TV Tuesday: Revolution

As a super fan of the TV show Supernatural, I've been patiently waiting for Eric Kripke and JJ Abrams' new series, Revolution. I'm three episodes in, and I admit, I haven't quite made up my mind about it yet.

The premise is intriguing - set 15 years after a global blackout, a world without electricity. No iPhones, no vehicles, no light after sunset.

I'm a fan of Billy Burke, so I'm happy to see him as a leading guy, and with my new Breaking Bad obsession, I'm thrilled actor Giancarlo Esposito is back on TV in another edgy role. Perhaps relieved is a better word, since the generic characters - Burke included - lacked some of the grit I'd hoped for. After all, Kripke did create the Winchester boys.

The pilot had a Hunger Games-esque vibe, so strong in fact, I'd actually begun casting Katniss, Gabe and Peeta. I'm rethinking the boys after the third episode but Katniss is a lock.

Actress Tracy Spiridakos (Go Canada!) plays a wicked crossbow shooter named Charlie Matheson.   After her brother is kidnapped and her father murdered, she leads a small group of survivors on a quest to find...help? Her uncle? Electricity? The real motive is still a bit unclear, and while there's no question Charlie is beautiful, and skilled, she's kind of all over the map and her character hasn't yet resonated with me.

That said, the visuals are stunning - and symbolic. A broken ferris wheel in the middle of a field, overgrown with weeds and wild flowers. A main street turned into a car graveyard. Wrigley Field, an empty stadium, barren and lonely. Each episode is peppered with reminders of a former life - old photographs stored on a battery-dead iPhone, abandoned airplanes now used as shelters, looters seeking the last of the canned goods. It's not going to compete with the cinematography of shows like Game of Thrones but then, not many can.

While I'm not blown away, I am intrigued enough to keep Revolution on my PVR list. I'm not willing to exchange it in place of The Voice for Monday night real-time viewing (yes, I do like my talent reality shows), but it provides great background noise when I'm making dinner or catching up on social media.

For sci-fi fans who are still looking for something to replace Lost, Revolution might be the key - but for me, this post-apocalyptic world needs to get a little dirtier if it's going to compete against my very full slate of fall TV shows.

Are you watching Revolution? I'd love your take.

- Dawn

In My DVD Player: Breaking Bad