Let me start by saying that I’m not really big into conspiracy theories. I don’t go around thinking the moon landing was faked. Nor do I believe there is a race of cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers in the sewers. That said I have an uncanny ability to see some undeniable patterns or similarities in things that may go unnoticed by others or who simply deny that it ever happened, much like what we all did with the Green Lantern movie.
Long contradictory preface aside, there has been something plaguing me about the show Revolution since the very first episode. Something that, so far, I can’t see anyone talking about or acknowledging the similarities, but I can’t stay silent on this any longer! I’m blowing the whistle here and exposing the fact that there are many references to Richard Matheson (author of such Sci-Fi and horror classics as I Am Legend, A Stir of Echoes, and What Dreams May Come) and his work on the show!
Don’t believe me? Let fill you in on my crazy thoughts then. Well the first and most obvious similarity is that the majority of the main characters share the same surname, “Matheson,” as the acclaimed author. I don’t think I have to find secret files in the Bad Robot headquarters to show that, so let’s just move right along then.
The second similarity is the first major antagonist you see in the series is “Tom Neville” (played by Giancarlo Esposito) which is the combination of the names of the two main characters from A Stir of Echoes (Tom Wallace) and I Am Legend (Robert Neville). But the similarities don’t stop there. No sir. That wouldn’t make it a conspiracy. We need some more loosely interpreted data to make this a REAL conspiracy theory. So, let’s talk about the sources of the Matheson names. In the movie version of A Stir of Echoes, Tom (Kevin Bacon) and his son Jake, have some psychic abilities to see and communicate with the dead and use those skills to solve a mystery about a girl who disappeared a few months prior to them moving to the town. And in I Am Legend, Robert Neville is so distraught over losing his wife and family he spends years hunting and killing vampire-like creatures in a post-apocalyptic near future. Now, let’s go back to the Revolution character of “Tom Neville.” Tom Neville goes around in a post—apocalyptic world accompanied by his son, and if you’re up to the second season, you know he is on a blood vendetta to avenge his wife’s death. He pretty much is doing what both of Matheson’s characters did, but with the small difference of Esposito’s character being evil and absolutely as crazy as a schizophrenic bat who is loaded up on laxatives. I won’t go further into details to avoid any spoilers for people who haven’t caught up to it yet (I’m referring to the show and not a bat bowel movement). I have a feeling you know what lies in store for that bat.
This is how I imagine they came about fusing these characters together to make Tom Neville. If they didn’t, they should’ve.
I may be reaching for similarities here, but that’s the beauty of conspiracy theories. They never have to fully make sense, just kind of show some similarities to make others go “Holy crap! I never thought of that, but I totally get that. How did I not see it before?!” Well, don’t feel too bad about that. Not everyone has this much time on their hands.
