# Jericho - Pilot - 9/20/06 *spoilers*



## bpurcell (Mar 16, 2005)

Just saw the Pilot episode of Jericho. I'm not really sure what I think of it. The Pilot episode didn't really offer anything.

========================
Synopsis:
Jake comes home to Jericho, Kansas after being gone for 5 years to collect his share of grandfather's money. His father, the mayor, won't give him the money unless he says what he wants it for.

As Jake leaves town, we see a big mushroom cloud about where Denver should be. A school bus crashes into a deer, killing the driver and stranding the kids. Jake crashes into an oncoming car, hurting his leg and killing the people in the other car.

A search is on for the missing school bus. Sherriff comes across a Prison bus that also crashed, and it appears a prisoner shoots him in the back (so prisoners on the loose!). 

Jake comes across some kids who take him to the school bus. A girl crushes her voicebox, which prevents her from breathing. Jake cut open her throat and inserts juice straws to help her breathe. He drives the bus back into town.

Town loses power. People getting gas get into big fight. Mayor comes in to give the all-important speach to calm them down.

A kid hears his parent's death on an answering machine. He reveals that they were in Atlanta (meaning it wasn't just Denver who got hit).
==============================

And that's pretty much it. It might've been better if this was a 2 hour premiere to help flesh out the story. I can't really tell if this will be worth watching or not from what I've seen.

Oh and if you go to CBS Innertube each week, you'll supposedly see what happens to other people beyond Jericho.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

The other car crashed into jake. They drifted onto the side of the road Jake was on while they were watching the cloud and killed themselves in the accident. I've set up an SP for the show. I'll watch again next week to see how it is. I don't know if I'll continue watching though. It might be one of those shows I save to watch when they show reruns of other shows after Thanksgiving.


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## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

It was a little cliche that Jake and his father are at odds, with Mom knowing Jake's secret and being sworn never to let the father know, but I was riveted to the screen the entire hour (less commercials, of course).

Anyone think the Ashley Scott character will suffer radiation sickness? She got out of her car amidst all of the dead birds. Either the birds were killed by the concussion from the blast, or by the radiation, but I'm guessing it was the radiation.

My hometown paper has a good review of the Jericho pilot which asks a few good questions and reveals something about Jake's brother that I might have missed. Maybe someone can help me out on this?


Spoiler



The article says Jake's brother, the do-gooder, seems to be more interested in the local barkeep than in his doctor-wife. Did we even see a barkeep? I'm guessing the wife was in the house holding the baby when the one little kid showed up, although she wasn't introduced as either a doctor or the wife.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

It could have definitely benefited from a 2 hour pilot.


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## bpurcell (Mar 16, 2005)

drew2k said:


> My hometown paper has a good review of the Jericho pilot which asks a few good questions and reveals something about Jake's brother that I might have missed. Maybe someone can help me out on this?


The article mentions things that happen in the second episode as well. So that might be where we learn about the brother more. I know that networks send out DVD's of the first few episodes of shows to enternainment writers so they have ready-made articles when the shows actually come out.


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## kbohip (Dec 30, 2003)

I watched the leaked episode months ago. The thing I didn't like about this show is how it was winter one scene and summer the next?  To me that's unforgivable that they could let that slip. I also lmao at the kid on the roof seeing mountains and a mushroom cloud in Denver when he was all the way in Kansas! As a Colorado resident I can tell you that's completely wrong and impossible. If you're just 70 miles east of the front range you can't see the mountains.

I like the premise of the show a lot though and I'll definitely keep the SP. I just hope they fix some of the glaring problems in future episodes. So far it's like watching a B-movie.


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## jimborst (Aug 30, 2001)

This is the only new show I decided to record, but Jake just seems so boring, get exited about something it's the end of the world (for all we know).


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## jlb.x (Apr 8, 2003)

Part "Lost", part "Invasion", and part "The Day After Tomorrow"... I was eagerly anticipating this premier, though I can't exactly say why. Fascination with our own demise, and the mystery surrounding it, probably.

The turn of events for Dale's mother in Atlanta really side-swiped me. I probably should have seen it coming, but they caught me off guard with that. I agree that a two-hour premier would have been helpful to really get more attached to these characters, but I thought the pacing up to the explosion was almost perfect, not rushed to get in all the names and faces. I can't decide if the girl counting down to the hide-and-seek game / explosion was hacky or genius -- either way I liked it. 

I kind of figured that they were taking liberties with where Denver and the mountains would be from Kansas, but I'm OK with it and most of the country will have no clue. The size, shape, and movements of the mushroom cloud threw me off, making it appear like it was a lot closer than I think was intended.

The deaf girl standing transfixed by the explosion, and being pulled away by the guy (husband?) was a scene straight out of "The Day After Tomorrow" -- which also was staged primarily in Kansas, IIRC. But I guess a coordinated terrorist attack is the more likely scenario for today, rather than a Soviet missile attack.

Like all of these "Lost" clones, I wonder how the writers and producers will keep the series interesting after a few seasons and I often think some of these ideas are better for a mini-series (like how "Battlestar Galactica" was reborn) or feature-length movie, rather than a one-hour a week TV series. Regardless, I'm on the hook to see where this is all headed.


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## speedcouch (Oct 23, 2003)

I guess I have the same "demise" fascination as the other guy who mentioned that. I was anticipating this show the most of all the new ones. Not sure what I think of it though. A lot of predicable stuff and cliches.

Funny to see "Hurst" from Deadwood playing a [supposed] good guy in this one. Also "Deaf Megan" from Weeds gets another series since she's pretty much gone from that show. Sure is a lot of recyling of actors on TV lately.

I've never been crazy about Ulrich's acting "skill," so it's disappointing that he is the main character. Also, he looks a lot older than the 30s age they quoted.

Right before we saw the wrecked bus from Levenworth, he said he was "a screwup" after telling two people he was in the Army and Navy. After the screwup comment, I immediately said to my husband, "HEY, I bet he just got out of Levenworth since that's in Kansas!" Then we see the bus. Weird! But I doubt that is the case now.

Why did they have to wreck the Road Runner? What a waste?

If all the power was out in town, how were they still pumping gas at the gas station?

When the kid on the roof saw the mushroom cloud, I couldn't help but think do kids these days even know what a mushroom cloud is anyway? Don't know geography that well, but I knew you couldn't see a cloud all the way from Denver in Kansas. That was lame...

Definitely CBS's attempt to copy Lost, but could be interesting, so I'll keep the SP for a while.

Cheryl


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

IIRC, Entertainment Weekly said the first couple of episodes were sort of bad. I recorded it but am not sure if I'm going to watch it yet.



> ...Jericho works when it sticks to the eerie surreality of a nuclear attack: A storm bearing radioactive rain rolls in from the west; animals flee in dying packs; clueless citizens scour for information in Cold War-era books like Our Friend the Atom. The show, unfortunately, flops about in its first two episodes, leaning too heavily on the action-adventure stuff, perhaps a twitch from exec producer Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure) ..... May I suggest sticking to the possible destruction of the world? It's a bit more riveting. Grade: B


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## dthmj (Mar 12, 2002)

I just watched the "webisode" of the Others. I like the idea of enhanced content on the internet, but it wasn't very long, and it was fairly far fetched.

I'll be keeping the SP for now.


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## skaeight (Jan 20, 2004)

Did anyone else think Jake's brother looked like a long lost Manning brother?

Overall the show was pretty good. At times it was a little cheesey and cliched, but it also had moments that were very creepy. I'll continue to watch and see where this goes.


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## slydog75 (Jul 8, 2004)

speedcouch said:


> Right before we saw the wrecked bus from Levenworth, he said he was "a screwup" after telling two people he was in the Army and Navy. After the screwup comment, I immediately said to my husband, "HEY, I bet he just got out of Levenworth since that's in Kansas!" Then we see the bus. Weird! But I doubt that is the case now.
> 
> Cheryl


Didn't he say he learned to 'do that' in Military School? Then the kid assumed that meant Army? If the Navy was ever mentioned I never saw that. I never got the impression that he was ever in the actual military, but I did miss some of it.


