'Revolution' Season 2: What You Need to Know So You Aren't in the Dark

More than three months of fun in the sun is enough to dim anyone's memory about the more intricate plot details of NBC's "Revolution," the sci-fi thriller/family drama about the aftermath of a worldwide blackout, government conspiracies, and the dysfunctional yet ridiculously resilient Matheson family.

Never fear. Yahoo TV's got you covered with this list of the most important things you'll need to remember from June's finale when Season 2 kicks off Sept. 25 in the show's new timeslot, Wednesdays at 8 p.m.

Body Count

While most of the main revolutionaries are alive and kicking, there were losses on all sides, some of which were fairly momentous.

Brother Danny, whose kidnapping reunited Charlie and her uncle Miles in the first place, was gunned down during an attack on a rebel camp.

A Georgian general took out Miles's and Monroe's high school girlfriend after she told Monroe their affair resulted in a son but before she said where he was.

Rebel leader Jim gave intel that led to a deadly drone strike on the rebel camp, shot Sanborn the scientist, and attempted to murder Miles because his wife was being held prisoner by Monroe, but Tom Neville thwarted his plan with a handgun.

Monroe shot his loyal right-hand man Baker when he wrongly assumed he'd planned an assassination attempt.

Defense Secretary Randall shot himself in the Tower.

The biggest shocker was that Nora didn't survive the season finale after weathering multiple explosions, sneak attacks, 21 days of intense militia torture, and more. After she'd rehooked up with Miles, confided to Rachel that she'd always be No. 2 to her for Miles's affections, and concocted a plan to get to the Tower's infamous level 12, she took some shrapnel to the gut enacting said plan. With only one keycard, Rachel chooses to continue the mission before getting Nora to an infirmary, knowing that she'll bleed out before they return and despite Charlie's plea. But it established that Nora was wrong about Miles, who refused to leave her side when he found her wounded, and further damaged the already tenuous bond between Charlie and her mom.

Nora's death: 

Tower of Terror

The last few episodes were basically a race to the mysterious Colorado Tower, a Department of Defese research-and-development facility where the electricity and satellites were still functioning and that Randall claimed held more power than Monroe could imagine. Rachel and Aaron made their way there on foot through the unfriendly Plains Nation with Jane's journal about the facility that revealed Aaron's college computer code was key to the blackout and its reversal. Aaron, after snooping on the Tower's mainframe, realized that his virtual back door had been used by someone and the apocalypse was no accident.

Monroe and his militia got Randall, who had already left Grace there trying to fix the elevators, to show them the way, and they set up camp hoping to stop Rachel from flipping the light switch and putting all the territories on a level playing field again. The Georgian president, who was on the brink of surrendering, sent Miles, Neville, Charlie, and Nora in a last-ditch effort to help Rachel.

There was also a group of folks who had been living in the Tower since the lights went out, protecting level 12 and the rest of the weapons/technology. They did not want anyone course-correcting the global power fail and killed anyone who tried.

Introducing the Tower:

Coup de Neville

After thwarting her plan to kill him, Monroe used Rachel to get inside, but the door closed behind them, leaving his team leaderless and ripe for takeover. Tom Neville struck again.

After his son Jason betrayed the Monroe Republic out of love for Charlie, Tom was branded a traitor. In an incredibly deft bid for self-preservation, he went to work for Georgia, supplied quality info about their enemies, gave up high-ranking officers, and fought alongside Miles. But when Jason and Tom, who had started to repair their broken relationship after Tom saved Jason's life postdrone raid, were caught outside the Tower and captured by Monroe's men, Tom used his psychological prowess and silver tongue to convince the militia that an overthrow was in order because Monroe was now a paranoid, cruel dictator. Now it was his turn to stymie Rachel's plan, because he wanted to lead.

Jason agreed to help as long as Charlie and Rachel were allowed to live.

Giancarlo Esposito and the show creators explore the character of Tom Neville:

Bloody Brothers

Through flashbacks, more of Miles and Monroe's past was uncovered, and events that sent Monroe down the unhinged path, such as a rebel bombing that almost killed Miles, were revealed.

We also found out that Rachel tried to get Ben to call off the blackout practice run, which was not supposed to be worldwide, and planned to separate when the drill was completed. She'd had an affair with her husband's brother, and it seemed like viewers were supposed to infer that possibly one of her children was not Ben's.

Monroe wouldn't drop his vendetta even when he and Miles were chased out of the Tower by the residents. While beating each other up, they had a heart-to-heart, and after Monroe was captured, it was Miles who freed him, saying that despite everything, he was still his brother.

Watch the scene of Miles freeing Monroe:

Patriot Act

Despite Aaron's successful mission to reboot the world (there was a possibility that the malfunctioning microscopic nanobots at the heart of the power failure could have ignited the Earth in flames), it turns out the future's not so bright. While everyone was distracted by the control room screens showing the world coming back online, Randall, who had no idea how to handle the computer part himself, locked himself in and used the surge to launch ICBMs at Atlanta and Philadelphia.

He explained cryptically, "When you burn down the old, new things grow. The East Coast [will be] wide open. A house divided against itself cannot stand. I'm a patriot." Then he promptly killed himself, leaving the others helplessly watching the launch.

The cliffhanger showed a man flipping a lamp on and off as another man came in and said, "Sir, Randall did it. Time to go home, Mr. President."

The camera panned out, revealing an American flag and the identifier "United States Colony, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."

Watch the final moments of the first-season finale:

Teases About the Season 2 Premiere

Not much has been disclosed about next year, but some buzz indicates the surge may be short-lived. It has affected the heroes in close proximity in a mysterious way and will have other catastrophic effects.

There will be a three-month flash-forward, which finds Aaron, Miles, and Rachel lying low in a small Texas town called Willoughby with the help of the town doctor (guest star Stephen Collins from "7th Heaven"). Rachel will run into another important figure from her past while in the Lone Star State.

The Nevilles are searching for missing mom/wife Julia in Georgian refugee camps, while Charlie sets off on a vision quest in the Plains Nation and Monroe is forced to adapt to life as a nonleader.

Adam Beach, Jessica Collins, and Nicole Ari Parker are also scheduled to guest star.

Watch a sneak peek of the new season:

"Revolution" Season 2 premieres Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. on NBC.