Revolution, Hollywood Style

I don't watch a lot of tv, but several of my friends have been bugging me to see Revolution. So I did, gritting my teeth the whole time.

As a writer, I'm appalled by the Hollywood-ness of the whole spectacle. I should've expected it, television being what it is, but if they were so intent on copying The Hunger Games at least throw in a bit of grittiness.

Evidently, after the power goes off worldwide, only the beautiful people remain. And get this, they all have brilliant fashion sense and great boots. Nobody is dirty or hungry. Liquor is readily available, and the bees must be working overtime because they have beeswax candles everywhere. Everyone works together for the good of their community. I didn't see a single person on the dole or homeless. 

The heck with the upcoming elections, if this is how it'll be, let's have dystopia now.

Charlie (the heroine) is so bleeding heart I just want to smack her. Fifteen years she lives without power and she's so soft and starry-eyed, I can't believe she's survived this long.

She's supposed to be this great hunter (hence the bow). Crossbows require constant maintenance and you need a certain amount of upper body strength--neither of which is evident. Methinks it's more a fashion accessory for Charlie. Please someone kill her off before I die from a diabetic coma.

Probably the thing that irked me the most is how idyllic they make it seem. When Hurricane Rita hit us seven years ago, we were without power for 21 days. We worked like DOGS! Everything took longer to do and we worked from before dawn to way past dark. We were dirty. We were hungry. And we were so exhausted from clearing brush and pulling trees that it was easier to go to bed hungry than try to fix something.

I guess Revolution is for people who think drinking an off-brand coffee is a hardship.

There are a few bright spots though. The chemistry between Miles and Nora is good. Nora is my kind of heroine. She's tough, determined and is a great risk-taker. Maggie, the only Brit in the show is also good. I like her low-key style for self-defense. The other character I found interesting was Charlie's mother. Obviously she has more sand in her britches than her husband. Go mom!

I predict Revolution won't make it. Like most television, they try to cater to the widest audience rather than sticking true to the genre. If you're going to write a dystopian tv show, take risks, be contentious, and for pity's sake, get the details right.

The grid is down. Fine. How did our ancestors mill grain, light their homes, or cook food? Do you really think the average back yard is sufficient space to grow your food for a year? And why has no one built a steam engine yet? Or produced lamp oil from sunflowers or pig fat? Surely there are still a few enterprising tinkerers who understand these concepts.

I will be sorely disappointed if they make up some cock-and-bull story on how they made the grid go down. The power necessary to generate that kind of dampening field is immense. It's also not easily hidden, nor is it self-sufficient.

My first novel, Touch of Fire is a dystopian/fantasy story. And you better believe I made sure I understood the herbs my heroine used or extrapolated the outcome of things like zoos and cultural shift. If television can't do the same with the kind of budgets they're working with, they might as well give up now and go back to producing another teen angst show. This is why I watch so little television.

Have you seen Revolution? Am I being too much of a stickler for detail or will the average Joe just swallow it whole? 

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