5. Revolution
Arguably, the best thing about the entire Twilight saga was the comic relief provided by Kristen Stewart’s on-screen father, Billy Burke. Now the actor is offering up some of that same charisma on the NBC drama Revolution, and it’s positively addicting.
Revolution spent the first season sort of questioning what had become the status-quo after fifteen years of adjusting to life without modern conveniences – although I assume that some of the things that have been developed didn’t require computers, batteries, etc. and were still useful.
The journey that Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) started on after her father was killed at the hands of the Monroe Militia, and her brother was taken hostage, ended on a sad note with the realization that her parents were involved with the original cause of the blackout. Charlie was forced to ally herself with new people and accept that in war, there are casualties. We saw several notable characters killed in the first season alone, but we also saw unlikely heroes emerge, both of which have carried over into Revolution‘s sophomore season.
The series also offered one of the most shocking cliffhangers that I’ve ever seen – the heroes not being able to save the day. It definitely goes against the preconceived notions instilled in viewers. I spent the entire summer hiatus assured that they had of course beat the odds. It wasn’t until the show came back in September, and several jaw-dropping minutes, before I realized what had really been the outcome of the last scene in the season 1 finale.
Between the realization that they failed, the re-emergence of the United States government as the “savior of the people,” and the transformation that Monroe (David Lyons) has undergone since losing his seat of power, Revolution ranks high on my list of must-see TV. I’m most intrigued to see the dynamic between Charlie and Monroe when the show returns this January, as it continues to develop into something that I think both characters desperately need at this point in their personal growth.
