide. Miles promised John that he’d be alone, and that’s what he needs to be. Rachel is so upset by Monroe’s presence that she argues with Charlie.

Miles takes John to the prisoner, but he’s dead. He committed suicide by using the cyanide tooth in his mouth. John begins to tell him that he can’t convince his boss to go to war without more, but Monroe shoots him in the head. Miles is both stunned and furious. Monroe explains that they can frame the Patriots for John’s death, and they’ll get their war.

Analysis

I continue to be amazed at how much better Season 2 is than the first season of Revolution. The story-telling is more focused and well-paced, and the script itself is far more realistic than anything we saw in Season 1.

“One Riot, One Ranger” is a perfect example of that. The story kept me on the edge of my seat for all 60 minutes, and I found few things to question or complain about. Every piece of the plot fit together well with the overarching storyline for the season. For example, Miles and Monroe worked together to get the job done against the Patriots, but the lack of trust was clear. Monroe seemed to revel in going to war with his old friend, while Miles was working with him only because he had to do it. That’s exactly how the show has characterized the two characters from the beginning.

Overall, it was another solid episode of Revolution. The show is continuing to make a fantastic comeback from its mediocre first season.