Jericho

The all too short rollercoaster ride of Jericho is over for now. CBS gave Jericho the axe shortly after its penultimate episode, giving the series absolute closure. There is slim hope that another station will pick up the show, so I am certain another "Nuts Campaign" is imminent.

This "series finale" fell far short of the quality I expected from Jericho. Season One's finale was a high-octane event, most notably containing Jake Green's famous NUTS statement! This finale's pace was slow to a crawl and the storyline was astonishingly predictable.

Major Beck's progressive storyline came to its inevitable conclusion. Since the second episode it was obvious that Major Beck would eventually defy his corrupt government. Regrettably, in last week's episode Beck performed actions which were entirely out of character. His loss in rational thinking was displayed so his ethical revelations in "Patriots and Tyrants" would make for a more profound dramatic statement. Unfortunately, his out of the ordinary actions created little interest in any decision he'd make whether it be positive or negative. I did find great amusement when Beck exclaimed to Heather, "You didn't give up on me." Heather had lied to Beck multiple times, stole from him, and verbally disparaged his behavior. Beck's view of his relationship with Heather was certainly skewed from reality. Due to Beck's involvement with the principle members of Jericho, his inconsistent actions hindered the believability of many of Season Two's storylines.

Eric Green faced the possibility of leading an insurgent Jericho against its residing Cheyenne government. Eric received intelligence that the Cheyenne soldiers would soon be given orders to shoot civilians if they were in unsanctioned areas of Jericho. Eric was offered New Bern's assistance for this impending war, but thankfully realized that killing soldiers was not his wisest course of action. It was a waste of screen time to witness this potential camaraderie, because it was unthinkable that he would ally himself with his enemy, Constantino. I also thought that the "marriage" between Stanley and Mimi was cheesy, as their scenes together are typically moving. After all, Mimi gave an unsanctioned vow of her love for Stanley BY BONNIE'S GRAVE! Their scene was forced into an area of the episode where it had no place.

The other portion of "Patriots and Tyrants" focused on the attempts of Jake and Hawkins to locate a nuclear bomb and transport it to the Texas government. I thought this concept was brilliant, but its execution contained the episode's most disappointing segments. The immediate discovery of "John Smith" and the nuclear bomb by Jake and Hawkins was followed by a vicious shootout in the Cheyenne government. "John Smith" shot Hawkins in the stomach, thus debilitating Hawkins (and any hope for intense scenes of violence) for the remainder of the episode. Jake would retaliate by shooting "John Smith," and this potentially fascinating character that killed millions of people would promptly leave the episode. I hoped "Patriots and Tyrants" would be full of moments with "John Smith", including the revelations of his real name and true motivations behind his sabotage of America! Soon after, Hawkins was somehow able to direct Jake towards the Cheyenne embassy, where they were offered transportation to Texas in the form of an airplane. I had earlier seen the trailer for this week's episode, and I expected Jake's flying experience would lead to a lengthy aerial dogfight with the enemy fighters. Ultimately, this sequence was over as soon as it began when additional Texas government airplanes came to Jake's aid. I hope that Jericho finds another station so this promising series will continue and experience a more deserving conclusion!

I would like to show my gratitude to my great friend BOOPI Q, aka. Nate's, for assisting me with the editing process of my Jericho blogs. These blogs were pleasant to write but also tended to be involved. His second pair of glasses proved to be enormously helpful. So thank you BOOPI Q and thanks to my Green Family for appreciating my writing. From the wise words of Hiro Nakamura, "Yatta!"

Time's running out for Jericho! Whether fans choose to acknowledge this possibility, CBS will most likely decline bringing this critically acclaimed show back for a third season. The creators of Jericho did shoot two different endings for next week's episode, and the decision by CBS will determine whether it will function as a season or series finale. I hope that if CBS does pass on another season that the Sci-Fi Channel, which airs Jericho reruns, will pick it up.

