The Revolution pilot is online now...

[propita]

I keep thinking of the character in Lucifer's Hammer that buried a set of The Way Things Work in his back yard before the meteor hit, so that when the initial disaster had subsided, he could go back and dig up all the volumes to help rebuild society. Of course, in that story he had time to prepare for it, but I don't think you need a truckload of books to set up a serviceable and self sustaining village. A relative handful to establish yourself after the chaos ends, and then you can branch out for more. And the survivors would probably be learning new skills at a crazy rate (or they would die). Naturalists and jacks-of-all-trades would probably do well.

And I would bet that a government like the USA probably has all kinds of contingency plans for a widespread and lasting blackout to ensure the preservation of the core government and strategic places to retain control over.

I thought of the same book (Lucifer's Hammer, that is). Didn't he also store a lot of other well-needed books, info, and items?


One thing that likely is correct about this show is the relative lack of older people. People on meds, old or not, would not survive. Not talking vitamins, but diabetics, thyroid, some cardio, etc. I know I'd be gone (hypothyroid, I'd sleep myself to death). And those left ARE relatively healthy. They'd have to be, because there's little to no meds, certainly not enough to sustain 15 years.

 

[Scout101]

Yep, they were right on that count (even asthma would be tricky). Not only the people relying on meds, but very few people over, say, early 50s would have had much shot surviving the early die-off as well. Something like 15-40 would have been the sweet spot, and mostly in the middle of that curve. Add 15 years, and that should be the age of your population.

We should be seeing very few kids in the 15-20 old range right now. You'd have a few families here and there that made it, but it would be extremely difficult for young children to survive at that point. And they'd be an additional drain on the parents (extra food/supplies, having to carry them, having them cry at inopportune moments when hiding, etc), so it's likely either the child just wouldn't make it, or would eventually cause the whole family to die off. Having them forgo food to feed the child leaving them weaker when an attack comes, giving away position, tired from carrying them, diseases that the adults are innoculated against that the kids never got shots for, risky foraging mission to try and get them medicine, etc.

Not impossible, just think there'd be a couple of obviously-missing age bands at the start of this new world. And then there'd start being children in the 0-12 or so range as people started to settle in again, although in smaller numbers at first, so you'd expect that any children you see on this show would be quite young.

 

[Rhaven]

I keep thinking of the character in Lucifer's Hammer that buried a set of The Way Things Work in his back yard before the meteor hit, so that when the initial disaster had subsided, he could go back and dig up all the volumes to help rebuild society. Of course, in that story he had time to prepare for it, but I don't think you need a truckload of books to set up a serviceable and self sustaining village. A relative handful to establish yourself after the chaos ends, and then you can branch out for more. And the survivors would probably be learning new skills at a crazy rate (or they would die). Naturalists and jacks-of-all-trades would probably do well.

Thank you! I've been trying to remember which book had that in it.

And I would bet that a government like the USA probably has all kinds of contingency plans for a widespread and lasting blackout to ensure the preservation of the core government and strategic places to retain control over.

I'm sure they do. Want to venture they are the ones controlling the mountain/west coast?

 

[PsychoPere]

And I would bet that a government like the USA probably has all kinds of contingency plans for a widespread and lasting blackout to ensure the preservation of the core government and strategic places to retain control over.

I'm sure they do. Want to venture they are the ones controlling the mountain/west coast?

If remnants of the U.S. government are still in power in that region, they aren't doing so under the name "United States of America." As Nora said, the rebels in the Monroe Republic are fighting to overthrow Monroe and to re-establish the U.S.

As the map I linked to in my previous post shows, the areas of the country west of the Monroe Republic are controlled either by a California Commonwealth, a Plains Nation, a Texas, or comprise a region simply called the Wasteland.

 

[Morpheus 02]

In this latest episode, i appreciate the way they are develping Captain Neville...who was a good guy, but then the day of the black out, his unjust firing starts him on the road to being a tough "bad" guy...it'll be intersting to see if he gets redeemed. Giancarlo Espoisito does a great job of having a character where we honestly wonder how much good is in him (if any), and the writers are doing it in a way that is reasonably consistent.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Neville's flashback was similar to John Locke's in Lost's Walkabout. He was some poor schlub working for a jerky boss then something happens to him and he becomes more badass. Though in Locke's case it involved him being able to walk again after being paralyzed and for Neville it involved killing a man.