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## dthmj (Mar 12, 2002)

slydog75 said:


> Didn't he say he learned to 'do that' in Military School? Then the kid assumed that meant Army? If the Navy was ever mentioned I never saw that. I never got the impression that he was ever in the actual military, but I did miss some of it.


He actually told each person something different about where he had been for the past 5 years...

First it was the Army to the guy with the deaf sister (?), then he told the grocery lady he had been playing minor league baseball, then he told the blond girl Navy, which she didn't buy for a second.

So we really don't know where he's been, but my guess is prison.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

dthmj said:


> So we really don't know where he's been, but my guess is prison.


That's also the vibe I got from his interaction with his family...


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

As some others have mentioned, of all the premieres this season this was the one I was most anticipating. As it drew nearer and I started to see more mediocre reviews of the pilot episode in the press and from people who had seen it in advance, I adjusted my expectations downward. Last night I was happily surprised. It isn't the best show on television. It's no Lost. But it's also not quite so bad as some reviews have made it sound. I'll definitely stay tuned to see what happens.

A few notes: 

(1) right before each commercial break there's music that rises to a crescendo and a final thud-sound that was very reminiscent of what Lost does, to me. Seems like they stole a page from the Lost handbook, there.

(2) Good job on the voice of the President, over the radio. Sounded very reminiscent of George W. Bush, though not like a direct imitation.


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## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

slydog75 said:


> Didn't he say he learned to 'do that' in Military School? Then the kid assumed that meant Army? If the Navy was ever mentioned I never saw that.  I never got the impression that he was ever in the actual military, but I did miss some of it.


He told the girl that he talked to a the beginning, the one buying a house, that he was in the navy.

Z


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## Sirius Black (Dec 26, 2001)

jlb.x said:


> The deaf girl standing transfixed by the explosion, and being pulled away by the guy (husband?) was a scene straight out of "The Day After Tomorrow" -- which also was staged primarily in Kansas, IIRC.


The Day After Tomorrow with Dennis Quaid was set in New York City. I don't remember any part of that movie taking place in Kansas.

As for Jericho, the jury is still out. We'll see where they go with it. Did they mention what his secret is? Why he was needing money from his dad?


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

This looks terrible but I'll give it 2-3 more episodes just to make sure. Watching the episode, I had a clear picture in my mind of some TV exec morons sitting around a circular table listening to this moronic pitch... "It's northern exposure meets the stand with a splash of lost!"

This is just a "small town usa" show disguised as something a lot more interesting than it really is.


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## slydog75 (Jul 8, 2004)

TAsunder said:


> "It's northern exposure meets the stand with a splash of lost!"
> 
> .


I'd watch that!


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## Jon J (Aug 23, 2000)

Better take an upper before watching this downer.


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## KRS (Jan 30, 2002)

What a letdown. Next week better be good or I'm out.


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## Chuck_IV (Jan 1, 2002)

I actually thought this show was quite GOOD. I'm not sure what some of your were expecting, to think it was bad.

Yea, it's about a small town's struggles, BUT it based on a much larger reason, than some small town problem. The premise allows the show to go in many different directions, which is a good thing. 

It will be interesting to see where this goes. hopefully CBS will let it play out and not have an over anxious trigger finger, if the ratings aren't there, at first.


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## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

The pilot was just "ehhh". Is this going to be a sohw where we wait weeks and weeks before finding out exactly what happened? (I assume co-oridnated terrorist attack, but maybe it turns out to be something different??) Will it take forever to find out where Jake *really* was?


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## 7thton (Mar 3, 2005)

Man, I thought this episode was a slam dunk. It was awesome....better than Smith and just as good as Studio 60.

I thought they did a great job of introducing the characters and setting up the "mushroom cloud" mystery. 

I give it 2 strong thumbs up. 

The only issue I had was that they never said if they were able to use or contact anyone via the HAM radio.

Other than that, I thought it was a very strong episode with an interesting premise. Plus, it's got George Hearst in it...all the way from Deadwood!


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

The mystery would have been better if they hadn't had a TV show every 30 seconds talking about how violent the world was becoming and all these press conferences and diplomatic meetings about violence in the world. Much more effective if it had just happened without all that exposition.

And the town stuff was hit and miss. I liked some characters ok, but some of the others were a little out of control. Like the mystery guy who knows everything and had all these wacky ideas that aren't really as logical as we are being led to believe. 

The father/son stuff was a little overdone too... a bit much to play for the tearjerker angle by having his father say his grandfather would be proud, but not saying he's proud himself...


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## brott (Feb 23, 2001)

jsmeeker said:


> The pilot was just "ehhh". Is this going to be a sohw where we wait weeks and weeks before finding out exactly what happened? (I assume co-oridnated terrorist attack, but maybe it turns out to be something different??) Will it take forever to find out where Jake *really* was?


You mean it's going to take a long time to find out what happened like 24 and lost? Those shows seem to be the thing to do right now. I'm already anticipating next week.


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## ced6 (Jul 30, 2003)

I liked it. Obviously not the best new show of the season, but definitely better than some of the crap I've been watching, like that Senator's wife abduction show (forgot the name) or Standoff. 

The one thing that really worries me, however, is how many actors I recognized. A lot of these actors, for example the guy from Barcelona who was fighting over gas, and some woman who you only saw briefly in the crowd scene, didn't get much of a part this season, but I assume that since I recognize them, their parts will get bigger. That means a LOT of people to keep track of. Hope that it doesn't get bogged down there.


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## brott (Feb 23, 2001)

skaeight said:


> Did anyone else think Jake's brother looked like a long lost Manning brother?


Absolutely. In fact, I found myself thinking that on 3 different occasions.


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## brott (Feb 23, 2001)

ced6 said:


> ... but definitely better than some of the crap I've been watching, like that Senator's wife abduction show (forgot the name) ...


Vanished

I have to agree that so far it is better than Vanished, but I may be watching both. I'll definitely check this one out again.


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## scottykempf (Dec 1, 2004)

Sirius Black said:


> The Day After Tomorrow with Dennis Quaid was set in New York City. I don't remember any part of that movie taking place in Kansas.
> 
> As for Jericho, the jury is still out. We'll see where they go with it. Did they mention what his secret is? Why he was needing money from his dad?


I think that meant "The Day After", which was a tv miniseries about nuclear attack, set in Kansas, which ran in 1983.

I'm one who watched the leaked episode several months ago. I liked some things, some things were cheesy. But I am willing to give it a few episodes before deciding. I don't understand the people who say "I didn't wow me in the first episode, so I'm deleting it. " So they must read the first few pages of a novel and then give up, huh? You have to give stories time to develop, people.


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## darthrsg (Jul 25, 2005)

I don't get the Lost comparisons. Is it because there is a mystery or a sci-fi bend to it? That's rediculous thinking. If Jericho becomes a social commentary on the after effects of nuclear attack and the downward spiral of society will it be deemed worthless? I welcome the update on the premise personally.

If my town saw a mushroom cloud today, it would very possibly not be around the next. Very few regular cities are prepared for an event like that. You would do well to have a storage tank for gas and water along with food stores. Good luck getting that the day after. 

We have seen the truth of government response in emergencies, local or federal. You WILL be on your own IF something like this happened.

BTW, great first ep. I hope it gets "Road Warrior" before too long. "Hearst runs Bartertown"


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## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

brott said:


> You mean it's going to take a long time to find out what happened like 24 and lost? Those shows seem to be the thing to do right now. I'm already anticipating next week.


It's seems pointless for this show to wait weeks and weeks to find out why there was a nuclear explosion in Denver and seemingly in Atlanta. Hopefully, they won't do this.

