TVSquad

I don't know, i thought that the whole middle 30 or so minutes were not that great. the whole thing with fires breaking out all over town..all right, but it might have just been the very mediocere (in my opinion) acting, or that stories just weren't that strong, it wasn't a very good middle.
However, it was very good the first 10 minutes and the last 5 or so, with anything with Hawkins being good. So that go along with my theroy that i'm not watching it for the story of the week, but I'm watching Jericho for the "mythologoy" of finding out what happened and how the rest of the world is responding.

By the way, my first thought was that the rockets were either missles heading for a counterattack or maybey they were like military spaceships and people are leaving earth (that's really out there, but i thought it.)

Reply

I am not sure that Hawkins should be definitively placed in the "good guy" section just yet. Granted, he did have access to the Government's Homeland Security watch list database with a non-standard satcom terminal hookup, but any group that successfully places and detonates nuclear weapons in multiple cities is definitely going to be well connected intel wise. With access to the database, a dangerous group could stay ahead of federal agents with foreknowledge of a member being added to the list. They could also use this access to see which of their members are known to the Government and which are not, allowing them to place sleepers that are not on the radar. To put it short, just because Hawkins had access to the secure database, it does not necessarily mean that he is "one of the good guys". It is the same with Jake. His appearance on the list doesn't mean that he is still a homegrown terrorist if he was before. Hawkins may think he has a possible ally in Jake though. As of yet no absolute conclusions can be drawn about who either of these men were in the past or are in the present. Just my thoughts.

Reply

OUTSTANDING episode !!

I had Carol Barbee on my radio show Tuesday night and she said things really pick up through out the season.

Also the mythology starts to fall into place.

Also yes we will see what has happened to the outside of Jericho world.

Jake is not all he makes himself out to be...WOW

The website to hear the podcast version of my radio program is http://www.S2DRADIO.com you can listen right on your computer or grab the URL for your IPOD.

Other storylines they began or hinted at in the first episodes come back as well..so much is coming on JERICHO!!

Reply

has anyone thought that maybe jake came to town that day for the same reason hawkins did? do they know the same infomation? are they in the same organisation (but do they know each other?)is jake the bad guy and hawkins the good guy?

Reply

Look again at the episode when Hawkins looks up Jake's info. Jake has a military haircut. My guess is he's ex special forces or a more secret military branch. I have a buddy with some military experiance in nuclear demolitions and his MOS led to a permanent flag on his passport not allowing him out of the US.
Hawkins is some kind of gov't agent. Living in KS I can tell you where about 6 missle sites are still in the ground. When disaster strikes the high ups head for a rally point to reestablish gov't control and determine who is the official head of state. Likely a hidden base like Cheyenne Mountain hidden in the salt mines...

Reply

I agree that the opening and the closing were very effective - but the middle was not good at all. The middle lacks a certain reality and gravity. There are too many characters with too many threads that belong on a soap opera. But, I suppose that will be necessary to keep the eerie factor going. After all, LOST is only about 10 minutes of real story each week.

Reply

Am I the only one who's perturbed that there are apparently NO ANIMALS in Jericho? :P

Personally I think Jake is some sort of secret military buff, but I guess we'll find out

Reply

I'm peeved as well with the fluff filler. The whole fire scenery in the library was painfully contrived and poorly acted.

I've lived through hurricanes causing plenty of power drops & spikes and I've never once observed a case of wires being blown off a transformer mount because of a spike.

Maybe it's the engineer in me but it's almost funny when the characters speculate "I wonder how long the power will be on this time?" Well, the power is coming from SOMEWHERE LOL - follow the power transmission lines back to the generating plant where I'm sure you'll find people!

...and doesn't ANYONE in Jericho have XM or Sirius satellite radio? LOL

I think the most likely explanation for "What happened" re: the attacks would have to be an Al-Qaeda payoff or takeover of Russian nuclear missile facilities, perhaps a Chechen rebel/Al-Qaeda contrived attack whereby the Russian missiles are launched at the US.

This scenario could explain the delay between the initial attack in Episode 1 and the 2 ICBMs noted in boost phase at the end of Episode 5 - the Russians could have concievably plead their case to the US Gov't that the Russian Gov't did not intend or authorize an attack on the US and that their nuclear facilities had been overrun by Chechen rebels/Al-Qaeda terrorists. In the intervening time between Episodes 1 and 5, a response plan was formulated by the US Gov't to determine where to strike back (Pakistan? Pakistani Tribal Areas? Mecca? Medina?)...or maybe another attack on the US is imminent and the president wants to strike with a nuclear response before his missiles are destroyed in their silos? (see below)

(I doubt it would be a Chinese attack as that would seem pretty stupid and self-defeating for China to blow away their #1 global customer.)

--Episode 6 SPOILER--

It looks like the nuclear strikes in Episode 1 were merely a first wave? I did note that my TiVo says for next week on Episode 6 that

"Townspeople learn they are truly on their own; the town plunges into darkness when an electromagnetic pulse destroys everything with a circuit board."

This seems to imply that the US is attacked for a second time? Maybe this is why the ICBMs are seen launching at the end of Episode 5 - a case of "Use them or lose them."