 

[sojourner]

The Monroe republic is actually the best location to take advantage of steam technology in the U.S. It sits right on top of the industrial center of the U.S. Even if there were no current steam powered industries, they would still have the highest concentrations of industrial museums and the like to raid for equipment, not to mention the best rail infrastructure.

Of course, by the looks of the map in this episode, it looks like Monroe is going to have to fight the civil war all over again.

 

[The Green Mushroom]

Neville's flashback was similar to John Locke's in Lost's Walkabout. He was some poor schlub working for a jerky boss then something happens to him and he becomes more badass. Though in Locke's case it involved him being able to walk again after being paralyzed and for Neville it involved killing a man.

Yeah, I saw that too. I like the character now, whether he stays bad or converts away from the Dark Side. I just need to figure out whether he should step up as the Big Bad after (if) they knock off Monroe or if I would prefer him to become a leader in the Resistance. Of course we could be treated to an indefinite length of time where he's Monroe's guy in the field because the dynamics are never allowed to change.

In other news, I have come around on the issue of the time since the blackout. A few days ago, I posted that I didn't mind the length of time since the blackout since it allowed them to tell a story about rebuilding civilization instead of tearing it down. I think I wrong about that now.

This show really should have been set only a few years after the fall: long enough for some semblance of order, but not long enough for true stability. Two to five years could have allowed for a return to subsistence farming, militias to have cemented power without necessarily having to collapse or turn legitimate, for the clothes and buildings not to look too new, for the plastic soda bottles to still seem like good ideas for canteens (sorry that one just stuck out in my mind), etc, etc, etc. They even could have kept the flashbacks.

By the way, how long should I plan on being banned from the site for breaking the cardinal rule of the internet and admitting that I was wrong about something?

 

[SG-17]

Yep, they were right on that count (even asthma would be tricky). Not only the people relying on meds, but very few people over, say, early 50s would have had much shot surviving the early die-off as well. Something like 15-40 would have been the sweet spot, and mostly in the middle of that curve. Add 15 years, and that should be the age of your population.

We should be seeing very few kids in the 15-20 old range right now. You'd have a few families here and there that made it, but it would be extremely difficult for young children to survive at that point. And they'd be an additional drain on the parents (extra food/supplies, having to carry them, having them cry at inopportune moments when hiding, etc), so it's likely either the child just wouldn't make it, or would eventually cause the whole family to die off. Having them forgo food to feed the child leaving them weaker when an attack comes, giving away position, tired from carrying them, diseases that the adults are innoculated against that the kids never got shots for, risky foraging mission to try and get them medicine, etc.

Not impossible, just think there'd be a couple of obviously-missing age bands at the start of this new world. And then there'd start being children in the 0-12 or so range as people started to settle in again, although in smaller numbers at first, so you'd expect that any children you see on this show would be quite young.

That isn't how it works though. The reason that statistical lifespans were low before modern medicine was because of the high rate of infant mortality and childhood diseases.

If you lived to be 30 you were expected to live into your 70s.

Now take into account that Smallpox and Polio have been wiped out.

And I would bet that a government like the USA probably has all kinds of contingency plans for a widespread and lasting blackout to ensure the preservation of the core government and strategic places to retain control over.

I'm sure they do. Want to venture they are the ones controlling the mountain/west coast?

If remnants of the U.S. government are still in power in that region, they aren't doing so under the name "United States of America." As Nora said, the rebels in the Monroe Republic are fighting to overthrow Monroe and to re-establish the U.S.

As the map I linked to in my previous post shows, the areas of the country west of the Monroe Republic are controlled either by a California Commonwealth, a Plains Nation, a Texas, or comprise a region simply called the Wasteland.

I'd expect any US remnant to be based in Hawaii.


