Bwaaaaaaahh....

:: sigh ::

Why do the things I love always die....
/dramatic

Oh, someone get sci-fi or some other high number channel to pick this thing up....

I watched it on io9's recommendation and really liked it. As a bonus, I have learned two valuable lessons.

1) I am not sufficient to raise ratings to a suitable level.
2) io9 only wants to build my hopes up in order to smash them down.

I watched it last night and honestly wasn't sure what the hype was about. It seems to be a waste of a really good premise.

When the proto-government shows up with tanks and choppers and fresh-faced KBR employees trying to steal peoples' farms, I'd expect the residents of Jericho--whom I understand have been through a lot--to be suspicious and cagey (like Locke's group on Lost) and not all "Yay! Daddy's home!"

The whole show seems to be very stodgy and paternalistic. Where is my examination of post-apocalyptic morality? Where is my agnosticism? Where is the change from the way life works now?

Could someone who genuinely enjoys the show explain it to me? I honestly want to understand the appeal.

I wouldn't be so quick to write it off on the basis of a bad open. I think a lot of viewers are getting used to the idea of new episodes of ANYTHING being on let alone Jericho. I personally really like the show (probably because I am a Kansan) and really hope for the best for it.

Well that freakin bites! I liked it. So after one episode thats it we know its a goner for sure?!?!

If I watch it off my TiVo several times, does that count more than once?
@Poormojo: I honestly want to understand the appeal of that diarrhea American idle type shit, but I'd have to have my brain surgically moved to my ass (or removed altogether) I'm sure.
If you don't get it, fine. As they say on icanhascheezburger...kthx bai.

@doctor_cos: I couldn't care less about American Idol or any other reality show (except Project Runway :D ) but I am truly trying to understand the appeal of Jericho. I've watched a handful of season 1 episodes and this one.

They have this strong sci-fi premise, right? "Domestic terrorists nuke all of America's big cities." Fantastic. I'm on board. But then what do they do with that premise? Tell stories of small-town squabbles? I was hoping for something a bit more like Y: The Last Man.

Are there any other sc-fi elements that crop up, besides the initial nuking?

7.1 megaviewers is about twice what a top-rated ep of Battlestar Galactica gets, which makes me wonder if there's any hope of getting the show over to SciFi, or at least some cable network.

For that matter, the UPN/WB merger freed up a lot of stations that might be willing to buy first-run syndicated series, a niche that's been dead for the last ten years or so.

Never saw the charm of this show. Doesn't remotely fall under the category "sci-fi", IMO. If I want post-apocalyptic, I want mutants and freaky sh*t going down. I want Thundar the Freaking Barbarian.

@Poormojo: The appeal of the first season, for me, was the idea of these small town people / communities forced into a war. Something bigger and more epic than they could imagine. At the same time, they're just desperately trying to survive after being cut off from the world. AND, they have to live in wonder of what has actually happened.

Season 1 spoilers
The main premise shifted half way through the first season. It started with a town figuring out how to survive and stay together in the wake of the bombs. They have to deal with things like food shortage, electricity, and the oncoming wave of radiation from the blast.
When that was over, there was the matter of trading with the neighbouring town. It turns out they're not as friendly as Jericho hoped/thought and fighting begins.

I think the main reason fans wanted the show to return was because of how it was left off at the end of season one: right at the climax. Without giving too much away to those who haven't seen it, a main character dies. Everyone's a wreck, and the characters still have to deal with the neighbouring town. After all their planning, the main battle is about to begin. The season literally ends with the townspeople pointing their guns at eachother and the main character (Jake) shouting "FIRE!"

Not cool.

So on to season two. The army intervenes, but the fighting is left unfinished and Jericho wants the enemy leader to pay for his war-crimes.

Now I've seen the first three episodes already, so SPOILERS AHEAD

The new problem is Ravenwood. In the first season we learn that Jake used to be a part of Ravenwood, but was not a fan of their tactics. I'm not American, so I can't remember what you guys call it, but they're basically a privately owned army that will do anything for the right price, no questions asked, no witnesses type stuff. In the first season Ravenwood was going from town to town killing and taking what they wanted, but Jericho stopped them at the gates. Now the reformed "government" has officially put them in charge of Jericho.

As for sci-fi aspects of the show, there's Robert Hawkins, a man who's in possession of the last remaining nuke he was supposed to detonate himself. People are after him.
Also, the new government has been rewriting history books. Still a lot of connections to work out, but it's all very government conspiracy-ish.

Anyways, this is the longest post I've ever written but it's because I'm a big fan of the show. I'm also an idiot for not having tuned in to show my support, but I will this week. It'll be nice to see the episode in hi-def. That is all.

Might have something to do with the fact that it was on thepiratebay a month ago.

Had to become a member just to comment on this...

Jericho is like the little engine that could and I really hope it pulls itself up over the latest hill. The new season opener was weaker than I was hoping - I agree with the other guy, Jericho is not usually quite this buddy buddy and the leaders, at least, are generally suspicious of outsiders. HOWEVER, these new outsiders have fire-power, supplies, and a promise of hope - all very tempting commodities.

I'm SO happy to see the brunette girl back.. if someone would only kill the blond I'd be even happier (yes, I am a brunette).

Just for Jericho... I'll watch live television and not use my TiVo.

@Bluecell: Thanks for the explanation mate.

The biggest improvement in 0201 is that they seem to have eliminated the incongruous soft rock indie ballads that swelled up out of nowhere, sometimes literally in the middle of conversations. what an awful, lazy television cliche these days.

the soap opera stuff on this show, and the problem of the week format, where Jake has to play Macgyver, are all clunky and miss the mark. Especially with the younger kid characters.

