Season 1 ended with a big bang. The power was turned back on, making the premise of the entire show possibly ruined. It was revealed that the power was being controlled by nano technology and nano-bots that have replicated and filled the air. However, Randall ended up being a Patriot for the United States government, which somehow has survived for more than a decade by hiding the president in Cuba. Randall launched missiles for the capital cities of all the countries within the old US and we now know that Atlanta was destroyed by these missiles before Aaron managed to turn the power off again.
So the power was on for a whopping 4 minutes before the world was once again plunged into darkness. This season picks up 6 months after those miraculous 4 minutes. Charlie has left her mother (Rachel), Miles, and Aaron in order to wander through Texas. Rachel, Aaron and eventually Miles head to Willoughby, Texas, where Rachel’s father lives as the town’s doctor. Aaron has a new girlfriend and Rachel has become an assistant in her father’s medical practice. Miles is still up to no good, trying to take down marauders and get the information he needs.
Tom Neville, former major in the Monroe Republic, and his son, Jason, are searching the refugee camps of the former Atlanta residents to find Tom’s wife, even though she most likely perished in the bombing. David Schwimmer is now giving performances as the last surviving member of the cast of Friends. While the Nevilles are searching the refugee camps, a sail boat carrying members of the United States government arrive at Atlanta to begin establishing the government there. Tom Neville, forever capitalizing on all opportunities, immediately begins to shift loyalties yet again as the United States is now the premiere power in the area.
In the meantime, Charlie has been enjoying the bar scene somewhere in the Plains Nation, even engaging in some risqué information gathering that involves a lot of making out in an alleyway. She tracks down Monroe, who is now a boxer living under an alias. It is now her mission to assassinate Monroe and make him pay for killing her father and brother.
Willoughby is under attack by a “war clan,” led by Titus Andover. Titus is a pseudo-cult leader, running the war clan in the name of God. Titus was a schoolmaster before the power went off, but he was about to be fired for inappropriate conduct. According to Titus, the power was a miracle from God allowing him to continue his work. The war clan takeS both Miles and Willoughby’s sheriff.
The war clan goes after Aaron’s girlfriend, resulting in a struggle. Aaron makes a valiant effort to defend her, but he is cut in the chest. Rachel tries to save him, but he bled out and died. He is dead for four minutes. However, the nano-bots in the air begin to look like fireflys and Aaron is miraculously resuscitated.