The Breakdown
Revolution kicks off with Miles and Monroe cleaning up the crime scene from the last episode. They bury Frye. Meanwhile, word gets back to the Texans that Frye is unaccounted for, and they go look for him. They find the crime scene and believe that the Patriots are responsible. The Rangers leave to report back to their chain of command. Monroe reassures Miles that he got his war.
Allenford leads Tom to the camp where his son is being reprogrammed into the Patriots. They come across Jason, who shoots at his father on sight.
Rachel argues with Miles over Monroe. He says that Monroe has given them more intelligence on the Patriots than any of their people have in two weeks. Rachel doesn’t budge from her position.
The Patriots capture Monroe and lead him through the center of town. The Texans hold a ceremony with the Patriots celebrating Monroe’s arrest while Miles wonders how they caught him. He and Charlie plot how to get him out. They believe that they don’t have a chance against the Patriots without Monroe.
A jailed Monroe flashes back to two a couple years after the blackout. Miles is trying to convince him to steal some food from another camp, but Monroe refuses. He’d rather spend time with his girlfriend, who happens to be pregnant.
Jason continues to hunt for Neville. Allenford explains that Jason isn’t Neville’s son any longer. She says that her own son went through the program. Allenford also notes that her husband knew what she was going through, but it didn’t matter. Her son is all about country before family. She warns Neville that he’ll have to kill his son, or Jason will kill them.
The Patriots move Monroe out of the jail and put him in the bank vault. Miles figures out that Rachel is the one who tipped them off. Charlie angrily confronts her mother about it. She tells Rachel that it was Monroe who saved her life. Charlie also notes that her mother is always right, even when she’s dead wrong. A stunned Rachel looks on as Charlie walks out of the room. Monroe is then sentenced to death.
Neville manages to take out two of Jason’s comrades, but he’s nearly killed by his son. Allenford saves Neville’s life by hitting Jason with a pipe while he was choking his father.
The show flashes back to Monroe’s girlfriend having a baby. Monroe’s about to celebrate when she starts screaming. He rushes back into the tent while Miles and Neville bring him hot water and cloth. The baby appears to be dead; Miles comforts a grieving Monroe.
Back in present day, Monroe requests to see Miles. They shake hands and say their goodbyes. However, before he is sent to be executed, Monroe tells Miles about the son he has with Emma. Miles replies that he already knew about it and hid the boy from him because Monroe was unhinged. Monroe is angered by Miles’s secret, but the guards separate them.
Later, Monroe is led to his execution by the Patriots. Rachel prepares his injection while the crowd looks on.
Monroe flashes back to three years back after the blackout. The younger Monroe reports to Miles that they raided a camp and implied that there were no survivors.
Back in present day, Monroe apologizes for killing Danny and dies after being injected. The townspeople ring a bell to signify the death while Miles drinks alone.
Jason regains consciousness and calls out for his father briefly. He then verbally taunts Neville by saying that his mother cheated on Tom. His father doesn’t back down and tells Jason that he’s going to do what it takes to get his son back.
The Texans bury Monroe. Meanwhile, Charlie comforts Miles over his friend’s death. It’s revealed that Rachel’s father, Gene Porter, turned in Monroe.
Rachel visits Monroe’s gravesite and begins digging.
Analysis
This was yet another fascinating episode of Revolution. The writers focused on Monroe’s past again, but this time we see him as a decent man. At the time, Monroe was the one who walked a more moral path than Miles. He was happy and hopeful for the future. Losing the woman and child he loved changed all of that. It’s a little cliché, but it’s another example of how the writers have made the characters much more complex than they were last season.
If I do have a complaint, it has everything to do with Tom’s storyline. Now his son has been brainwashed by the Patriots. Jason has suddenly become a killer who is undeniably loyal to them. Some people might buy it, but I don’t. Moreover, the story bores me. I don’t care about Tom’s quest for vengeance, nor do I really think that Jason suddenly became this unstoppable killer.
Overall, it was another great episode of Revolution. The main storyline continues to keep me on the edge of my seat, which is right where I want to be.
Monroe’s still alive, I’m fairly sure. They can’t kill him off can they? My thoughts going in were either an injection that just lowered his heart rate for a period of time after which he would be rescued OR Aaron would incinerate all the baddies again. Rachel digging and the shot of Monroe in the promo for next week bode well for his return, IMO.