In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.
Miles, Nora, Charlie, and Aaron make their final assault on Philadelphia. While Miles is out reconning, the others get captured by the militia. So Miles takes Julia Neville hostage and uses her as a bargaining chip to get Nora and Aaron back. Charlie has already been transported to a power plant where Monroe is holding Rachel and Danny, because no one ever taught him not to put all his hostage eggs in the same Eastern Pennsylvania basket.
At the power plant, Monroe makes Rachel agree to continue building the amplifier that Brad was working on (before Rachel stabbed him to death last week) or else he'll kill one of the kids. She promises, not just to save their lives but also because Strausser keeps threatening to rape everyone and then chop them into little bits, because he's basically a serial killer in a world where murder isn't illegal anymore, it's more like a hobby.
Miles and Nora break into the power plant. Charlie manages to get herself and Danny out of their cell, and they meet up with Miles and Nora. Nora and the kids flee and Miles goes looking for Rachel. Rachel clubs Strausser about the head with a hammer, then stabs him to death, just as Miles shows up. She and Miles give each other silent, emotion-filled looks worthy of The Hills until Jeremy tries to kill them. As they're fleeing, they run right into Monroe.
This episode's flashbacks tell us a little more about how close Monroe and Miles were as kids and then as soldiers and finally as co-leaders of the militia. To summarize: they were bros. And Monroe was kind of totally in love with Miles, who stopped him from killing himself after Monroe's whole family died in a car accident, and he's heartbroken and also super pissy without Miles.
So Miles and Monroe fight and Monroe proclaims his love and then they fight some more. Miles gets away without anyone (well, other than Strausser and a bunch of red shirts) getting killed. Only problem: Rachel's amplifier has turned the power on, so Monroe has his helicopters. And one of them is poised to gun down our heroes. That's where we leave it.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously on Revolution: I highly doubt you're jumping in now. You know what happened: power out, Monroe bad, Charlie pouts. This week: shooting! Swordfighting! Answers?
Flashback to the Trenton campaign, five years after the blackout. Miles and Monroe are fighting their way through New Jersey and when they take shelter behind a pile of rubble to reload, Monroe starts laughing about how the world (or at least their part of it) is running out of bullets, so pretty soon they'll have to start rationing ammo and/or using swords, like pirates. An explosion goes off behind them and something hits Miles in the gut. As he's bleeding Mr. Orange-style (although much more quietly), Miles tells Monroe to leave him and lead the men, but Monroe chooses this moment to pledge his loyalty: "If you're dying, I'm dying." Miles looks touched. Or nauseated.
Philadelphia. Nora is helping Charlie walk, since her head is still bleeding. Miles says they need to get off the road and find somewhere safe, but Nora says there's nowhere safe in Philly. Through a peephole, we see Nora push up The Girls as she knocks and says she has a gift for Major Kipling. Two of 'em. Someone unlocks the door and Nora says Captain Baker sent her. While her boobs distract the guy behind the door, Miles barges in and puts his sword to the man's neck. Aaron brings Charlie in as Miles tells Kip they need help.
Banging on his bedroom door wakes Monroe and then he's talking to Neville, who tells him about the message from Wheatley. Monroe looks mildly pleased that Miles is in town, but Neville thinks he should evacuate to Boston just for a little while. But as we have just seen, Monroe won't run away from Miles. Because he loooooves him. Monroe tells Neville he's at a critical point with Rachel and also that there might be a war with Georgia soon. Also this is the midseason finale, so having no confrontation between Monroe and Miles would be ludicrous.
Kipling's place. Their host asks Miles why he came back and while he stares at Charlie -- whose bloody head Nora is tending to -- Miles says things are different now. And if he comes face to face with Monroe, he'll have to kill him. He says he has to find out where Monroe is holding Danny, but Nora objects to Miles going out on the street. He overrules her and says he'll be back in an hour. Charlie tells him to be careful and he's very polite not to point out that most of the circumstances that have led to him almost getting killed lately have been her fault. (Title of the episode! Finish your drinks.)
