We’ve waited long enough for one of our favorite series to return to NBC: “Revolution.” Tonight the suspenseful adventure and hunt to turn the lights back on continues tonight at 10 p.m. ET. Millions watched the first half of Season one, making it TV’s #1 show in the fall. For those who may not be caught up, “Revolution” follows Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos), a young woman living in a post-apocalyptic blackout where not a single piece of technology exists and the remainder of the human race is less than kind. After her brother Danny is kidnapped by a powerful militia, she sets out with her estranged Uncle Miles (Billy Burke) to find him. Together, with a rogue band of survivors they cross the country to rescue Danny and discover Charlie’s presumed dead mother, Rachel Matheson (Elizabeth Mitchell). Back in November we spoke with one of “Revolution’s” stars, JD Pardo for LATF’s Issue #27 cover story. This time, we caught up with actress Elizabeth Mitchell and Eric Kripke, who co-created the hit series with J.J. Abrams. There are so many questions unanswered: Will the lights turn back on? Who will survive and who won’t? Elizabeth and Eric gave us some insight (as much as they were able to tell) into the characters and the thrilling finale of season one.
Eric, last season it seemed as though Tracy and JD’s characters were on the verge of a romance, but it always goes back to JD playing for the bad side. Will we see anything develop this time around?
EK: Yes, we definitely will. JD’s character is named Jason, it was Nate, but his real name is Jason once revealed. Jason goes through some seismic shifts with his father, who’s Giancarlo, with his relationship with the militia and Charlie has a front seat to a lot of those really dramatic turns. There is this sort of static friction between the both of them that draws them closer. And then we blow it all up because these types of relationships in these types of shows are about the push/pull and about the friction of will they get together or won’t they and what obstacles do they have to overcome.
EM: And they’re freaking gorgeous together. (Laughter)
Elizabeth, your character has already taken a lot of risks and is very tough. How will the stakes be raised for her in episodes to come?
EM: Well with the things that happen in the first episode, I can’t imagine how they might get higher with what she wants to accomplish; what her goal is. The protection of her daughter, her family; it’s operating at such high stakes that at times I’m always amazed she doesn’t just burn out and extinguish. I’ve enjoyed the shifts for her. I’ve enjoyed both her strength and sometimes her sociopathic intensity, but I always go back to the mother in her and I’m fascinated by that.
When the show resumes, where is Rachel’s mindset with regard to Monroe (leader of the militia), the rebels and being with her children?
EM: She wants to be with her children. She wants to kill Monroe. I think that Rachel is somewhat – in my mind of course but, everyone feels that way about their own character – such a tragic figure. She’s tried so hard to do the right thing for so long and she’s possibly one of the worst people, I think. I think that her mindset is on survival and revenge and, in a horribly awkward way; her mind is on good parenting which she’s not very good at. But I think the sad thing was that she probably at one time truly was. So it’s just what this world has created and she’s a direct reflection of that.
What can you tell us about the family dynamic as the show moves forward with Charlie reuniting with her mother, etc.?
EK: I think there will be lots of conflict. Charlie, Rachel and Miles are the center of gravity for the show. The issues we discuss and the thematics we explore are much more about family than they are about anything else. Can this family stay together in the face of these overwhelming odds? Rachel and Miles have a very complicated history which we’ll begin to unveil and explore more. I think Rachel and Charlie have a very complicated present because suddenly both mother and children have expectations as to how it’s all going to go but, of course, they’re basically strangers.
In the first half of the season we learned why the power went out. What can you tell us about what we will learn about the overall mythology for the second half of the season?
EK: What you just described is pretty much my MO, which is start answering questions and then ask more and then answer those. And I think that’s what viewers can expect in the second half of the season which is, I really favor a really aggressive red-blooded pace of storytelling. The card I think we have up our sleeve is that the explanation for why the lights went out really opens the door to much greater story possibility. I’m literally turning in the season finale later today and having now in detail seen what happens through the end of the season, I think we answer most if not all the questions that are being posed.
Do you have a favorite scene or moment coming up that you can talk about without spoiling too much?
EM: I have a scene in the moonlight next to the water with Miles that is probably one of my favorite scenes as much for the silence as for the words. I enjoyed playing it, I enjoyed reading it and I just kind of got a chance to do ADR for it and I normally can’t watch myself but I liked it. So just a simple little scene.
EK: Yes, she’s right, that scene’s awesome. And it hints at, and we can spoil that part and say, that it hints at a deeper more fraught and complicated history between Miles and Rachel and it’s all mostly done in looks and so much is conveyed with very little dialogue and it’s a thrill to watch them work.
No doubt, the second half of season one will continue to keep us on the edge of our seats. Just when you thought there might be a happy ending… more terrifying twists emerge and the suspense persists. Don’t miss tonight’s mid-season premiere – Monday March 25th 10/9c.
By Pamela Price
Read the full interview in the April Issue #33 of LATF The Magazine.
http://www.nbc.com/revolution/
