Jericho

If you haven't already heard, Jericho will be returning with new episodes this fall after quite an uproar from fans (woo hoo!). Check out repeats of last season currently airing on CBS.

If you haven't heard already, Jericho will not be returning for another season. Thanks for all the great comments! For more of my thoughts on this news, go here.

If finales are supposed to bring all the emotion from the season and combine it with a few answers, a tragedy and a reason to know more, Jericho rose to the occasion — at least for me. There was no teenager story line, there was no Mary Bailey hanging off Eric's arm, there were no bad decisions from Gray. This was for the leaders. "You can go straight to hell."

I'm still in shock as I mourn Johnston's death and so upset that he was the one to go. I knew a big death was coming, someone major, someone whose death would upset most viewers, but what are we going to do without Gerald McRaney? When that tank rolled in, I felt victorious from my couch… until I saw Papa Green barely moving. I guess this is Jake's time to step up and make a stand. Defend his home.

Again, this episode was shot really well. I really liked how they mixed in the scenes from Eric's wedding with the present day. Two of those interconnected scenes stood out for me: Jake's best-man speech combined with his silent stance on that front porch after his father died, and Johnston talking to him outside the reception combined with Jake mustering up the strength to fight New Bern for another round. "Doing what you feel like doing and doing what needs to be done are two different things." With that line alone, the episode was perfectly blended with past and present.

I didn't like the old Jake as much as the new one. That slicked-back 'do doesn’t work as well for him. Clearly a drunken embarrassment to his family, it was sad to see how Jake broke away from his family, particularly Eric, and became such a loner. But then to see the brothers shoulder to shoulder during the New Bern attack was comforting. "I've got your back."

There were many parts of this finale that I felt were maneuvered brilliantly. The camera panning down the long line of New Bern trucks curving around the bend, Johnston's reaction when Hawkins revealed he had a satellite — after all, they were going to war with the town holding the nearest Costco (loved the line!) — Darcy slamming down the laptop, Jake walking up to Emily and kissing her before going back to fight another round, the gravesite scene with Mimi, Stanley and Bonnie. Leave it to Stanley to let a joke seep through a serious moment, but it was endearing and exactly what needed to be said before such a heavy situation unfolded. There's the dream of growing old together, having kids of their own and the possibility of a renewed life, but reality was too dark of a cloud to feel too hopeful. "Jake, I don't wanna die today." Such a short line, but it radiated so much feeling.

Also, Darcy knowing Hawkins' secrets was a great part of this ending. Their whole discussion about being tracked down was an unusual exchange between the two of them, considering Hawkins had been speaking so vaguely to his wife in every other episode. So I like the fact that Darcy's in on the secret, even if she doesn't know every single detail.

Meanwhile, out in Nebraska, Heather's a lost soul at Camp Liberty (who came up with that name?) and revealing information to the wrong people. Valente zeroing in on Hawkins' location and Heather's news of New Bern's plans make for a nasty combination. Those helicopters flying over Jericho at the end were just the beginning of something huge. Seeing that new American flag was like seeing an opening shot of the next season. There's so much more to the story, so much aftermath of the mushroom cloud that we haven't seen yet.

Will you want to continue watching without Johnston in the picture? It will be difficult for me to move on from his sudden farewell, but I'm attached enough to want more answers and see what Jake can do. This show was shaky at the start, really capturing its greatest potential in the second half of the season. But the cast has really impressed me, along with the writing and directing. Well done, CBS.

One question, though: what happened to Maggie?

Watch clips of Jericho in our Online Video Guide.

Wow. I am giving CBS a standing ovation right now. Secrets came out, familiar faces returned and one hell of a shootout went down.

But before we get to that, does anyone else think that Gray is the worst mayor ever? I know it's a time of panic, but sending other people out there and just saying, "We're going to take them out!" is not getting anything accomplished. Get the tank! At least Hawkins had an idea — get underground! It was completely frustrating watching Johnston have no control when, of course, he was right. Jake, Eric, Jimmy, all the men who could be doing something — standing silent, powerless. Gray almost killed his own town.

When Emily stepped up and played with the big boys all of a sudden, laying next to Hawkins, surveying the scene, it was really odd to me — until Jonah showed up. Daddy's back! I liked their little negotiation. And even better was Johnston rallying the men behind Gray's back. "It's time to pick a side!"

