If I’ve learned anything from The Hunger Games or The Walking Dead, it’s that I wouldn’t survive in a post-apocalyptic world. You have to kill your own food, make your own medicine, and you are always being captured. Due to my inability to run very fast, I find the last one especially terrifying. (But that’s enough of my irrational fears.) Revolution is the latest high concept pilot from creator Eric Kripke, best known for creating Supernatural.

Revolution starts off in modern day, where we meet Ben Matheson who is rushing home to his wife Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell of Lost.) Ben is screaming, “It’s happening!” Ben then makes a hectic call to his brother Miles (Billy Burke of 24) who is driving with his buddy in South Carolina. Right as he’s warning him the power goes out. We’re not talking just the power; we’re talking cars, planes, and batteries. Things just got serious folks.

Right before the power goes out though, Ben is able to pull out his super fancy, modern USB drive out of his computer. (More on this little gadget later.)

Fast forward 15 years and we see what the world has become without technology, and what has become of the Matheson family. Rachel has passed away leaving Ben to take care of Charlie (Traci Spiridakos) and Danny (Graham Rogers) who has a wicked case of asthma. The world is now run by militia order and no one knows why all the advanced technology has died out. (Yet!)

We also meet the rest of their small agricultural town. Aaron, a former Google executive and Maggie, who stepped in as a doctor and caretaker to the family.

It appears as though Ben knows the secret as to why the world lost power. The militia comes to get him and he seems willing to go peacefully. Danny then pops up with a bow and arrow. He seems more skeptical of their promise which is totally understandable given their mean faces and big weapons. Danny escapes death but Ben isn’t so lucky. He gets hit in the chest.

The militia then decides to take Danny in place of his father. Before Ben takes his last breath, he tells Charlie that in order to get Danny and the USB device back she’ll have to find her uncle Miles who is in Chicago. So of course Charlie decides to do it, and much to her dismay so does Aaron and Maggie.

While the three musketeers are off traveling to Chicago, Danny is trying to escape the militia at every turn. He finally gets away one night only to wake up in the presence of Grace (Maria Howell). She tosses him her son’s old inhaler saying that he had an asthma attack and that he is recovering. Still woozy, and believing he can trust her, he opts to stay there.

Charlie, Aaron, and Maggie finally make it to Chicago after having some setbacks. (You know, like men trying to kill them.) They pass Wrigley field which is now covered in ivy and a downtown Chicago in ruins. They walk into an old hotel where they believe Miles to be.

After denying that it’s him, they find Miles at a bar. He is having to keep a low profile and says that he will only talk to Charlie. Being stone cold, he says that for his own protection he can’t help them. Charlie then storms off.

The militia finds where they are and storm the old hotel and gang up on Miles. This is where we learn that Miles is a ninja of sorts. (Well not really, but I guess he had one hell of an army background because his fighting was ku-razy!) After Charlie pretty much saves his life, Miles agrees to go on their little journey.

Meanwhile off somewhere in the woods, Danny can’t catch a break. The militia finds him and once again captures him. Grace realizes this and goes upstairs to her attic. This is when we find out – gasp – that she has the USB device! She walks up to an old computer and the light turns on! She inserts the device where we just see…

“The militia was here.”

No. (Obviously! How else would they be talking?)

Revolution is certainly one of the more ambitious pilots I’ve seen. It has all the makings to be a new cult show. I know that I’ll be tuning in next week to get some answers. What kind of powers and secrets does that device contain? Where is Danny now? Why did the power go off? And, who’s on the other end of that chat with Grace?