Tonight's episode was rather quiet, acknowledging the ramifications of the battle with Goetz and Jennings & Rall. To avoid more bloodshed, Jake decided that it would be the best course of action to give himself over to Major Beck. With Jake's surrender, he offered Beck terms so no one else would be implicated. Beck accepted Jake's surrender, but would not acknowledge Jake's provisions. In "Sedition," I ultimately lost the little remaining respect I had left for Major Beck. For a seemingly intelligent soldier, Beck's knack for being so trusting led to his being manipulated regularly. Whether Beck was being conned by Valente, Goetz, Heather, Jake, Jennings & Rall, the Cheyenne Government, or by Hawkins, he still would make honorable decisions that benefit society. But now with his patience gone, his judgment had also lapsed. Since he knew the truth behind the death of Bonnie and Goetz, he should have offered Stanley amnesty and not condemnation. A soldier is supposed to be steadfast in times of war, a challenge that Beck wasn't capable of facing.

In an unusual change of pace, a segment of last night's episode focused on the visions of an incarcerated Jake Green. Due to his unfortunate surroundings, Jake became delirious and began to hallucinate. Jake's vision involved his hero, his grandfather. Jake's grandfather was referenced many times before, previously shown posthumously in the Season One finale. (Incidentally, Grandfather Green was played by The Big Lebowski!) I thought these scenes dragged a bit, but they were essential for Jake to understand that a revolution was necessary. Also, I would have preferred Jake's father, Johnston Green, to Jake's grandfather during Jake's delirium. Johnston's presence has been sorely missed, and opportunities to "revive" deceased characters on an ultra-realistic show like Jericho do not come often. However, it was lovely to see the return of Johnston's widow, the steadfast Gail Green, as she helped liberate Jake from the Cheyenne government. I had envisioned Gail's return as being more powerful than what appeared on the screen, but it still hit the appropriate emotional chord.

The standard excitement of Jericho returned for the final minutes of "Sedition." With Jake Green recovered, the action shifted to Hawkins as he attempted to transport the nuclear bomb to the safe haven of Texas. When Hawkins would not listen to the plan of "John Smith", Mr. Smith then informed Major Beck of Hawkins' true status. After being played once again, Beck displayed his lack of intelligence by ordering his soldiers to open fire on Hawkins AND the nuclear bomb in his procession. Nice going, Beck! After evading capture, Hawkins discovered that "John Smith" was the individual behind the attacks on the twenty-three American cities. Valente and Jennings & Rall were originally pawns in a much greater scheme and it was only after the attacks where they aimed for corruption. "John Smith" also informed Hawkins that he would use that final nuclear bomb to blow up the Cheyenne government.

Will Jake and Hawkins stop the bomb in time?

Will Major Beck redeem himself?

Will Jericho be cancelled?

Tune in next week. Same BOMBED town! Same BOMBED channel!

Verisimilitude.

Not only is this one of the neatest sounding words in the English language, "Verisimilitude" essentially means something that is true or something that has the appearance of truth. I first learned of this word through documentaries about Superman: The Movie. Director Richard Donner prepared his staff for filming by hanging sign on their office walls containing the word "verisimilitude" with Superman's figure hovering above it. Donner succeeded in lacing the movie with human candor, so that a man flying in blue and red tights would be taken seriously.

"End of the World Films" have inundated the film medium in recent years, Independence Day being the most high profile vehicle. That movie went the more comedic route, portraying outrageous characters and their unbelievable feats. But what this film lacked was the "verisimilitude" needed to truly bring these characters to life.

Jericho's "Termination for Cause" packed an emotional wallop that I have rarely experienced in either television or film. The characters were portrayed at odds with each other, each with rational subjective arguments to their cause. It was with this understanding of their humanity, this "verisimilitude," that our hearts sympathized with their plight.