Charlie, Nora and Aaron are sleeping by the fire when Monroe's men burst through the door. Charlie accuses Kipling of selling them out and Neville says he didn't, but his place is the closest to the subway among Miles's remaining friends, so it didn't take a genius to find them. Charlie taunts him by asking where Miles is, if he's so clever. And then Neville takes one for Team Recapper by injecting something into Charlie's neck that knocks her out before she can continue annoying the living shit out of me.
Woozy, Charlie is thrown in a cell. She hollers at the closed door and a voice from behind her asks, "Charlie? Is that you?" Yeah, because I bet my mom would recognize my voice if she hadn't seen me from ages five to twenty. I suppose Rachel might have been expecting Charlie to show up sooner or later, given that Danny is there, but still. Charlie turns around and Rachel steps out of the shadows.
Charlie and Rachel stare at each other as Rachel babbles about how she'd know her daughter anywhere and how pretty she is. Charlie just glares mutely. Rachel steps toward her when she sees the blood and Charlie flinches away.
Aaron and Nora are locked up with Neville somewhere else. Aaron asks where Charlie is and Neville says he recognized "Aaron Pittman, the wizard of Google" from the cover of Wired. He goes on some more about how Aaron was so awesome before the blackout and he just bets Aaron used to boss around all his cubicle-dwelling underlings, but now Neville is the man and Aaron is just a lump who needs Miles to save him. Nora correctly ascertains that Neville is using them as bait. Neville just smiles and tells Aaron he was a big fan of his work.
Rachel is trying to explain how she was trying to kill Monroe and escape with Danny and everything is her fault (DRINK) for leaving her family, and Charlie tells her to stop talking so they can figure out a way to escape and rescue Danny. Rachel says, "You've grown up." Charlie replies, "It's been a long trip." Not long enough, apparently.
Miles is returning to Kip's when he sees someone patrolling the second-floor landing. Oops.
Rachel is unscrewing the cover on a vent with her now-bleeding fingers and asks Charlie if she was with Ben when he died. She says she was and tells Rachel that Ben said Charlie reminded him of Rachel and then tells her that he told her to go find Miles. Rachel asks if Miles hurt Charlie, and Charlie's like, dude, the fuck? No, he's awesome.
At the sound of the door, they both step away from the vent. Strausser comes in and comments on how Rachel and Charlie are both so lovely and it's turning him on. Ew, Johnny Crowder. What would Boyd think?
Neville's house. He's pouring a drink when Miles says from behind him, "Mind pouring me one?" He has his sword to Julia's throat and asks if Neville wants to make a trade.
Neville asks Julia if she's okay. She's like, well, it's not my favorite way to relax for an evening, but I'll survive. Miles tells Neville to unload his gun, which he does, sulkily. And then he says grimly, "You went to my home. Laid your hands on my wife." Miles points the sword at Julia's neck and says he wants Charlie and Danny or he'll cut Julia's throat. Julia tells Tom not to say anything and Miles tells her to shut up. She replies that she's not going to beg for her life and tells Neville that Miles is bluffing. Miles is not, but while Julia is convinced Miles won't hurt them, Neville thinks Miles will kill them both anyway. Miles says he just wants his family back. Neville tells Miles to wait there with Julia.
Danny's cell. Poor Danny has a bloody lip and he ran out of pomade ages ago. Strausser brings in Rachel and Charlie, and Rachel exclaims over what a wreck he looks. He says he's okay and Strausser is being awfully patient letting all the Mathesons coo over each other.
Neville brings in Nora and Aaron. Miles tells him to uncuff them, and then tells Neville to go get Charlie and Danny. He puts the point of the sword a little more firmly at Julia's neck after Neville says they're at the power plant north of the city, with Monroe. Miles gestures for Neville to get in the closet and Neville says, "I am going to kill you one day for this." Miles is all, that's a problem for Future Miles to deal with! He shoves Julia into the closet and Aaron and Nora push a desk over in front of the door.