I look at it like I looked at "Reunion". Someone died. But they took weeks to tell us who dies. IMHO, lots of people bailed out on the show becasue the show was about someone who died, but they waited and watied before telling us. I actually stuck with it, and the show gradually got better. But it was too late. The audience was lost, and the show got canned.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

I watched it and liked it very much. I felt like they didn't take a lot of time with exposition of the characters and their situations, they simply introduced a few key characters and then moved right into the meat of the plot with the explosion.

I didn't like the geography anomalies. I've always heard that Kansas is so flat that if you stand on a tuna-fish can, you can see the whole state. It's obviously an exaggeration, but if their going to film in an area that has hills and mountains and no discernible agriculture, they shouldn't have set it in Kansas.

However, the geography stuff was the only thing that bothered me. The rest of the hour was riveting. I'm interested to find out where Jake has been (and it definitely wasn't Leavenworth considering he flew into Denver and then drove from there). Also, if Jericho is at least 47 miles into Kansas from the western border (because we saw the Welcome to Kansas sign and then a Jericho - 47 sign), then would Denver really be the closest airport?

But I digress. I really liked that we don't know much about anyone yet, as opposed to most pilots which shove that info down your throat.

Someone asked about the results of them trying to contact the governor via HAM radio. I'm pretty sure that was unsuccessful, because at the end, when the Mayor was giving the speech and someone asked where he'd been, he said he'd been *trying* to contact the governor, and if he had been able to contact someone, he surely would have given that information to the townsfolk during that speech.

I'm definitely watching for the next little while. Considering that I have no other shows I watch in this timeslot, it will have to get significantly worse before I jump ship.


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## brott (Feb 23, 2001)

I think the Lost comparisons are more to do with the serialized nature of the show rather than standalone episodes.


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## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

brott said:


> skaeight said:
> 
> 
> > Did anyone else think Jake's brother looked like a long lost Manning brother?
> ...


So ... who exactly are the *Manning brothers*?


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## brott (Feb 23, 2001)

devdogaz said:


> I'm interested to find out where Jake has been (and it definitely wasn't Leavenworth considering he flew into Denver and then drove from there).


When Jake and is Mom were at the cemetery, Jake did say he had to get back to San Diego. But yes, that is all we know and it doesn't mean that that was where he was before he came.


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

darthrsg said:


> I don't get the Lost comparisons. Is it because there is a mystery or a sci-fi bend to it? That's rediculous thinking. If Jericho becomes a social commentary on the after effects of nuclear attack and the downward spiral of society will it be deemed worthless? I welcome the update on the premise personally.


It's a show where a major disaster happens and people have to band together and figure out how to survive in an environment they aren't totally used to and they have no contact with the outside world and aren't even sure if the outside world still exists. There's a guy who is the main character and does some medical miracle, an escaped convict or two, a guy who seems to know more than he's letting on, an unknown enemy, and some strange stuff with animals. Supplies have to be rationed carefully. There's a weird kid. Yeah, I have no idea why anyone would compare it to Lost.


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## brott (Feb 23, 2001)

drew2k said:


> So ... who exactly are the *Manning brothers*?


Peyton (Indianapolis Colts) and Eli (NY Giants) Manning .. National Football League - they are brothers.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

drew2k said:


> So ... who exactly are the *Manning brothers*?


Peyton and Eli.

Edit: Not fast enough.


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## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

brott said:


> Peyton (Indianapolis Colts) and Eli (NY Giants) Manning .. National Football League - they are brothers.


OK, thanks. For some reason, I expected this to be a reference to another TV show or to TV characters, and I've never seen a Manning brother with a beard before!


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## Deacon West (Apr 16, 2006)

Archie's kids.


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

Didn't eli have a beard last season?


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## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

TAsunder said:


> Didn't eli have a beard last season?


Could be ... I just haven't seen either brother with a beard. Every time I've seen them they've been clean shaven, but I will admit I don't watch much football so I only see the occasional picture in the paper.


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## unicorngoddess (Nov 20, 2005)

I liked the pilot but I just don't see how far the show can go or if maybe it's only meant to last one season. I will keep watching.



Spoiler



Just saw the beyone Jericho clip. Wow that was some bad acting! And I don't get a scary vibe off the kidnapper that's talking on a pink razor phone!


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## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

devdogaz said:


> However, the geography stuff was the only thing that bothered me. The rest of the hour was riveting. I'm interested to find out where Jake has been (and it definitely wasn't Leavenworth considering he flew into Denver and then drove from there). Also, if Jericho is at least 47 miles into Kansas from the western border (because we saw the Welcome to Kansas sign and then a Jericho - 47 sign), then would Denver really be the closest airport?


I'll have to go back and watch it, but it appeared to me he arrived in Denver on a train.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

jsmeeker said:


> I'll have to go back and watch it, but it appeared to me he arrived in Denver on a train.


OK, train, plane. Doesn't really matter. The point is that he arrived in Denver, where his car was waiting for him. This makes it highly unlikely that he was coming from Leavenworth Prison. That's all I was saying.


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## DLiquid (Sep 17, 2001)

My expectations were lowered by the mediocre reviews, but I really liked this. Comparing it to last season's pilots, this was much better than Surface or Threshold, about on par with Invasion (which quickly went downhill in later episodes). I watched Smith right before this and I have to say Jericho was much more entertaining. I'll probably stick with this show through the season, assuming it survives.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I really enjoyed it as well. 

Could someone please tell me who the fire chief was. He looked familiar.


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## mcdougll (Jan 27, 2003)

dthmj said:


> He actually told each person something different about where he had been for the past 5 years...
> 
> First it was the Army to the guy with the deaf sister (?), then he told the grocery lady he had been playing minor league baseball, then he told the blond girl Navy, which she didn't buy for a second.
> 
> So we really don't know where he's been, but my guess is prison.


For a crime he didn't commit, no doubt.


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## kbohip (Dec 30, 2003)

devdogaz said:


> OK, train, plane. Doesn't really matter. The point is that he arrived in Denver, where his car was waiting for him. This makes it highly unlikely that he was coming from Leavenworth Prison. That's all I was saying.


Plus, the train was traveling through the mountains on it's way to Denver, meaning it was coming from the West.


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## cmaasfamily (Jan 26, 2006)

Not sure whether to make the investment or not...

Somehow I had completely missed promos and reviews - I knew nothing going in. Only turned it on 'cause the spousal unit wanted to watch The Fattest Loser (or whatever its called) so I moved to the other TV.

Loved the setup. Kinda descended into Lost wannabe and cliche land, but still held my interest. I think if I watch one or two more episodes I'll be hooked, but not sure I want to commit yet.

Biggest pet peeve / cliche: the "generator spin-down" "lights out at Yankee Stadium" noises when the power went out. When the power goes out at my house it gets dark. And quiet. That's it. I never hear giant turbines grinding to a halt.


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

cmaasfamily said:


> Biggest pet peeve / cliche: the "generator spin-down" "lights out at Yankee Stadium" noises when the power went out. When the power goes out at my house it gets dark. And quiet. That's it. I never hear giant turbines grinding to a halt.


Are you suggesting that the shot of the lights going out from a distance from the city would not involve a noise in the middle of the air like that? I can't believe what I am reading!


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## jschuur (Nov 27, 2002)

Jake being in jail would be too stereotypical. My money is on him being in some government black ops unit. That could tie in later with the overall background of what caused the blast(s).

Although with the escaped convicts that are no doubt going to come up in the next episode, if he was in prison, that would be the perfect time to reveal it to the town inhabitants.


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## tigercat74 (Aug 7, 2004)

brott said:


> Peyton (Indianapolis Colts) and Eli (NY Giants) Manning .. National Football League - they are brothers.


Don't forget about Cooper. He is the oldest brother.


