''Revolution'' is an American
post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astro ...
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
television series that ran from September 17, 2012, until May 21, 2014, when it was cancelled by
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
.
The show takes place in the
post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astro ...
near-future of the year 2027, 15 years after the start of a worldwide, permanent electrical-power blackout in 2012. Created by
Eric Kripke
Eric Kripke (born 1974) is an American writer and television producer. He came to prominence as the creator of the fantasy drama series ''Supernatural'' (2005–2020) which aired on The CW. He served as the showrunner during the first five seasons ...
and produced by
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced such films as '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' F ...
'
Bad Robot Productions
Bad Robot is an American film and television production company founded on May 27, 1999 and led by J. J. Abrams and Katie McGrath as Co-CEO. Under its Bad Robot Productions division, the company is responsible for the television series ''Alias'' ...
for the
NBC network
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
, it originally aired on Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET,
and did well enough that NBC ordered a second season shortly after the first-season finale.
Film director
Jon Favreau
Jonathan Kolia Favreau (; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as ''Rudy (film), Rudy'' (1993), ''PCU (film), PCU'' (1994), ''Swingers (1996 film), Swingers'' (1996), ''Very ...
directed the pilot episode. In October 2012, NBC picked it up for a full season of 22 episodes, which was later reduced to 20 episodes. Season 1 of the show was filmed in and around
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States.
With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...
. Many of the scenes were shot in historic downtown Wilmington and on the campus of the
University of North Carolina Wilmington
The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW or UNC Wilmington) is a public research university in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina System and enrolls 17,499 undergraduate and graduate students eac ...
.
On April 26, 2013, the series was renewed by NBC for a second season of 22 episodes to air in a new time slot of Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Season 2 of ''Revolution'' was filmed in and around
Bartlett and
Granger, Texas
Granger is a city in Williamson County, Texas, United States. It was incorporated in 1891. The population was 1,183 at the 2020 census.
History
In the late 19th century, Granger was one of the centers of the large Moravian Czech immigrant popul ...
. The second-season premiere aired on September 25, 2013, and the finale aired on May 21, 2014.
Fans started a petition to renew or relocate ''Revolution'', and as of January 2018, the petition had gathered over 101,358 signatures with a goal of 110,000.
The TV series was never renewed, but a
four-part comic book series appeared in May and June 2015, and wrapped up the story.
Plot
Series overview
Season 1
The series is set in a
post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astro ...
near-future, in the year 2027. Fifteen years earlier, in the year 2012, a worldwide event known as "The Blackout" caused all electricity on Earth, ranging from computers and electronics to car and jet engines, to be disabled permanently. As a result, trains and cars stopped where they were, ships went dead in the water, and aircraft plummeted from the sky and crashed. In the years after the Blackout, people adapted to this new world without electricity. Because government and public order collapsed, several areas are ruled by militias and their generals.
The series begins with the surviving Matheson family: Ben and his two young adult children: daughter Charlie and son Danny, who now live in a village near
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. He wears a small pendant around his neck that is the key to not only finding out what happened fifteen years ago, but also a possible way to reverse its effects. Sebastian Monroe, Monroe Militia general and self-appointed President of the "Monroe Republic", whose borders are the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
and the old states of
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
and the
Carolinas
The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east.
Combining Nort ...
, is searching for the pendants so he can use their power to take control of the entire North American continent. In the series' pilot, Ben Matheson is killed and Danny is abducted by Captain Tom Neville of the Militia. The remaining Matheson family, joined initially by Miles Matheson, Aaron Pittman, and Nora Clayton, now are on the run from the Monroe Militia. Monroe's new benefactor, Randall Flynn, a former U.S.
Assistant Secretary of Defense
Assistant Secretary of Defense is a title used for many high-level executive positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the U.S. Department of Defense. The Assistant Secretary of Defense title is junior to Under Secretary of Defe ...
who fifteen years earlier ordered deployment of the
weaponized technology that caused the Blackout, now works with Monroe in his efforts after Ben's wife Rachel (working under duress for Monroe) escapes from his custody. This technology is later revealed to be a form of
nanotechnology
Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...
whose ability to drain electricity can be countered by the pendant.
Opening Introduction:
In Season 1 Episode 5, "Soul Train", a map of the former continental
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, and
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
is shown and shows the continent of
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
divided into six "
republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
s" (including parts of present-day Canada and Mexico along with the contiguous United States): the ''Monroe Republic'' in the
Northeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
and
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
regions and some of
Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada (also the Eastern provinces or the East) is generally considered to be the region of Canada south of the Hudson Bay/Strait and east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces (from east to west): Newfoundland and Labrador, ...
; the ''Georgia Federation'' encompassing the
Southeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
; the ''Plains Nation'' in the
Great Plains
The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...
,
the Rocky Mountains, and
the Canadian plains; ''
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
'' (including large swaths of southern and western Oklahoma, southern Arkansas and western Louisiana); the ''
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
Commonwealth'' incorporating the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to:
Geography Australia
* Western Australia
*Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia
* West Coast, Tasmania
**West Coast Range, mountain range in the region
Canada
* Britis ...
states of
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
and Washington, along with western
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
and
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
; and the ''Wasteland''. In the same episode, it indicates that the Georgia Federation and Plains Nation have allied against the Monroe Republic; border skirmishing in southwest
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, near St. Louis, is also mentioned. According to the wife of Captain Thomas Neville (Julia) in a letter to her husband, the Monroe Republic capital of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
is relatively safe; however, life outside west of
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
is subject to rebel attacks and other dangers such as bandits.