Goetz became aware that Mimi was hidden inside the Richmond House when he murdered Bonnie, so he gathered his men from Jennings & Rall to silence Mimi while she was still in the hospital recovering. Goetz had a Jericho citizen undercover inside the hospital, named Fred, to provide him intel regarding the impending siege. Fred's reason for defecting to Goetz was based solely on the guarantee that his family would not be harmed. Not only did I empathize with Fred's actions, his peers similarly understood his reasoning. Instead of condemning Fred after his two-faced guise was discovered, Jake sternly told him to leave and return to his family. Earlier in the episode, another Jericho resident was faced with the dilemma of either defending the hospital against its J&R insurgents or leaving to protect his wife. Just like this other individual, Fred's conduct was tainted by his love for his family. Meanwhile, Goetz and his soulless soldiers had no motivation other than cover up the unexplainable havoc they created. I do not understand Goetz, and that is why I hate him.

Of the Richmond trio (Bonnie, Stanley, and Mimi), I am glad that it was Bonnie who was deemed "worthy" to die. Stanley and Mimi have now experienced a loss that will color their every scene for the remainder of the show's existence. It was painfully heartbreaking to witness Stanley signing to Bonnie's corpse, "Are you ok?" Stanley felt such an emotional responsibility towards his sister that in his mind he failed her. Thus, it made perfect sense when Stanley, who has proven himself to be a fierce soldier when necessary, ***SPOILER ALERT*** put a bullet through Goetz' head. Despite the inevitable confrontation with Major Beck, Stanley's revenge made for a necessary step towards his self-inflicted redemption.

Bonnie is dead. Who would have guessed that Bonnie would be felled by such a tragic fate? Oh wait, I could. For those of you who have read my previous blogs should have noticed that much of my focus was about Stanley, Mimi, and Bonnie. I felt that their lives were too perfect and they lost the inner conflict that once made them interesting characters. I also commented that despite the strength of the bond between Stanley and Mimi, they were far more interesting as individual threats to the new government. I even went as far as to specifically speculate that Mimi should use her new position as a Jennings & Rall accountant to uncover any criminal activity. With enough analysis to television shows' writing formulas, every viewer has the ability to subjugate any doubt about different characters' motivations. However, showing viewers the tranquility of the Richmond farm WAS necessary to evoke the appropriate response from Bonnie's death. My complaint lies from the previous episodes, where these three characters were dramatically overselling their love for each other. The writers might as well have put target symbols on the characters' foreheads.

"Oversight" brings the storylines of Jake and Hawkins closer together as they now fight a common enemy. The corrupt Goetz is using his unjust jurisdiction to prevent Dale from "illegally" importing supplies to Jericho. This episode's most fascinating scene involves a clandestine meeting with Jericho's most vocal citizens at Bailey's Tavern. Despite mentioning the Boston Tea Party during this scene, it was not far fetched to decode the allegory that was being shown. The parable between Jennings & Rall and King George III's England was an excellent storytelling device because the well-known story of the American Revolution helps the viewers empathize with Jericho's struggle.

Another great moment happens when Jake and Hawkins bring Heather into their exclusive "club." They need Heather to remove a document from Major Beck's files, which would have revealed the location of a nuclear bomb in Jericho. Hawkins' mysterious benefactor, only known as John Smith, informs Hawkins that he will be caught within 24 hours if this evidence isn't confiscated. Since Heather is the only civilian with access to Beck's office, she is the only person Jake can trust to destroy the papers. This gives Jericho a newfound opportunity to utilize this wonderful character to a greater potential.

After bestowing amnesty to a resident of Jericho that is willing to betray Dale, Goetz acts as judge and jury by sending Dale to prison. Much like my speculation with the Richmond family storyline, the writers are intentionally making Goetz more deplorable with his every appearance. Goetz is the Sheriff of Nottingham to Valente's Prince John. When Stanley and Mimi get their revenge (and they WILL!), it will be a moment so grandiose that my tiny analogue TV will not do it justice!