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## darthrsg (Jul 25, 2005)

TAsunder said:


> It's a show where a major disaster happens and people have to band together and figure out how to survive in an environment they aren't totally used to and they have no contact with the outside world and aren't even sure if the outside world still exists. There's a guy who is the main character and does some medical miracle, an escaped convict or two, a guy who seems to know more than he's letting on, an unknown enemy, and some strange stuff with animals. Supplies have to be rationed carefully. There's a weird kid. Yeah, I have no idea why anyone would compare it to Lost.


It's not like Lost was the first to do it  .


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

darthrsg said:


> It's not like Lost was the first to do it  .


True but I don't think anyone would remember Earth 2 or similar shows.


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## brott (Feb 23, 2001)

TAsunder said:


> True but I don't think anyone would remember Earth 2 or similar shows.


What about Gilligan's Island and Lost in Space?


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## jlb.x (Apr 8, 2003)

Sirius Black said:


> The Day After Tomorrow with Dennis Quaid was set in New York City. I don't remember any part of that movie taking place in Kansas.


D'oh. I always get that mixed up. 

ABC's The Day After aired in 1983.



IMBD said:


> Plot Outline: A graphic, disturbing film about the effects of a devastating nuclear holocaust on small-town residents of eastern Kansas.


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## robbhimself (Sep 13, 2006)

sorry to say this show lost me pretty early in the episode.. it seemed to me like everyone was very sleepy and would rather be napping.. it was like watching a room full of vince vaughns (no offense to vince vaughn lovers, he just always looks tired).. there wasn't any excitement.. maybe i'll give it another week, anyone here think it'll get better? also, this show is nothing like lost, on that pilot it jumped right into everyone running around, there was excitement in the air, sure some later episodes slowed down, but people watching were already drawn into watching it..


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

brott said:


> What about Gilligan's Island and Lost in Space?


Those shows only mostly fit my profile. I don't think gilligan ever questioned seriously whether the rest of the world exists.


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## vikingguy (Aug 12, 2005)

It was ok and good enough to keep the season pass for a long time. I am not completely sold on jake but I am willing to give it a shot. Hopefully the secondary characters can carry the show like on blade the series.


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## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

what about the black guy?? what's his story? any guesses? I suspect he'll be one of the major characters, along with Jake.


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## bpurcell (Mar 16, 2005)

He is the "Locke" character in Jericho, at least that's my guess. He will have the wisdom and vision that guides them.

Now the question is whether he is for real or not. Could be that he's an "other" (pounding in the Lost references here  ) who's real goal is to stear the town the wrong path. Or he could be an angel from God who's goal is to stear them to the right path. 

And maybe there's another town nearby that's the "evil" town and everyone's got to choose sides ("The Stand" by Stephen King).


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## stellie93 (Feb 25, 2006)

Best line: "My mom isn't in Denver, she's in Atlanta." That sent chills up my spine. Good way to get that info on the table.


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## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

jsmeeker said:


> what about the black guy?? what's his story? any guesses? I suspect he'll be one of the major characters, along with Jake.


I'm guessing he becomes the new sheriff. The old sheriff was just killed on the prison bus and the new guy had law enforcement experience in St. Louis (?)


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## jschuur (Nov 27, 2002)

bpurcell said:


> He is the "Locke" character in Jericho, at least that's my guess. He will have the wisdom and vision that guides them.


Since we're making Lost comparisons, let me be the first to speculate that they're all already dead and simply in purgatory


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

jschuur said:


> Since we're making Lost comparisons, let me be the first to speculate that they're all already dead and simply in purgatory


GAUNT, you dolt! *GAUNT!*


----------



## Vito the TiVo (Oct 27, 2003)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> GAUNT, you dolt! *GAUNT!*


Clearly the word was GOTH. I love (by that I mean hate) those simple logic debates in the Lost threads. Nobody will believe anything.


----------



## 7thton (Mar 3, 2005)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> GAUNT, you dolt! *GAUNT!*


 :up:


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## mqpickles (Nov 11, 2004)

I thought it was pretty good. Really good cast (I've always thought Pamela Reed was good). 

As a Kansas native and Wichita resident, yeah, the mountain views were inaccurate, but I can get past it. (Btw, Kansas doesn't have any mountains, and parts of it are entirely flat, but parts of it are rather hilly.)

For people in far western Kansas, Denver is the nearest city of any size. A lot of people out there are even Broncos fans. 

The only thing that really bothered me as being non-Kansas, especially small town Kansas, was the near rioting and the attitude that it's the government's (mayor's) responsibility to take care of everything. There are jerks everywhere, but a big part of that kind of farm community culture is everyone gets going and pitches in.


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## NatasNJ (Jan 7, 2002)

anyone know what the opening song was?


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## jschuur (Nov 27, 2002)

NatasNJ said:


> anyone know what the opening song was?


The Killers - All These Things That I've Done


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## Bill Reeves (Jul 18, 2002)

The spoilers are for the "Beyond Jericho" clip on cbs.com, which I also watched. Only minor plot details but still spoilerized, just in case.



unicorngoddess said:


> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Just saw the beyone Jericho clip. Wow that was some bad acting! And I don't get a scary vibe off the kidnapper that's talking on a pink razor phone!





Spoiler



That clip was really sorry. One of the sorriest-ass things I've ever seen. As in, I'm sorry I watched it. Bad acting, bad effects -- you could see an outline around them in front of the rubble background -- I've seen better effects on old Doctor Who episodes. I'm hoping that the producers of the show have nothing to do with the producers of the Beyond Jericho clips.


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## jschuur (Nov 27, 2002)

Side note, since it's already scrolled off the front page, but there's a poll thread about whether webisode content should go into spoiler tags or not.


----------



## mechtriton (Nov 27, 2004)

Did anyone catch that when Jake brought the bus back to town when everyone was getting off the bus he said that there was an empty prison bus on such and such road. 

How would he know that? the bus wasnt on the same road back to town, or he would have seen the cop cars. If the prisoners took the cars then how did he know it was empty? 

Hmmm...


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## appleye1 (Jan 26, 2002)

The wife says that we (and Jake) saw it on the trip back to town, but I don't remember it. I'm going to scan back through and see if I see it


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

yipppee all the characters were explained a bit and I know where everyone stands on everything..my kind of show!

I hate major dad in this. When he said "dont disappoint me" to the town it just didnt have as much an effect on me as it would have some other lovable character. Like maybe jed barlett or something? Just not major dad.

Even in the dark, doesn't a prison bus look a bit different than a schoolbus?

I dont see, nor i want to see, the parallels with Lost. Way different show to me 

The black guy is definitely more than just joe cop. My guess is super secret ex govt agent.

Boy will that little girl have a heck of a show and tell next week.



scottykempf said:


> I think that meant "The Day After", which was a tv miniseries about nuclear attack, set in Kansas, which ran in 1983.


On the Beach , for anyone that hasn't seen it, is a real tear jerker and along the lines of gloom/doom. I've only seen the newer version



DLiquid said:


> My expectations were lowered by the mediocre reviews, .


Why even bother with reviews?  I dont trust anyone, including people on this board, to review a show for me. I watch and if i like it, i watch. If i dont, i wont. Plus if you do look at reviews, you probably will be subconsciously swayed in one direction or another as you were in lowering expectations (ever see that skit on madtv?) I like to have a virgin mind going in so i can be molded by what they want me to be molded by


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

appleye1 said:


> The wife says that we (and Jake) saw it on the trip back to town, but I don't remember it. I'm going to scan back through and see if I see it


The school bus definitely drove by the prison bus: it was the first shot of Jake driving the bus and starting to fall asleep, after the scene where he gets it started and pulls out of the ditch.