Season 2
In April 2013, the series was renewed for a second season of 22 episodes. The new season aired on Wednesdays at 8:00 pm (ET) as opposed to the previous time slot of Monday at 10:00 pm (ET). The season premiered on September 25, 2013, took a mid-season break before Thanksgiving 2013, and returned with new episodes on January 8, 2014.
Nicole Ari Parker
Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe (born October 7, 1970) is an American actress and model. She made her screen debut with a leading role in the critically acclaimed independent film '' The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love'' (1995) and went o ...
was cast in a recurring role as Secretary Justine Allenford.
Patrick Heusinger
Patrick Heusinger (born February 14, 1981) is an American actor, known for his roles on the television series ''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'', ''Gossip Girl'', ''Royal Pains'' and '' Absentia''.
Early life
Heusinger was born and raised in Jac ...
and
Jessie Collins
Jessica Ann Collins (born March 8, 1983) is an American actress.
Early life
Collins was born in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. She is one of four sisters, all of whom are involved in the arts. For much of her childhood, she and her family r ...
were also signed.
''Supernatural'' alumnus
Jim Beaver
James Norman Beaver Jr. (born August 12, 1950) is an American actor, writer, and film historian. He is most familiar to worldwide audiences as Bobby Singer in ''Supernatural''. He also played Whitney Ellsworth on the HBO Western drama series '' ...
was cast as John Franklin Fry, "a hard-ass, whip smart
Texas Ranger who allies with Miles."
The second season takes place six months after the events of the first season.
The themes and settings of the series change significantly in the second season. The Monroe Republic is no longer the primary enemy, being replaced by the Patriots. Sebastian Monroe becomes an ally (albeit an uneasy one) of the Matheson family, while the Nevilles are largely isolated from this group. The action of the main group of characters is centered on the town of Willoughby, in the nation of Texas. There is still considerable travel from this location (to the Plains Nation, the outpost called New Vegas, and to Mexico) but there is not a single continuing odyssey, as in the first season. The pendants and the Tower are no longer significant, with self-willed
nanites
A molecular machine, nanite, or nanomachine is a molecular component that produces quasi-mechanical movements (output) in response to specific stimuli (input). In cellular biology, macromolecular machines frequently perform tasks essential for l ...
becoming the major science-fictional element.
Planned season 3
According to the show's creator, Eric Kripke, the third season was going to be different from the first two seasons:
It was going to be great. It was gonna be this kind of treasure story where they were going to hear a legend of a very mythic treasure. It wasn't gonna be gold, it was gonna be supplies. It was gonna be this incredible stockpile of supplies. All the good guys and all the bad guys in the show were going to fight for this gold mine of material and supplies. It was going to be fun. It wasn't going to be a war season. It was going to be a treasure hunt season, which would have been fun and mixed up the show in a really interesting way.
The third season was made into a
four-part comic book series in 2015. It gave the ending and answered questions left from season 2.
Characters
Main
* Miles Matheson (
Billy Burke), a former
U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
-turned-tavern owner, pursued by the Monroe Republic Militia. As Ben Matheson's brother, he is later revealed to be one of the founding fathers of the Monroe Republic, having established it with Sebastian Monroe after the collapse of the United States. He is also the former
commanding general
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
of its militia, and is responsible for making them as brutally efficient as they are now. However, he later became disillusioned with the Republic and unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate Monroe. He deserted, and becomes
dependent on alcohol over guilt of the Republic's atrocities against civilians. The militia now considers Miles a traitor, and seeks to capture him as well as the rest of the Matheson family. Miles is shown expressing regret for his role with the militia, although not without conflicted feelings about his former best friend, Sebastian Monroe, who offered him his old job back after liberating Rachel. After rescuing Danny, Miles resolved to defeat Monroe once and for all when he realized that the various pendants Rachel and Ben invented can grant Monroe massive firepower (including
nuclear
Nuclear may refer to:
Physics
Relating to the nucleus of the atom:
* Nuclear engineering
*Nuclear physics
*Nuclear power
*Nuclear reactor
*Nuclear weapon
*Nuclear medicine
*Radiation therapy
*Nuclear warfare
Mathematics
*Nuclear space
*Nuclear ...
capability) against countless people who are reduced to fighting with guns,
sword
A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...
s and
bows and
arrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
s after the blackout.
* Charlotte "Charlie" Matheson (
Tracy Spiridakos
Tracy Spiridakos ( gr, Τρέισι Σπυριδάκος) is a Canadian actress. She starred as Becky Richards on the Teletoon children's comedy series ''Majority Rules!'' from 2009–2010. She then starred as Charlotte "Charlie" Matheson on th ...
), Ben Matheson's daughter and Miles's niece. Miles described her initially as unusual, insisting that it's not meant as an insult. Charlie has strong remorse for the things around her in the new world and is very caring, but is increasingly at odds with trying to find a balance between concern and self-preservation in the post-blackout society, often choosing to emulate her Uncle Miles more than her own family. After Rachel left, she took responsibility for looking after her brother, Danny, whom she actively pursued in the first half of the season. After her brother's death, she was determined to assist Miles in stopping Bass Monroe, while attempting to reconcile with her estranged mother. She had a small relationship with Jason Neville. She shot Jason Neville when he was in soldier mode in self-defense. In
the comic book series it is later revealed that Charlie is Miles' daughter as the result of his and Rachel's long on-and-off relationship.
