Season Premiere: Jericho – “Reconstruction”

“Reconstruction”

February 12th, 2008

I have to ponder what it would have been like if Jericho had simply been renewed for another season, and I hadn’t been swept into an amazing fan initiative this past summer, what I would have thought of “Reconstruction,” Jericho’s triumphant return to television for the start of its seven episode second season. Many of the series’ problems remain present, with some of the new storyline’s potential left on the table, and yet I find myself being sucked in more than I expected. I don’t know if the episode was bad or good based on my normal standards simply because they kind of went out the window the second I returned to the small Kansas town.

Having had some time to figure things out, I think that “Reconstruction” is a solid hour of television that relies somewhat too heavily on fans’ nostalgia for the first season, but not so much as to render it unwatchable for new viewers. Those moments of reference to fan efforts, epitomized by the nuts in the show’s opening scene, largely disappear after the first episode, which allows the series’ governmental corruption storyline take center stage in the weeks ahead. Learn how that storyline is unfolding, and how the rest of the citizens of Jericho are faring, by reading the full review.

The episode opens with a lightning-fast resolution to last year’s events, almost too fast for my liking: the incoming helicopters bomb No Man’s Land, Hawkins uses the tank to derail the incoming train, and then Jake and Mayor New Bern are sat down by Major Beck (New cast member Esai Morales, a great addition) and forced into a reconciliatory scenario. It is clear that no one is happy with this, and as we flash forward four weeks we begin to get the lay of the land of the new America.

It takes the form of military security, a new President based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and the reconstructive support of Jennings & Rall, a corporate interest profiting from the need for rebuilding. In the episode, the corruption of these individuals takes hold right away, specifically in terms of Stanley and Mimi. Trish, the young and somewhat shady Jennings & Rall associate played by Emily Rose, makes a deal with Stanley that settles his tax debt while also claiming a third of his crop – Mimi, however, points out that the debt should be settled without this deal, and as a result we start to realize some of the opportunism to play during this rebuilding period.

The issue, however, is that this is also a rebuilding period for the show. With much of its cast relegated to guest star status, some fan favourites barely make their presence known in the first episode, and the series has lost the impact of a community with much of its ensemble missing. However, what it has allowed is for the central storylines to appear more streamlined and focused. We get a real sense in this episode of Jake’s struggle to reconcile his own anger with the people of New Bern, and how these communities remain at odds; however, to an extent, we’re missing parts of the story – I simultaneously want a larger canvas and more time, something not possible considering the short duration of the season and the financial limitations present.

Considering these elements, the two major storylines come off fairly well. Unsurprisingly, Hawkins survives the transition, as Lennie James continues to do great work. I was especially happy to see that Darcy Hawkins (April D. Parker-Jones) is given a more prominent role, as she is integral to ground Hawkins’ story (And to offer him some support in a tough situation). There’s a lot of mixed messages at play in terms of who is on the side of good, and I’m almost concerned that Hawkins is too clear a good guy at this stage. However, his storyline remains compelling, and I am intrigued to see where he and his conspiracy bomb(shell) go from this point forward.

The question of the side of good is really intriguing. It is clear that we are not to trust the new government, based on Hawkins’ evidence regarding their conduct, but what about the Armed Forces? Major Beck doesn’t appear to be evil so much as diligent, and as a result it’s hard to know where he sits on the important issues. In the meantime, Jake is kind of stuck in the middle: he’s got the town on one hand, the Armed Forces on the other, and if he had a third hand it would be out helping Hawkins. The town wants vengeance, the Armed Forces wants reconciliation, and Hawkins wants the truth. It’s a tough position to be in, and while I’m still not quite high on Skeet Ulrich’s understated action style it does the job.

My only major concern is that I feel like we’re missing part of what fans liked about the show – we got a view of Heather, but where was the love triangle that fans have been fascinated with since the beginning? With only seven episodes, there’s a lot of story to tell and not a lot of time to do so. I feel as if there is a balance to be struck, and I think the premiere did an admirable if not perfect job of doing so. Heading into the future, it should be interesting to see how all of these moving pieces come together. In the meantime, even if it isn’t exactly the same, Jericho is definitely back.

Cultural Observations

• I thought it was interesting that Mimi and Stanley were featured so heavily, but it made sense by the end: Alicia Coppola and Brad Beyer are great at bringing together comedy and drama, and their storyline is the less depressive of the rebuilding stories as they have something to look forward to.
• I have to admit I was disappointed to see that amongst the cast casualties, at least to some extend, is Pamela Reed’s Gail Green – to lose the patriarch was bad enough, as Gerald McRaney was certainly missed, but the matriarch was equally as important and the Jake storylines lost a bit of their heart as a result.
• Emily Rose has had a huge breakout year, with a starring role on the short-lived John from Cincinnati, a long guest arc on Brothers & Sisters, and now her role as Trish. Anyone who has watched all three will notice that all three roles are nearly identical: mysterious young women who have secrets and yet prove surprisingly alluring.
• I’m really curious to hear what all of you fans thought of the episode, so be sure to leave comments below!