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Tom and Jason Neville bring their government-mandated hunt for Monroe to Texas, where they con Miles and Rachel into helping them. While spying on the patriots, they learn that the government project for Willoughby is a reeducation center -- like the one that brainwashed Jason -- and it's being overseen by Julia's second husband, Victor Doyle. Tom and Jason want to kidnap and interrogate Victor, but Miles realizes the Nevilles are using him, so the four of them face off, Mathesons vs. Nevilles, and everyone points their guns at everyone else and no one gets any answers. I also don't know where Gene was hiding all this time, so don't ask.
In New Vegas, casino greaseball Gould forces Connor and Monroe to fight to the death after catching them trying to rob him. Charlie appeals to Duncan to help her save the Monroes, but Duncan just turns her over to Gould so he can force her into prostitution. Charlie manages to get free and save Duncan from a Gould-ordered assassination attempt, so Duncan kills Gould and her men save the Monroes just before Connor would've killed his father. Duncan, to repay Charlie for saving her life, gives her five mercenaries for their war against the patriots.
And in Lubbock, Aaron and Priscilla agree to help Peter fix the ailing nanotech, which Peter thinks is "better than God" and which Priscilla totally hates. But instead of fixing it, Aaron drops a virus into the code. The nanotech, personified by Cynthia, freaks out and Aaron suddenly wakes up to Cynthia in his own bed, in 2014, in what looks like a fully functioning world. So that's an intriguing twist.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously on Revolution: The President sent Jason and Tom Neville to hunt down Monroe, or else he'll have Julia tortured (some more) and killed. In Lubbock, Aaron and Priscilla found their old friend Peter, who helped them build the nanotech when they were all at MIT together, but Peter is a faith-healing religious fanatic now so he locks them in a room when they try to tell his congregation that it's not God but a bunch of rogue computer code healing them. And Charlie, Connor, and Monroe go to New Vegas to hire themselves some mercenaries to take on the patriots, but their plan to steal a bunch of diamonds to pay for said mercenaries goes catastrophically wrong. Oh, and then the Olympics happened. Did everyone enjoy their borscht?
We pick up right where we left off, with Gould's casino enforcers dragging bloodied Monroe and Connor into a chain-link octagon. Because you can never have enough of David Lyons shirtless and punching people. Pretty sure that was the whole reason for season fourteen of ER and all of The Cape. Monroe eyes a sharp shard of metal on the ground. Charlie, who managed to get away, watches from the bushes.
Gould taunts Monroe from outside the octagon; he's discovered Monroe's true identity, and that Connor is his son. Monroe tries to bluff, but Gould doesn't believe him, and explains that to repay the debt, Monroe and Connor will be fighting to the death. (He calls it a dogfight, in case anyone was misled by his subtlety.) Through the fence, Monroe grabs Gould by the throat and holds his shiv to it, but of course Gould is surrounded by armed men, who aim their guns at Connor. Monroe nicks Gould, but lets him go. Gould says he'll kill them both if he thinks either of them is trying to throw the fight tomorrow.
Connor speculates that maybe Charlie can help, but Monroe isn't optimistic, even though he calls her "Mini-Miles." He grimly says he's going to teach his son how to kill him.
Willoughby. Rachel, Miles, and the Nevilles watch the patriots bustle around busily in the quarantine hospital, which they're surprised to see is being remodeled. They're not sure what it's becoming, but Miles speculates, "Oh, probably something terrible." The patriots are unloading barrels from wagons, and Jason seems to recognize the barrels. Up there giving orders: Julia's second husband, Victor Doyle. The Nevilles do not pipe up with his ID, just give each other guilty side-eye when Miles says they should have a little chat with Victor.
Duncan's camp, near New Vegas. Charlie strolls casually into camp, glaring petulantly at everyone she passes, until a couple of mercenaries grab her and hold a knife to her throat. Duncan calls off the troops and asks where her diamonds are. Charlie pouts that they're delayed, and explains that Gould has the Monroes. She wants Duncan to help her free the boys, but Duncan's not an idiot. Charlie sticks her stupid nose in Duncan's past with Monroe, which only spurs Duncan's men to throw her out of camp. Can we keep Duncan? She seems fun. Maybe just a whole episode of flashback to her and Monroe going at it.