* Rachel (''née'' Porter) Matheson (
Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell (born Elizabeth Joanna Robertson) is an American actress known for her lead role as Juliet Burke on the ABC drama mystery series ''Lost'' (2006–2010). Mitchell also had lead roles on the television series '' V'' (2009–2 ...
), Ben's wife and Charlie and Danny's mother, who is initially believed to have died following the blackout, but later revealed to be alive and working under duress for Monroe. She has told Monroe about the existence of the pendants and provided other information to the militia concerning them and a need for amplification in order to enable vehicular use. Later, it is revealed that Rachel had been equally involved in the blackout as she and her husband know the exact science behind why it has happened. After learning that activated pendants can be tracked by Flynn, she sought instead to destroy them as they are found instead of using them to counter Monroe. In
the comic book series, Rachel was later killed when she sacrificed herself after realizing she had been selfish.
* Aaron Pittman (
Zak Orth
Zak Orth (born October 15, 1970) is an American actor known for his roles in ''Wet Hot American Summer'', '' The Baxter'', '' Melinda and Melinda'', '' In and Out'', ''Music and Lyrics'', and '' NYC 22''. He also starred in the NBC television dram ...
), an
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
graduate, former
Google
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
executive, and friend of Ben Matheson. Aaron was a teacher in the community, educating children about pre-blackout life. He abandoned his wife after feeling unable to protect her from looters and thieves, leaving her with a group they were traveling with. Aaron has a great deal of suppressed guilt and remorse over abandoning his wife. Just before Ben's death, Aaron was secretly entrusted with a pendant (
flash drive
A flash drive is a portable computer drive that uses flash memory. Flash drives are the larger memory modules consisting of a number of flash chips. A flash chip is used to read the contents of a single cell, but it can write entire block of cell ...
) onto which Ben downloaded files from his computer just before the blackout. Aaron and Maggie decided to keep the pendant's existence a secret from the rest of the group, fearing Miles' reaction and complicating the pursuit of Danny's captors. The others later discover the pendant's existence, and it is eventually stolen by Nora's sister (a double agent) and handed over to Sebastian Monroe. Once reunited with Rachel, Aaron is concentrating on the study of her notes and any information concerning the blackout. Rachel suspects that Ben deliberately cultivated a relationship with Aaron because unknown to Aaron, some of his early work in programming at MIT may have been used in the development of the nanites.
* Major Tom Neville (
Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (; born April 26, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Gus Fring in the AMC crime drama series ''Breaking Bad'', from 2009 to 2011, and in its prequel series ''Better Ca ...
), a former
insurance adjuster
A claims adjuster, desk adjuster, field adjuster, or general adjuster (claim adjuster, claims handler, claim handler or loss adjuster in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, the Caribbean and New Zealand) investigates insurance cl ...
who joined the Monroe Republic militia after the blackout. As a captain, Neville is the first antagonist in the story – his troops are responsible for both Ben Matheson's death and Danny's capture. He is very calculated and committed to the militia, seeking primarily to survive and to keep his own family safe. Originally a mild-mannered and compassionate family man, the blackout forced him to become more ruthless; he is frequently encouraged to be even more ruthless by his politically ambitious wife who wishes for him to replace Sebastian Monroe as president. Afterward, he is promoted to major. Following the capture of Danny Matheson, Neville loses favor with Monroe when his son defects and he is subsequently captured by the rebels (he later escapes). This prevents him from completing a critical mission for Monroe. Realizing that Monroe will kill him for his failure, Neville and his wife defect to the Georgia Republic, where he is rewarded for the intelligence he provides with a commission as a major in the Georgian militia. He now works with Miles Matheson, who is leading the rebel forces fighting Monroe and is allied with Georgia. In the season one finale, he leads a coup against Monroe.
* Jason Neville/Nate Walker (
J. D. Pardo
Jorge Daniel Pardo (born September 7, 1980) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Jack Toretto in '' F9'' (2021), as well as the lead role of Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes in the television series '' Mayans M.C.'' (2018–present).
Early life ...
), a lieutenant of the Monroe Militia tasked with tracking down Miles. He travels incognito calling himself as Nate Walker so he can travel with Charlie to find Miles. He is the son of Tom Neville. Initially loyal to the Militia, he develops feelings for Charlie, which results in him choosing to protect her on several occasions. When the militia start hunting down the rebels with their helicopters, he defects because he views the massacres as inhumane. He joins the rebellion to fight alongside Charlie, with a reluctant Miles refusing to trust his motivations until he agrees to help interrogate his own father. He has an extremely difficult relationship with his father, Tom, until the end of the first season. Throughout season 2, Jason travels with his father and remains loyal to him even after having his memories altered. Jason died when Charlie shot him in self-defense in the episode Austin City Limits in season 2.
* President/General Sebastian "Bas" Monroe (
David Lyons), a former
U.S. Marine Corps sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
who co-founded the Monroe Republic. He was the president (''de facto''
dictator
A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in times ...
) of the republic, as well as the commanding
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
of the militia and serves as the main antagonist of Season 1. Monroe and Miles had been best friends prior to the blackout, while they grew up and served together in the military. Seeking at first to defend innocent people and restore order to society after the collapse, they used their combined military experience to organize a standing militia. Monroe knew the Matheson family well before the blackout. After Miles defected, he kept Rachel in seclusion for many years, letting the world believe she was dead. She was key in turning electrical power back on. After Rachel's escape, Bass cooperated with Randall Flynn, who has a supply of pendants and amplifiers, allowing vehicles and weaponry to work under Monroe Republic control. He loses power in a coup and some of his men try to kill him. In Season 2, he later teamed up with Miles and the others to fight against the Patriots.
