|
Buy Radiohead tickets,
Coachella Festival tickets,
Kanye West tickets,
Tom Petty tickets,
Rascal Flatts tickets,
and loads more
concert tickets right here!
|
Jericho Commentary: Episode Two "Condor"
02/20/2008 Last night's episode of Jericho began with the IRS lady telling Stanley over breakfast that she's a type A personality, which we already knew. Then the laugh a bit about how boring we are, which we also already knew. The second it became obvious that they were going to end up together, which was roughly three and a half seconds after they appeared on screen together in season one, their relationship became useless as part of the plot. Don't get me wrong... I like they IRS lady and I like Stanley, but in order for them to work in the story they have to do something besides each other. We have to sit through their breakfast because a helicopter needs to land on their lawn, and a suit (I expected more boots from Cheyenne) needs to get out of the helicopter and tell Stanley and IRS that the President (code name: Condor, "the biggest bird in the West") wants to address the nation from their idyllic porch. Maybe this is Stanley's first real action in the new season: to be the first person to figure out that the new President is the face of evil. You see, Stanley is a farmer and is Right and True, so his evil-dar is more acute than most people. Jake and Beck are back in town preparing security measures for Condor's visit. Jake looks like he just stepped out of a dryer, which is how Jake always looks, but Beck doesn't know this yet so he compliments Jake on his "uniform." Chavez and Hawkins are in the Green's disused hunting cabin poring over maps and discussing Condor's schedule. "Well that sounds like the time for us to make our move," says Hawkins. Perhaps we're meant to believe they're looking for a grassy knoll. They are planning something big, with escape routes and diversions. The plan starts to fall apart when Condor cancels a stop and arrives early. Chavez is sent out on patrol, so Hawkins will have to do "it" himself. Back in the mobile command center for the new government, Beck shows Jake a database linked to facial recognition software that Cheyenne uses to identify threats to Condor. Jake asks him why the database includes voter registration and driver's licenses. We're given the regular answer: "Since [insert terrible event here]." We also find out that the multinational corporation to which Cheyenne has subcontracted basic governance has sent new history textbooks to Jericho. The new books describe the period after WWII as "The Decline and Fall of the First Republic 1945 - Present: How weak policies led to the demise of the United States" Eric Green is put off by the fact that the book suggest that we pulled out of Vietnam early, etc. It is worth noting that quite a few Americans feel this way now, and we haven't had nuclear bombs devastate our major cities. Jericho might be the only town in Kansas (other than Lawrence) where the citizens are suitably liberal. We meet a reporter from the Modesto Bee. After a short conversation, Jake asks if he is reporting about Cheyenne or for Cheyenne, to which the reporter answers, "Yes." They've corrupted the journalists, too. That must have cost Cheyenne a whole case of middling Scotch. We finally meet Condor. He looks to be about fifteen, and the smarm is laid on thick. He is "truly humbled," "honored," and all that jazz. He's holding a Constitutional Convention, and wants Mayor Gray Anderson (Michael Gaston) to represent the area. Since we know Anderson is an ass, and a fool, and a prating coxcomb, then we can also assume that Condor is an ass, and a fool, and a prating coxcomb. He wants to write the next chapter in American history, so we also know his a politician and that he is droll. Hawkins creates a situation that causes the Secret Service to call a "crash" where they freeze everyone in place. Hawkins sneaks into the mobile command center, although we're not told why. Looks like no assassination is on for today. Ot turns out that Hawkins is downloading Cheyenne's computer files. The new government appears to be using the same operating system as CTU in 24. We get more of the reporter. The Mississippi is now referred to as the "Blue Line" on account of all the UN peacekeepers stationed there. We can only hope they perform as well here as they do everywhere else. The reporter and Jake have a long conversation about journalistic integrity. Jake is opinionated, the reporter is jaded because he has two Pulitzers and the news is dead. It was dead before the bombs, too, in his opinion. The reporter even references Woodward and Bernstein reporting on Watergate. "They got angry, and they acted," the reporter says. One of my pet peeves is the idolization of the Glorious Sixties, and this meme that is developing in Jericho is disturbing. Your show is about the End of the World, or at least it was. Why are you trying to comment on current events? And its transparent, too. Folks involved with the show are even giving quotes to journalists about making statements and commenting on Iraq. Regardless of your politics, this is a deadend direction for the show. A little more Alas, Babylon and a little less West Wing. If no one watches or cares about the news and the country is falling apart, you should be clever enough to know that there's nothing Jericho can do about it. Get back to fiddling, and leave the burning empire to the trained firefighters. Hawkins finished downloading the files and as he is leaving, the Secret Service arrive. Chavez intervenes to keep them from noticing Hawkins, and Chavez is captured. He gives the password for the stolen files to Jake, who confronts Hawkins. Turns out the files contain the paper trail for the conspiracy, and Hawkins explains that the mission is to keep Texas from siding with Cheyenne. Chavez had all the contacts in Texas, though. Jake suggest that they approach the reporter with the information and goes to speak with him. The reporter agrees to convince his editors to publish the information, but has a mysterious heart attack before he can leave town. Beck goes to interrogate Chavez, who is not forthcoming. Beck tells Chavez that this is his last chance to talk before he is sent to Gitmo-on-Plains. Beck wants to know who Chavez is, and Chavez responds, "I'm a dead man." Jake, after find out about the reporter's death, wants to do something drastic. Hawkins talks him out of it. This is interspersed with Condor's speech about what happened after the bombs. The Federal Government "endlessly debated our response" and Condor felt he had to act to let the world know "America was down, but not out." Chavez, while being transferred, escapes. Then we see Beck being dressed down by the bald man (Daniel Benzali) we were led to believe headed the bomb conspiracy. I am hoping Benzali gets more time this season. He's fantastic, and if you've never seen the first season of Stephen Bochco's Murder One, stick it in your queue. Bald man is sending Beck some help in the form of a private contractor to administer the town while Beck finds Chavez and Mason. Hawkins and Chavez meet in a field. Jake passed Chavez keys which helped him escape. Hawkins tells Chavez that one file from the government couldn't be opened with the password, and Operation Boxcar. Chavez says he doesn't know anything about it, but it is all very suspicious. Gray Anderson, in an attempt to rehabilitate his character, asks Eric Green to be acting mayor while he is at the Constitutional Convention. Anderson promises to ask questions about the new government. Apparently, he became a statesman in the off-season. Beck meets the private contractor. Its the Ravenwood pirate, Goetz (D.B. Sweeney). I hate that guy. I was disappointed by this episode, mostly because the time spent advancing the story was about fifteen minutes, and the time spent preaching or covering irrelevancies occupied the rest of the time. I still have great hopes for this season, but I am pinning those hopes on whether or not the show can get back to what's happening in post-bomb Jericho. Everything else is irrelevant for that one hour. Comments [post a comment]
|
|
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Weather: Fair, 91°
Weather: Fair, 91°
Post a Comment
E-mail To A Friend
Join The List
Technorati Tags
Jericho Condor Skeet Ulrich Esai Morales Tv Television Cbs Review