Tom wonders aloud what Victor is doing in Willoughby. Jason explains he's building a reeducation center, and the barrels are where cadets get stuffed when they misbehave. Well, that part of The Hobbit now seems much grimmer. Jason is basically having a trauma flashback, but Tom reminds him that their job is to kill Monroe so they can save Julia.
Some distance away, Miles and Rachel stare dubiously at the Nevilles. Miles doesn't trust Tom as far as he can throw him, but he's hoping Tom's story about wanting revenge on the patriots is on the level because…I forget what Miles's motivation is here. I honestly don't remember if there's a good reason why he and Rachel don't just go build a cabin in Kansas or something and live out the rest of their days stroking each other's hair.
He wants Rachel to stay behind when they go kidnap Victor, but she insists on watching his back. He's just afraid someone will use Rachel as a human shield or a hostage, now that he's all in looooooove with her. She whispers that he should stop worrying about her, as if that's likely to happen.
Lubbock. Aaron paces around a hotel room while Priscilla naps. He splashes some water on his face, then jumps when he sees Cynthia standing behind him in the mirror. She starts up that old nanite refrain: "Save us." He bitches about how his hallucinations keep getting him in trouble, but she just says, "Save us. We're dying," and disappears. Priscilla wakes up and tells him her dead father appeared in her dream and said the same thing.
Vegas fighting cage. Monroe is instructing Connor as they swash buckle with lead pipes. Monroe's winning, because apparently that cartel Connor was part of was a super touchy-feely organization that involved absolutely no feats of strength. After knocking his son to the ground again, Monroe whispers to Connor something Miles doesn't even know. He has no peripheral vision in his left eye, which is why he always pushes his opponents to the right. Monroe tells Connor to start again, but drops his pipe and whines like a tiny baby that they should try to overpower the guards and break out. Monroe fatalistically tells him that would be suicide, so Connor's only hope of living is to kill his father.
They bitch and fight and yell at each other some more, until finally Monroe hurls Connor up against the fence and hisses at Connor should want to kill him -- because Monroe is the reason Connor's mother is dead. He sadly, slowly tells Connor all the details of Emma's death. Connor doesn't want to believe, but Monroe whispers that it's the truth, then tosses Connor's pipe back to him. More fighty-fighty. Their breath is visible throughout this scene. Does it ever get that cold in Vegas?
Willoughby. Miles and Neville recon the re-education camp-to-be, then pick their spot to lie in wait for Victor. Neville grins and says they make quite a team. Miles is not willing to go that far, but grudgingly offers his sympathies on Julia's death. Neville replies that there's nothing he wouldn't do to see her face again, and if Miles were paying attention, this is where he'd figure out that something is hinky. But he's still distracted by Rachel. Jason catches up with them and says he found a better spot for the intercept. Miles agrees, but before they leave, Neville creepily ribs Miles about hooking up with his sister-in-law. And leering, jokey Neville is just the grossest thing.
Lubbock. Peter unlocks Aaron and Priscilla's room, then asks if they saw their special friends. Priscilla doesn't want to have this conversation with the dude holding them prisoner, but Aaron gamely spouts some techno-babble about how there might be a mistake in the code, and that's what's making the nano die. Peter wants to fix it; Aaron points out the lack of computers, but Peter just grins stupidly and says they should have faith, that the nanotech is alive…and better than God, because it answers his prayers. Priscilla refuses to be part of Peter's crazy; she wants to let the nanotech die. She starts to walk out the door, but Peter just smilingly tells them not to make him do something he doesn't want to do.
The guards throw Monroe and Connor a pan of grubby-looking food, which Connor refuses. Monroe belatedly apologizes for Emma's death, and says he loved her, "for what it's worth." He confesses that he's hurt lots of people, not just Emma. Achieving his great power at the head of the Monroe Republic didn't mean anything to him, he sadspositions, because he was alone, which is why he wants Connor to make it out alive. He thinks if Connor rebuilds the Republic, all Monroe's war crimes will be meaningful. Man, everyone on this show is clinically insane.