* Nora Clayton (
Daniella Alonso
Daniella Alonso is an American actress and former fashion model. She has appeared in a number of horror films, including ''The Hills Have Eyes 2'' and '' Wrong Turn 2: Dead End''. Alonso was a regular cast member in the NBC post-apocalyptic seri ...
) (season 1, guest afterwards), a woman who has a history with Miles. She has connections to the rebels, who fight against the Monroe Republic to restore the United States of America as part of an organized rebellion. Her primary expertise is in explosives, and Nora's connections to the rebellion help at various points throughout the story. Upon learning that her sister was alive and wanted to return to Texas to seek out their family, Nora was going to leave Miles, Charlie, and Aaron to assault Bas. After her sister betrayed the Matheson family to the militia, however, Nora returns, rescuing them and leaving her sister to travel alone. While trying to help the group at a critical moment, she was killed in the season one finale, from massive blood loss after being shot.
* Dr. Gene Porter (
Stephen Collins
Stephen Weaver Collins (born October 1, 1947) is an American former actor and writer. He is known for playing Eric Camden on the television series '' 7th Heaven'' from 1996 to 2007. Afterwards, Collins played the roles of Dayton King on the ABC t ...
) (season 2), one of the civic leaders of the town of Willoughby, the town doctor and the father of Rachel Matheson. First working for the Patriots but later switching sides as he finds out what kind of people they are. He is instrumental in saving Bass during his execution.
* Danny Matheson (
Graham Rogers) (episodes 1–11), Charlie's brother who gets captured by the militia. Danny is
asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...
tic and, before being kidnapped, was constantly watched over by his sister. Similar to Charlie, Danny feels sympathetic for various people, and in a moment when Capt. Neville was vulnerable, chose to help free Neville and risk recapture rather than escape and let the Captain die from collapsing rubble. Danny is killed from random fire after shooting down a helicopter. Post-mortem, Rachel pulled a device out of Danny, which has a faint blinking light that is still working, years after the blackout. It is later learned that the nanites helped power the device to keep Danny alive.
* Grace Beaumont (
Maria Howell
Wanda Maria Howell is an American actress and singer.
Career
Howell was born in Gastonia, North Carolina and graduated Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She worked as jazz singer and made her film debut in ''The C ...
) (series regular: 1 episode, recurring thereafter), a woman who hides Danny from the Monroe Militia and also has a pendant matching the one Ben Matheson gave Aaron. It is revealed that as one of the scientists who worked at the Department of Defense, she is in contact via a computer with an unknown party until Randall Flynn abducted her. When Aaron and Maggie discover the house she lived in, the pendant she possessed was missing and her computer destroyed. Randall keeps her in captivity with other scientists fixing equipment at the Tower to further his pursuits. After Aaron, Rachel, Miles, and the others restore the power from the Tower, Flynn detonates bombs that drop on the Monroe and Georgia Republics. After this event, Grace moves to Spring City, Oklahoma. The nanotech leads both Aaron and Priscilla to Spring City where they meet up with and seek information from Grace before traveling to Lubbock, Texas.
* Ben Matheson (
Tim Guinee
Timothy S. Guinee (born November 18, 1962) is an American stage, television, and feature-film actor. Primarily known for his roles as Tomin in the television series ''Stargate SG-1'' (1997–2007) and railroad entrepreneur Collis Huntington AMC ...
) (season 1, guest afterward), Charlie and Danny's father. Along with Rachel he initially developed the
nano-robot technology that caused the blackout, which was researched and developed by the other scientists including Grace, John and others. Initially meant as a method of cheap
green energy
Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as greenh ...
, the project's failure had the unintended outcome of suppressing all electronic activity within a given radius. After the
U.S. Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secur ...
deployed the nano-robots at an area of conflict, Ben was able to warn his family in Chicago and his brother Miles moments before the blackout occurred as the nano-bots spread out of control. Fifteen years later, he was murdered in the first episode by the Monroe Militia, and shortly before his death he sent his daughter to find his brother Miles in Chicago in order to help her find and rescue Danny. Ben's past involvement in the story is revealed throughout the first season.
* Maggie Foster (
Anna Lise Phillips) (episodes 1–4), a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
medical doctor who became stranded and separated from her children following the blackout. She became Ben Matheson's girlfriend following his wife's supposed death. Maggie's relationship with Charlie is often strained, since Maggie is Charlie's ''de facto'' stepmother, but Maggie cares for Ben's children as her own. She came to the Midwest and met Ben after failing to find a boat to cross the Atlantic to return to her own family in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. She is stabbed and killed by a bandit after she shot the bandit's dog during the pursuit for Danny.
Recurring
* Randall Flynn (
Colm Feore
Colm Joseph Feore (; born August 22, 1958) is a Canadian actor. A 15-year veteran of the Stratford Festival, he is known for his Gemini-winning turn as Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the CBC miniseries '' Trudeau'' (2002), his portrayal of G ...
), the
Assistant Secretary of Defense
Assistant Secretary of Defense is a title used for many high-level executive positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the U.S. Department of Defense. The Assistant Secretary of Defense title is junior to Under Secretary of Defe ...
who was working with Ben Matheson and his team to fund and support their project to weaponize Ben's research for military purposes in response to the death of his own son in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. After the blackout, Flynn seeks to "collect" the remaining scientists on the project (by force or by will) who worked with him in the Department of Defense in the continued production of pendants and amplifiers to further his own plans. Flynn has chosen to cooperate with the Monroe Republic after he became convinced that Monroe did not have "his own head up his ass" and provides enough information to re-enable the vehicles and weaponry that Monroe collected over the years. He commits suicide in the season 1 finale. It was later revealed that he has been working for a group called "The Patriots".