Reply

I don't know...the whole show is too soap opera for me. I'm glad CBS have a minor hit for themselves, but I'm tuning out for good. I was expecting some real political drama, but the fire thing was the last straw - god, I can see that on Desperate Housewives!

Reply

I think Jake is Special Forces (more than likely- Navy SEAL). Before I thought he might be a “spook” (slang for CIA or NSA).

Here’s my evidence:
1. Smart and Resourceful- During my time in the Navy, I participated in an exercise with a SEAL Team. SEALs are not only lethal killers; they are extremely intelligent. After the exercise I had the unique opportunity to chat with a few team members and they explained it was more about “using their brains instead of their muscles”. They also went on how they receive special survival training using “resourceful methods” to achieve their goals. Jake on several occasions has shown he is highly intelligent and has demonstrated being very resourceful.
2. San Diego- on several occasions Jake has mention “going back to San Diego”. San Diego is home to the second largest U.S. Navy base, including the Naval Special Warfare Center, the main training center for SEALs, is also located here.
3. Jake’s Whereabouts- Being in Special Forces, it would make sense that back home would not hear or know where he has been. Also, in last night’s episode Jake mentions to his dad “that he has been in several places”. I have a buddy who is an Army Ranger and he disappears for years at a time and no way of getting a hold of him (our last contact was three years ago).
4. Permanent flag on his passport- although it could be a part of his Special Forces MOS, it could also mean that he is an EX-member or UA (Navy term for AWOL). I think it’s the latter, because he could have left (Unauthorized) to help his family, knowing the Nuclear Attack was coming (or had a strong possibility).

Hawkins is getting stranger and stranger. At first I thought he was an agent for Homeland Security (explains his knowledge of disaster prodigals). But after last night’s episode.. I think we might be a Russian “sleeper” Agent. I noticed one thing on his laptop—a webpage with Russian language all over it. Does that make him a bad guy?? Only time will tell.

Reply

RE: SPOILER EPISODE 6:
EMP can be caused by other non-nuclear ways:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

I found it interesting that a meteor impact can cause EMP. Were the ICBMs launched to intercept falling meteorites?

Reply

Sorry guys, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I have it on EXTREMELY good authority that Cheyenne Mountain is officially closed. It is no longer being used.

Reply

Gotta call BS on Jon K's story. Unless Osama bin Laden has really messed things up (I've been living in Korea for 10 years), passports are not required to exit the United States. When airlines check your passport they're looking for an entry visa for the place you're headed, and verifying identity.

My own military experience (holding a Top Secret SCI clearance -- hey, like Super Skeet and Hawkins, I bet!) has left me sensitive to this: Anyone bragging about his awesome Top Secret military skillz and how the-government-this, the-government-that because of how special he is, that guy is giving you the shine. Real special operators keep their mouths shut.

Reply

Well, I guess I'm alone in thinking this show just gets worse and worse. And Super Jake is becoming a more and more improbable character--didn't love his snippiness to old buddy Stanley. I watch this show now the same way I watch "7th Heaven," to see what crap they'll put up next. There's a great site with a physicist tearing apart the science--which is strange to me, since I would think that science geeks would be the last audience they'd want to alienate.

(The site is here:
http://granades.com/2006/10/10/a-physicist-grumbles-about-jericho/
and he also contributes to the TWoP recap:
http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/articles/content/a12518/)

Oh, and Bob? Dale told Skylar about his home being destroyed, not Bonnie; it was when she came back for her fully-charged phone.

Reply

Brendon- You're right about the "bragging". Most SpecOps don't BRAG about their "skills". The Operator I was talking to was not bragging. It was more of a training opportunity.

As far as "Super Jake": this is a TV SHOW, where sensationalism does exist.:)

Reply

Hello, this is a TV show sit back and enjoy it. I didn't consider the middle to be filler. It's a serial show not a movie that's over in two hours. I definitely think that Jake is either Special Ops, a SEAL, or an NSA guy. Kind of Splinter Cell-esque and can't reveal what he really knows or does.

I still think Hawkins is a bad guy especially now that he's tapped into that Russian website. Jake is good but he knows more than he's letting on just like Hawkins.

Reply

The "russian site" was, by all appearances, the Russian Hotmail / MSN Messenger portal. At least on my screen pause, it looked like that.

Reply

Sonya - I just think the filler could be better. I want more discussions about planning, or at least, conversations about the lack of planning. Why does everything seem back to normal? You're right, though, we shouldn't be so critical that we lose sight of the entertainment/edutainment value of the show.

Reply

Hawkins was using the satellite to gain access to the internet, he just so happened to use a russian site because it was up and available. Remember the town folks could not access internet locally, they were blocked. Hawkins is creepy, remember all the stuff he has in the storage unit, still not sure about him. Jake was gone for 5 years. Spec ops guys usually are in the service for a while. He got his "skills" from somewhere however. It is strange that he just shows back up in Jericho before the nukes. I am enjoying the show, waiting to see more of the human survival in post nuclear America angle, and of course who did what to whom.

Reply

Karen's right. All TV shows should be written by physicists. By the way, for all the people complaining about the fallout clearing up so quickly, are we sure the nuclear attacks weren't faked?

Reply