Monroe smarms his way into the room and tells Charlie (whom he calls Charlotte) how nice it is to meet her. Rachel demands to know what he did to Danny, although it looks pretty obvious that someone punched him in the face, and Monroe says he's just about had it with Rachel. He gestures toward an object on the table and asks if she knows what it is: it's a real amplifier, which Brad was building for him before Rachel stabbed Brad to death with a screwdriver. Monroe wants that to shock Charlie, that her mother is a cold-blooded murderer, but one, Rachel shot someone to death in front of Charlie fifteen years ago; and two, the only surviving Matheson who isn't a cold-blooded murderer is pretty wee Danny over there, and that's just because no one lets him use the big-kid scissors.
Monroe holds up a pendant and asks Charlie if she's seen one before. He explains what the amplifier does, and says Rachel is going to finish building it for him. Charlie tells Rachel that she can't do whatever Monroe is asking her to do (and he just told her what he wants Rachel to do. Jesus, Charlie, try to keep up), and Monroe is all, I hoped you'd say that. He takes a gun out of his pocket and checks the cylinder. Rachel quickly steps in front of him, but the soldiers restrain her. Strausser gives Rachel Sophie's choice, but this isn't The Walking Dead, so I'm pretty sure he's not going to shoot Charlie between the eyes.
Charlie starts rambling about she's seen the militia kill dozens of people and if Rachel helps them they'll kill thousands more. None of which is news to Rachel, but she's not exactly thinking clearly. Strausser yells at Rachel to choose and Charlie says some things are more important than family (then WHY have we been WATCHING all this?!). Strausser yells some more and Charlie stands up in front of Danny and tell him to pick her. Rachel is crying. Strausser's finger tightens on the trigger and Rachel tells Strausser not to shoot Charlie -- that she'll finish the amplifier. Monroe is pleased and says Miles was right, hostages always work. He tells the others to take the kids back to their cell and if Rachel gets out of line, to shoot them both. Well, sure. But that's a cudgel you can only use once, you know?
Miles, Nora and Aaron are heading toward the power plant, which is heavily guarded. Nora asks if he's ever been here before, and Miles says it's Monroe's lab for experiments. And he doesn't know how to get in. Aaron says he does. Hooray! Aaron is useful for the second time!
Rachel is working on the amplifier, and Strausser is invading her personal space. He's so creepy. He says he wants her to try and sabotage the machine so Monroe will let him do what he wants to Charlie and Danny. Rachel looks like she's going to hurl.
Hey, Jeremy's back! When he comes into Monroe's field office, he tells Monroe there's no word from Neville. Monroe thinks maybe Miles killed Neville and is on his way over. And then Jeremy has to ask the same question everyone is asking everyone: What is Monroe going to do when he sees Miles? I don't understand why this is a question. He's going to kill him or at least try. Jeremy says the standing order has always been to bring Miles in alive -- yeah, that's the order for you guys. Monroe wants to kiss him and then kill him. Probably in that order -- but Monroe brushes off Jeremy's questions by saying he's sure that, as Ben's brother and Rachel's brother-in-law, Miles knows something about the electricity.
Jeremy points out that Miles can't count to twelve without taking his shoes off, so he's probably not a secret electrical-engineering savant. Jeremy says the best way to handle the situation is for Jeremy to kill Miles. He's confident he can do it. Monroe asks, "You think I can't?"
Two years before the blackout. Monroe is getting drunk in a cemetery. Miles pulls up and asks what's up. Monroe says he's just having "a little family dinner." Miles tries to get him to leave, but it's time for the Long and Sad Tale of Sebastian Monroe. He says he always thought he'd be dead by now, what with being a marine and doing two tours in Iraq, but instead he's alive and his parents and sisters are in the ground because a drunk driver killed them. Miles looks like he's used to these episodes, but also sensitive to his friend's pain. Monroe says he's the one who should be dead and Miles takes the bottle away from him as Monroe says, "I've got nothing left." Miles says, "You've got me." Aww. It's very bromantic. Miles tells Monroe to give him the gun. He does, slowly, still crying.