Once their plan was in action, that little moment in the truck between Johnston and the driver about the bass fishing contest in New Bern two years before was small but vital — you could tell by the expression on Johnston's face that fishing seemed so long ago, a time when New Bern and Jericho were friendly neighbors, welcoming each other with open arms and lighthearted contests. An unrecognizable time now.

Even though this entire episode was a masterpiece, the shootout was awesome in its own right. There's no other word coming to my mind. When Jonah and his men came around that bend, I shifted in excitement, but my surge of energy sunk low when he took off with the guns and painfully left Emily and the others behind. "I am a thief, not a solider."

Another part of this episode that I really liked was Hawkins' family story line. It was nice to see him just as vulnerable as the rest of the residents. I liked the personal side of him we saw with Darcy. I really felt a sincerity from the man who's put up a wall between him and his family for so long. But now, like he said, he never thought this place would be his home and there are "no more secrets."

There were a lot of great moments packed into the hour tonight — a lot of stare downs, a lot of shooting, a lot of dead bodies. But by far the best part of the night, was a single line — music to my ears — that came from Gray at the very end of this intense episode: "Johnston, I need your help." And when Johnston stood on the back of that truck and spoke to his town, it reminded me of the very first episode when he spoke from the door of that school bus after the mushroom cloud changed their lives forever.

I missed Mimi tonight — and the lighter moments she provides. But this was a whole different ball game. Seeing Allison take a gun, the fear settle in Jake's eyes and Stanley peering through his binoculars at the tents and trucks set up to destroy his town, I knew this show had just hit its high point.

"There's no deals, no mercy, we're comin'. This means war."

Find video from Jericho in our Online Video Guide.

This show just keeps getting better and better. I was really impressed with the pace of this episode and even more entranced with how they shot the scenes. There were moments when I thought the camera work was actually a big component to the strength of this episode — Jake peering through the holding cell's bars as the light pierced the side of his face, the fast, jolting moves of the shootout, the camera tilted upward as Johnston, Constantino and Russell walked across that footbridge, and the intense meeting between the two leaders that brought them close enough to share a breath. I just really felt the story was captured well visually this week.

Speaking of Constantino and Johnston, what a face-to-face that was! I really like Johnston. He's such a driving force behind Jericho, but in a more silent manner. He speaks when he needs to. He broods in between. He thinks and thinks while his sons are running around in the forefront. Johnston is Jericho's safety, Jericho's home. Plus, he just gets me in a fighting spirit: "He's not gonna use my sons as human shields!"

I didn't think we'd see Maggie again, but I don't trust her. She turned on her own people to get into New Bern, she made a deal with Constantino and she's just shady around Jake. I know she's trying to survive just like everybody else, but she gives off a vibe that I'm not on board with. Now that she's on her way back to Jericho with the Green men and Hawkins, I don't really know what to expect of her when they get back to town… if she makes it there alive. I did let out a laugh, though, when she asked Hawkins, "What were you doing the last time things were normal?" Hawkins? Normal?

Hawkins' plan was again flawless, except for Ted bailing at the last minute. I'm glad they at least nipped Hawkins and Maggie, because it would have been a little ridiculous if they all escaped without getting hit. I was flinching every time those bullets missed Jake's head by a few inches. Obviously he wouldn't die, but it still kept me on the edge of my seat.

It was confirmed after this episode that the only people I do trust from New Bern are Russell and Ted, and I hope Ted doesn't completely disappear. Maybe we'll see him again when the two towns really face each other. We know that New Bern is only more riled up after learning some of their men were injured during the salt-mine scuffle. And with all those mortars stored up, Jericho needs a plan. I know Hawkins will come into play there, and hopefully Gray will just listen to Johnston, because I can't take much more of his indecisiveness and poor leadership.

I can't wait for those four men (and Maggie) to walk back into town, welcomed back by the people of Jericho that can't survive without them. Eric is definitely a changed man — will he fall back into Mary's arms? And I still want to know if Heather's really dead. Thoughts?

Well, now we're really in the middle of it. New Bern's got an ammunition factory and two of Jericho's important residents are being held captive. Heather's supposedly dead, Constantino (Timothy Omundson) is on a rampage ("I'm big on anything that keeps us alive") and Hawkins is hovering in the darkness with no one but himself to fix the situation.

