Revolution (Now with spoilers!)

[Daradon]

Great idea, bad execution.

It's hard to get into network TV with Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Boardwalk Empire, etc.

Those shows just really do it right. Real character development. Slower plot lines.

Walking Dead or Breaking Bad would have shown there was working electricity or machines at the end of the first season, not the end of the first episode.

And they wouldn't have tried to bombard with so many main characters. Not that I have a problem with the characters themselves, it just makes the series so obvious.

I assume this is done cause it's hard to make a series work on network TV and costs so much, but they try to give too many hooks all at once.

Let us get used to the world first, and the characters, it'll make the hooks and deeds that much bigger when they do happen.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Yeah, Game of Thrones really cut back on introducing characters. Especially in the first episode. Just watching Ned set in the Godswood for 58 minutes with no dialogue was a bold creative choice.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

Yeah, Game of Thrones really cut back on introducing characters. Especially in the first episode. Just watching Ned set in the Godswood for 58 minutes with no dialogue was a bold creative choice.

Lol, sorry maybe a bad example. I just felt they were unveiling things way too fast.

Go find my brother, he's really important and can help you. Oh, here he is, just down the road in the first building we enter, and is the first person we talk to!

And the woman who took the boy in turning into a major character seemed a bit of a cheat too. Eh I dunno, I just didn't like the way things many of the things unfolded.

On a humorous note, anyone who has ever played D&D knows that you don't all go to sleep together when your out in dangerous wilds. There are scary creatures, and bandits! You take shifts going on watch!

Luckily there was some poison vodka lying around which not only kills, but somehow weakens and/or incapacitates within seconds.

Oh, and did anyone else think that the character of Charlie was an attempt to cash in on The Hunger Games heroine and her popularity?

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by Daradon

I assume this is done cause it's hard to make a series work on network TV and costs so much, but they try to give too many hooks all at once.

Let us get used to the world first, and the characters, it'll make the hooks and deeds that much bigger when they do happen.

I think the reason shows like this do this these days is because they're trying to be "the next Lost". Large cast and lots of "Whaaa?!" moments. Lost did it exceptionally well (especially in that first season, for the most part), and had good pacing that focused on character development. John Locke didn't even get really introduced in any meaningful way until the fourth episode!

Shows that want to hook viewers the way Lost did, though, seem to want to make it known as quickly as possible that they have "Lost-like" qualities and end up throwing them at the viewer too fast instead of just easing us in.

That, and this was a pilot, so I guess they wanted to throw everything and the kitchen sink in to set up the rest of the season. I expect (hope?) it will slow down and focus more on character now that the pilot is over. Pilots don't always represent how the rest of a show will unfold.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Lol, sorry maybe a bad example. I just felt they were unveiling things way too fast.

Go find my brother, he's really important and can help you. Oh, here he is, just down the road in the first building we enter, and is the first person we talk to!

And the woman who took the boy in turning into a major character seemed a bit of a cheat too. Eh I dunno, I just didn't like the way things many of the things unfolded.

On a humorous note, anyone who has ever played D&D knows that you don't all go to sleep together when your out in dangerous wilds. There are scary creatures, and bandits! You take shifts going on watch!

Luckily there was some poison vodka lying around which not only kills, but somehow weakens and/or incapacitates within seconds.

Oh, and did anyone else think that the character of Charlie was an attempt to cash in on The Hunger Games heroine and her popularity?

stop you are taking what little fun might be in this show and stamping on it, after throwing it from a bridge...

[Red Potato Standing By]

It kind of reminded me and the wife of the show Jericho. Just changed little bits of the story. Hopefully this will last a little longer.

[Fire]

I had to stop watching the second episode after 25 minutes in. Too many things annoyed me. Cable TV has me too spoiled to watch that crap.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Fire

I had to stop watching the second episode after 25 minutes in. Too many things annoyed me. Cable TV has me too spoiled to watch that crap.

That main family is full of idiot children... how they survived for 15 years after being so dumb annoys the crap out of me. Stupid Charlie.

I'll give it another 3 episodes, see if it still annoys me as much then.

[RedMileDJ]

I barely made it through the second episode tonight. I'll give it one more.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

what about kickstart motorcycles?

How does the gasoline ignite in those motorcycles? I am assuming it would be similar to a lawn mower; where there is some sort of coil pack producing electricity for a spark.

All that being said- I still don't see why society had to fall so quickly. We have really only been using electricity for around 150 years; and we weren't barbarians in the mid 19th century.

[STeeLy]

I still don't get why they have to walk between every city...

Don't they have museums that would have steam trains in them? Why not break them out and use it? Steam locomotives didn't require electricity to run.

[ken0042]

I would even go so far as to say that 15 years is quite a long time to get things back up and running with alternative resources like steam power. It also seems like there is a lot of the writing that would imply the power just recently went out. The guy who worked for Google has a few. Looking at him I would say he is in 40s; which means in his adult life the world has been without power longer than it was with power. Yet he mentions not being able to travel without GPS; immediately mentions iPhone by brand name when seeing one for the first time in probably years.

My other concern is that this could easily turn into a "Pro-USA" type of show; as they already refer to the people loyal to the United States as rebels and terrorists.