Charlie is still trying to get the vent unscrewed while Danny listens at the door. He says someone's coming, and then goes over to help her wrench the cover off. A soldier opens the door and sees Danny crawling into the vent. He grabs Danny's leg and Charlie brains him with the vent cover. She grabs the guard's gun and Danny's shocked to see her armed. She tells him to get on his feet and come rescue their mother. And while they're there, they can raid Monroe's stash of hair product.
Aaron leads Miles and Nora to "an intake pipe [that] leads right to the condensers." I don't know what that means. Nora tells Aaron to stay behind and hands him her satchel full of pipe bombs -- if something goes wrong, he can blow the gate open. And if everything goes right, belated Fourth of July fireworks!
Rachel's lab. She finishes something, then picks up the pendant and switches it on. She fits it into a port on the side of the amplifier. Everything around them comes on, and Strausser looks delighted, because he's really missed being able to refrigerate his victims' body parts for later.
Miles and Nora are inside the perimeter of the plant, amazingly not seen by the half a dozen guards milling around. Aaron is by the pipe, looking like he has diarrhea. Charlie and Danny are stalking through the plant, Danny limping from where the guard must have wrenched his knee. They don't seem to have any idea where they're going, but a guard spots them and starts shooting.
Jeremy's and Monroe's heads both snap up when they hear the gunfire. Rachel asks what's going on and Strausser sends someone to find out. When he has his back turned, Rachel eyes a claw hammer and some pliers.
Charlie and Danny hide behind a cabinet and she returns fire. Three rounds and she's out of ammo. Outside, Aaron hears the gunfire and pulls out a bomb. Dude that was not the signal!
Charlie and Danny, unarmed, run right into a militia soldier, who's surely going to shoot them, until Miles impales him between the shoulder blades. Charlie is thrilled to see him, while Danny is all like, You're Uncle Miles? I would've expected that reaction if he'd seen, you know, Aaron. Miles looks exactly like the kind of guy who rescues you from a heavily fortified militia stronghold. Miles confirms and says they need to beat it, but Charlie tells him Rachel is there. And Miles does a fairly heroic job of pretending he didn't know Rachel was alive. (Well, he knew Monroe had her, anyway. It's certainly believable he thought Monroe would have killed her long ago.) All the while the four of them just stand around chatting and just waiting for the rest of the militia to show up and shoot them. Which one soldier tries to do. Miles tells Charlie to get Danny out of there.
Rachel's lab. Strausser says he's sure everything will be fine. She grabs the hammer and tries to club him in the head, but he deflects the blow and she drops her weapon. She falls and Strausser pins her to the floor, then pulls his great big knife. Rachel gasps that Monroe wants her alive and Strausser says he does too, as it's much more fun that way. Rachel caresses his face with one hand, distracting him, while reaching for her fallen hammer with the other and hits him one good blow across the temple. She grabs his knife and stabs him right around the diaphragm, saying, "That's for what you did to me, you sick son of a bitch." Strausser dies and that's when Miles shows up, as Rachel is still straddling a dead body with blood all over her face.
Rachel and Miles stare dumbly at each other, some combination of I-can't-believe-you're-alive and I-don't-know-if-I-can-trust-you with just a skosh of that-night-we-drank-all-that-tequila-and-fucked-like-bunnies-sure-was-fun-huh-good-thing-Ben-didn't-find-out. And then Rachel slaps Miles across the face. Damn, woman. Lay off the pretty. And of course, since they've been giving each other Meaningful Looks and not, you know, fleeing the genocidal dictator in the other room, Jeremy and his pals show up. Jeremy wryly observes, "Miles, you are like a bad penny, man" and then opens fire. Miles and Rachel finally start running.
They run directly into Monroe and three of his men. Miles tells Rachel to go get the kids while he holds Monroe off. Monroe looks murderous. I mean, he always looks murderous, in general. Now he looks rather specifically murderous.
Motivational flashback! It's Miles and Monroe as kids, play fighting. And now we're back, where the fighting is real. Monroe has just a second of foresight and dashes around a corner as Miles opens fire and kills two of his three guards. The third makes a suicidal stand and Miles picks him off. Monroe comes out, armed with a pistol. Miles has a semiautomatic rifle. They greet each other fondly.
