‘Revolution’ 1.6 Review And Recap: Sex And Drugs

We began last week’s episode of Revolution with Aaron, Charlie, and Miles commandeering a Militia team of horses and wagon for Nora, who has fallen ill due to the stab wound she received. The closest help is over five hours away, with a man named Drexler that Miles admits is not a friend, but the best chance that Nora has for survival. As they race away, Aaron attempts to reassure Charlie that everything will be okay. Charlie flares back that nothing will be okay, and reminds Aaron of Maggie and how he couldn’t save her with such empty promises then, either.

As Aaron stares off into the distance, we see our first flashback of the episode. The night of the blackout, Aaron and his wife were on their way to the airport to go on a weekend trip to celebrate their anniversary. As Aaron’s wife chides him that he does too much for her, the blackout occurs, and their limousine stalls out before being blind-sided by a semi-truck.

In Philadelphia, Danny is brought before Monroe, who tells him that Captain Neville will be “dealt with” for the death of his father before he orders his men to take Danny to his room, assuring him that he is a guest. When Danny is gone, instead of being chastised, Monroe instead promotes Captain Neville to Major, head of Intelligence and Interrogations.

Miles draws up the stolen team in front of a gated manor, and requests to see Drexel. As they wait, Aaron points out a field of burned poppies, and Miles admits that Drexel supplies heroin to half of the Republic. The gates are opened and they are allowed inside the property. As Charlie and Aaron attempt to help Miles get Nora off the wagon, Drexel appears, telling Miles he has a lot of nerve to come there. He fires his gun into the air and demands that Miles get on his knees. As he points his gun at Miles’s head, he declares that Miles would go first at the count of three.

He pulls the trigger, and the gun clicks, empty. As Charlie and Aaron stare, stunned, Drexel laughs at his “joke” and invites them all inside after they give up all of their weapons. Nora is taken to the doctor, and Drexel tells Charlie and Aaron that they are welcome to wine and baths, after giving Charlie the once-over. When Aaron tries to protest about being separated, Drexel accuses him of turning down his hospitality. Miles intercedes and tells Aaron to act grateful, as he heads off to where Nora was taken. Drexel excuses himself also and heads upstairs, where two women are leaning over the railing watching them.

Aaron sits on the bed in the room he has been given, and we see the second flashback of the night. Two months after the blackout, Aaron and his wife, who is visibly sick, rest under a bridge. There, they meet a young man named Sean, who after hearing of Aaron’s wife’s symptoms, and that they drank from a nearby lake, states she likely has dysentery, as the sewage pump had stopped working and contaminated the lake. He offers them fresh water out of a canteen and rebukes Aaron to be more careful.

Back at Drexel’s compound, Miles donates blood for Nora, who is in septic shock. Above stairs, Charlie takes a bath, and as she is lying there, she has brief flashbacks of herself as a young girl, begging her mother to stay, and then later on begging Maggie to stay. She thinks about her father’s death and her promise to her parents to protect her brother. She jumps out of the bath and grabs her backpack, which contains a small lunchbox full of personal items. Obviously upset, she tears up all of the postcards that she has collected over the years.

In Philadelphia, Jason reports to Monroe and General Neville. Monroe asks Jason about the pendant, and Jason states that Aaron has one. As Jason turns to leave, he hears Monroe order Neville to send Sergeant Strausser out. Jason turns back, questioning Monroe’s choice of who to send after Miles’s group, since Strausser is not known to leave survivors. Monroe responds that all he needs is the pendant and Miles, and that no one else in the group is important. Jason stares at Monroe before his father orders him again to leave. Jason salutes and makes his exit. Shortly after, Neville walks up to Strausser as he is telling a young boy about his father’s butchering methods, and tells him that he has a job for him.

Miles, Charlie, and Aaron gather together in a room where Nora rests. Miles tells the others that the doctor gives Nora a 50/50 chance of surviving and orders them to pack so that they can continue on their journey toward Danny. He warns them that they shouldn’t stay longer than necessary just as Drexel walks in. Miles thanks him for his help and says that he owes Drexel. Drexel snorts at that, and then proceeds to tell Charlie and Aaron how he and Miles know each other. They both were part of the Monroe Militia. Miles helped eliminate Drexel’s competition and in return, Drexel made him rich in gold. When Miles deserted, Drexel was “unfairly tainted” as a traitor as well, and in Drexel’s opinion, that meant that Miles owed him for far more than the medical assistance that his doctor provided for Nora.