* Jim Hudson (
Malik Yoba
Abdul-Malik Kashie Yoba (born September 17, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for his starring role as NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on the Fox police drama ''New York Undercover'' and as Yul Brenner in the film '' Cool Runnings''. ...
), an ex-Monroe Militia captain who helped Miles with his initial assassination attempt on Bass and defected after their failure. He went into hiding as a town librarian after marrying a local woman. Miles and Nora seek his help after Miles agrees to aid the Rebellion, but Jim refuses because Miles had abandoned him. After fending off a kill squad sent by Monroe to capture him, Jim ends up joining Miles after his wife witnesses him kill an attacker and learns about his past as a soldier. However, in the 18th episode he is revealed to be a traitor. He is killed by Jason.
* John Sanborn (
Leland Orser
Leland Jones Orser (born August 6, 1960) is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous film and television roles, notably as Lucien Dubenko in the television series '' ER'' (2004–2009) and Sam Gilroy in the '' Taken'' film series (2008–20 ...
), a scientist who worked with Ben and Rachel in developing the blackout technology. After Rachel and Miles sought him out for assistance, John captured them and turned them over to Randall for interrogation. Miles and Rachel escaped from capture, with John following Randall to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
to aid the Republic. He is killed by Jim in the 18th episode.
* Julia Neville (
Kim Raver
Kimberly Jayne Raver (born March 15, 1969) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for television roles as Dr. Teddy Altman on ABC's medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', Kim Zambrano on ''Third Watch'', and Audrey Raines on '' 24''. ...
), Tom Neville's wife and Jason's mother. While supportive of her husband's military efforts seeking to encourage his rise to power, she is also protective of Jason, and after learning of his defection from the militia, confronts Neville and agrees to leave her life of luxury and social elevation to be free of the Republic. Following the nuclear attack on the capital of the Monroe Republic, she is presumed dead. However, in season 2 it is revealed she survived and is currently married to a member of the Patriot high command. But in Episode 20, "Tomorrowland", it was confirmed that she is now dead.
* Jeremy Baker (
Mark Pellegrino
Mark Ross Pellegrino (born April 9, 1965) is an American actor of film and television. He is best known for his work as Lucifer in ''Supernatural'', Paul Bennett in '' Dexter'', Jacob in ''Lost'', James Bishop in '' Being Human'', Clayton Haas ...
), a militia captain and former friend of Miles Matheson due to Miles rescuing him from murderous looters six months into the blackout. He is later executed when Monroe believes him to be behind an assassination attempt.
* Will Strausser (
David Meunier
David Meunier (born David Miller; February 5, 1973) is an American actor.
Early life
Meunier was born in Woodburn, Oregon. He played football in high school, and a teammate convinced him to try out for a school production of ''Guys and Dolls''. ...
), a sergeant in the Monroe Militia who admits his
sociopathy
Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been ...
, adding that his militia work is a good fit. He was the only sergeant who scared Miles when he was in the Militia. He offers Nora's sister safe passage to Texas if she gives away the positions of her sister's accomplices. After returning to Rachel, Strausser is killed by her after he threatens to kill her children in order to motivate her to complete an amplifier.
* Priscilla Pittman (Maureen Sebastian), Aaron's ex-wife. Aaron left her in a group after the blackout because Aaron did not believe he had the capability to protect her. While traveling to the tower, Aaron finds her being held hostage by a bounty hunter and finally saves her by using brute force. After the rescue, she tells him that everyone in the group he left her with died and she was left alone. She fled the Monroe Republic after killing a member of the militia who attempted to hurt her 11-year-old daughter. The rest of her family had already made it to Texas and were waiting for her. She told Aaron that she loved him and always will, kissed him and told him to stop worrying about her. She then left to join her family in Texas. She returns in the second season when she and Aaron cross paths in Spring City, Oklahoma and later travel to
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock ( )
is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...
.
* President Kelly Foster (
Leslie Hope
Leslie Ann Hope is a Canadian actress and director, best known for her role as Teri Bauer on the Fox television series '' 24'' and prosecutor Anita Gibbs on ''Suits''.
Personal life
Hope was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Ann and Frank Hop ...
), the President of the Georgia Federation. She is assumed to be dead when Randall Flynn nuked
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
.
* Secretary Justine Allenford (
Nicole Ari Parker
Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe (born October 7, 1970) is an American actress and model. She made her screen debut with a leading role in the critically acclaimed independent film '' The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love'' (1995) and went o ...
), a now-renegade member of the Patriots. Before she was a traitor, she came to
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
to announce the re-establishment of the
United States Government
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...
and to help pass out some food to the refugees. She encountered Tom Neville after he saves her from assassination. She allowed Tom to become the member of the Patriots. Later, Justine and Tom were attacked by the Patriots, who had been sent to silence her, but she and Tom Neville manage to escape. After they escaped, she told Neville that she spoke out against the Patriots after she discovers that the Patriots have been brainwashing people into becoming members of the Patriots and the Patriots declared her as a traitor. She convinces Tom to help her after she is wounded, but only after she leads him to Jason, who has been brainwashed by method of mind-altering drugs by the Patriots into a savage killing machine. The same thing happened to Justine's son, and after seeing Tom bring Jason back to his normal self, she gains hope that the same thing can be done for her child. However, Tom betrays Justine by exposing her to her husband, who is a member of Patriot high command. Her husband, Roger Allenford, scolds at her for getting themselves in trouble for betraying the Patriots. Fearing disgrace at the hands of the Patriot government, Roger executes her for treason.