When the episode started off with the windmills rolling into Jericho, I was glad to see Stanley back in town, along with the other nameless Jericho men who went to New Bern weeks ago. (The look on Stanley's face when he saw Bonnie's boy toy was priceless.) But I was more excited to actually get out of town and see other survivors struggling. Life in New Bern is just as desperate as Jericho, and Eric's unknown whereabouts were a perfect opportunity for Jake and Hawkins to hit the road together and team up to get more answers. I love Jake's nature. He's protective, defensive and sometimes irrational when it comes to his loved ones, but he comes through in a clutch and leaves himself for last. Although it's Hawkins who really knows how to get under someone's skin, and his calm approach in the trailer as he sharpened those knives made Jake's "we need answers" sound more like "blah blah blah." All Jake could do was follow his lead. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for him, and his eagerness landed him behind bars right next to his brother.

Things in Jericho were a little more mundane this week but mostly centered around understanding each other a little more. Stanley and Mimi played house while Sean was working Stanley's last nerve. "My house, my rules, my vibe." Another bonding session tonight was Johnston and Mary's. It was nice to see Johnston feeling more like himself again, even if that just meant reminiscing about a silly moment from the past. I also really liked Jimmy's desire to reach out to Sam, who is clearly feeling scared and confused. Sometimes Jimmy can seem like a goof, but he's pretty straightforward and I liked the exchanges between him and Darcy.

I pretty much have no interest in Gray and his random commands. He did have a point about Skylar not owning that salt without evidence of her parents' death, but I had a feeling she wouldn't give up that easily, especially after her scheming horseback skills we saw last week. I just have a hard time believing that these teenagers are able to make deals and get what they want so easily, so with Russell's (David Meunier) proposition came some more interesting twists and we'll have to see if Skylar makes wise decisions or not. But Gray's so stubborn that he doesn't know who to believe, even when someone is actually trying to help him. I found some relief in both Russell and Ted this week, in the midst of all the lying that was going down.

Seeing New Bern's map and their inventory of Jericho wasn't surprising considering how shady Constantino seemed from the beginning, but do we really have a war on our hands here? Or will Johnston step up and save his boys? I'm curious to see Hawkins' next move after lurking in the shadows during New Bern's town meeting. I'm a little disappointed that Heather's gone and we didn't see any of her time in New Bern, unless Eric's wrong and he doesn't know for a fact that she's dead.

Any thoughts on lies, deals and heroes?

Wow, answers! This episode was really focused and didn't show us too much of everyone, so we finally got some solid information out of Hawkins. I knew Jimmy was onto him when he was questioning Darcy in the last episode — even before he heard the news about the fake FBI badges — so it was great that he busted into the Hawkins home and got Jake involved. Jake definitely wasn't letting up on Robert, and those handcuffs came in pretty handy (for a few minutes, at least). I really liked the heated situation between them, because there were so many emotions crammed together that it provided for some great stare-downs, a little bit of sarcasm and some memorable lines. A few of my favorite from Hawkins:

"Wanna see my ring?"
"You do not want to know what I know."
"This bomb? It's our burden now."
"I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life."

When Jake saw the nuclear bomb in Robert's shed, he couldn't even blink. It's not too often that we see Jake as freaked out as he was, but I liked it. He's still human. He's not always the hero, he can't be. And now he's got this heavy information with all its delicate details wrapped around his brain and he has to stay involved. Like Robert said, it's his burden now, too.

I thought making baldy Thomas Valente — who was handing out orders to the CIA team — the faceless leader was a great twist. Watching Hawkins match up the photo with the Department of Homeland Security profile felt like a big piece of this puzzle had just been found tucked behind the couch cushion. Although with this show, there are thousands of pieces still missing, so we only get a brief sense of relief before moving on to the next unknown. Still, it was helpful to go back in time and see Robert attending those meetings and going along with Sarah's ideas, and watching moments with Darcy that showed how close they once were (even though her wig wasn't convincing at all). Another small detail that caught my eye: When Hawkins and Daryl were hiding out in that apartment and Hawkins was looking through the peephole, wouldn't the men have heard what he was saying, considering his face was practically flush against the door? But I guess it doesn't matter in the end.

Other info we know includes New York being an original target but saved by Hawkins and his crew, and the extensive time Robert spent gaining trust just to get in and infiltrate the plan. Eight months in prison? Keeping his cover intact when the FBI got involved? No wonder they asked him to return.

