How Far Is Jericho's Eric Green Willing To Go?

Here's the Jericho I'm going to miss: a tough, thought-provoking drama where nobody's exactly right or wrong. And I didn't actually know what was going to happen after this scene in the cancelled post-nuclear war drama, or what Eric Green was going to decide. Alas, a lot of the rest of the series finale was as much of a pat resolution as I'd been dreading. It was satisfying, but not entirely believable. Spoilers and commentary after the jump.

First of all, the scene between Eric Green and Phil Constantino left me wondering if the two of them really were going to join forces. And whether that would make a good premise for a Jericho season three. When it comes down to it, Constantino is sort of right: when you're fighting a war against an enemy with superior numbers, you can't afford to be squeamish about taking lives. Jake and Hawkins definitely don't have any qualms about killing some Cheyenne soldiers in the course of seizing the bomb. And if "the next American Civil War" starts between the Cheyenne and Columbus governments, it will definitely involve killing American soldiers.

The fact that Eric decides not to go for the all-out guerilla warfare against Beck's soldiers makes it much easier for Beck to change sides a little while later, and bring his men with him. For whatever reason, I didn't quite believe Beck's change of heart, even though it had been built up for weeks. It just didn't quite ring true for me. And I couldn't help wondering: if it were that easy to convince him, why didn't Hawkins show him those papers before? The whole thing seemed a bit too convenient an ending, but then again miraculous changes of heart are a staple of television.

The other thing I couldn't quite make myself believe was the ease with which Hawkins, Jake and Convenient Cannon-Fodder Guy captured the nuke, and then got it out of the Allied States' capital and into Texas. The mid-air rescue by Texan fighter jets just felt a bit too well-timed.

A lot of my qualms about the finale probably stem from the rushed nature of the season. It was exciting and fun while it was going on, but it just didn't quite have time to lay the groundwork for everything that happened last night. A lot of the stuff that felt as if it came out of nowhere would have seemed a lot more logical with a bit more setup.

On the plus side: It was great to see Gray Anderson again. I still love Major Beck and would give a kidney to see him join the revolution against Cheyenne. The scenes with Stanley and Mimi were way, way more moving than I'd expected. And I was glad Eric got to step up and be a leader. All in all, a pretty good episode despite feeling a bit forced in places.

4:30 PM on Wed Mar 26 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
1,755 views
22 comments

Comments

Tim Faulkner at 04:46 PM on 03/26/08
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All the way to the Unemployment office! Ba-dum-bum.
Bluecell at 06:16 PM on 03/26/08
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@Tim Faulkner: HA!

I thought it was a great episode. Lots of action, and it seemed to have a huge budget considering all the aircraft scenes and new locations.

I also didn't really believe how quickly and easily they were able to find and take the nuke back. And granted, in case the show was picked up for another season, they needed to have the main villain survive for it, but I didn't buy Jake's sudden lack of precision aim.

I'm really disappointed there won't be another season. I'd really like to see a civil war. It all got very epic at the end, in the same way things elevated at the end of the first season.

I was also kind of disappointed at the lack of involvement in the characters other than Jake and Hawkins. They spent the entire episode standing on a hill.
Log1c at 06:24 PM on 03/26/08
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Yeah I think the finale could have used 2 hours. Lots of important things seemed too conveinent, etc etc. Like why wasn't mister paranoid secret agent Hawkins' laptop locked?.. not only that, all the documents are open! Yay!

Also they glossed over things that for their timeline should have taken a lot longer. Jake and Hawkins traveling, mainly.

It wrapped up what it had to, the 3 main things, Does Eric (representing the town) betray its morals? Does Beck finally figure out whats happening? and do Jake/Hawkins get the nuke where it belongs?
doubledumbassonyou at 06:26 PM on 03/26/08
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Um, they said that it wouldn't be a cliffhanger. "How does it feel to make history?" Again, I love Hawkins I could watch a show specifically about his character. He killed some dudes last night and snapped his second neck in three episodes. You have to love that.

Am I the only one who shouted out loud when Beck's men approached him and removed the ASA patches from the uniforms and asked for orders? Fraking A.

I'm pissed that we won't be able to see "the next American Civil War" or the further exploits of the good folks of Jericho and the Republic of Texas.
mwake1 at 07:31 PM on 03/26/08
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Great show, I was only sucked into watching it when it premiered on the HD channels. It got to me though, resurrected fro new life and then cancelled just when I was totally getting into it.