The didn't show Jake actually noticing the prison bus at all, but the camera panned past it as the school bus went by. I was surprised Jake said that because he hadn't reacted to it when it went by: I assumed he didn't notice it. But, he definitely had opportunity.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

7thton said:


> Man, I thought this episode was a slam dunk. It was awesome....better than Smith and just as good as Studio 60.
> 
> I thought they did a great job of introducing the characters and setting up the "mushroom cloud" mystery.
> 
> ...


I agree for the most part. I also agree it could have used a 2 hour episode to set up the characters a bit better. But I enjoyed it. This and studio 60 were the two shows I most wanted to see, and both were excellent. I didn't like Smith at all.


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

newsposter said:


> Why even bother with reviews?  I dont trust anyone, including people on this board, to review a show for me. I watch and if i like it, i watch. If i dont, i wont. Plus if you do look at reviews, you probably will be subconsciously swayed in one direction or another as you were in lowering expectations (ever see that skit on madtv?) I like to have a virgin mind going in so i can be molded by what they want me to be molded by


Your mind must be filled with drek from tv shows you didn't avoid in advance then. That reminds me of the people who say they don't read movie reviews and then they end up seeing movies like gigli and the latest britney spears movies as a result.


----------



## TR7spyder (Feb 28, 2006)

drew2k said:


> Anyone think the Ashley Scott character will suffer radiation sickness? She got out of her car amidst all of the dead birds. Either the birds were killed by the concussion from the blast, or by the radiation, but I'm guessing it was the radiation.


Radiation (even at highly lethal doses) does not typically kill with-in couple of hours. And she was still some distance from the blast.

But then, this is a TV show, so get ready for some highly inaccurate radiation hysteria.


----------



## dcheesi (Apr 6, 2001)

I was a little disappointed by the pilot, it just didn't have the right "feel" to it for this kind of show. I can't put my finger on what was wrong, though.



danterner said:


> (1) right before each commercial break there's music that rises to a crescendo and a final thud-sound that was very reminiscent of what Lost does, to me. Seems like they stole a page from the Lost handbook, there.


I didn't notice that, specifically, but something about the intros at the beginning of the show reminded me of Lost somehow.



mechtriton said:


> IIf the prisoners took the cars then how did he know it was empty?


I was wondering that myself, but then maybe he was smart enough not to stop with a busload of kids in order to go poking around an unsecured prison transport. Or to stop at all when his fuel is low.


----------



## myriadian (Sep 20, 2002)

TAsunder said:


> True but I don't think anyone would remember Earth 2 or similar shows.


how funny. i was just walking down the street the other day thinking about some of the technology in earth2 and also thinking that almost no one probably remembers it. i think earth2 and earth final conflict are my 2 favorite shows to showcase near-term plausible technology. i really like the earth2 headgear for communications and it's virtualization abilities, mostly the small, probably touch sensitive nubs on the head unit, are really cool. i also really liked the doctors medical gauntlet. that's farfetched but is still awesome.

for earth final conflict i LOVE the global, thier communication devices. with flexible oled's i think we could get there with todays technologies.

anyway  jericho. right. 
i didn't really care for the episode. i think it's because i'm stressed out by real life stuff and so a stressed out tv show just wasn't going to sit well with me. i'll keep the season pass for awhile but i've read alot of post-attack books and also have some knowledge of radiation and it's affects from classes and work training so if the show gets to too farfetched then i probably won't like it.

and having said that....if they introduce radiation resistant aliens, then i'd be all for it!  it could be the new 'war of the worlds' and all those awesome canadian actors from vancouver could come back 

M.


----------



## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

TAsunder said:


> Your mind must be filled with drek from tv shows you didn't avoid in advance then. That reminds me of the people who say they don't read movie reviews and then they end up seeing movies like gigli and the latest britney spears movies as a result.


in fairness to the opposing side, i will admit that before i tivo a movie i dont know much about, i do read the guide data to see if it interests me. So i guess i do see movie reviews after all. 

And yes, i'd see britney, capt kirk, or don johnson if they are in a movie if i had liked those 2 people, regardless of what people say. (just trying to make a point, not saying those are my heroes)


----------



## icmoney (Aug 22, 2005)

TR7spyder said:


> Radiation (even at highly lethal doses) does not typically kill with-in couple of hours. And she was still some distance from the blast.
> 
> But then, this is a TV show, so get ready for some highly inaccurate radiation hysteria.


Plus she is supposed to be going to Witchita to pick up her fiance', which would be going further east away from Denver. Can we assume some other city has also been hit that we do not know about yet or is this just another geography error by the Hollywood bound writers.


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## unicorngoddess (Nov 20, 2005)

icmoney said:


> Plus she is supposed to be going to Witchita to pick up her fiance', which would be going further east away from Denver. Can we assume some other city has also been hit that we do not know about yet or is this just another geography error by the Hollywood bound writers.


Well, we know Atlanta has been hit. I think, with the direction that the show is going, we're suppose to assume that Jericho is the only place left. So I guess that would mean more than just Denver and Atlanta were hit.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

unicorngoddess said:


> I think, with the direction that the show is going, we're suppose to assume that Jericho is the only place left.


Guide Data spoiler:


Spoiler



In two weeks, they see Asian newscasts about the attack, so they're obviously not the ONLY place left, nor do they believe such for long...


----------



## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

jschuur said:


> NatasNJ said:
> 
> 
> > anyone know what the opening song was?
> ...


My all time favorite song from The Killers. Awesome video, too, by the way. :up:


----------



## whitson77 (Nov 10, 2002)

How were the rating for this show?


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

whitson77 said:


> How were the rating for this show?


http://www.zap2it.com/tv/ratings/zap-ratings092006,0,2450056.story?coll=zap-tv-ratings-headlines


> The "Dancing with the Stars" results show, 10.2/17, put ABC on top at 8 p.m. The debut of "Jericho" drew a 7.5/12 for CBS. "Bones," 4.7/8, put FOX in third, ahead of the season premiere of "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. The season premiere of "America's Next Top Model" on The CW posted a 3.1/5.


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## Ruth (Jul 31, 2001)

I am morbidly fascinated with post-apocolypse storylines so I will keep going with this show for a while. It did have some wonderfully creepy moments and I am interested to see how it develops. 

But some of it was just too predictable and overdone for me. I don't mind so much the character conflicts they are setting up -- for example, the father/son dynamic might be cliched, but family relationships do have certain universal themes that are fair game for storytelling. But an emergency trachiotomy with straws on a cute little girl, instantly making him into a hero? While an attractive woman watches and admires? Please. That is just sooooo overdone. Speed meets ER. You could see it coming a mile away and it was just so hokey. Hopefully there will be less of that kind of stuff as the show progresses.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

Ruth, something tells me you wanted him to stop the school bus, capture the escaped prisoners, then continue on to town with them strapped to the front of the bus?


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## whitson77 (Nov 10, 2002)

Mediocre at best. I liked it but I am very afraid we could have another Miracles on our hand.


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## boywaja (Sep 30, 2001)

I just watched it tonight. So nice to see Gerald McRaney again. Its getting a season pass (when cox gets here with the cable cards on monday).


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## stahta01 (Dec 23, 2001)

Ruth said:


> I am morbidly fascinated with post-apocolypse storylines so I will keep going with this show for a while.


+1

Tim S


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## betativoII (Apr 13, 2002)

I liked it, but judging from the names in the credits (Alicia Coppola, Clare Carey [daughter in "Coach"]), there still a LOT of character development yet.

My husband and I watched it last night, right after watching "Six Degrees." So, we got two doses of the Goo Goo Dolls' "Better Things." It was funny, but I like the song.

As far as where he came from, he did tell his mom he had to get back from San Diego, so that would explain traveling from the West. Why was his car left in Denver, and why is he lying to folks about where he's been?

He did pass the prison bus while driving the school bus, but I don't know how he could have seen that it was empty.

I'm going to continue with it, at least for awhile. There seems to be a lot of info missing; hopefully that will be filled in as the season progresses...


