I'd watch the show you describe in your second paragraph: you should offer your services as showrunner.

I seem to remember mentioning this in one review or another, but there's a British series called Survivors—the remake of a 70s series—about a small group of people who survive a plague that wipes out 99 percent of the Earth's population. That show was much more like what you describe, and so much more like what Revolution should be. You might check it out if you haven't seen it. (It was streaming on Netflix, last time I looked.)

What saddens me the most is this COULD have been an amazing show! I actually believe they missed the mark completely. To me, THIS season should have been season 3 or 4. Season 1 should be introducing and defining the characters and depicting the evolution of this new world (both the "good guys" AND the militia); showing their individual struggles in the aftermath of the Blackout, exploring how people would react and survive in that situation, keeping the vast majority of the characters separate for most of the season so the viewer is rewarded w/ a pay-off whenever characters meet and join forces, eventually coming together and trying to form their own society/commune. Season 2 could be about building that society; the struggles of forming it-from the hardships of living together in a primitive world, to establishing their own laws and consequences for breaking them. Once they've established a society of their own, Season 3 could be about run-ins w/ militia as well as neighboring societies (both friendly and not). The actions of that season would bring the characters to the conclusion that they need to figure out what happened and start the quest to bring the power back on (Season 4).

It appears all the "aftermath" will be rationed out as flashbacks in order to try to shock the viewer with their "clever reveals". But again, all of these are predictable. It's just sad.

Ah, thank you, now I know what "Revolution" reminds me of: the '80s.

(If anyone on this show had thought to make a "No Lights at Wrigley" joke, I might have thought better of it.)