Drexel orders them to follow him, and heads out onto a balcony that reveals the extent of his burnt poppy crops. He states that the crops were destroyed by a nearby Irish family called the O’Hallorans, who did not like the fact that Drexel made heroin. When Drexel says that he has been unable to exact revenge on the family, Miles offers to help by killing the leader of the clan, Bill O’Halloran, in exchange for Drexel admitting they are even. Drexel scoffs at that and says that the only one with any chance of succeeding would be Charlie. He goes on to say that if Charlie doesn’t do it, Drexel will first kill Nora and then the others one by one.

Later that night, as Charlie stands before a mirror, dressed up, Aaron argues with her about what she is doing. He can’t believe that Charlie is willing to kill someone simply because they are trying to stop drug trade. Charlie retorts that she has no choice if they are going to escape, and soon afterward, Drexel walks in. He admires Charlie, and then hands her a hair stick which conceals a short blade. He instructs her on how to use it and says that her cover story is that she is one of his “regular girls” and that she is tired of being “roughed up by him.” When she questions him about what he means by that, he promptly punches her in the face to make her story more believable. Miles grabs him, but releases him when Drexel’s men threaten him with their guns. Drexel turns to leave, and catches Aaron’s eye. He mocks him and then leaves.

Aaron watches him go, and we see the third flashback of this episode. Eight months after the blackout, Aaron and his wife have joined a group of people who are packing up camp to evade bandits. Aaron struggles to gather their supplies, and as his wife urges him to hurry up, Aaron tells her to go ahead. However, before she gets far, she is captured by two men. Aaron tries to attack them, and is thrown to the ground and beaten upon by one of the men. They only manage to escape when Sean appears and comes to their aide, killing the two men.

As Aaron and Miles watch Charlie leave, Drexel appears and hands Miles a small bag. He tells Miles that Charlie has no chance of escaping if she kills O’Halloran, but this will make them even. When he leaves, Aaron begs Miles to go after Charlie and save her, saying that Miles has to choose between him and Nora or Charlie, and he wants Miles to choose Charlie, because she is Miles’s family and his as well. He asks Miles to kill the guard on the door and he will do the best he can to get he and Nora out safely.

Charlie is admitted into O’Halloran’s study. As they talk, O’Halloran tells her about his daughter Becca, who ran off to Drexel’s and ultimately died there of drug abuse and physical abuse. O’Halloran assures Charlie that by the time he’s done with Drexel; he will no longer be able to abuse girls like he did Charlie and his daughter. As he turns to make them tea, Charlie attempts to stab him. He evades the blade, but she manages to knock him out with the teapot. Before she can try and stab him again, Miles appears and tells her they are leaving.

Back at Drexel’s, Nora is woken up and Drexel commands that she and Aaron face off and shoot each other. Whoever shoots the other first will be able to live. If they refuse, Drexel will kill them both. As he and Aaron stare at each other, we see another flashback, where Aaron is attempting to make a fire while his wife watches. When she offers to help, he snaps at her, before apologizing and saying that he can’t give her anything – he can’t hunt, protect her, or even light a fire. When she assures him that none of that matters, Aaron responds with fears that the bandit attack will happen again and he will be just as powerless to stop it.

Aaron tells Nora to shoot him, because Charlie and Miles need her, whereas no one needs Aaron. When Nora refuses, Aaron raises his gun, and then turns it on himself. As he lies there, Drexel walks over, and Aaron opens his eyes and shoots him, having used an old metal flask to deflect his bullet. Drexel’s men allow Aaron and Nora to leave, and they meet Charlie and Miles on the road.

We then see the final flashback of the night. Aaron’s wife wakes up, and discovers that Aaron has left his wedding band and a note under a rock, telling her that she is better off without him because he can’t protect her. When the group packs to leave, his wife reluctantly goes with them, while Aaron hides in the distance and watches them go.

The episode ends back with Danny, who is being led down a deserted road by some of Monroe’s men. They come up to some park benches, where Rachel sits waiting. Danny is stunned to see his mother, and the two embrace.

Thoughts on Revolution Episode 1.6: Sex and Drugs
So what did everyone think of this episode? Do you find it odd that we never find out the name of Aaron’s wife? I for one always assumed she had died; are you shocked that Aaron left her? Do you think that he might now make an effort to find her, or do you think he still believes that he is “useless” in the new world? I for one believe that we haven’t seen the last of his wife, and can only imagine what might happen if they are reunited. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!

Writers Note: Hello readers, and sorry for the delay in this week’s Revolution recap. Nothing like an unexpected extension to a hospital stay to throw a wrench in normal day-to-day activities. I hope you all enjoyed the latest Revolution episode, Sex and Drugs, which focused on the pre-blackout past of our Google genius, Aaron.