Posted by Ryan
You asked for it. Jericho is back from the dead. Honestly, I was a little relieved when I heard the show had been canceled. I watched Jericho from the beginning, but like many CBS shows, I felt like I was the only one watching it and pretty much wasting my time. The story often moved painfully slow, and the only character that held my interest was Hawkins. I couldn’t even remember most of the characters’ names — I just called them Skeet, Skeet’s Brother, Skeet’s Farmer Friend, IRS Chick, Major Dad, etc. In an hourlong episode, they managed to have only two or three really captivating minutes in which some new info about the nuclear attack was revealed. But those two or three minutes were enough to keep me coming back week after week, and enough to bring me back for what will likely be the series’ final stint.
The Jericho Nuke Notes aren’t going to be detailed episode recaps. We’re going to post some highlights, big reveals, new questions and other observations from each episode.
Jericho, Season 2, Episode 1 “Reconstruction”
It’s now six months after the nukes, and four weeks after the war with New Bern. The new federal government is centralized in Cheyenne, Wyoming. John Tomarchio is the new president. The new flag has vertical stripes and 21 stars. The government’s set up a camp in Jericho to help bring some much-needed bureaucracy back to this hick town.
Valente is now with the new government in Cheyenne. Valente assumes that Hawkins and his family are dead. Valente is now looking for Sara, who’s already dead. Beck’s men get orders to kill Sara on sight, as they think she’s in possession of a nuclear device. That device is actually in Hawkins’ hands.
New Bern has been granted amnesty for the violence during the lawless period, but Constantino has been removed from the mayor’s office. Obviously, this doesn’t sit well with Jake and Eric, who still hold a vendetta against Constantino. They’re hellbent on killing him in this episode, but Beck pretty much puts a stop to that. We’re now waiting for the inevitable moment in the series when either Jake or Eric comes face-to-face with Constantino and has to decide between forgiveness and revenge.
The Cheyenne government told people that Iran and North Korea were responsible for the nuclear attacks, but Jake and Hawkins know that’s not true. So what exactly is the government hiding? We know that Valente is now in the government, but just how many other conspirators are in Cheyenne … and how high up do they go?
Mimi and Stanley are getting married, but I don’t think it’s going to last. Mimi’s only in it for the corn. Stanley’s tax debt has been erased, and Mimi’s been offered a job in the government, probably just to shut her up.
Chavez, posing as a soldier, is one of the members of Hawkins’ team who finally made it to the rally point in Jericho. We learn that there’s one more member, Chung, embedded in Cheyenne, but supposedly Chavez lost contact with him. I don’t trust Chavez — and I’m pretty sure Hawkins doesn’t either.
The states west of the Mississippi have formed the Allied States of America, while remnants of the old federal government have made Columbus, Ohio, their new capital. The east is weakening, which doesn’t surprise me — who the hell wants to answer to Ohio anyway? The west is getting stronger and could take over everything if independent Texas sides with Cheyenne. Hawkins now has to expose the Cheyenne government as corrupt before they become too powerful … and he’s got a really powerful piece of evidence buried somewhere. Are they setting up some kind of East vs. West civil war, the likes of which has not been seen since East Coast and West Coast rappers did battle?
Beck appoints Jake as the new sheriff of Jericho. His first order of business will have to be a visit to Jericho by the President of the Allied States of America in next week’s episode.
Photo: ©2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Credit: Patrick Wymore/CBS