Meanwhile, in other parts of Jericho...

I thought the scene with Mimi talking to the chickens was hilarious. It just emphasized how out of place she feels there (plus, now that Stanley's off gathering windmills, she needs to hold up the lighter moments that I usually enjoy). But with a lot of time to sit around and watch Bonnie do whatever she wants, including having sleepovers with her boyfriend, we also got another opportunity to see Mimi adjust and find a way into this small family that she's now a part of. The scene at the end when she was signing to Bonnie was really touching.

Another soft moment was seeing Gail at the cemetery, visiting April. It wasn't surprising that people would turn to Johnston for leadership now that Gray is in recovery, but it was a little sad to see him struggle with that idea and hide away in the woods. He's going through something he can't express — a different side of a man who usually speaks so well and guides everyone around him.

Lastly, it was nice to see more of Allison, hear her thoughts and witness the aftermath for her of Sarah's death. She didn't just shoot her and move on. Just like her father, she's going to have to live with that for the rest of her life.

I can't wait to see more of Jake and Hawkins tackling this situation together. We'll see how Jake handles it, and who, if anyone, he shares information with. Will he get Johnston involved? Will he leave town with Hawkins to go after Valente? Will anyone else see that bomb in the shed? And I think it's time for the New Bern group to return. What has Heather really been doing all this time? Answers really only lead us to more questions, which makes this show compelling (to me, at least) and worth a green light.

Usually when I'm watching Jericho, I'm scribbling away, jotting down notes, remembering quotes, condensing what I can from an overload of secrets and action. But tonight, there was something mellow in the air, even among the fighting and the drama. I knew we wouldn't see any of New Bern, because Brad Beyer warned me we wouldn't see the crew that left for the windmills for a couple of episodes, and I was waiting for something to drive Roger out of town, because I still believe the writers will play up Jake and Emily's relationship at some point again.

But it was an interesting — almost mundane — angle this week. We haven't seen much of who the refugees really are up to this point, so I did like seeing some new faces and actually hearing them speak up. And showing the fighter side of Roger was enough to make Emily feel a distance between them. A noble move to stand up for the refugees and not hide in Emily's house, it was only right that he be the one that was punished. Although I did feel a sadness watching him walk out of town with barely any layers to keep him warm. I wonder if we'll ever see him again. Still, with the refugees staying in empty houses and with families willing to share their rations, this might allow for more information about what else is out there, what they've seen and maybe some pieces will come together if we get to learn about some of these refugees whose stories are scattered but whose lives have been forced together.

As for other bold moves, Skylar and Dale's little adventure seemed a little too easy for me. Didn't it seem like she saddled up the gas and hopped on that horse pretty quickly?

Jake was running around as usual trying to keep the peace. "If you need a hostage, take me." Not surprising. I was on the edge of my seat for a second when Bill was aiming that rifle from the rooftop. Now that Gray's injured, will Johnston step in for him? Gail certainly exerted some power this week, and it seems like the Green family are the only people making any sound decisions.

Of course Hawkins keeps me interested with every move. I was pretty impressed with his ability to remain hidden at the warehouse, but I'm glad we got to see some of the faces behind all the communication, and I'm eager for more to surface and Hawkins to get mixed back in with the town's distress. When Jimmy heard the radio announcer talk about the terrorists in New York carrying fake FBI badges, it opened a gate to the path we've been waiting for: Hawkins being questioned once and for all. I've been thinking about that showdown Lennie James told me about when I spoke to him a while back. He said it was very possible Hawkins and Jake would face off, and I'm anxious to see that.

Did anyone else feel a little differently — not completely disappointed, just different — about this episode, or was it just me?

Jericho is frozen. I think the only people that cracked a smile this week were Stanley and Mimi, thanks to Stanley's little jokes that levitate the mood, if just for a second. (Check out my interview with Brad Beyer to hear about upcoming episodes and Stanley's dark side.) Obviously, surviving winter has become a harder struggle with each day that passes and more energy is lost, but there was more to the chilly air of this episode than the actual temperature outside. Gail's expression when she saw Mary outside the hospital room. Darcy's face when she reminded Robert that their daughter just killed a woman. Bonnie's eyes when she taught Mimi how to sign. Kenchy's frustration with April's surgery. Eric's mild goodbye to Mary. Everything turned to ice.

