(S02E02) "I'm not a conspiracy nut." - Jake Green
Condor? Really? The most creative code name they could come up with is Condor? How about something meaningful like Savior or something cryptic like Shadow or even something funny like That One Guy Who We All Recognize But Can't Remember What From.
It's nice to see some things never change. Mayor Douchebag is still more concerned with how he looks than with the evil corporation that is clearly infiltrating his town. You just know that meeting the President has always been a dream of his. I guess any old President will do.
Boy, that Darcy is about as stealthy as her husband behind a tank. How is it that Jake was the only one who saw her swipe that radio? It's nice to know that items in the government office on wheels are so easily "misplaced."
It took a while but I knew we would get to see Hawkins do some damage. It's funny, there are a lot of things about Jericho that I really have to strain to believe, but the bad ass abilities of Robert Hawkins is not one of them. Maybe it's his seething anger, maybe it's his evasive way of holding a conversation or maybe it's the odd pronunciations Lennie James uses while trying to sound like an American. In any case, he is compelling to watch.
Isn't it about time that Jake and Hawkins realize they have to work together? They could save so much time by cutting out the little trust dance they do every time they decide to have a conversation. What's funny is that the reason they don't trust each other is because they are so similar. Both of them are military men who have unofficially fought in wars and are smarter than anybody else in that town. Just think, if they teamed up with Jonah Prowse, they'd be running the new government in no time.
My jaw dropped when the reporter turned up dead. What did that take, fifteen minutes? I really like where this is going.
I don't know what was more disappointing President Evil's corny speech to the town or Esai Morales being so easily duped by Jake's "fit of rage." He seems like a smart and experienced soldier but I guess he is just too trusting even with people who are involved in conspiracies to overthrow the government.
So Eric Green is going to be the acting mayor. The big question is will he be a junior Johnston or a junior Douchebag. After his wife died and he got tortured, Eric turned into a real stand up guy, but I fear that being mayor may go to his head.
Was anyone surprised that Beck is taking his orders from Valenti? Personally, I think nobody does evil like Daniel Benzali and he is at full throttle on this show. I just wish we could see more of him.
As out of character as it may be for me, I want to take a moment to acknowledge how awesome Alicia Coppola was in this episode. I've always thought she was one of the more beautiful actresses on TV but her ability to be irritating, sensitive, pushy and vulnerable all at the same time is truly amazing. The scene between her, Stanley and Bonnie was my favorite so far.
By the way, don't act so surprised, Goetz said he would be back, didn't he?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-20-2008 @ 8:26AM
Susan Burns said...
I was waiting for your commentary. I thought it was a good episode. Yes, president creepy, is well creepy.
What you didn't touch on was the revisionist history mentioned throughout the episode. As a history teacher, I loved that there were already text books that set up the attack from the Soviets?/Russians?/North Koreans was brought on by our "failures" during the cold war. How true of a potentially "communist" nation (which is seemingly to become very Stalinlike) to make a country now glorious because of the new government as it is necessary because of all of the problems before. Also, indoctrinate the children with the rhetoric so they always believe "the truth". All of this was very subtle, but I loved every minute of the implications.
Can't wait to see how it plays out.
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2-20-2008 @ 9:00AM
Liberty said...
I found the episode to be chilling. It really empacized the sheep like nature of the masses. The media is clearly to blame for buying all the false information. Oh for someone brave enough to take on the struggle for truth. Seriously, the intensity is working for this plot line. But how do you fight something that was so well thought out and already in place?
The pace is incredible. Jake and the totally believable Hawkins are not easily swayed or fooled. Darcy may not be good at being sneaky but the courage it took to complete her mission was totally believable. Mimi and Stanley are perfectly happy to be the boring couple. Life is getting good for them. Never a good sign, I fear for their future.
Major Beck is starting to get the true picture of how things will be from now on. And Goetz from Blackwater (I know Ravenwood but who are they kidding???) promises to continue the evil doings. Can't wait to see Jake take him down.
Very entertaining episode but unsettling too.
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2-20-2008 @ 9:32AM
fred said...
Yes, there's no doubt that this new season of Jericho is stronger & better than the first one was, and I really hope more people will tune in cause I wouldn't mind a third season !
There's indeed a great new dimension to the fight now, as the fate of the entire country is at stake. I loved all the things like media manipulations, blaming the old administration for everything, setting up a new evil disguised as a rebirth for the better...
This season looks like it'll be a really great one, you can sense they are heading somewhere and have a plan for everything, and I can't wait to find out what it is!
http://tvoholic.com/episode-reviews/jericho-condor/
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2-20-2008 @ 10:25AM
VP said...
I love this show, too bad it's only seven episodes. Can we move past the fluff (the vaccines next week) to the real matter at hand though?
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2-20-2008 @ 10:57AM
Hank said...
I forsee Beck turning to the side of Jake and Hawkins, and I am sure that at some point he will say words along the lines of "This isn't the country I signed up to serve."
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2-20-2008 @ 12:36PM
summer Flood said...
I was just going to comment that Jake needs to confide in Beck. He seems like he can be trustworthy and maybe has some resources that Hawkins and Jake don't.
2-20-2008 @ 11:23AM
bella8876 said...
