Revolution Creator Eric Kripke: "I'm Glad We Took the Break"

When we last saw Miles & Co. on Revolution, they were about to be gunned down by one of Monroe's choppers. That's quite the cliffhanger to leave us on before taking a four-month hiatus. So what's in store for the gang now?

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"In the opening moments of Episode 11, they just run. They just tear outside there 'cause it's a helicopter," Creator Eric Kripke tells TVGuide.com of Monday's midseason premiere (10/9c, NBC). "But it immediately escalates because Monroe and Neville and all the wrong people have some very powerful weapons and the good guys don't have much."During the first half Revolution's freshman season, Monroe (David Lyons) was still holding out hope for a friendly reconciliation with Miles (Billy Burke). But now that Miles has turned him down, expect to see the general become more than a little unhinged. "The one guy who probably was his last tether to humanity basically shoved him away so I think Monroe feels free to really become darker and more dangerous just when he has the means to do it," Kripke says. And though the showrunner doesn't "think there's going to be any Dr. Phil moments" for Monroe in the second half of Season 1, there is still hope for redemption. "I think honestly when the audience finds a character charismatic and as long as it's logical and they can understand it ... you can take characters anywhere," Kripke says.

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While Monroe becomes more vulnerable, prepare for Miles to get reacquainted with his dark side. Since leaving the militia, Miles has done everything in his power to leave his violent past behind him, but according to Kripke, to defeat Monroe and "set things right, he has to become that general again." Unfortunately, this decision brings on a new series of dangers. "The threat is both internal and external because how do you maintain your humanity in the face of all this war?" Kripke teases."Everything becomes about a moral question and should you turn the power on and give a bunch of dangerous toys to a very unstable group of children or is it better to let Monroe steamroll over the continent?" he says. "Neither option's great. There's heavy debate but that's good because it muddies the water."

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As for the long hiatus, Kripke isn't worried about any possible negative effects. "It allowed us to make a higher quality better series and at the end of the day, that's the thing I have to put at my first priority. The show's better because we took the break so therefore I'm glad we took the break," he told reporters during a conference call.One thing Kripke says would be improved upon when Revolution returns is the pacing, which even he admits was a little slow in the first half. But instead of simply speeding up the series a little, it sounds like Kripke is going full-steam ahead. "There's probably a lot of answers that we're giving in the second half that probably could have waiting until Season 2, but we felt that we should smoke them if we've got them," he explains. "I think you'll look at the second half and there's probably no one episode that doesn't have at least one big moment that either unveils more mythology or is a seminal moment in one of the character's lives that transforms them."Presumably, one such seminal moment during Revolution's big return is the game-changing major death. But who could it be? Will Nora (Daniella Alonso) get gunned down in battle? Will Aaron (Zak Orth) sacrifice himself for the greater good? Or will it be Jason (JD Pardo) who's fatally punished for his rebellion?But the bigger question is: Will you tune in after four months to find out?Revolution returns Monday, March 25 at 10/9c on NBC.Additional reporting by Natalie Abrams