Of course, the writers balanced it out with a little bit of love, a few moments of hope and lots of tears. April's story line was so heavy, but it provided one of my favorite scenes of the episode: the family gathered together around Eric, Jake's arm across April's limp body. The silence combined with Eric crumbling within his family's embrace was enough to sell it.

I liked the new doctor (almost doctor?) — a welcome addition to Jericho Medical — who encouraged Dr. Duwhalia to use his skills and save some lives, even if he can't save them all.

When I was watching April give instructions to save her own baby, I got the sense that when a doctor becomes the patient, it might be even more fearful for her because she knows what's happening to her body and how severe the situation is. It's easy to assume that she would be a better patient, more calm, but knowing what's happening may blanket any lingering hope with the danger of reality.

I didn't expect anything less from Jake, worrying and pushing for the surgery to happen. There were too many people in that "operating" room, though, and it was odd to me that she even survived the surgery, if only for that brief amount of time. But, I guess that's TV. I did like seeing Bonnie and Mimi tackle the day together, learning to cope side by side, even if they had at it a few times along the way. After witnessing what they did, it's only fitting they grow closer now, and Bonnie's tears broke down the wall she had built between her and Mimi. Alicia Coppola is impressing me more every week — especially tonight when she was seeing Stanley off and wanted to tell him she loves him. The way she was sputtering and stalling was believable to me, and I adored that moment they shared.

Stanley has become one of my favorite characters, always inching in some humor while remaining a strong resident, willing to get in the thick of it. It's funny to think back to the beginning when he was very protective of his farm and kept to himself. Even though it's survival of the fittest now, most of the main players are dedicated to doing what they can for the town as a whole — Dale's story is an exception because it was his right to demand his share of the crop. But we're seeing more and more that when people are desperate, deals get pretty risky, and the windmill negotiation was a tricky one. But they can't predict the future or the crop, and when it came down to "starve next fall or freeze this winter," they had no choice but to set out for more mills. I hope we see Heather next time, because I have an unsettling feeling that she didn't decide to stay behind, but rather was forced to.

Once again, Robert's story was separate from the rest of Jericho's happenings, but now that Darcy and the kids are staying at Jimmy's house, I wonder what will unfold. He was just doing his job in his usual cheery manner, but I couldn't decide if Jimmy was onto Hawkins or not. The look in his eyes at times said he knew Hawkins was responsible, but at the same time, if Darcy really did go along with the cover story, he could know nothing. All I know is, I can't get the image of that bloody rag that Robert hid out of my head. Not to mention seeing the duffle bag stuffed with Sarah's body being lowered down with the package underground.

Emphasized this week, and something quite obvious at this point: there are no more laws. Gray can't seem to make a sound decision without Johnston nearby, deals are going down, guns are an everyday accessory and while some people are growing closer, others are losing touch. We haven't seen much of Emily and Jake since Roger's return, and Hawkins has been hiding out. It's time for the chill to thaw, so we can see what else is out there.

Update: In response to some posts, I was referring to the female doctor who assisted on the surgery (I know Dr. Duwhalia has been there the whole time). Also, I'm not sure why I thought Sarah was in the duffle bag — I think it was because of something he said to Darcy, but looks like I'm mistaken. Thanks for posting!

Good news! According to Jericho executive producer Carol Barbee — who spoke about the show at the Museum of TV & Radio's William S. Paley Festival — we'll know "a large part" about who dropped the bombs by the end of this season. Also, assuming a second season gets the green light, Barbee confirmed that there will be "a lot about the American government coming back together."

OK, so that might not reveal a lot, but I'm pretty pumped to see how this season closes, and I hope that CBS gets a chance to continue the story.

"Everybody has a price and everybody lies."

Well, I figured something might be wrong with these Marines coming into town, ready to hand out help, proclaiming that Jericho's back on the grid. But, with these detailed shows, I'm usually a cynic about everything wonderful that provides some hope in a devastating situation (just like my suspicions about people on Lost).

I have to say, though, it wasn't such a bad idea for those refugees to fake their way into towns, rolling through starving grounds with their big tank and military orders. Talk about survival. But it's a pretty grim view of what people will do in a state of tragedy and fear — fighting against their own, stealing whatever they can, looking into the sad eyes of others who are trying to hold on for another day, too, and lying straight to their faces.