I actually had a lol (laugh out loud) moment when I shouldn't have. But it was so silly! Let me explain. Eric, Mary, and Emily decided, after seemingly much deliberation, that Dale does not need to go around the checkpoints to get his products into town. They told him that he would be able to go through the checkpoints safely, but then the scene ended and we didn't find out until later what their plan entailed. It turns out that Mary would use her sexual wiles towards a military officer based at a Jericho checkpoint. Mary doesn't have the natural beauty to pull a stunt off like that, and it was laughable that this was Eric and company's best plan of action. As my sister says, "Mary's just not that pretty."

The build-up from the previous episodes culminated in one of the finest hours yet for Jericho! In last week's universally praised recap, I questioned whether the abbreviated season left Jericho ample time for their characters to progressively develop. These same concerns must have been going through the writers' minds as well, because both of the Jake/Hawkins storylines encompassed the majority of the screen time. (The chronicles of Stanley, Mimi, and Bonnie only ate up a small portion of "Jennings & Rall." I really hope something catastrophic happens to one of these characters, because I have grown increasingly bored with their story.)

In Season One, Jake rallied the leaders of Jericho to rush its people to safe enclosed locations to avoid radiation poisoning from the fallout in Denver. As the season progressed, civilization devolved to a point where it became somewhat akin to the Wild West. Dale turned his grocery store into a trading post, and hired actual muscle to prevent his assets from being threatened. Whenever the townsfolk have to overcome the consequences of the nuclear explosion, the most exciting and fascinating aspects of Jericho become more noticeably apparent. In the current installment, Dale is traveling outside of town for supplies and comes across a quarantined area. He discovers that the deadly Hudson River Virus is moving closer to Jericho. Dale obtains a sufficient supply of the vaccination, but the manipulative and sadistic Goetz confiscates his bounty. Up until this point, Jericho's survival and the government conspiracy had a more tangential connection. But this episode brings about a profound narrative leap, with Jennings & Rall having direct control over Jericho! Jake and Eric Green might hold "authority," but Jennings & Rall will be damned if Jericho's citizens act without their say-so.

Hawkins' story was somewhat of an homage to his first several appearances on Jericho. In the early Season One episodes, Hawkins manipulated everyone he encountered in order to uncover the ramifications of the attack. In "Jennings & Rall," the unabashed police officer Jimmy makes his return to duty, only screw up Hawkins' investigation. Jimmy sees a wanted poster for Sarah Mason and tells Major Beck that he knows that she used to briefly reside in Jericho. Hawkins is forced to "play" Beck by aiding the search for Sarah Mason. I really felt sympathy towards Beck, because he seems like a stand-up guy and a fine officer. Not only is he being manipulated by Jennings & Rall, but now he's also a pawn of Hawkins. However, at the end of the episode he breaks command by inoculating a nearby town from the Hudson River Virus. The strength he displayed will be necessary to overcome his superiors in the episodes to come!

As I said in last week's blog, this shortened season will affect how Jericho fans will emotionally respond to the new storylines. Unfortunately, those creative hindrances made its presence felt in "Condor."

I realize I am putting myself in hot water, but realize that my problems lie only with this dreadfully short season. For the conspiracy nuts (and Jericho NUTS!), this shortened season should satisfy the fans with desires to immediately experience the crux of the action! But those that enjoyed Season One's vast character focus will be disappointed by the current season's more limited scope.

There were two narrative styles used to shine light on the characters during Jericho's first season. One method involved focusing on the primary storyline, while letting the characters grow in response to their objectives. The principle example of this was Jake Green. He earlier departed Jericho as a delinquent outcast, but would return to consistently save the people who once shunned him. Flashbacks aside, Jake Green's character was defined by his pro-active stance in his town.

Jericho also focused on characters involved with more personal storylines, independent of the episode's key tales. These characters were often attempting to live with a semblance of normalcy despite their lifestyle changes. These developments would often run parallel to the main plot points, only intertwining when it would be most inconvenient to its characters. A perfect example of this was with Eric Green's affair with Mary Bailey, and the affects on his marriage with April. The effects of the aftermath (Eric leaving for New Bern), was only as powerful as its dramatic set-up.