I wasn't expecting the rushed nature of the finale, I guess they knew they were gettting cancelled.

Well, here's hoping for a 'return to jericho' mini series.
inakizombie at 08:39 PM on 03/26/08
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It did feel a bit rushed, but I felt was an acceptable stopping point for the series.. They didn't leave too many unanswered questions while still being vague enough to give us somewhere to go, should it be picked up for a third season elsewhere, or maybe a movie a-la Serenity!
ratkeeper at 10:45 PM on 03/26/08
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Carol Barbee has confirmed that CBS Paramount is trying to sell Jericho to a different network. (CBS Televison Network showed/canceled Jericho, but CBS Paramount is the company that produces Jericho.)

There are already some interested networks - Sci Fi, DirectTV, and The CW.

There is a list of things the fans are being asked to do:
[www.jericho-kansas.com]

We will keep updating this page as information becomes available.

Gwen
[www.jericho-kansas.com]
royen at 02:24 AM on 03/27/08
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Gah, I refuse to accept that this was the end. Sure, the first season was kind of slow at times, but come on! It's 24 without the stupidity! How could anybody NOT like this?!
jamescole at 05:06 AM on 03/27/08
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@doubledumbassonyou - Actually I had to laugh at the scene where Beck's men pulled the flag patches off of their shoulders. Why were the flags attached with velcro?? :)
Wesman at 05:20 AM on 03/27/08
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The whole season required an extra dose of suspension of disbelief, but that's okay. The whole finale didn't take bigger leaps than a standard Hollywood action movie does. So it was good to just sit back and enjoy the ride. I was satisfied with them wrapping up a lot of plot points and giving me some sense of closure. If another net doesn't pick up the show, maybe it will continue with a novel, graphic novel or fan fiction.
wonderskunk at 05:32 AM on 03/27/08
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@jamescole: Velcro patches are now standard on real army uniforms. It saves time and money.
gdcol1969 at 05:46 AM on 03/27/08
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I definately felt that the final show was a rush job, but it did close out a lot and it also left it open for further episodes if another network (HEY SCI-FI CHANNEL, ARE YOU LISTENING) picks it up. Personally I believe the show is just too damned good to just put it away.
Chimaera at 06:32 AM on 03/27/08
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@jamescole: Velcro's standard on the new Army uniform. In service since 2005.

"The ACU jacket uses velcro-backed attachment for name tapes, rank insignia, shoulder pockets for unit patches, skill tabs, and recognition devices, such as the infrared (IR) feedback American flag" -Wikipedia
Chimaera at 07:09 AM on 03/27/08
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From the Minutia Department: Texas has a perfectly good capital in Austin. Did they ever explain in S1 why Texas would have moved the government to San Antonio?
Jim at 08:21 AM on 03/27/08
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I'd love to see this picked up by SciFi. The political theme would fit in well the Battlestar. Imagine - entertaining TV for edukated people!!!
lazyeight at 08:35 AM on 03/27/08
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@Chimaera:
I have to believe that Austin is now a glass-topped crater. A closer look at the J&R map would tell the tale.
Chimaera at 08:59 AM on 03/27/08
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@lazyeight: That's just it...Dallas and Houston were hit, not Austin. My best guess is that fallout patterns dictated moving the capitals of Texas and New York (Albany wasn't hit), but who knows...

[en.wikipedia.org]
jamescole at 09:37 AM on 03/27/08
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Thanks to those who cleared up my ignorance of the velcro on the uniforms. I had thought it was just cheap costume design.

My other complaint about Jericho in general is (was) the characters' hairstyles. Many of them are (were) pretty bad. Especially Skeet's.
Gopherit at 10:00 AM on 03/27/08
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Connectedness Index: 202

@Chimaera: Because they know what salsa's supposed to taste like?
Spoony Bard at 10:03 AM on 03/27/08
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Connectedness Index: 929

Yeah, I agree...this was a good episode. The forced nature (and Beck's quick turnaround) was obviously due to the shortened timespan they had.

Having said that, Bonnie's death was one of the most poignant and shocking things I've seen on television in a long time. It was handled with grace, and didn't feel like an arbitrary death.

I'm really going to miss this show.
Wesman at 04:46 PM on 03/27/08
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@Chimaera: The Air Force base in Austin closed several years ago, so San Antonio might be chosen as the largest city with significant military protection.
notworkin at 12:57 PM on 03/31/08
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How about the Marlo cameo as the solider heading out to Stanley's farm? Go the Wire.