Revolution 1.08 "Ties That Bind" REVIEW

Revolution 1.08 “Ties That Bind” TV REVIEW

Episode 1.08
Writer: David Rambo & Melissa Glenn
Director: Guy Bee

THE ONE WHERE Both rebels and militia have to deal with traitorous goings on, and the gang are hunted by the sociopathic corporal Strouser.

VERDICT To save Danny in Philadelphia the Matheson gang need to cross a river using a security fenced-up road bridge. Miles senses a trap – it's an old sociopathic colleague Corporal Strouser, and he's in the mood for some blood-letting.

Miles has no intention of going up against him and his company, who are armed with semi-automatic weapons, if it can be avoided. However Strouser (who I misheard as Trouser when Charlie asks “Who's Strouser?” and now I can't unhear) has done his homework and has a plan in the form of Nora's sister Mia, tied to a post.

Nora's explosives are put to good use as the gang help free Mia. Once on safe ground Mia tries to convince Nora to go with her to Texas, where their father still lives, far from the influence of the Monroe Republic. In flashback we learn about younger Nora and her sister in the aftermath of the blackout and how they looked out for one another, but it's purely functional to establish their relationship. Nora wants to go, but doesn't intend to break her a promise to help rescue Danny, but Charlie understands and frees Nora from commitment.

Wait Nora's leaving? Actually no. No sooner have they set off for Texas than it turns out that Mia is a traitor. She's had a deal with Corporal Trouser all along, saving Nora at the cost of the others. Not only that, but she's stolen the magic pendant from Aaron and hands it over for Trouser to pocket.

His men then pursue the Matheson gang to the river where they dive into the rapids to escape. It should be dangerous, but actually looks like a lot of fun, a brief but visually impressive moment, and another example of where the production values on the show really shine.

As the title suggests, this episode is all about family ties, and Nora isn’t the only one with a dilemma. Tom Neville is in a lot stickier situation with his son Nate, who is just not very good at being bad, mad or useful. Lucky for him that saving Charlie by pushing her from a train wasn't witnessed by anyone but Tom, but now he's been bribing a stable hand for information, and we find him caught and beaten. Tom is already aware of his son's ineptitude when it comes to being evil, but alas it's his son – so he does what he can to get his bruised and beaten offspring out of a pickle and protect him from Sebastian's growing insanity. It's nice to see a new dimension added to the character of Tom, who promised much early on in the series, storming into Sebastian’s office for explanation.

If Nate weren't enough of a handful, there's also Tom's wife who's no stranger to a bit of scheming. She has intel on the son of another militia Colonel, and chooses to spill it now in order to deflect attention from her own son. She also reveals a little more about Sebastian Monroe, explaining that he hasn't been the same since Miles left, and it's this that's contributing to his mental state, whispering into Tom's ear with a warm voice of loving treason, “We need a real leader.”

Another great episode. Rachel gets her brief moment at the end, but she's usurped by computer programmer Grace, who is momentarily let out of her cage of exposition for a great “What the hell!” moment as the camera pulls back to reveal she's being held in a secret base full of computer tech, beneath a gigantic hadron collider. The bad guys seem to have more going on than the good guys this week, and did I say last week that there's only room for two mad men in the this show? No, Sergeant Strouser, or Trouser, makes a welcome addition.

UNFORTUNATE VICTIM OF THE WEEK Militia soldier with torch sent looking for the gang in abandoned building. “We lost them sir”. Stabbed in the guts with a knife by Sergeant Trouser. That'll teach him for not bothering to look upstairs.

WHAT A STATE WE'RE IN The world of Revolution is divided into six states; The Monroe republic, The Plains Nation, The California Commonwealth, The Wasteland, Texas and The Georgia Federation.

BEST LINES:
Miles: “Corporal?”
Trouser: “I'm a sergeant now.”
Miles: “Well, let’s be honest – you're a sociopath.”

John Cooper @JohnCooper_uk

UK airing information: None As Yet.

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