----------



## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

PJO1966 said:


> I really enjoyed it as well.
> 
> Could someone please tell me who the fire chief was. He looked familiar.


This was bugging me too ... He's Alex Carter. Alsp played Detective Vartann on CSI and the sheriff on Point Pleasant.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

drew2k said:


> This was bugging me too ... He's Alex Carter. Alsp played Detective Vartann on CSI and the sheriff on Point Pleasant.


Point Pleasant... I thought so, but I wasn't sure.


----------



## Gene Plantz (Dec 31, 1999)

Sirius Black said:


> The Day After Tomorrow with Dennis Quaid was set in New York City. I don't remember any part of that movie taking place in Kansas.


I think he was referring to the movie "The Day After"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085404/

which was set in Kansas and about a nuclear blast


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Gene Plantz said:


> I think he was referring to the movie "The Day After"
> 
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085404/
> 
> which was set in Kansas and about a nuclear blast


Wow. Just wow.


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

devdogaz said:


> OK, train, plane. Doesn't really matter. The point is that he arrived in Denver, where his car was waiting for him. This makes it highly unlikely that he was coming from Leavenworth Prison. That's all I was saying.


And the car was stored and covered right? So, he leaves thar car covered somewhere for the 5 years he's been gone and a thirty five year old car just starts right up. Yeah sure?


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

boywaja said:


> I just watched it tonight. So nice to see Gerald McRaney again. Its getting a season pass (when cox gets here with the cable cards on monday).


But he plays the same role he always plays. Stoic know it all elder. He was that role in Simon and Simon as well as in the last TV show. I like him but he doesn't stray much from his comfort zone.


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## brott (Feb 23, 2001)

I wonder if they will explain what happened to tall of the people that were in airplanes when the bombs went off. There must be a thousands of people in the air at any one time, especially in the daytime.


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## jeff125va (Mar 15, 2001)

Just got around to it tonight, and I really liked it, much more than I expected to. It'll be interesting to see how long it takes them to reveal the full story of the attacks. I can't see them stretching out the mystery aspect of it indefinitely; even if they don't restore communications, at some point someone's just going to say, "let's go find out." Although I guess if time passes at the pace it has on Lost (about a month per season, I think?) then they could.

As much as this had in common with "The Day After" on the surface (Kansas, etc.), it really doesn't feel like it at all. For those of us old enough to remember when that was on and how much hype there was, there's really no comparison without the whole Cold War context.


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## Fl_Gulfer (May 27, 2005)

The thing I can't understand is how these bombs got to the destinations, with all the anti ballistic missiles we have. You really think a missile could make it all the way to Denver? There is no way this could have happened. But I guess war make a TV show.


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## balboa dave (Jan 19, 2004)

Fl_Gulfer said:


> The thing I can't understand is how these bombs got to the destinations, with all the anti ballistic missiles we have. You really think a missile could make it all the way to Denver? There is no way this could have happened. But I guess war make a TV show.


Who said there were missiles?


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

balboa dave said:


> Who said there were missiles?


And from what I understand, the anti-missile missiles aren't terribly effective--i.e., less than 100%. We know two missiles got through; we don't know how many didn't.


----------



## Barmat (Jun 1, 2001)

Who said we had anti ballistic missiles? We have the patriot system but that's just a converted anti aircraft system. Patriot couldn't hit a ballistic missile, those missiles fly through space and carry multiple warheads.


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## Redux (Oct 19, 2004)

Fl_Gulfer said:


> The thing I can't understand is how these bombs got to the destinations, with all the anti ballistic missiles we have. You really think a missile could make it all the way to Denver? There is no way this could have happened.


This is scarier than any TV show could ever be. Hopefully this is a joke, or, if not, a one-of-a-kind, aberrant belief.


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## AJRitz (Mar 25, 2002)

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I think going in with low expectations may have helped. But I am intrigued by our "mystery hero", and the know-it-all African-American guy from out of town who no one really knows should prove to be interesting.


----------



## dagap (Dec 5, 2003)

We watched it last night and liked it.

Fortunately I'm completely unburdened by any knowledge of geography so that horrible "see Denver from Kansas" screw up didn't ruin the whole series for me.

And holy cow, no way our current ABM tech could even put a dent into a ballistic missile attack. We're lucky to hit ONE in highly controlled tests, much less numerous MIRVed incomings.


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## fergiej (Oct 9, 2002)

I don't think these were missiles. I believe, based on the context of the bit of the president's speech we heard. No, I think these were planted terrorist bombs. And, I think we'll hear of more attacks too, in later eps. I'll give it a few episodes, but I really hate Gerald McRaney.


----------



## cheesesteak (Jul 24, 2003)

I liked it.


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## Supfreak26 (Dec 12, 2003)

I liked it too. 

The whole geography thing reminds of a Supernatural ep last season that was supposed to be set in Richardson, TX. First of all, they portrayed it like it was a small town in the middle of nowhere. In reality, it's sandwiched between Dallas and a half-dozen suburbs. Also the land surrounding the town was hilly and full of tall trees. Richardson is flat as a board and severely lacking trees. Looked like they were in Northern California instead of North Texas. Was a bit distracting so I can see how this would bother folks in this show.

I love the premise of the show. Very unique and very cold-warish. It was a bit hokey but hopefully that will subside over time. I'm in for as long as it lasts. Or until it annoys me.


----------



## Cue-Ball (Oct 8, 2002)

I also liked the show. Counter to what others have said, I thought the emergency tracheotomy was good because it shows that the main protagonist is a capable person with his wits about him. I also think that the "mystery guy" is a very, very interesting character. When he mentioned to the sheriff that he should cover up the name of the town on the police car it really struck a chord with me about how chaotic things are bound to become. I can definitely foresee future episodes where food is in short supply and roaming bands of people are willing to do anything to secure their safety. I'm hoping the criminals that fled the bus will be short lived. It would be far more interesting to see "normal" people do things that they wouldn't do under normal conditions than it is to see "bad guys" being bad.

Not a perfect show, and there are some glaring holes, but overall I liked it and was entertained. I just hope that they spend more time on issues like food, water, shelter, security, etc. rather than trying to make up other 'interesting' plot lines.


----------



## jeff125va (Mar 15, 2001)

Supfreak26 said:


> I liked it too.
> 
> The whole geography thing reminds of a Supernatural ep last season that was supposed to be set in Richardson, TX. First of all, they portrayed it like it was a small town in the middle of nowhere. In reality, it's sandwiched between Dallas and a half-dozen suburbs. Also the land surrounding the town was hilly and full of tall trees. Richardson is flat as a board and severely lacking trees. Looked like they were in Northern California instead of North Texas. Was a bit distracting so I can see how this would bother folks in this show.
> 
> I love the premise of the show. Very unique and very cold-warish. It was a bit hokey but hopefully that will subside over time. I'm in for as long as it lasts. Or until it annoys me.


What did you find cold-warish about it? I actually thought quite the opposite. I guess it was reminiscent of those times, but they didn't really give us much context at all about any buildup to the attacks, and I didn't get any hint of the existence of another superpower. But if you just mean an apocalyptic theme like Wargames or The Day After, then yeah, I enjoy that too.


----------



## tivoboyjr (Apr 28, 2003)

mqpickles said:


> I thought it was pretty good. Really good cast (I've always thought Pamela Reed was good).
> 
> As a Kansas native and Wichita resident, yeah, the mountain views were inaccurate, but I can get past it. (Btw, Kansas doesn't have any mountains, and parts of it are entirely flat, but parts of it are rather hilly.)
> 
> ...