The Wasteland (Fallout: New Vegas reference?) on that map is composed of the Sonora and Mojave Deserts and the Rocky Mountains. Areas unlikely to be heavily settled without electricity. Maybe there is some Mormon settlement there that none of the other Republics want to have anything to do with?

 

[propita]

That map?

http://www.revolution-show.com/map-of-revolution-monroe-republic/

I would think The Wastelands would extend further west, covering more of the desert. I wonder if Hoover Dam is still there, or is the Colorado rushing through like it used to?

 

[SG-17]

The Dam should last hundreds of thousands of years, even without electricity working.

 

[JD]

I really enjoyed this episode. I especially like Neville's backstory, and we actually got a face to face confrontation between Neville and Miles & Charlie, I didn't expect to see that for a lot longer. I guessed that "Nate" was Jason part way through the episode.

 

[Scout101]

That isn't how it works though. The reason that statistical lifespans were low before modern medicine was because of the high rate of infant mortality and childhood diseases.

If you lived to be 30 you were expected to live into your 70s.

Now take into account that Smallpox and Polio have been wiped out.

Not really what I was getting at, though. In a large-scale fight to survive, people past their physical peak are gonna have less of a chance. Grandma ain't fighting off a looter, or walking 100 miles away. They may be ok to live to 70 as much as 30 due to disease, but the physical toll would be a tough one to get past. Same with younger ones that would be more vulnerable. And those families trying to take care of a young or old family member would be more likely to run into trouble as a group, dragging down ones that might otherwise be able to get away.

 

[sojourner]

Interesting, it appears the U.S. has a couple new great lakes on the borders of the wastelands.

 

[Scout101]

Where? Not seeing it.

And still think the California republic is silly, that wasteland should extend to at least the southern half of CA. No water, massive population, nothing to eat except each other... Hell, they've even managed for Death Valley to not be included in the wasteland. It's basically a desert wasteland NOW

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Interesting, it appears the U.S. has a couple new great lakes on the borders of the wastelands.

I see a slightly oversized Great Salt Lake and an overlap where the expanded California Commonwealth crosses east of the Colorado River, but I don't see any new "great lakes." I think the muted colors make it look like a lake when it's actually just where the border crosses the river.

And still think the California republic is silly, that wasteland should extend to at least the southern half of CA. No water, massive population, nothing to eat except each other... Hell, they've even managed for Death Valley to not be included in the wasteland. It's basically a desert wasteland NOW

Doesn't mean it would be unclaimed territory. I took wasteland to also mean that no one even bothered to claim the territory (mostly because it's literal wasteland desert, but not all of it). Some of the northern areas of the "wasteland" aren't even desert, they're mountain foothills and forests. Regardless of how quickly SoCal would degrade back to desert post blackout, there's still plenty of stuff to loot, so it might be worth claiming the land.

 

[Scout101]

Couldn't blow it up enough to read all the spots, but it looked like the dots in the LA area were still there as identifying relevent places.

If it's just a dead zone with kewl stuff to loot (as all of SoCal would be), not really worth using one of only a half-dozen city identifiers on the map to call it out. Made it look like a live, working capital of that area, whereas it would likely be in northern CA/Oregon if there was anyone left alive there at ALL to worry about government or ruling.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

There are about two dozen cities called out in SoCal on the map. There are eight dots all over the southern wasteland (central Arizona, one in northern New Mexico, and one in northern Mexico) marking named cities and towns too, with Phoenix marked in red.

 

[Scout101]

Can't read anything once you blow it up, but wondering if the red dots/text indicates dead zones. If you compare locations, it would seem that they would generally correspond with large city populations, so would be the areas you'd expect to want to map just to stay away from.

Lots of black dots nearby them, though, so not sure that holds true. And if the city goes, you'd expect a much larger red circle around them, as the people eventually flee and ruin the surrounding area.

 

[Jono]

Pretty good episode, though Danny's inability to take Neville's gun when it so open for the stealing confounds me. Nate's escape was ridiculous, it made the "good guys" look super stupid. Mitchell's character rolled over a bit too quickly, I thought they might have her hold out a bit longer given she's been with Monroe for what, 10+ years?