So why have I watched every episode? The sci-fi apocalypse hook is still fascinating, and the ten minutes they devote to mystery and the over all mythology every episode -- the Hawkins plot line -- almost make up for the rest.

It's a lot like Heroes, in a way. A good premise that hits when it is sticking to its sci fi roots, but wildly misses when it tries to be a soap opera.

It's too bad about the audience. It's really a great show. But that what happens when shows get shelved for such a long period of time - only part of which can be blamed on the writers strike. I'm really curious to see what happens to Galactica's audience after their year+ hiatus.

Eh, I can't say I'm too upset over this. What I saw didn't really do much for me. Then again I prefer my science fiction in pulped tree format.

Evidently all those people who mailed peanuts(?) to get the thing back on the air were members of the poll.

Shame, really, because they probably tuned in.

@doctor_cos: Forgive my condescension to your plight. I too am disappointed at times, but given the dearth of good sci-fi on television at any given time, 'it is what it is.' While not living up to its potential, IMHO it does manage to be engaging for the most part.
Apparently (or based on the win/fail records of 'hard' sci-fi television in the past) the entertainment industry as far as movies and primarily television seems to have the opinion that 'hard' sci-fi is too complicated for the average viewer (hence my shot at american idle). Thus my thinking is to enjoy what little we are given when it is at least this good. At least it's not on Fox (although I remain cautiously optimistic about Terminator and am willing to see where it goes).

Let's see where we are next Wednesday.
kthx bai ;)

Why I reply to myself? Should have been@Poormojo perhaps?
This is what happens before the coffee begins to work.

@lukeoneil47: During the first season there were times when I knew the show would get cancelled, mainly due to the side plots. Luckily about half way through they just stopped referencing the kids and their storyline ended. Now, every so often they do go back to the kid that owns the convenience store, but his own little storyline is no more. He fits with the overarching theme, but his little school bully troubles were never of any concern to the viewer, and it looks like the writers learned that.

One of the worst moments in the show was in the episode where a school or church or something caught on fire. Some kid comes skateboarding up and goes "There's a fire down at the [school] and we're gonna go check it out!" Someone asks if anyone is hurt to which the kid LAUGHS and says "I dunno, probably"
Who acts like that? Especially in a small town where everyone knows everyone by first name. A town that has also just recently gone through an apocolyptic event that forced them to become even more tight knit.
It's moments like that that I can understand why the show was cancelled, but the main plot lines (Jake and Robert) were enough to keep me watching every week despite the retarded subplots.

I caught some S1 episodes on SciFi on monday night and thought it was entertaining. I didn't see the S2 premier and will probably watch it online. I don't understand why 7 million viewers is a bad rating. Tin Man , SciFi highest rated show ever, only had 8 million viewers. Hell, most shows on SciFi never break the 1.5m mark.

@Bluecell: It's not Ravenwood anymore; they use a different company in season 2 (KBR). Ravenwood was just a take on Blackwater, and KBR is more like Halliburton.

@Frozen-Tex: That's it, Blackwater. I'd forgotten the name because I'm not in the U.S. But like I said, I've seen the first three episodes, pay close attention to the end of the second episode.

@Poormojo:
You stated exactly my problems with this show- and neither Bluecell's or Doc_Cos' apologia/explanations really address that issue.
@doctor_cos:
Doc, if you really believed that, you'd be watching crap like Flash Gordon like me.
A weak show is a weak show- I refuse to support a bad effort in the vain hopes that someday they might make a decent one in the future.

In the season 1 episode that showed Jake in San Diego before the bombs went off ... didn't he explain that Ravenwood was a subsidary of the company that is currently there "helping out" ... and that Jake flew missions for them before he found out what they were really up to?

Personally, I want to see this show continue ... but I am not one of the few people that Nielsen polls for their viewing habits so my vote doesn't count.

When will the networks dump that system and come up with a more accurate way of counting just how many people ARE viewing a show?

I wrote this show off when I saw the posters for the show displaying Nukes going off, in Kansas, with mountains in the background.

Oy.

I am afraid the kid stuff was emblematic of a bigger problem in this show, and in network tv in general -- try to be everything to everyone at once and you end up being nothing. or as i've written elsewhere, when you mix two colors together you get another color. mix them all together and you get brown. poopy, stinky brown.

BUT, it the clunky drama of the show doesn't offend me enough to not watch it for 45 minutes i suppose. so it can't be that bad. (OR CAN IT!??!!)

@Plague: I tried Flash Gordon and it did even less for me than Lost.
So some like redheads, some like blondes, I guess.

If you went into Jericho expecting aliens and laser guns thats not what its about. Its a show that makes you think, something that the typical American Idol watching viewer isn't used to. Jericho isn't about explosions, its about what ifs. What would it be like to be completely cut off from the rest of the world with no idea what is going on, or even if the rest of the world is still there. If a child breaks your window, there is no guarentee that it will ever be fixed. When things break or are used, thats it, there is nobody making more, and nobody to deliver it. The next town over whom you never gave a second thought to besides housing the nearest Costco, is now planning on going to war with you to steal what little food you have left. People who once competed in friendly high school sports are now killing each other for survival.

This is heavy stuff, that to my knowledge no show/movie/game has ever explored before, and that is why its such a great show.

I propose that we organize a day and time for every Jericho fan to watch old episodes (or at least let them run through) through Joost or innertube to generate ad revenue for the show. That would show them that we care!

I don't know if it matters if we tune in... I think its just the people with nielson boxes right?