* Adam (
Patrick Heusinger
Patrick Heusinger (born February 14, 1981) is an American actor, known for his roles on the television series ''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'', ''Gossip Girl'', ''Royal Pains'' and '' Absentia''.
Early life
Heusinger was born and raised in Jac ...
), a
bounty hunter
A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...
, working for the Patriots.
* Cynthia (
Jessica Collins
Jessica Collins (born Jessica Lynn Capogna; April 1, 1971) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Dinah Lee Mayberry on the ABC soap opera ''Loving'' (1991–1994) and Avery Bailey Clark on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and ...
), Aaron's girlfriend. Calvin Horn uses her against Aaron in order to enlist his help by wounding her, but Aaron manages to use the nanites to heal her. However, Horn later shoots Cynthia in front of Aaron and she dies, causing Aaron to kill Horn in his rage. She has since reappeared as a manifestation of the nanotech, guiding Aaron and Priscilla on their journey to Lubbock, Texas.
* Edward Truman (
Steven Culp
Steven Bradford Culp (born December 3, 1955) is an American actor. Culp appeared in films '' Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday'' (1993), ''James and the Giant Peach'' (1996), ''The Emperor's Club'' (2002), and most notably in the 2000 politica ...
), a member of the Patriots. Prior to the blackout he had been a
corporal
Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...
in the
US Army Military Police guarding inmates at the
Guantanamo Bay detention camp, but now serves as the Patriots' regional governor of Willoughby, Texas. He also serves as a recurring antagonist of Season 2. However, in the Season 2 finale, he was now a fugitive by the Texas Rangers after they discovered the truth about the Patriots. In
the comic book series, he is killed by Monroe.
* John Franklin Fry (
Jim Beaver
James Norman Beaver Jr. (born August 12, 1950) is an American actor, writer, and film historian. He is most familiar to worldwide audiences as Bobby Singer in ''Supernatural''. He also played Whitney Ellsworth on the HBO Western drama series '' ...
), a
Texas Ranger. He is killed by Monroe in an attempt to start a war between Texas and the Patriots.
* Titus Andover (
Matt Ross), the leader of a war clan, attacking the town of Willoughby.
* Dr. Calvin Horn (
Željko Ivanek
Željko Ivanek (né Šimić-Ivanek; ; ; born August 15, 1957) is an American actor, known for his role as Ray Fiske on '' Damages'', for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award. Ivanek is also known for his role of Ed Danvers on '' Homicide: Life on ...
), a member of the Patriots and a prominent antagonist in the first half of Season 2. Horn becomes the leading force in the occupation of Willoughby, retaining control by means of his terrifying reputation. Horn's sociopathic mentality can be traced to his childhood; his deeply religious father blames him for her mother's death after his sick mother died of a drug overdose (Horn did not believe his father's prayers for a miracle were helping his mother with her sickness, and sought out medicine to cure her instead). The doctor develops an obsession over Aaron, after discovering his abilities to interface with the nanites. His primary goal is finding Aaron and exploiting his abilities, even at the cost of the lives of Aaron's loved ones. Horn reveals that he has brain cancer, and believes that Aaron can use the nanites to save his life. In his desperation, he kills Cynthia, causing Aaron to use the nanites to ignite the air and kill Horn, burning him alive.
* Commander Roger Allenford (
David Aaron Baker
David Aaron Baker (born August 14, 1963) is an American actor whose credits stretch across theater, film, television and audiobooks.
Biography
On Broadway, he is most prominently known for his starring role as "Prince Dauntless" opposite Sarah ...
), a member of the Patriots and the husband of Justine Allenford. It was later implied that Roger was shot and killed by President Davis for his failures.
* Martin Shaw (
Waleed Zuaiter
Waleed F. Zuaiter (; born January 16, 1971) is an Arab-American actor and producer who has performed in on-stage productions in Washington, D.C.; Berkeley, California; and New York City, as well as several film and television productions. He live ...
), the member of the Patriots, who recruited Gene Porter to become the member of the Patriots. He was killed by Tom Neville when Tom led Shaw into a trap.
* Connor Bennett (
Mat Vairo), Sebastian Monroe's son. He has allied himself with his father, and has supported him in his plan to overthrow Patriot control and restore the Monroe Republic.
* Victor Doyle (
Christopher Cousins), a member of the Patriots and Julia's new husband. He was responsible for brainwashing innocent people into members of the Patriots. He was later killed by Tom Neville.
* President Jack Davis (
Cotter Smith), a ruthless, tyrannical
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
and a dictatorial leader of the Patriots. He was responsible for sending Randall Flynn to use
nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
s against
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
and
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, so that the Patriots could take over the
East Coast
East Coast may refer to:
Entertainment
* East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop
* East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017
* East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004
* East Coast FM, a ra ...
and form a brutal
totalitarian
Totalitarianism is a form of government and a political system that prohibits all opposition parties, outlaws individual and group opposition to the state and its claims, and exercises an extremely high if not complete degree of control and regul ...
dictatorship in the United States. He is the ''de facto'' dictator of America and also serves as the main antagonist of Season 2. After Tom Neville was caught, Davis sent him to execute Monroe or he was going to kill his wife, Julia. In the episode "Exposition Boulevard" it is revealed that he was the
United States Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The s ...
before the blackout. It is also revealed that the real President, and the
Speaker of the House
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
were killed when
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control designated call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States. In common parlance, the term is used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modified and used ...
crashed. Secretary Davis then arranges a ''
coup d'etat'' to kill the
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
, allowing him to ascend to the presidency. When he and the remaining U.S. Government arrived at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he announces his plan to start a totalitarian dictatorship, called "New Order for the Ages", a play on the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
motto ''
Novus ordo seclorum
The phrase ''Novus ōrdō sēclōrum'' (, ; "New order of the ages") is the second of two mottos added by the secretary of the Congress of the Confederation, Charles Thomson, on the reverse (the back side) of the Great Seal of the United States (t ...