I completely understand why the story is going this way, the town has survived there is no conflict there, we have to take it to a national level. The problem I have is that I'm supposed to believe that America is that stupid? I'm supposed to believe that the only people who have a problem with an unelected president, a new National Name, a new National flag, a new National History, and a new Constitution are three or four people in Jericho and the states East of the Mississippi?
We've proven in that America simply comes together tighter after tragedy using our flag as a symbol that means so much more than the fifty states and the Thirteen Colonies. I do think we have a sheep mentality, and I do think that done subtly, America will fall into a sheep mentality, believing the media without question and even the government on certain miner things, but I do think that a whole, the shows not giving us enough credit. I would rather like to see more people outraged by the new regime instead of the happy, smiling, idiots that clapped for the most horrifying speach I'd ever heard given in a so called democratic nation. I may be optimistic but I do believe they aren't giving us enough credit.
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2-20-2008 @ 12:36PM
summer Flood said...
I agree with you, however, I'll give the show my suspension of disbelief based on that most of these people were on the brink of starvation, homelessness and civil war and in comes salvation. I liken it to an abused and homeless puppy that gets rescued. He's not going to bite the hand that feeds him.
2-20-2008 @ 5:16PM
Nicki said...
I don't think they can be given that much credit. Look as people sit by and accept things such as the Patriot Act, the National ID, and all sorts of other compromises of our civil liberties in order to "fight terrorism." There's already so much evidence of the sheep mentality, with people giving away their rights to the government, that I think it's entirely realistic to believe that people would take that shit so long as they're under the impression that their own lives are happy and fine.
2-20-2008 @ 11:35AM
mj said...
Ok, why is it that already textbooks are printed, even the new flag and the flag patches on the military? With all the bombs, outside Jericho things seem to be running just fine, and pretty darn fast. You would think that it would take TIME to rebuild. Suddenly there is gas, power, printing presses, etc. Hmmm. And I'm sorry, but I do believe everyone (almost) would just accept it. We don't WANT to have to stand up and be strong. We want others to be strong, so that we can just live our nice quiet lives. Sheep? You betcha. The majority of people are just that. This is why people are still buying SUVs, and then whining about the cost of gas. Global warming? Nah. I'll just change light bulbs; that will solve it. Considering that everything Jake and crew have seen in the surrounding areas, surely SOMEONE will say, wait a minute. I miss Johnston. He wouldn't believe it for a minute. And Eric? He's crying about how much he's lost, and yet he quickly forgot his wife and child.
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2-21-2008 @ 8:33AM
Alicia said...
The problem with American Today... and this does relate to the show... is that we expect the federal government to take care of us... just like the people on the show are doing.
2-20-2008 @ 11:49AM
bella8876 said...
Just something interesting that I found while searching for something else entirely, and also note the source so you can't take it too seriously but regarding the question of the Presidents code name - go to wikipedia and look up Operation Condor. Taken straight from thier summary:
"Operation Condor was a campaign of political repressions involving assassination and intelligence operations officially implemented in 1975 by the right-wing dictatorships of the Southern Cone of South America. The program aimed to deter left-wing influence and ideas and to control active or potential opposition movements against the usually conservative governments."
Thought that was a neat tidbit.
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2-20-2008 @ 12:02PM
kevjohn said...
Awesome episode. Very well paced; they kept the action and plot developments coming at us at a nice clip. As to 'President Evil's corny speech', I half expected people to get up and start walking away in the middle of it, but then I remembered how gullible the masses can be when they want to be.
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2-24-2008 @ 5:51PM
Raphaella said...
Does anyone watch Doctor Who by any chance? This new president strongly reminds me of the Master from the Season 3 final. And to be totally honest, who would not want to follow a strong leader after a catastrophe like this? I always found it fascinating how one man can control a whole nation and people are willing to leave common sense behind! And certainly the truth is first to die. It is a well known phenomenon that regimes tend to alter history in their favour.
2-20-2008 @ 12:30PM
Klo said...
I think the last two episodes have been really strong. I hope that it keeps going like this.
I realized this morning while thinking about the episode that one of the best things about this season is .... no Dale! I haven't seen him once and that is such a good thing. That kid got on my nerves.
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2-21-2008 @ 6:44AM
zkam said...
I think I saw Dale in the previews for the next episode.
2-20-2008 @ 1:22PM
Dave said...
This is how Hitler came to power. The economy was tanked after the depression and in walks someone that wants to make things right and all the sheep follow.
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2-20-2008 @ 8:58PM
Adam said...
Hooray! Last week I was feeling a little wary on Jericho's return being too different from the original, but now I feel like I've settled right back into it. I hope they keep up this new focus on all the action rather than reverting to the subplots from before. I am also liking how they are foreshadowing future elements (i.e. the plague).
Ravenwood's Back! Duh duh dum! Next week will be great!
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2-20-2008 @ 9:21PM
Jojee said...
Ok...so I'm a little late. I have been watching Jericho since the beginning and the way Hawkins enunciated his words always seemed so odd to me. It all makes sense! (She says slapping her forehead).
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2-21-2008 @ 1:15AM
Randall said...
I thought the reason the presidents codename was condor was because, as beck said, the condor is the biggest bird in the west. Typically the President's codename is Eagle (at least in that movie where Sinbad was in the secret service) so it would make sense to use a bird name that was more representative of the western US.
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