Revolution' Season 1, Episode 3 Recap

• NBC
• Make a sentimental choice. Fight off bad guys. Get captured. Get freed. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Over the last two weeks I've been informally polling friends, family, and strangers about the new Fall shows. Many express a doubt over whether they should invest in some new series in case they get cancelled, others are overwhelmed with the current lineup, and almost everyone universally hates the New Normal. When it comes to "Revolution," there are skeptics, but the most-oft refrain is, "that's the show that's like 'Lost,'" right?

Wrong. There are superficial similarities, absolutely: a ragtag bunch of renegades are stranded, the future is uncertain, there's a nebulous goal to achieve that we clearly won't get to for several seasons (hopefully there's a plan this time), there's a central mystery, and then there are the flashbacks. As the series went on, "Lost's" flashbacks became an increasing point of annoyance, as our focus was entirely on the island. By that point, we didn't need further characterizations fleshed out, or need to know who these people were in the past. Who they were in the here and now is what mattered. In fact, many fans have skipped the flashbacks altogether on their rewatch of the series. They were at best one-off entertainment (Nikki and Paolo) or at worst, filler ("how Jack got his tattoos"), but what's so strikingly different about "Revolution's" flashbacks, which are numerous, is that they are the best part of the show. For more on how "Revolution" could right itself by turning inside out, hit the jump.