I wanted to put in my $0.02, as someone who grew up in Kansas and went to college (Jayhawks!) there as well. Eastern Kansas is hilly. (The area around Lawrence, where the KU campus is located, is very hilly with a lot of trees.) Western Kansas is flat and there are very few trees. The only thing flatter and more desolate than western Kansas is eastern Colorado. You have to drive for a long time before you can ever see the mountains, so there is no way Denver or the mountains can be seen from Kansas. Denver is about 600 miles from eastern Kansas - I've made the trip several times. I don't have a problem with the creators of Jericho using "artistic license" around the geographical issues - I'm just pointing them out for people who are interested. And for anyone who thinks the Kansas landscape is boring, take a drive around the KU campus sometime. It's beautiful.

This show seems to me like a combination of The Day After and Lost. The tagline for "The Day After" was someone calling out over a radio "This is Lawrence, Kansas. Is anyone out there?" or something to that effect, and I heard something similar in the previews for Jericho. Yes, the cold-war theme has been changed to (a likely) terrorist theme, but it's the same concept. FYI, The Day After was filmed in Lawrence while I was in school at KU. I was taking some film classes and got to be an extra in the film. I had fake blood all over me and was one of many dead people lying around. I always tell people I was "dead guy #37."

Also, my fellow Kansan made a remark about the mayor that rings true to me. It seems that Hollywood thinks small town people look to their mayor for guidance and leadership. They don't. This, and the proximity to Colorado, made me think of South Park and how everyone in SP always looks to the mayor for answers. I always thought that was done as a satire of the Hollywood notion of the small-town mayor, since the South Park creators grew up in a small town and know better, but I digress.

Overall, I think the show is good, not great, and will keep watching. At least for a while.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

tivoboyjr said:


> And for anyone who thinks the Kansas landscape is boring, take a drive around the KU campus sometime. It's beautiful.


We should take the word of somebody from a state that abbreviates University of Kansas KU?


----------



## YCantAngieRead (Nov 5, 2003)

Have to say, I didn't see the episode but I've been told about the "where Denver should be" thing. Being from Kansas, that's absurd. Ridiculous. 

I'm afraid to even watch the show because I know how stupid Hollywood likes to make Kansans out to be.


----------



## YCantAngieRead (Nov 5, 2003)

tivoboyjr said:


> I wanted to put in my $0.02, as someone who grew up in Kansas and went to college (Jayhawks!) there as well. Eastern Kansas is hilly. (The area around Lawrence, where the KU campus is located, is very hilly with a lot of trees.) Western Kansas is flat and there are very few trees. The only thing flatter and more desolate than western Kansas is eastern Colorado. You have to drive for a long time before you can ever see the mountains, so there is no way Denver or the mountains can be seen from Kansas. Denver is about 600 miles from eastern Kansas - I've made the trip several times. I don't have a problem with the creators of Jericho using "artistic license" around the geographical issues - I'm just pointing them out for people who are interested. And for anyone who thinks the Kansas landscape is boring, take a drive around the KU campus sometime. It's beautiful.
> 
> This show seems to me like a combination of The Day After and Lost. The tagline for "The Day After" was someone calling out over a radio "This is Lawrence, Kansas. Is anyone out there?" or something to that effect, and I heard something similar in the previews for Jericho. Yes, the cold-war theme has been changed to (a likely) terrorist theme, but it's the same concept. FYI, The Day After was filmed in Lawrence while I was in school at KU. I was taking some film classes and got to be an extra in the film. I had fake blood all over me and was one of many dead people lying around. I always tell people I was "dead guy #37."
> 
> ...


Or, what you said. 

ETA: Growing up in small towns, I can tell you that 90% of the residents of small towns would be hard-pressed to even tell you who their mayor was. I'd say that the larger cities I've lived in look to their mayor more than the small towns.


----------



## tivoboyjr (Apr 28, 2003)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> We should take the word of somebody from a state that abbreviates University of Kansas KU?


The alternative is UK, which signifies England, or, even worse, Kentucky.


----------



## Supfreak26 (Dec 12, 2003)

jeff125va said:


> What did you find cold-warish about it? I actually thought quite the opposite. I guess it was reminiscent of those times, but they didn't really give us much context at all about any buildup to the attacks, and I didn't get any hint of the existence of another superpower. But if you just mean an apocalyptic theme like Wargames or The Day After, then yeah, I enjoy that too.


You got it right. I spent a few years in Germany during the Cold War which was around the time The Day After came out. Watching the bombs go off brought back memories of that time where we are all afraid the missles would be dropped at any time. That was a very scary time when I was a kid.


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## tivoboyjr (Apr 28, 2003)

YCantAngieRead said:


> Growing up in small towns, I can tell you that 90% of the residents of small towns would be hard-pressed to even tell you who their mayor was. I'd say that the larger cities I've lived in look to their mayor more than the small towns.


Very true. And those jobs pay next to nothing, so the mayor is often just some wannabe who couldn't find another job. Not exactly the type that people would turn to in a crisis.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

tivoboyjr said:


> ...Also, my fellow Kansan made a remark about the mayor that rings true to me. It seems that Hollywood thinks small town people look to their mayor for guidance and leadership. They don't. This, and the proximity to Colorado, made me think of South Park and how everyone in SP always looks to the mayor for answers....


Where's Adam West when you need him!


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## YCantAngieRead (Nov 5, 2003)

tivoboyjr said:


> Very true. And those jobs pay next to nothing, so the mayor is often just some wannabe who couldn't find another job. Not exactly the type that people would turn to in a crisis.


The other factor is the lack of media in small towns. We always had a newspaper, and I even worked at the newspapers for a time. Still, you'll never see your mayor on TV, as opposed to a larger town where you would. So many people wouldn't even recognize the mayor if they knew their name.


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## pdhenry (Feb 28, 2005)

In case anyone missed something about Jake:

In the first five minutes we hear hm say:
"I've been in the Army."
"I've been playing minor league baseball."
"I've been in the Navy."

Hmmm....

EDIT: 35 minutes in:
(After performing the tracheotomy) Where'd you learn how to do that?
"Military school."


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

pdhenry said:


> "Military school."


Where he also learned how to play baseball.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

mqpickles said:


> As a Kansas native and Wichita resident, yeah, the mountain views were inaccurate, but I can get past it. (Btw, Kansas doesn't have any mountains, and parts of it are entirely flat, but parts of it are rather hilly.)


My sympathies.  (My wife is in Wichita right now, visiting her family.  )

If we ignore the mountains a bit (it's not the first time we have had to suspend disbelief about shooting locations in a TV series), western KS is only a couple if hundred miles from Denver. Could that be close enough to see a mushroom cloud? How visible are they? I know a shuttle launch at night can be seen for close to that distance, in FL.

So I am going with western KS.


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## myriadian (Sep 20, 2002)

now that i've had time to think about it for awhile......yes, i hope major dad dies very soon....like immediately. that uptight male BS is lame and boring. 

M.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

eddyj said:


> My sympathies.  (My wife is in Wichita right now, visiting her family.  )
> 
> If we ignore the mountains a bit (it's not the first time we have had to suspend disbelief about shooting locations in a TV series), western KS is only a couple if hundred miles from Denver. Could that be close enough to see a mushroom cloud? How visible are they? I know a shuttle launch at night can be seen for close to that distance, in FL.
> 
> So I am going with western KS.


What do you mean you're going with western KS? The show clearly established that Jericho is in western KS, so whether you're "going with" it or not, that's where it is. The only reason people are complaining about it is because western Kansas doesn't have hills like that, but that doesn't change the fact that the fictional town of Jericho is set in western Kansas.


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## unicorngoddess (Nov 20, 2005)

I don't live in Kansas, but I have driven from Texas to Colorado going through Kansas. And it being my first time to ever see mountains, I expected to see mountains as soon as I crossed the Kansas/Colorado border...All I saw was more flat land and an occasional McDonalds and gas station. But I didn't let it bother me in the show because I know watching a tv show requires suspending belief and reality.

I also remember when the X-Files movie came out in '98. In those first few scenes they were suppose to be in Dallas and you can see some mountains off in the background...where the heck did they expect THOSE mountains to be coming from???


