A Swashbuckling "Revolution" in "The Children's Crusade:" A Television Review

Director: Charles Beeson.

Writers: Eric Kripke and Matt Pitts.

Executive Producers: Jon Favereau, and J.J. Abrams.

Cast: James Alcorn, Nadej K Bailey, Griffin Freeman, Billy Burke, Tracy Spiridakos, Giancarlo Esposito, Zak Orth, David Lyons and Daniella Alonso.

In "The Children's Crusade," Miles (Billy Burke) and his group are again distracted from their search for Danny (Graham Rogers). This time Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) is caught up and sucked into a sob story involving several orphaned children. One in their group has been captured, Peter (Griffin Freeman), and his brother, Michael, wants him back. Rescuing Danny can pretty much be forgotten at this point. The next fourty minutes is spent in a swashbuckling episode that puts Charlie in a precarious position. This was an exciting episode despite the show's main plot moving forward ever so slowly.

The children, "a hairless group of Ewoks" (Aaron), have been left alone by their parents for eight years now. The parents were considered rebels by the Militia and they were arrested as being such. Now, the Militia is taking older members from the children to a recruitment facility. Then, Miles, Charlie, Nora (Daniella Alonso), and Aaron (Zak Orth) come across this bedraggled group. Charlie quickly falls for a ruse and ambush, while Miles wants nothing to do with a rescue attempt of Peter. Charlie has to do all of the legwork. By the time Peter is rescued, Charlie has been beaten and branded with a hot iron. She barely escapes prison. Perhaps, Charlie needs to find another role outside of being a humanitarian.

One of the Ewoks

It is strange that Miles did not lead the charge on a Militia waterborne fortress. He is the trained killer, after all. And, this episode is similar to the previous one, "Sex and Drugs." Charlie leads the charge in order to save someone outside of her group. Miles is then tasked with rescuing her when she gets in over her head. The last two episodes are very similar in plot structure. Each episode is turning into an "adventure of the week" with the show's main story line moving ahead at Monroe's (David Lyons) camp only. Perhaps Charlie is giving up on Danny, her brother.

The action adventure this week was much like a swashbuckler film. There were villains in black garb, a ship, swords, a hero and a damsel in distress. The swordfighting on the upper deck made this showing seem like something inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean. The only element missing was an antagonist sporting an eye patch saying: "arrhhh!" This was both a silly and exciting episode all in one.

Thankfully, the central story was fleshed out by the new character Randall Flynn (Colm Feore). Flynn is shown in flashbacks with Ben and Rachel Matheson (Elizabeth Mitchell). He is with the Department of Defence and he is interested in the Matheson's work. Their electrical dampening field could be used as a weapon and perhaps it was. It would seem that the American government was responsible, in part, for causing the global blackout. Now, how can the lights be turned back on?

"The Children's Crusade" can be considered a slight diversion from the show's major plot line, rescuing Danny. There was action, there was adventure and there was comic relief. It is hard not to laugh at Aaron's misgivings about the children: "they are Children of the Corn!" One of the writers really likes Stephen King and they also enjoy keeping some of the show's major plot points in mystery. More will be revealed in the "Ties that Bind," which airs next week. Remember that a break is coming for this series beginning at the end of November. Hopefully, Charlie will have reunited with Danny by then.

Overall: 7.5 out of 10 (a story within a story, believable action, some pop culture references).

*what did viewers think of the child clones that each of the major characters had? Aaron had a chubby sidekick while Nora had a young girl with a similar hairstyle tagging along with here.

Another review of this showing is available at Scifi4me (Deborah J. Bell):

"The Children's Crusade" Reviewed at Scifi4me

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Posted in: 2012,2012 release,children,post apocalyptic,preview,revolution,sci-fi,science fiction,season 1,television,television review