I also don't get why the person in the flashback from a week after the event was "so hungry" already. The food supplies couldn't have disappeared that quickly; not to the point where one man in a suit and tie would resort to kidnapping to get food.

Edit- just to be clear; I do like the show to a certain extent and I like the premise. I just wish they could do more with what they have.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by STeeLy

I still don't get why they have to walk between every city...

Don't they have museums that would have steam trains in them? Why not break them out and use it? Steam locomotives didn't require electricity to run.

Or, I don't know, bicycles.

[HPLovecraft]

Just got done of episode 2. MUCH better than the pilot, in my opinion. Most noticeably? No more ridiculous make up and nice hair on all the characters! They actually dirtied them up (to the point where Charlie looks like she may actually be wearing make up to look even uglier). It was slower, too, thankfully, and worked more on the characters. There were some cool scenes (like the helicopter one), and the US flag reveal. I think if they keep revealing more of the world, it will get a lot more interesting.

Also, still can't help but compare this to Lost. Lots of scenes for Juliet, a bunch of scenes of them hiking through the jun-- er, woods, a "son of a bitch," and even some flashbacks with music that sounded quite a bit like Lost.

I'll definitely watch episode 3, now, though, even if there are still some corny things involved (and some bad writing. "Where are you going?" "I'm going to shut up and stay here!")

[gottabekd]

I think some people are being too hard on this show. If you lower your expectations a bit, you might like it. Sure, I notice things like the perfect makeup on the lead actress, and I let it slide...because I'd rather have the lead actress looking good than worry too much about realism.

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about "how the world would actually be" if this blackout event were to happen. We have 88 minutes of story so far. We aren't going to get all the details out any time soon, so just try to enjoy the ride rather than question everything.

I want to give the show a chance, because I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic stories. So far I don't think the show is anything special, but they have a good opportunity to create an interesting world and tell some engaging stories.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by gottabekd

Sure, I notice things like the perfect makeup on the lead actress, and I let it slide...because I'd rather have the lead actress looking good than worry too much about realism.

Really? Personally, I'd rather them try to suspend my disbelief as much as possible, and something like perfect hair and make-up in a post-apocalyptic setting, after supposedly hiking miles over-land, is something that kills it for me. It's something I see all the time in cheaper shows on SyFy.

Thankfully they realized how stupid it looked after the pilot and got rid of it all starting in episode 2.

[To Be Quite Honest]

The story definitely needs less reveals and a slower storyline. But, do you care about the characters in this story? The only character I care to watch who has any real depth is the antagonist Captain Tom Neville. He has been cruel and compassionate in two episodes. So that's one character out of 11 of the main group.

Humans find humor in everything. Charlie and the group need to find some freaking humor to help us develop a liking for them. The pathetic attempt at having us like Charlie by explaining how she looked after her brother and taking such responsibility for his disappearance was laughable. Instead of forcing these characters along as super human post apocalypse heroes they should show them as lovable human beings.

Walter White is a meth drug lord and we give a crap about him! Why? Because he is a human being who in the beginning was hilarious, dying, and wanting to leave his family something for when he dies.

The failure for this show is not the set or the lack of transport - all of this can easily be explained - it's the character development. You don't care about the people thus you feel you are wasting your time.

[boosterjuice]

I'm not watching this show. Couldn't make it through Episode 2 either. Delete!

[trackercowe]

I watched a few minutes then got to the scene where the blonde chick was trying to emote... Her acting in that scene was so appalling I couldn't keep going. Disappointing really as the premise is rather interesting, but the terrible acting all-around just turned me away.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by To Be Quite Honest

The story definitely needs less reveals and a slower storyline. But, do you care about the characters in this story? The only character I care to watch who has any real depth is the antagonist Captain Tom Neville. He has been cruel and compassionate in two episodes. So that's one character out of 11 of the main group.

Humans find humor in everything. Charlie and the group need to find some freaking humor to help us develop a liking for them. The pathetic attempt at having us like Charlie by explaining how she looked after her brother and taking such responsibility for his disappearance was laughable. Instead of forcing these characters along as super human post apocalypse heroes they should show them as lovable human beings.

Walter White is a meth drug lord and we give a crap about him! Why? Because he is a human being who in the beginning was hilarious, dying, and wanting to leave his family something for when he dies.

The failure for this show is not the set or the lack of transport - all of this can easily be explained - it's the character development. You don't care about the people thus you feel you are wasting your time.

I hope Elizabeth Mitchell has an expanded role. She was great in every scene she's been in so far, and has some great acting chops.

They're trying to make Charlie's uncle into some kind of smart-talking bad-ass but he just doesn't suit the role. Or, alternatively, he's just not getting good writing. Probably a little bit of both.

I don't think the show's failed in making us care for the characters yet -- it's only been two episodes -- but if they don't make us care soon, people will stop watching. The very best shows can make you care right from the get-go: Breaking Bad, Lost, etc., but, unfortunately, not every show starts out as strong as they do (see: Fringe). I'm willing to give the show a couple more episodes to see what happens. The sets are fantastic, and I thought episode 2 was a big step up from the pilot. They just need to find the right pace, get some better dialogue writing, get Charlie some acting lessons, and focus on the characters that are actually interesting.