( CNN ) -- With its post-apocalyptic setting , Giancarlo Esposito in the role of endearing villain , and J.J. Abrams as an executive producer , creator Eric Kripke 's `` Revolution '' is a surefire hit -- on paper . In fact , NBC ordered a full season of `` Revolution , '' which also stars Billy Burke , after airing just three episodes , which is the same amount of time it took the network to axe `` The Playboy Club '' last year . Yet , it seems viewers become more disillusioned with the freshman drama each week . Still , with its mid-season finale airing tonight , `` Revolution '' has garnered competitive ratings , and helped NBC win November sweeps for the first time in nine years . On Tuesday , CNN.com commenter Bret wrote , `` I 've watched every episode , but I 'm ready to give up '' on the show , which takes place 15 years after a global blackout causes the government to collapse and prompts militias to take over . `` The story moves at a snail 's pace , '' Bret continued . `` Even if we buy the science behind the show 's premise , the individual episodes are so infuriating with their slow pace and stupid and unbelievable character interaction that I 'm not watching anymore . '' As with many new shows , ratings for `` Revolution '' have declined since its September 17 premiere drew 11.7 million viewers and a 4.1 rating among adults 18 to 49 . Of late , ratings leveled off at about 7 million viewers and a 2.6 rating . Despite NBC 's apparent confidence , `` Revolution '' will soon embark on a three-month hiatus , to return on March 25 , so it can continue benefiting from its current lead-in show , `` The Voice . '' As Yahoo ! TV 's Dave Nemetz notes , a long hiatus `` could be deadly . There are a ton of new shows coming out in January that could step in and take that audience away . '' But it 's likely that if `` Revolution '' does n't succeed during the second half of its first season , it wo n't be because of winter break . `` A lot of people wanted to see how the world reacted when the power went out , '' Nemetz said . `` They were disappointed that , basically , the story jumped forward and they did n't get to see the aftermath . '' Sure the show revisits these moments in flashbacks , but viewers `` do n't want to derail the storyline in the current time to keep going back , '' Nemetz said . `` People have been burned with shows like 'Lost ' and 'Heroes . ' They get invested in them , and seasons later they still do n't have answers to the questions they tuned in for , so they get a little disillusioned and give up . That might be happening earlier than usual ( with 'Revolution ' ) . '' As CNN.com commenter Martyr2 wrote on Wednesday , `` I ca n't believe 'Revolution ' continues to be a success . I was really interested in it at first but I think it has really lost steam . '' Apart from pace , it 's the shows characters that seem to anger viewers . Though fans appear to enjoy Burke as protagonist Miles Matheson and Esposito ( `` Breaking Bad '' ) as Major Tom Neville of the Monroe Militia , Tracy Spiridakos in the driver 's seat as Charlie Matheson has n't been as well received . In October , The Huffington Post 's Maureen Ryan wrote , `` If Spiridakos has any strengths as an actress ( and that 's not at all apparent ) , the show 's writers have n't learned to write to them , and every week , despite 'Revolution 's ' general efficiency and the skills of its other cast members , there 's a clunky Charlie moment that makes me want to delete the show 's Season Pass from my DVR . '' CNN.com commenter Bret agrees : `` Charlie is such an annoying , whiny , stupid character . It 's not all the fault of the actor . The writers give her such dumb dialogue . Danny ( Graham Rogers ) is a much more interesting character , but the entire season is spent trying to rescue him ( from the militia ) . '' While other supporting characters like Zak Orth 's Aaron Pittman and Elizabeth Mitchell as Rachel Matheson have garnered more positive feedback , TVLine.com editor-at-large Matt Webb Mitovich reminded viewers not to get too attached in an October recap : `` NBC 's 'Revolution , ' in its fourth outing , busted out one of the oldest tricks in the book : inviting us to care , more than we had done to date , about a major-ish character , before killing that person off . '' `` I believe that people love exploring 'What if ? ' scenarios , and the one at the heart of 'Revolution ' is compelling , especially in an era where so many of us are 'wired in ' and immersed in a digital age , '' Webb Mitovich told CNN via e-mail . `` If anything ( detracts ) from the 'Revolution ' experience -- and mind you , this is a show whose producers vetted with a physicist the very foundation of the global blackout -- it is other 'leaps ' and lapses in continuity , '' he continued , `` such as the seemingly fresh-from-Urban Outfitters wardrobe and a surprising dearth of bicycles . ''
` ` Revolution '' has helped NBC win November sweeps for the first time in nine years . NBC ordered a full season of the Delta Burke - starrer after airing just two episodes . Reviews for ` ` Revolution '' have improved since it premiered in September .