History Series / Revolution

*** Even so, breechloaders, repeating rifles, and even primitive machine guns are possible without electricity. The survivors still have steam power available to them for manufacturing purposes, and modern shotgun shells and rifle cartridges can be reloaded.
*** Yes but assembling them while not impossible, given the circumstances, would be no easy task. Steam power has been a pretty much abandoned in the age of electricity So getting stuff running that way could take almost as long as it took to develop it as few people know much about steam power anyways. Muzzle loaders are much easier to assemble and all you need is a forge to craft ammunition.
** Quite possible that the rank-and-file are restricted from modern firearms for the same reason that civilians are restricted from any firearms. So far Neville and the overseer of the work gang in the second episode, both officers, are the only ones to have advanced weapons.

*** Yes but assembling them given while not impossible given the circumstances would be no easy task. Steam Power has been all but forgotten in the age of electricity getting stuff running that way could take almost as long as it took to develop it as few people know much about steam power anyways. Muzzle loaders are much easier to assemble and all you need is a forge to craft ammunition.

* DividedStatesOfAmerica: The series takes place in the 'Monroe Republic', and in the pilot, Miles ([[spoiler: formerly TheDragon for the series' BigBad]], who would know) specifically mentions that Monroe wants the secret to the blackout so he can have factories turning out military hardware so that he can [[CurbStompBattle 'butcher the other republics'.]]

** [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that we don't know whether or not bandits or wild animals beyond the capability of Charlie's crossbow to take down are in the woods. And the militia appears to be just as bad of a threat, if not worse. The militia may have also imposed restrictions on how far ordinary citizens are allowed to range from their homesteads, just as medieval serfs were bound to the estates of their masters.

-->''Frank''': ''Christ'' forgives. I'm not Christ.

* DividedStatesOfAmerica: The series takes place in the 'Monroe Republic', and in the pilot, Miles ([[spoiler: formerly TheDragon for the series' BigBad]], who would know)) specifically mentions that Monroe wants the secret to the blackout so he can have factories turning out military hardware so that he can [[CurbStompBattle 'butcher the other republics'.]]

* DividedStatesOfAmerica: The series takes place in the 'Monroe Republic', and in the pilot, Miles ([[spoiler: formerly TheDragon for the series' BigBad]], who would know)) specifically mentions that Monroe wants the secret to the blackout so he can have factories turning out military hardware so that he can [[CurbStombBattle 'butcher the other republics'.]]

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: The ladies all look really pretty, despite lack of hair care, etc. Maggie's blonde hair in particular - it even ''looks'' professional.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: Prior to the blackout, Monroe was an army drill sergeant. Now, he's the warlord of a large chunk of what used to be America. Likewise Captain Neville used to be an insurance adjustor.

** Given this throwback to feudalism, and with Monroe's title being General, not President or something else more republican, leading what appears to be nothing more than a military dictatorship, it's a republic in name only. We can only guess if any of the other "republics" are so in more than their names.

* MacGuffin: [[BuffySpeak The little metal thing on the lanyard with a flash drive inside it.]] Sounds unimportant, but it's given to Aaron in the pilot [[spoiler:when Ben dies.]] Otherwise, [[AndThatsTerrible the militia and their overlords will get it and probably use it for themselves alone.]]
** [[spoiler: Grace, the woman who helped Danny, has one as well, and it seems capable of restoring power (in a limited area, at least).]]
** [[spoiler: Grace and at least one other party also have a primitive (early 1980's level) computer with acoustic modem capability--implying telephone service as well as electricity--and appear to be coordinating some larger agenda.]]

** That said, the BiggerBad has sent his chief minion to hunt down members of a family who possess a trinket MacGuffin, prompting a cross-country trek.
** Also, unlike {{Emberverse}}, ''guns'' are used in this show. So far, only the BigBad seem to have used it. But only because civilians aren't supposed to have guns.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: Prior to the blackout, Monroe was an army drill sergeant. Now, he's the warlord of a large chunk of what used to be America.
** Captain Neville used to be an insurance adjustor.

** well... their mother is not that dead, finally.

* BigBad: Captain Neville, militia leader.
** BiggerBad: Neville's boss, General Monroe. [[spoiler:He's the young guy that was with Miles in the flashbacks.]]

* FakeAmerican: David Lyons (an Aussie) plays Bass Monroe.

** According to producer Eric Kripke, the cause of the blackout was revealed to a physicist who [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/nbc-revolution-tv-review-369546 said it was plausible]].

* CrapsackWorld: the post-blackout world of the show.

* IDidWhatIHadToDo: when Charlie kills the chain-gang warden and the guard for the sniper rifle. Also leads to an YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame moment, when Miles congratulates her for it.

* TemptingFate: The guy that steals the Mathesons' food in the second-episode flashback is threatened by Ben with a gun. [[spoiler:Double-subverted as it initially appears that Ben won't do it, but then the flashback resumes again just in time for Rachel to pull the trigger.]]

* WouldHurtAChild: Neville, oh so very much.

* PunchCardVillain: In episode 2, Neville mentions that while he may not like what he has to do, supporting the Monroe Republic is what needs to happen to keep some semblance of order.

* FridgeHorror: Imagine the fates of all of those people in confined areas (such as elevators, submarines and so forth) who had no way to get free from those places when the blackout occurred.

* FridgeHorror: Inagine the fates of all of those people in confined areas (such as elevators, submarines and so forth) who had no way to get free from those places when the blackout occurred.

* NoNewFashionsInTheFuture: This is basically [[EnforcedTrope enforced]] by the fact that no electricity means no factories, and thus no mass production of clothes. Whatever the characters are wearing was either manufactured before the blackout in 2012, or stitched/sewn by hand after the fact.

** Averted in Episode 2, a woman and child are briefly seen riding one in flashback, one week after the blackout.

* FallenStatesOfAmerica: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], since social order collapsed after the blackout

* {{Flashback}}: Several in the pilot. Being JJAbrams, it's about as mandatory as a [[ThirtyRock Liz Lemon party.]]

* [[spoiler: LegallyDead : Rachel. Episode 2 reveals us she had been kept prisonner by Monroe.]]