I was left with one overwhelming thought as Revolution Season 2 Episode 6 came to a close:

I really hope Monroe isn’t dead.

One thing Revolution Season 2 has done very well is make Monroe a likeable character. Last season never really gave him that chance. There was flashback Monroe and present Monroe, and no links were offered to show why Monroe snapped, or turned in to, the ruthless man who carved out his own corner of the country.

That link was offered tonight, though, with the flashback of Monroe losing Shelly and his baby after the blackout. That loss was the catalyst that shaped present day Monroe.

Before talking about Monroe, I really want to talk about the flashbacks to the campgrounds. I absolutely fell in love with it for those brief few minutes we were there. A show about a group of people learning how to survive after a blackout - and flash forwarding to the future to learn their outcomes - sounds like a compelling show. It’s very Jack & Bobby and I would DVR it instantly.

Getting back to Monroe: this season is a character study focusing on him. He’s lost everything he has to the Patriots, and his run in with Charlie forces him to reexamine what is important to him. Monroe wants to get back to what works with Miles, and part of doing that is taking down the Patriots.

The rekindling of their friendship was probably part of what saved Rachel, Charlie and Miles’ lives. Monroe didn’t give them up for information. He took his punishment and remained tight lipped.

Well, the gesture was nice on his part, but the likely reason they aren’t dead is because of Gene. In an episode full of surprises, Gene working for the Patriots was the biggest.

I wonder if Rachel suspects her father. Between her phoniness with Charlie in front of Gene, preparing the syringe for Monroe’s lethal injection and then going to dig up his gravesite... something feels off. Rachel’s a smart girl, has she figured Gene out?

Tom and Secretary Allenford’s run in with the Hitler Youth Camp on Meth very much mirrors Monroe. Tom, too, has lost most everything he holds dear, and it’s only after he finds out what kind of danger he’s put his son in does he actually realize his mistakes:

I have lost damn near everything in this world, but you are my son you are all that’s left. So whatever it takes you are gonna come back from this.

Tom

• Permalink: I have lost damn near everything in this world, but you are my son you are all that’s left....

Jason sacrificed for Tom and followed him when he didn’t have to. Now Jason is in this drug-induced killing machine phase, and it’s time for Tom to step up as a father.

Even after this Tom’s speech, I’m having difficulty believing a word of it. He always has an angle and a plan for himself.