American Blackout: Quick Thoughts [Updated]

I watched the NatGeo Channel's docudrama, "American Blackout" yesterday evening. I was planning on posting a more extensive review, but as I was working on it I noticed that my friend Alex Newton of Plan and Prep is planning to write his own. Since his will undoubtedly be much more cogent than my own, I'll only cover a few salient points.

Overall (minus the last seven minutes - more on that momentarily) I thought it was a tolerable, even at-times scary portrayal of what could occur in a longer-term, nationwide blackout. While the acting ranged from decent to 'what-the-hell,' the general scenario laid out was plausible.

There were certainly holes and hiccups (the ridiculousness of people as under-prepared as these actually having the means to charge mobile devices through 10 days of a blackout being the most glaring), but judging from the #AmericanBlackout hashtag on Twitter it was getting non-preppers thinking, so that is a plus.

Then we get to those last seven minutes [SPOILER ALERT]. To quote myself from Twitter (because I am that much of a narcissist), "What a bulls**t ending." Everything about it was pure BS in my opinion - how quickly the grid got repaired, the kumbaya-like relief suddenly descending upon masses... all of it. It completely ruined an otherwise tolerable, thought-provoking presentation.

Feel free to give me your thoughts on Twitter at @TheApocalyst. Also, I will be providing a link to Alex's review (both here and on Twitter) once he posts it to his own website - as I said, it will certainly be much more extensive than mine.

UPDATE: Alex has posted his piece on the show, and it is - exactly as I anticipated - extensive, on-point, and excellent. Give it a read by clicking the link below - it is well worth it.

American Blackout - Review