I do wonder, though, if any of the information from their story was true, because they said they made up parts of it. So did the U.S. nuke North Korea and Iran? Is there an established president and a federal government grounded in Columbus, Ohio? I'm not sure they would be handing out so much detail to strangers, so what exactly is true?

I was a little annoyed with the flirting between Jake and Maggie (Erin Daniels). Why is he trying to make out with everyone? Can that please stop? Because I really like his character and we don't need him going around falling for anyone that comes along. First we had Heather (who's still off making windmills) and then Emily (who was barely in this episode at all), and now a random girl who waves her lies at him.

On another side of town, nowhere near the celebration, I was glad Hawkins stood up to Sarah, defended his family and emphasized that it mattered this time. At first I was disappointed to see him kissing her, but this is Hawkins we're talking about — nice grab. Unfortunately, Sarah's not an idiot either, and it was pretty creepy watching Sam sitting there on the couch while she held a gun behind his back.

The fight in the Hawkins' house was shot just as harshly as their movements were happening. The camera angles were sharp and sudden, and what a great ending, having Allison put her target practice to good use. I don't blame Darcy for her reaction, though, and it was a pretty concentrated moment — as usual with this family. But there was something necessary about seeing Robert break down, cry, silently panic. It was about time. I'm looking forward to him meeting Sarah's contact and coming face to face with the person behind all the communication.

Random things that caught my eye:

Bonnie was among the crowd. Apparently, she didn't disappear, she was just hanging out with her new boyfriend, who Stanley's clearly not a fan of.

Speaking of Stanley, he still cracks me up. "I'm not a Cornhusker, I'm a Jayhawk!" I'm still not a total fan of Mimi, but I don't mind having her around now.

Wasn't it funny to see Eric on a horse? I chuckled when he came riding in, clearing the road.

Even though Jake didn't know the truth about the Marines yet, how irritating was it that Mary Bailey complained about her jukebox being torn apart when he asked for the parts? She's so selfish. I just can't seem to sympathize with her enough.

How the hell did Gray get a fireworks show together that quickly? Johnston completely trumped him this week. His experience read all the signs, his command got the refugees on their way, and his bravado pretty much proved that he really is the mayor of Jericho, whether the votes say so or not. "Never know when you might need a tank."

Tonight the love triangles were put on hold, the affairs were set aside, the teens were nowhere to be seen. Tonight was about pure survival, and even our fearless leader, Jake, was starting to see the light before he had to be rescued for once. And while his family was pulling together to save him, Hawkins was thinking of his wife and kids as he risked his own life on a mission with the mysterious Sarah.

"After today, I'm here." The minute Hawkins said that to Darcy, I thought, "I wouldn't be so sure about that." Sarah was in control, and Hawkins should have considered that she might have changed since he last saw her. She still seemed pretty hurt to see him with his family: "Too much domestic bliss?" But I was more intrigued with the computer files. Woodworth, Ritts and Pierce were all terminated. There was a dead man sitting in the corner. It didn't take long for Hawkins to figure out that he was a player in The Hunter's (Ron Bottitta) game and Sarah was barely holding her front together. Well, until she — snap! — killed The Hunter and gave herself more time with Robert, if for no other reason than to find the precious package. Could she really kill him, though? I'm curious to see where he moves his family.

But Robert's story line was completely separate from the rest of the town's. I guess Stanley and Mimi are getting pretty close if he wants to make sure she knows how to "trap and shoot," huh? Mimi wasn't as thrilled. "Now you want me to kill Bambi." I thought their little squabble in the truck was hilarious, and I was laughing along with Jake. Neiman Marcus? At least there are some lighter moments tucked within the severity of the situation. But those moments are just flickers of light, and the darkness of survival returns within seconds. The results of mass migration were disturbing — so many bodies scattered, surrendered to nature. It seems impossible to outrun winter when you're on foot. Trampled, frozen, dead.