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Harry Dunne: I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this. 
Lloyd Christmas: I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of sh!t, man.


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## pdhenry (Feb 28, 2005)

unicorngoddess said:


> I know watching a tv show requires suspending belief and reality.


I've always wondered about the tree-lined suburbs of Las Vegas they show on CSI...


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## tivoboyjr (Apr 28, 2003)

eddyj said:


> My sympathies.  (My wife is in Wichita right now, visiting her family.  )
> 
> If we ignore the mountains a bit (it's not the first time we have had to suspend disbelief about shooting locations in a TV series), western KS is only a couple if hundred miles from Denver. Could that be close enough to see a mushroom cloud? How visible are they? I know a shuttle launch at night can be seen for close to that distance, in FL.
> 
> So I am going with western KS.


Even if it's possible to see a mushroom cloud, which I seriously doubt, you wouldn't see it as depicted in "Jericho," which is as a relatively small cloud framed by large mountains. No mountains are visible from western Kansas. (Kansas is a lot bigger land-wise than people seem to think it is.) You have to drive a long distance into Colorado before you can even see mountains.

Disclaimer: As I posted above, the inaccuracies in the show don't bother me - just trying to inform my fellow viewers/posters.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

devdogaz said:


> What do you mean you're going with western KS? The show clearly established that Jericho is in western KS, so whether you're "going with" it or not, that's where it is. The only reason people are complaining about it is because western Kansas doesn't have hills like that, but that doesn't change the fact that the fictional town of Jericho is set in western Kansas.


That is the point. If CSI Miami started showing snow covered streets, I would also have issues, even if the show "clearly established" that it was in Miami!


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## dswallow (Dec 3, 2000)

eddyj said:


> That is the point. If CSI Miami started showing snow covered streets, I would also have issues, even if the show "clearly established" that it was in Miami!


January 19, 1977, Miami, Florida:










More info: http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/almanac/arc2002/alm02jan.htm


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

dswallow said:


> January 19, 1977, Miami, Florida:


I knew someone (probably you) would bring that up. 

But note that we did not have "snow covered streets", not even barely. From your link:



> The fine granular snow crystals dusted the palms and baptised the ground with white water, but they soon melted.


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## jeff125va (Mar 15, 2001)

This is just a silly argument. Anyone who watches Smallville knows how diverse the topography is throughout Kansas.


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## Ran94 (May 14, 2004)

Speaking of diversity, what's up with all the wasp and one non-wasp on the show? Is this a reflection of smalltown America?


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Ran94 said:


> Speaking of diversity, what's up with all the wasp and one non-wasp on the show? Is this a reflection of smalltown America?


And the non-wasp is from out-of-town.

Yep. That's pretty much it.


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## myriadian (Sep 20, 2002)

heh, wait until the midseason cliffhanger when you find out who the one towns 'mo is!

*GASP*

M.


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## jschuur (Nov 27, 2002)

I wonder what they'll do for sweeps week or (mid)season break? Possiblities:

- They run out of food and have to do something drastic like plan a long trip to neighboring counties/towns for supplies.
- Caravan of evil, hungry people come to town and take it over.
- Government troops and/or paramilitaries who want to establish control move into town.
- The terrorists behind the explosions enter town.
- Axis of Evil nation behind the explosions lands troops nearby and occupies town.
- Person with malicious intent from the town successfully plans a coup and assumes control.
- Mel Gibson cameo as Mad Max, challenging Jake to a race.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

jschuur said:


> - Mel Gibson cameo as Mad Max, challenging Jake to a race.


And then when he loses...

"You cheated *hic*, you %&#@ Jew!"


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

Finally got around to watching the pilot episode.


drew2k said:


> Anyone think the Ashley Scott character will suffer radiation sickness? She got out of her car amidst all of the dead birds. Either the birds were killed by the concussion from the blast, or by the radiation, but I'm guessing it was the radiation.


I doubt it was radiation that got the birds. The concussion from the shock wave would kill much faster (at range) than radiation sickness.

If the birds were close enough to get a dose of radiation sufficient to kill them in a few hours, I'd expect there were close enough to be badly burned by the flash. (Well, I'm assuming that it was a blast optimized nuke, and not a radiation enhanced aka neutron bomb nuke).

That isn't to say that longer term the radiation from the fallout isn't going to be a problem, just that it isn't likely to kill within hours.



bpurcell said:


> Now the question is whether he is for real or not. Could be that he's an "other" (pounding in the Lost references here  ) who's real goal is to stear the town the wrong path. Or he could be an angel from God who's goal is to stear them to the right path.


Or maybe he is real, is a person, but was placed in Jericho specifically to help with a disaster situation.

Possibly he is part of a government plan to distributed disaster recovery / survival knowledge around the country to smaller communities that are less likely to be primary targets. (I guess how probable this is depends on exactly how high the world tensions that the Pres on the TV in the beginning was talking about)

If no disaster occurred then he's just a guy living there, maybe with some remote consulting contract with the government. If something goes wrong he can start feeding advice to the town authorities. But that doesn't rile them up like "I'm from the government and I'm here to help" would.

Or he might be something of a practical survivalist who moved away from cities because he estimated that something might go bad, and he would be more likely to survive in a smaller town. (Less likely to be a target, less likely for civil order to totally break down in a disaster situation).


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## Bai Shen (Dec 17, 2004)

speedcouch said:


> Also "Deaf Megan" from Weeds gets another series since she's pretty much gone from that show. Sure is a lot of recyling of actors on TV lately.


Yeah, I remember her from Threat Matrix. I hope she gets more of a role.



> Right before we saw the wrecked bus from Levenworth, he said he was "a screwup" after telling two people he was in the Army and Navy. After the screwup comment, I immediately said to my husband, "HEY, I bet he just got out of Levenworth since that's in Kansas!" Then we see the bus. Weird! But I doubt that is the case now.


Remember, though, that he flew into Denver and drove to Kansas.


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## Bai Shen (Dec 17, 2004)

newsposter said:


> I hate major dad in this. When he said "dont disappoint me" to the town it just didnt have as much an effect on me as it would have some other lovable character. Like maybe jed barlett or something? Just not major dad.


That's it! I knew I recognized him from somewhere, but I couldn't figure out where.


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## Bai Shen (Dec 17, 2004)

IJustLikeTivo said:


> And the car was stored and covered right? So, he leaves thar car covered somewhere for the 5 years he's been gone and a thirty five year old car just starts right up. Yeah sure?


-chuckle- I was wondering the same thing.-grin-


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## pdhenry (Feb 28, 2005)

Bai Shen said:


> Remember, though, that he flew into Denver and drove to Kansas.


Train. From the West, apparently (mountains). But point taken.


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## myriadian (Sep 20, 2002)

wow. has anyone looked at the description on tivo for ep3? i won't say anything from it because i don't know how to make the spoiler window and i don't want anyone to complain. but come on!! do these people even know english??? that is such a poor description. it's like they have no idea what the words mean that they are using. clearly they should use the opposite word than the one they chose.

M.


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## Bai Shen (Dec 17, 2004)

pdhenry said:


> Train. From the West, apparently (mountains). But point taken.


I forgot 'bout that.


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## kyote (Oct 20, 2001)

Another page they took from lost was the title scene. Which is just the logo and some ominous music in the background.



danterner said:


> A
> 
> (1) right before each commercial break there's music that rises to a crescendo and a final thud-sound that was very reminiscent of what Lost does, to me. Seems like they stole a page from the Lost handbook, there.
> 
> (2) Good job on the voice of the President, over the radio. Sounded very reminiscent of George W. Bush, though not like a direct imitation.


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## Mikeyis4dcats (Oct 2, 2003)

devdogaz said:


> Wow. Just wow.


I was a kid living in Lawrence, Kansas when the movie was made. It was a very big deal, and the movie was pretty horrifying at the time.


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