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Jericho Commentary: Episode Three, "Jennings & Rall"

At the beginning of Jericho's third episode of the season, "Jennings & Rall," two significant things happen.  Hawkins is forced to tell Major Beck that he is an undercover FBI agent and Jake is forced to tell Eric that he committed atrocities in Iraq as an employee of Jennings & Rall, the company for which the new town manager, Goetz, works.  The Hawkins confession works easily since its a clever way to handle Beck's suspicions (although I am beginning to believe Beck will fall for most anything, and its only the third episode), but Jake's confession seems awfully convenient as a plot device.

I have decided to accept that Jake's experience in Iraq is what caused him to be the conscientious character we know him to be.  He also has a temper and a clear willingness to pursue revenge, so for the moment I can accept that he went My Lai on a village in Iraq.  Now Goetz has a file on him, and no one wants their mother or their high school girlfriend finding out that they committed a horrible war crime.

Dale, the youthful entrepreneur, finally returns this season.  He's been traveling around, trading goods, and brings news that the Hudson River Virus has spread across the Mississippi and is getting close to Jericho.  He claims that he has purchased a vaccine for it on the "black market."  If 23 nuclear bombs went off inside the US, everything would be the black market.  Wal Mart probably wouldn't survive the collapse of civilization.

We'll see if the vaccine works, but I am afraid that the Hudson River Virus will turn out to be a convenient way to dispose of non-essential characters.  If I were a resident of Jericho, I would avoid wearing a Red Shirt for the next few days.

Jennings & Rall, through Goetz, confiscates Dale's vaccine stockpile, claiming that the meds might be tainted.  We find out via short wave radio that there are several quarantined towns and the virus seems to be spreading quickly.  One small town has lost 220 people in a week.  Our heroes set in motion a plan to steal the vaccine back and administer it as quickly as possible.

Eric approaches sympathetic, blond, sign language proficient Jennings & Rall employee about having Geotz transferred.  She tells him there's really nothing that she can do, although she does admit she finds J & R's protection of Ravenwood deplorable.  She then says that for every Goetz, there is one employee like her, trying to do the right thing.  Veteran TV watchers will recognize this as an admission of guilt.  She will turn out to be pure evil.  She probably owns most of J & R.  I bet she drafted the "Ravenwood Atrocity Cover-up Guidelines" that were circulated at the last board meeting.

Goetz is on to the plot to steal the vaccines.  He notices a huge syringe order (who knew he was a bean-counter at heart) and deduces that the town plans to do some vaccinations.  Why don't the townspeople just kill him already?  If you can't just whack the bad guy, then what is the End of the World coming to?

What is going on with Stanley and the IRS lady?  His touching scene with his sister had absolutely nothing to do with the plot.  It seems like Stanley just walks around telling people how much he loves them.  In the first season, he was cantankerous.  He even shot some people in the last episode.  IRS lady was ambitious and filled with misplaced rage.  Now they're made of oatmeal.

We find out that Major Beck has a wife and he doesn't know where she is.  Esai Morales is the best part of the new season.  Although he has very few lines so far, he fills up the scenes he is in, and his loyalties may decide the direction of the story arc over the course of the season.  Even if Jericho doesn't flourish during its current run, hopefully this means major work for Morales in the future.

Cliffhanger: Mysterious caller who wants in with Hawkins.  Who could that be?