The truck chase was pretty intense, not to mention Jake propping himself out the window to shoot (although I don't mind watching Skeet handle a gun). My adrenaline was definitely flowing when he was reaching for the gun after the crash, as the mystery men emptied their truck and slowly walked toward the scene. Ravenwood? I was mentally screaming, "Play dead! Play dead!" He heard me, thank god. After that, I was not only scared for Mimi, as she took off toward Jericho, but I really believed she was scared, too, especially seeing the Jericho sign on the ground and the sky getting dark and then later, a busted flashlight. Alicia Coppola did a very convincing job. And Skeet was just as believable as he always is, shaking, barely getting his words out, trying to do what's best for everyone even when a truck is lying on top of him. But when you're that close to death, I guess apologies are all you can think of — your life and what you could change. It also provided us with more information about his past — he killed a 10-year-old girl in Iraq. He was holding onto that image all this time, it clearly haunts him. Is that part of the incident spoken of when we saw his flight interview? Or was that just referring to his missile deliveries? Either way, I'm glad Gail and Johnston showed up (driving a little drunk, perhaps?). It was nice to see them together tonight. We rarely see tender scenes between those two — not since Johnston got ill — but a little alcohol warms the body and the soul, apparently.

At least Roger is looking better and taking action. Looks like we have another leader on our hands. It was sweet to hear that he kept the group together with stories about Emily. Little did he know, Emily was exploring past feelings while he was holding onto the future he hoped to see come true. You could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn't sure if she still loved Roger, even though he pretty much said that was his only truth.

Overall, it was a very specific view this week, really only focusing on two stories: Jake's and Hawkins'. It was a little scary seeing our leader powerless and injured, but I knew he wouldn't die: Let's be honest, the show wouldn't be the same without him. Although not much happened, it held my interest, but maybe some of you will be dissatisfied with the lack of answers or progress this week. I liked hearing tidbits of Jake's time away and seeing Sarah inch closer to destroying Hawkins' world, so it was enough to keep me going. And I'm glad we got a break from Eric, Mary and the others, but I do wonder about Heather and how she's doing with her "friends" and those windmills Jericho desperately needs. I hope there is some relief next week, but with that I can only expect more danger as well.

Now that winter is setting in, heat is definitely a problem, and showing a dead body on the floor under a blanket that just wasn't enough was a chilling opening scene. Glad to see Heather's back and her push for windmills introduced us to Black Jack and let us explore a place beyond Jericho's walls. I loved how everyone turned around and stared at Jake when it was time to gather a small group to leave Jericho and explore this unknown trading post. With Roger's fragile state of mind, who knows what he really saw out there? But at least he had some warnings about how they should approach the fairgrounds.

I had seen a clip of Black Jack on the CBS site, so I was prepared for the guards as they entered, but I wasn't prepared for what came after that. "It's like eBay." Not exactly. But at least there were some friendly faces. When Heather reunited with Ted Lewis, it made me wonder if there was a past between them. Mostly, I was intrigued by all the trades going on, the list of accepted materials, the news board, the giant map, the information and questions floating around the grounds. And the fact that Ravenwood went through there hit a nerve with Jake. Six presidents, several militaries — it's all such a huge idea and completely overwhelming. I'm wondering if the names they rattled off will be important to us later: HH Secretary Charles, Senator Morrisette in Oregon, Senator March Hill in Wyoming.

When the deal was going down, I knew something was off about that guy. Leave it to Dale to snoop around. Seeing those cuffs and bloody bunks was disgusting but not unlikely for Black Jack, it seems. But the minute he stole the piece they needed, I thought, Great, he'll be the next body hanging. Seeing Johnston put his fists up made me laugh a little; it's not exactly the same as watching Jake fight. But, I can't believe they got out of there unharmed. In fact, I can't believe Heather's friends helped them that easily. I think her parting from the group is a good twist, and I'm interested to see if we can really trust Ted and his guys.

I like that Sarah is in town and stirring up things with Hawkins. Apparently, Jericho is the rallying point, not just Hawkins' landing pad, and Sarah was pretty surprised to hear that no one else besides Victor had made it there. But bringing her back to his home with Darcy and the kids there? Bad move. Darcy's in the dark enough as it is, and here he goes bringing someone else into their home, which apparently he had done before. If I were Darcy, I would feel like nothing was real, like I wasn't living. "I don't know you and I don't want to." She's not only "reading between the lines," but saying it out loud. Good for her. I love the eerie feel in that house, as much as it's painful to watch — especially scenes like the one between Robert and his son.

Something new on the Hawkins front: "the old man." The watchful eye, the coordinator. But Sarah pretty much summed it up with this statement: "This country is going to be what we make of it." Great line. Now, which president is she working for? She's clearly leading Robert right into a target zone.

