Revolution's Epic, Mystery-Filled Journey Will Actually Be Paid Off Quickly

It may sound like the next Lostor Terra Nova, but the makers of NBC's new epic drama Revolutionpromise that it will actually reward viewers who follow the intricate mysteries of a world without electricity where a rogue militia rules the land.

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Revolution follows a group of characters — including Tracy Spiridakos, Billy Burke and Giancarlo Esposito — struggling to figure out how the literal power went out, how the survivors will work to turn it back on and who has the figurative power. This mythological series hails from two men who know their way around a good mystery: Supernatural's Eric Kripke and Lost's J.J. Abrams.

"I'm not a fan of endless mystery in storytelling," Kripke said. "I like solid, aggressive red-blooded storytelling. I like to know where the mythology is going. I like to get there in an exciting fast-paced way... and pay off mystery and reward the audiences' loyalty. You can answer questions and ask new ones."

Kripke and co-executive producer Jon Favreau, who also directed the pilot, were quick to point out that despite the large-scale and seemingly implausible storyline, Revolution's premise of an electricity-less Earth is entirely possible — a fact they even checked with a real physicist. They explained that any form of electricity, anything that carries a spark or electrical charge, has stopped working, therefore, no batteries, engines, etc. The origins of the loss of energy will be explained via flashbacks in each episode, which will explore what happened during the first days of the blackout and how people survived the event.

Lost and V alum Elizabeth Mitchell joins NBC's Revolution

"It's a really compelling what-if," he said. "What would happen if we all live without electricity in this technologically over-extended world of ours? This epic journey is how can we save the world and get the lights back on. That's a part of it, but for me it's a really fun epic saga... It's intensely character driven... [with people] who are all just struggling to come together against incredible diversity." Added Favreau: "While there's an underlying mystery... we still want to make it about the people and the emotion."

Revolution premieres Monday, Sept. 17 at 10/9c on NBC.