'', which occurs on the
obverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''o ...
of the
Great Seal of the United States. In the Season 2 finale, he was later arrested by the Texas Rangers for being a
war criminal, and loses his power. In
the comic book series, he is killed by Charlie Matheson.
* Duncan Page (
Katie Aselton
Kathryn Aselton (born October 1, 1978) is an American actress, film director and producer. She directed and co-starred in ''The Freebie (film), The Freebie'', which was shown in the non-competition "Next" category at the Sundance Film Festival i ...
), the leader of a tribe in New Vegas and former associate of Monroe.
* Peter Garner (
Daniel Henney
Daniel Phillip Henney (born November 28, 1979) is an American actor and model. He first came into international prominence with his television debut as Dr. Henry Kim on the Korean drama ''My Lovely Sam Soon'' (2005).
He has gone on to star in f ...
), a former
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
student and friend of Aaron and Priscilla Pittman.
* Scanlon (
Billy Lush
Billy Lush (born November 30, 1981) is an American actor from New Haven, Connecticut. He graduated from Coral Springs High School in Coral Springs, Florida in 1999. He later attended Florida State University to pursue theatre. He is known for hi ...
), a member of Duncan's tribe.
* General Bill Carver (
Anthony Ruivivar
Anthony Michael Ruivivar (born ) is an American actor. He is known for playing Carlos Nieto on ''Third Watch'' and Alex Longshadow on ''Banshee''. He also voiced Batman on ''Beware the Batman''.
Early life and education
Ruivivar was born in Ho ...
), the President of Texas.
* General Frank Blanchard (
M. C. Gainey
Michael Connor Gainey (born January 18, 1948) is an American character actor best known for his appearances in ''Lost'', ''Con Air'', ''Sideways'', ''Tangled'', and ''Django Unchained''.
Early life
Gainey was born in Jackson, Mississippi. In the ...
), a former President of Texas, who retired before General Carver was elected.
* Malcolm Dove (
Barry Tubb
Barry York Tubb (born February 13, 1963) is an American actor and director. He has worked in both television and film between 1983 and 2014.
Early life
Tubb was born in Snyder, Texas, in 1963. He won the state bull-riding championship at age 15 ...
)
* Militia Soldier (
Zeeko Zaki
Zakaria Sherif Zaki (born January 18, 1990), commonly known as Zeeko Zaki ( arz, زيكو زكي), is an Egyptian-born American actor best known for his role portraying Special Agent Omar Adom "O. A." Zidan on Dick Wolf's ''FBI''.
Early life
...
)
Production
Executive producer J. J. Abrams told the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' Hero Complex blog that series creator
Eric Kripke
Eric Kripke (born 1974) is an American writer and television producer. He came to prominence as the creator of the fantasy drama series ''Supernatural'' (2005–2020) which aired on The CW. He served as the showrunner during the first five seasons ...
:
came to us with an idea that was undeniably good. It was such a great premise for a series that it was just that feeling of the misery that you'd feel if you had a chance to be part of that and didn't take advantage of it. I'm really looking forward to that show. He's so obviously the real deal, and we're just really lucky and honored that he wanted to collaborate with us on it.
The series – described by its creators as a "romantic
swashbuckling
A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, guile and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, ...
sci-fi adventure" – debuted in the United States on September 17, 2012.
[ In October 2012, NBC announced it would pick up the series for an additional nine episodes after achieving an average of 9.8 million viewers for the first three episodes. After November 26, 2012, Revolution went on hiatus for a holiday break and to catch up on post-production. Following this, the show resumed broadcast on March 25, 2013, for the remaining episodes of season 1.
The role of Rachel Matheson was originally played by ]Andrea Roth
Andrea Roth (born September 30, 1967) is a Canadian actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Janet Gavin, the wife of main character Tommy Gavin, on the FX television series '' Rescue Me'' (2004–2011), as Victoria Chase in ''The Co ...
until she was replaced by Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell (born Elizabeth Joanna Robertson) is an American actress known for her lead role as Juliet Burke on the ABC drama mystery series ''Lost'' (2006–2010). Mitchell also had lead roles on the television series '' V'' (2009–2 ...
.
A portion of episode 4 of season 1 was filmed at Freestyle Music Park
Freestyle Music Park, formerly called Hard Rock Park, was a short-lived, music-themed amusement park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Built on , the park was located at the intersection of US 501 and the Intracoastal Waterway. It included part of ...
in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as "The Grand Strand" in the northeastern part of the state. Its y ...
.
''Revolution'' was renewed for a full 22-episode second season in April 2013.
Production for season two moved to Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.
On May 9, 2014, NBC canceled the series after two seasons.
Release
Broadcast
In Canada, the series aired simultaneously
Simultaneity may refer to:
* Relativity of simultaneity, a concept in special relativity.
