We live in a crazy world. Well, not as crazy as the war torn, apocalyptic one the CBS series "Jericho" depicts, but still pretty nutty. Fans of the series, which was cancelled in May after garnering the network's worst ratings of the season, protested the cancellation by sending CBS thousands upon thousands of pounds of nuts. A reference to a phrase used on the show that means "go to hell," the sending of nuts to CBS was a way for angered fans to express the very same notion. If only "Arrested Development" fans had been so passionate or insane.
In response to this odd but effective grassroots swelling of support for the action/drama, CBS brought "Jericho" back for a second season, the first episode of which aired on Tuesday.
The show stars Skeet Ulrich as Jake, a bad boy with a mysterious past who returns to his hometown of Jericho, Kan. on the day nuclear bombs hit 23 major American cities. Season one imagines a post-attack America in utter shambles. The federal government crumbles as local uprisings emerge and chaos and destruction reign. As season one ends, Jake leads a local insurgency against the more powerful army from the neighboring town of New Bern. His father, the town's former mayor and all-around good guy, is killed, leaving Jake and his brother Eric (played by Kenneth Mitchell) thirsty for revenge.
Devoted "Jericho" viewers had good reason to be upset by the addictive show's abrupt cancellation. At the end of the first season, too many questions were left unanswered, and at the start of the second, it seems that even more are being raised.
The episode begins as Jake confronts New Bern's sheriff, the evil and aptly named, Constantino (Timothy Omundson). This heated exchange is administered by Major Beck (Esai Morales), a military agent sent to restore order to the towns. Beck works for the Western Allied States government, which is poised to put the rest of the country under its jurisdiction.
Even though Beck assures Jake that "the nightmare's over; order will be restored," it is quite clear that things in Jericho are far from orderly and will remain that way for as long as this show continues to be on the air. The Western Allied States government blames North Korea and Iran for the nuclear attacks, but loyal viewers of the show know better. This new government and its president are the most likely vendors of the terrorist attacks and, odds are, it will somehow be up to the people of Jericho to stop the takeover. Is it possible to stop their widespread evil? Which members of the community are more involved than they let on? And, the question CBS executives are probably most interested in: Does anyone care?
"Jericho" is a great example of really good bad television. The storylines are absurd and addictive, exploiting and toying with a pervasive post-Sept. 11 fear that widespread terrorist attacks are possible. It imagines a world shaken by greed and evil, but not destroyed. Good, it seems, in the form of our rugged hero Jake, will always prevail. And this, to many Americans, is a comforting, if somewhat misguided, notion that might explain the show's devoted fan base.
Also, there are lots of explosions, fights and pretty girls.
Watching the show is a bit like reading a Steinbeck novel, as the biblical references are too glaring to ignore. First, it all takes place in Jericho, the city famous for being attacked in the Bible. Second, the lead character is named Jacob; he is favored by his mother and constantly at odds with his adulterous older brother, Eric (a strikingly similar name to Esau), who is the father's favorite child. If we are to take these allusions seriously, we can expect further deceptions from Eric, the family's former golden child, as the season continues. As Jake becomes Jericho's sheriff and tries to make peace with New Bern, Eric's jealousy and vendetta will surely further the brothers' existing rift.
Fans of "Jericho" have already proved their loyalty to the show. But the sending of nuts can only go so far. CBS posted all the episodes of season one on its Web site so that people intrigued by the nut campaign can catch up. However, if not enough viewers are interested, "Jericho" just may find itself where no amount of peanuts can save it: cancelled ... again.