Mrs. Green was pissed! Her flared nostrils pretty much said it all when Mary Bailey approached her. Partly unfair, though, since Eric is just as responsible and April was filing for divorce anyway (but Gail doesn't know that). I love the background tension with the women on this show. Emily, Heather, Gail, Mary, April. They all lend emotion and create a good mix with the survival aspect of the show. But on the other hand, Roger made a decent showing for the men. It's hard to watch him recover — I don't know if he ever will, and if Emily will be able to live with that. I know some viewers don't like the relationship aspect of this show at all, but I don't think it's in our faces or overly saturating the hour. There are small moments that balance out the severity of the situation, and I think it's a good balance.

Definitely a strong episode this week, and I'm glad we got out of town and saw what else is out there. I'm curious to see if Heather can be the hero next week, and to find out if Hawkins needs one to dig him out from the pit he's about to fall into.

Going back in time was not only helpful, but refreshing, even though we knew what was about to happen. It taught us a little more about Jake, showed us the calm (well, sort of) before the storm and introduced new characters that were an important part of the past — even if we never see them again.

Jake's old friend Freddy (Mark Adair-Rios), who he felt closer to than his own brother, was a key piece of Jake's past and a more detailed look into the workings of Ravenwood. The cargo runs were exactly what I suspected, and I'm glad Jake had some hesitation about carting missiles around — missiles that will fly right back around and hurt their own men. But I want to know what happened in Iraq that caused Jake to owe his life to Freddy. I'm assuming this incident was the same one brought up in Jake's flight interview, in which we learned that the state department has him flagged as a "person of interest." But Ravenwood got to Freddy before they could help the Feds, and at least that helped us see the beginning of Jake's journey back to Jericho, with nowhere else to turn and in need of his grandfather's money.

I had been watching clips on CBS.com, so I knew Hawkins' family kidnapping was coming, but I'm curious about that 500-foot restraining order Darcy has against him. I'm not sure we'll find out about that anytime soon, though. (See my interview with Lennie James for what he had to say about that and other upcoming Jericho details.) But at least we know about that bomb he's been holding onto — the bomb Columbus, Ohio, never saw. The bomb he never delivered. This introduced us to another new person: Sarah (Siena Goines). A fellow recruit, it looked like her and Robert didn't expect to fall into a relationship, but now he thinks she's in danger and that bomb is the only thing that's going to save her.

Other tidbits we learned:

Johnston asked Eric to run for office so he could take care of himself and still have some influence on the town's issues. But now that Gray is the new mayor, I wonder if that will separate Eric from his family even more, since holding office is no longer an option. He didn't exactly seem thrilled with the idea of it anyway, and his new life with Mary Bailey has already built a hefty wall.

Stanley and Mimi were like oil and water when they met. She was really stuck-up... even her hair looked stiff. But Stanley was his good old lighthearted self: "Who doesn't like corn? Cornsicles?" I have a soft spot for him, and part of me feels like he has the possibility of coming through in a clutch.

Emily and Roger were supposed to go to Chicago together, but his sneaky idea wanted to pull her away from "everything she knows and loves" for a business opportunity. And even though he came back around, they parted on bad terms and the next time they saw each other was eight weeks after the bombs, with Roger clearly in shock and Emily inches from kissing Jake just moments before the refugees walked into Jericho. I had a feeling Roger wasn’t dead since we heard a while ago that his plane had landed safely, so they couldn't have Jake and Emily get back together just yet. I'm not ruling that out, though. But my question is, where is Heather? It's like she disappeared. I guess I shouldn't expect her to be in this episode, because she's not a story line that we needed to see tonight, but she's really been missing since before the show's fall finale.

And surprisingly among those refugees was Sarah, clearly ready to find Hawkins. It looked like she was holding onto a lot of anger and I know that won't go over smoothly with Darcy, who's been keeping her mouth shut for the sake of the kids and holding onto any patience she has left.

Hawkins is one of the "faces of the men that will change the world." But I think Jake might be up for that task, in a different way. Hopefully the two will butt heads later on and face off when they learn more about each other. There are a lot of pieces to this story, and the bombs being set off during the president's speech made a strong statement and only confirms that the government is being "reorganized" (as James put it in our interview) by a mission that seems to have gone awry in some places. Remember Victor and his trek from Denver? And now Sarah's in town and I'm ready to learn what she knows. What anybody knows, really.

What was happening the day before the bombs? When Jericho returns on Feb. 21 with the episode "The Day Before" you'll find out, but while you wait, check out a clip here!