Revolution: Tom Neville & Rachel Matheson: Kindred Souls

     

Two sides of the same coin

         Although Tom Neville and Rachel Matheson didn't have many scenes together throughout the series, I have found that they both are quite similar. Both had a callousness, were calculating, a primal instinct to keep their families alive, and both had a very difficult relationship with their children.

Both had their backs against the wall

             Rachel and Neville were two of a kind and in season 2 they sort of switched in a way. In season 1, when Rachel lost her son, she was consumed by grief and the only thing on her mind was to kill the man responsible and that man was Monroe. In season 2, when Neville thought he lost his wife, also consumed by grief he thought of nothing but pure Biblical vengeance on the Patriots. They both were even suicidal; at different points and for different reasons but nevertheless they were both on the razor's edge. 

Only one sought to repair the relationship with their kids

       There was an episode in season 2 where Neville and Rachel had to clean up their murder scenes. It was a switch back and forth of them wiping clean their prints, cleaning up the scene, removing all traces that would incriminate them. This points out that they were both calculating people even though they were in different situations for different reasons. Neville was the predator in his scene while Rachel was the prey in hers. Rachel killed for her own survival while Neville killed to advance his station to bring himself closer to the Patriots so he could kill them all. 

Both have suffered terrible family tragedies

       There was also that trait these two characters share about not afraid to sacrifice someone to satisfy their own ends. In season 1 Rachel and Neville were very in tune with that trait. Rachel practically murdered Nora, she drove a screw driver into Dr. Gaffey's chest, and let a little boy die and she didn't care. Neville never stopped sacrificing people if it benefited him personally or his family. 

Both had very special partners in their lives

      Another thing that made Neville and Rachel alike was their difficult relationships with their children. I couldn't help but notice that Neville and Rachel had the exact same desperate conversation with their kids. Charlie and Jason begged their remaining living parent to choose them over revenge; that they were alive right in front of them and asking for their help. Of course both parents practically said "no". Neville and Rachel were just too proud or too stubborn to give something up for their kids. I suppose they figured that all they did was sacrifice so by their logic they knew best. 

Both were at a crossroads but only 1 chose the right path

      The defining difference between Neville and Rachel is that Rachel realized all the horrible things she had done and that she had failed her child. And also when it came to their kids dating, Neville wouldn't shut up about how much of a bitch Charlie was and how much she distracted Jason while when Charlie was hooking up with Connor, Rachel never said a word. So all throughout season 2 Rachel sought to not only make up for her mistakes but to repair her relationship with her daughter and it worked out well for her in the end. Neville however did not learn from his mistakes. In fact, his failure to learn from his past sins cost him his son. Then Neville was left with nothing. His whole purpose in life was to make sure his family survived and to give them everything he never had but his pride led him down a burning path where now all Neville tasted were ashes. I suppose you can see these two characters as though they were at a crossroads and both took different paths: Rachel was the path one could have taken while Neville was the path one should never have taken.