* Simultaneity (music), more than one complete musical texture occurring at the same time, rather than in succession
* Simultaneity, a concept in Endogene ...
with the American broadcast on City
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
. It premiered in Australia on Fox8 in September 2012 and re-screened on free-to-air on Nine
9 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
9 or nine may also refer to:
Dates
* AD 9, the ninth year of the AD era
* 9 BC, the ninth year before the AD era
* 9, numerical symbol for the month of September
Places
* Nine, Portugal, a parish in the ...
and Go! from November 2013. It premiered in New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
on TV2 on October 16, 2012. The series was broadcast by DSTV in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
and to the rest of Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
via satellite; it was delayed by a week from the USA broadcast. In the United Kingdom, the series started airing on Sky1
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
from March 29, 2013.
Advance screenings
In the summer of 2012, NBC had a voting campaign on ''Revolution''s Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
page where visitors could vote for which American city should have an advance screening of the series' pilot in early September. The top ten markets
Market is a term used to describe concepts such as:
* Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand
* Market economy
*Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market
Geography
*Märket, a ...
selected were Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
, and Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
.
On September 4, 2012, New York City's advance screening was held for 1,000 guests, with 80 of them seated on stationary bicycle
A stationary bicycle (also known as exercise bicycle, exercise bike, spinning bike, spin bike, or exercycle) is a device used as exercise equipment for indoor cycling. It includes a saddle, pedals, and some form of handlebars arranged as on ...
s to generate electricity for lighting. The remaining cities' screenings were held two days later, on September 6, 2012.
Reception
Ratings
Critical response
The first season had Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
score of 64 out of 100 based on 32 reviews, indicating generally positive reviews. Glen Garvin of ''The Miami Herald
The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a city in western Miami-Dade County and the Miami metropolitan area, several miles west of Downtown Miami.[The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...]
'' praised the production quality of the pilot: "If the quality of this one, so irresistible in its vitality and suspense, does fail to hold up, its creators will have delivered, at the least, one remarkably fine hour." Ed Bark observed that the show "has the overall look and feel of a big budget feature, delivers some consistently terrific action scenes". Some have compared the show to ''Dies the Fire
''Dies the Fire'' is a 2004 alternate history and post-apocalyptic novel written by S. M. Stirling. It is the first installment of the ''Emberverse'' series and is a spin-off from S. M. Stirling's ''Nantucket'' series in which the Massachusetts ...
'', ''The Hunger Games
''The Hunger Games'' is a series of young adult dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The first three novels are part of a trilogy following teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, and the fourth book is a prequel set ...
'', and ''Lost
Lost may refer to getting lost, or to:
Geography
*Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland
* Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US
History
*Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
''.
Verne Gay of ''Newsday
''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
'', however, gave the premiere a negative review: "There's an almost overwhelming been-there-seen-that feel to the pilot, which doesn't really offer any suggestion of 'well, you haven't seen this.'"
The second season received more positive reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reported a 78% approval rating with an average rating of 7.8/10, based on 9 reviews.
Awards and nominations
Digital comic
In May 2015, DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
started releasing a new digital comic book which picks up where the television series left off. Eric Kripke announced the digital comics revival on April 15, 2015. Between May 4 and June 15, 2015, four separate digital chapters were released fortnightly. Each of the four chapters have a specifically designed cover, all illustrated by DC Comics artist Angel Hernandez.
The four chapters were available on comicbook.com as well as on the TV series' Facebook page.Chapter Four
/ref>
See also
* Survivalism in fiction
Portrayals of survivalism, and survivalist themes and elements such as survival retreats have been fictionalised in print, film, and electronic media. This genre was especially influenced by the advent of nuclear weapons, and the potential for ...
* ''Dies the Fire
''Dies the Fire'' is a 2004 alternate history and post-apocalyptic novel written by S. M. Stirling. It is the first installment of the ''Emberverse'' series and is a spin-off from S. M. Stirling's ''Nantucket'' series in which the Massachusetts ...
''
* ''One Second After
''One Second After'' is a 2009 novel by American writer William R. Forstchen. The novel deals with an unexpected electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States as it affects the people living in and around the small American town of Black Moun ...
''
* ''Ravage'' (novel)
* ''The Changes'' (TV series)
* Power symbol
A power symbol is a symbol indicating that a control activates or deactivates a particular device. Such a control may be a rocker switch, a toggle switch, a push-button, a virtual switch on a display screen, or some other user interface. The ...
* ''Escape from L.A.
''Escape from L.A.'' (stylized on-screen as ''John Carpenter's Escape from L.A.'') is a 1996 American Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic action film co-written, co-scored, and directed by John Carpenter, co-written and p ...
'', a movie ending with a worldwide blackout.
* Solar storm of 2012
The solar storm of 2012 was an unusually large and strong coronal mass ejection (CME) event that occurred on July 23 that year. It missed Earth with a margin of approximately nine days, as the equator of the Sun rotates around its own axis with ...
, an event that almost caused a worldwide blackout in real life.
Explanatory notes
References
External links
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{{Saturn Award for Best Network Television Series
2012 American television series debuts
2014 American television series endings
2010s American drama television series
2010s American science fiction television series
American action adventure television series
English-language television shows
NBC original programming
Nonlinear narrative television series
Post-apocalyptic television series
Saturn Award-winning television series
Serial drama television series
Television series by Bad Robot Productions
Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
Television series set in the 2020s
Television shows filmed in North Carolina
Television shows filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina
Television shows filmed in Texas
Television shows set in the United States
Television series created by Eric Kripke
Television series about the Texas Ranger Division
Dystopian television series