Flashback. Baby Miles and Monroe are drawing on their wrists with markers. They're drawing Monroe's tattoo logo, of course, but if we were confused, Baby Monroe explains.
Miles mentions Rachel and the years Monroe has held her prisoner. Monroe sulks, "If you care so much about Rachel, why'd you leave?" Just replace every time he says "Rachel" with "me" and you'll have decoded their secret language of love. Miles says Rachel is his family, and Monroe's all, um, I am your family. Do drunken graveside declarations mean nothing to you, Ennis?! Monroe asks if Miles is just going to kill him and his family, and Miles says, aren't you going to do the same? Monroe says he won't and lowers his gun. He says he wants Miles to come back so they can be King Miles and King Bass again. If Miles comes back, Monroe will let Rachel and Charlie and Danny live. Miles is clearly just not that into him anymore, but Monroe is nearly begging.
Monroe tosses his gun on the floor. Miles still has his aimed right at Monroe, who brings up how Miles tried to kill him once before and couldn't pull the trigger. Monroe says he understands, that he couldn't kill Miles either and he thinks Miles still can't. Miles is shaking. He says he's sorry and lowers the gun. Monroe says that's okay and Miles clarifies that he's sorry he didn't kill Monroe years ago, because he's changed and Miles doesn't love him anymore. "You are nothing to me," he tells Monroe, who's almost in tears.
Monroe lunges for Miles's gun. They fight, it falls and then they start grappling and pummeling each other. Monroe kicks Miles down a flight of stairs. Miles throws Monroe over a railing. Monroe's cured of his ridiculous obsession with love and he draws his sword. Miles does as well.
Outside, Aaron is propping, like, all of the bombs against a wall emblazoned with the Monroe emblem. He has two matches left. One of them doesn't work when he strikes it.
Miles and Monroe buckle their swashes. The fight has gotten Monroe back into a sexy, flirty state of mind, like he's thinking that if Miles won't come back and be his BFF, then at least he can have some fun by skewering him like the entrees at a Brazilian steakhouse.
Nora is looking for the exit Aaron was supposed to create... except that she told him to blow the wall only if things went really wrong. It's not like the power plant is on fire or anything. Rachel catches up and hugs the children. Charlie asks where Miles is and Rachel says he's coming. Rachel asks Nora how they get out, since the exit is still guarded and Nora says Aaron's going to take care of it. Rachel asks, "Aaron? Aaron Pittman?" How the hell does she know that?
Aaron is on his last match, which burns out immediately. He digs around in Nora's bag and finds a flint and a car key. He tries striking some sparks near the fuses.
Miles and Monroe fight more. Jeremy and the other guards approach and Monroe tells them to kill Miles. Poor form, Monroe. Miles scampers away and out a window.
Aaron: still trying to master human civilization's oldest task. He manages to light the fuse and blows a hole in the concrete wall, knocking out two guards. Nora tells the Mathesons to run, but Charlie is still looking behind them for Miles. Aaron is shocked to see Rachel, who says she'll explain what she's doing there later (and, presumably, how they know each other). They're all running away, except for Charlie, who is standing there in front of the hole in the wall, staring at it. Miles finally appears out of the cloud of dust. Charlie grins hugely at him and Miles just grabs her arm as he barrels past and grunts, "Run, you idiot." CHARLIE. SERIOUSLY.
Everybody runs across a field, stopping when they hear helicopter propellers. Yeah, Monroe is airborne (and someone had the forethought to paint the M on the helicopter before they could even move the thing). Monroe climbs up to a guard tower and looks down at his arsenal of half a dozen choppers. The airborne one bears down on the Matheson gang, its machine guns whirring. And that's it for 2012, folks.
year: Monroe says Miles doesn't matter, because he has the power. Rachel wants to fix the mistakes she's made. Luckily, she has a pendant to help her.
Think you've got game? Prove it! Check out Games Without Pity, our new area featuring trivia, puzzle, card, strategy, action and word games -- all free to play and guaranteed to help pass the time until your show starts.