Monroe tearily begs his son to find a girl -- "not Charlie," HA -- and have some kids so he's not alone. Connor picks up the tray and starts eating.
Dumb-ass Charlie has gotten herself tied up and dragged back to New Vegas, where Duncan is turning her over to Gould as a sign of good faith, to prove she had nothing to do with the diamond heist. He agrees that this makes them square, then invites her to the Monroe fight. He makes some tiresomely misogynistic threats about forcing Charlie into prostitution, and then he and his men drive off with Charlie in a wagon.
The Monroes do not look thrilled when the wagon carrying Charlie rolls by. Within Charlie's earshot, Gould tells one of his minions to kill Duncan during the fight. He doesn't believe she didn't know about the heist. A big, bald minion shoves Charlie into a trailer that looks distinctly like Audrey's and tells her to get dressed—there's a lacy bra lying on the table.
Lubbock. Priscilla has had it up to here with her idiot ex-husband. Aaron admits that Peter is crazy, but he agrees that the nanotech is New and Improved God. And that's why they should let it die, Priscilla yells. Aaron explains that pushing the nanotech away caused Cynthia's death, and he doesn't want to lose Priscilla, too. He pleads with her to help him. Priscilla, who has already lost her family because of her crazy nano-induced hallucinations, whispers that she's not sure she can, and on cue, a thunderstorm starts outside. Lightning strikes all over town as Aaron muses that they might not have a choice.
New Vegas. Charlie is chained to the bed in her trailer. In the octagon, a carnival barker is hollering to the crowd about the death matches of the past: Timberlake vs. Fatone! The Baldwin family battle royale! (My money's on Adam; I don't care that he's not actually related.) He introduces "the Terror of Toledo, the Scourge of Scranton: General Sebastian Monroe" as Connor just looks around, rattled and possibly a little impressed by his dad's fame. The two are escorted into the octagon and Gould locks the door behind them.
Duncan watches, just outside the wire. In her trailer, Charlie is trying to smash the headboard so she can get away, but her first john shows up, smugly saying he "paid top dollar to get the first crack." Ew, show. Ew.
Connor tells his father people will remember his name. The bell rings and they pick up their sticks and fight.
Duncan watches; one of Gould's men watches her. In Charlie's trailer, she tries to fight off the john with her hands chained. Monroe gets the upper hand on Connor and one of Gould's men throws two swords into the octagon. Monroe picks up one and kicks the other to Connor.
Charlie reverses position on the john and starts garroting him with her chain. Connor picks up his sword. Charlie clubs the john's head into the bureau, knocking him bunnies. She manages to break the headboard, then lunges for the keys.
Connor and Monroe circle each other while Gould's man closes in behind Duncan. Gould just smiles slimily while watching the fight. Charlie appears behind Gould's man and grabs his knife hand, forcing the knife into the assassin's own gut. The man dies, in the way that on-screen gut wounds are always instantly fatal, while Duncan and her sidekick just stare, and Charlie hisses, "I just saved your life, bitch. You owe me."
In the octagon, Monroe again knocks Connor back against the wall. Monroe taps the left side of his face with his blade, then deliberately turns his bad side to Connor. Connor lunges, but oh my god is he so inept at this. Finally, Monroe lets Connor pin his right arm above his head. Monroe nods and Connor is about to run his father through when gunfire explodes outside the octagon.
Duncan just watches, immobile, as Gould's men are cut down. I initially thought that her men were responsible, but nothing we see later backs that up, so I actually have no idea who was behind the Monroe-saving diversion. It doesn't seem like Charlie had enough time in between her john fight and saving Duncan. Anyway, Charlie blasts open the lock on the octagon, freeing the Monroes, and Duncan strides over and puts a bullet between Gould's eyes as the crowd flees, screaming.