It is unfortunate that the only major character developments running outside the perimeter of this season's principle stories focuses on Stanley and Mimi. Make no mistake, these characters light up the screen with their every scene! And the return of Stanley's sister, Bonnie, was also a welcome surprise! But I feel that their participation in the episode would have been better utilized elsewhere. Mimi was given a job as an accountant with Jennings & Rall and now, with her close government connection, it would have been much more interesting to show her encroaching secrets of the government conspiracy. Stanley is both a farmer and a soldier, and it would not have been out of character to show him assisting Jake as a deputy. The continuing focus on Stanley and Mimi only retreads the previous episode and doesn't add much to their story. However if the love story shifted to characters such Dale and Skylar, the emotional pallet would be far more diverse and satisfying.

CBS is giving viewers another opportunity to view the riveting Season Two premiere of Jericho! Watch it on a special night and time on Saturday, February 16 from 8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT. And then be sure to leave a comment below with many of the loyal fans of Jericho!

Anyone who isn't familiar with premise of Jericho should read the "Strike Survival Guide" that I have written. When everyone is on the same page, let's all take a peek at the long awaited continuation to the Jericho saga!

Last year's finale ended with a cliffhanger showing the town of Jericho, Kansas fighting off the invading neighboring town of New Bern. But just as the "New Bern War" started, the screen went black and the end-credits began. It's no wonder that Jericho fans fought so hard to save the show.

"Reconstruction" briefly shows the casualties that were accumulated during the war (lots of explosions!!!), but it smartly moves past this to begin a new season's worth of storylines. Last season, the town of Jericho was faced with the obstacle of refashioning its society to survive the aftermath of a tragedy. Now, they are tested with a self-appointed government, The Allied States of America, attempting to reconfigure their civilization without the foundation of democracy!

Major Edward Beck is the capable and adept face of Jericho's military presence. Beck's principles were founded by his former regime, so he is too blind to understand the Allied States' actual motivations to "rehabilitate" Jericho. But when he does discover their true allegiance, I am certain that Beck will defect and assist the liberation of Jericho.

Meanwhile, Robert Hawkins has discovered that a high ranking government official named Valente is responsible for the nuclear attacks. Now a leader within the Allied States, Valente knows that an individual in close proximity to Jericho has evidence to incriminate him. However, Valente has yet to make the correlation that the individual he is searching for is actually Hawkins. Little was known about Robert Hawkins in Jericho's early episodes, but he would gradually become more prominent as the series progressed. He is easily my favorite character, because I admire the grey line that Hawkins constantly hovers over. Always questioning his actions, I am assured that he makes his decisions for the greater good.

How can I not mention Jake Green? The man who shares my initials and last name! It was a smart move for Jake to accept Beck's offer to become the next sheriff of Jericho. He is already considered by many to be Jericho's most heroic citizen, so his newfound authority will allow him to better protect Jericho from any threats from the Allied States.

Season Two ultimately won't be as satisfying as Season One simply because CBS ordered only seven episodes for this season. The massive cast of Jericho was displayed prominently throughout Season One because twenty-two episodes gave the show's creators ample space to develop their characters. This year's shortened season forces the creators to purge many of the extraneous character beats that would have deviated from the central story. Absent are characters like Dale, the teenage owner of the trading post, and even Hawkins' children are mentioned but not seen. The continuing love story of Stanley and Mimi, however, is full steam ahead as they take the first steps toward marriage. I have read that the creators of Jericho are planning on killing at least one character this season. If there is anything I have learned from watching an exorbitant amount of television, idyllic characters leads to dull television. With this romance going as far as it can go, one of these two characters will die before season's end. My money's on Stanley.

Want more reasons to watch Jericho? Heather's back! The Morse code in the opening minutes of every episode reveals more of the show's secrets! And the biggest reason to watch? This is a show that people love. Not like, LOVE! Not many shows can evoke this kind of a response from the public. Jericho exists for you!