Lubbock. The storm seems to have stopped. Aaron and Priscilla tell Peter they'll help him. Aaron doesn't even know where to start with the code, but then Peter steps away from a computer, which is booting up behind him. It's green text on a black screen, scrolling up, and they all seem to recognize the code. Even Peter seems surprised that the computer has suddenly turned on, but this sort of thing shouldn't shock Aaron anymore.
Willoughby. Miles and the Nevilles are waiting for Victor, quite late at night now. Finally, a wagon approaches, escorted by patriot soldiers. Inside the closed wagon, Victor instructs the soldiers that he wants Miles alive.
Miles pops up behind Tom and puts his gun to Tom's head, telling him to let the wagon pass them by. Neville does, and Miles asks if he's working for the patriots. Miles snaps back that he could tell from the suspension that the wagon was carrying five or six more men, and asks if he tipped them off. Jason comes up behind Miles and both Nevilles point their guns at him. Miles asks Jason if he's seriously working for the patriots, if he has any idea what they've done. Jason doesn't laugh, but he knows better than anyone.
And to this homage to John Woo, we suddenly add Rachel, who aims her gun at the Nevilles. "You know, in Mexico they just call this a standoff," Miles says dryly.
The four make small talk about their imminent, mutually assured destruction. Neville confesses that Julia is alive in patriot custody that she'll die unless he kills Monroe. Almost desperately, he says if they give him Monroe, he and Jason will come back and help Miles and Rachel kill all the patriots they like. Miles informs him that Monroe is on Team Matheson now, which Neville just can't believe, since Monroe killed Danny. He asks Miles if he's blinded by his man-love, and the answer to that is: Yes, totally. Rachel, though, is kind of like…you have a point. But she doesn't lower her gun.
Duncan's camp. Monroe thanks Duncan for saving him, even though Charlie had to force her to do it. (It's also unclear to me if Charlie and Duncan planned this—was Duncan handing Charlie over to Gould a ruse? This is what happens when the whole damn episode takes place in the dark.) Duncan produces the mercenaries she promised, to clear her debt to Charlie. Monroe is disappointed that she's only giving him five, but Duncan's all, eh, my life isn't that valuable. Monroe commands the men to move out, but Duncan corrects him: the mercenaries take orders from Charlie. Well, that's fucking fantastic. Give the brat actual power.
Lubbock. The three MIT-ers are scribbling all over the walls and several white boards, trying to fix their code. Aaron pauses, then points out a "memory leak" in one part of the code that he thinks is the problem. Priscilla agrees with him. Aaron wipes a chunk off the board and clacks away at the computer as Priscilla begs him in a whisper not to do it. Peter asks if he can help, but Aaron refuses it.
Cynthia appears and asks Aaron what he's doing. It seems like Priscilla and Peter see her, which is new. Peter asks what's happening as Cynthia asks why Aaron is trying to kill them. Cynthia starts bleeding from the abdomen, where she was shot, and Priscilla knocks Peter bunnies when he tries to stop them. Cynthia keeps nattering on, but Aaron keeps typing. Priscilla asks if it was always his plan to give the nano a virus, and he says, "Screw fate, we make our own choices, right?" The lights explode in a shower of sparks as he keeps typing.
Suddenly Aaron wakes up, hearing Styx's "Mr. Roboto" and glaring at his alarm clock. His glowing, plugged-in alarm clock. He puts his glasses on and rolls over; he's lying in bed to Priscilla. In a light-filled high-rise apartment, with a seemingly functional city outside. He opens the fridge: functional and full of beer. He toasts a waffle, switches on the TV, to All In With Chris Hayes (which premiered after the blackout). Chris says it's March 5, 2014. (Although Chris says, "Good morning," and his show airs at 8 p.m., so clearly Aaron is in an alternate universe.) Outside, traffic is moving smoothly on the highway.
time: Aaron runs into Rachel in the parking garage, but she doesn't recognize him. Neville is the star of his own bus ad (in Spanish…is he a bankruptcy lawyer? Political candidate? Dermatologist?) and Priscilla has no memory of the blackout. Charlie's there, though, and she seems to know what's up. And Dr. Horn is alive!