Review: 'Jericho' - Patriots And Tyrants

Since it had to end, I am glad "Jericho" was able to go out in grand style. I can’t imagine anyone can find fault with this episode. Even though a ton of major events took place, this episode, strangely enough did not seem rushed. Perhaps it’s just sentiment, but everything just seemed perfect.

This episode sported more heroes than "Heroes." Instead of super powers, these heroes possessed something much more valuable: free will and the innate sense of right and wrong. Everyone seemed to act heroically, but in different ways. Hawkins and Jake raced from Cheyenne to Texas to intercept and deliver the bomb to proper authorities. Eric resisted temptation to join up with the corrupt and morally bankrupt Constantino (bearing an eerie resemblance to Fidel Castro). Stanley decided to bury his sister and accept his fate. Beck rejected the morally reprehensible orders he received from Cheyenne and concluded that people who order evil actions must be, well, evil.

Even minor characters showed resolve. Heather admitted to stealing an incriminating page from Beck’s office because she felt it was the right thing to do. The soldiers allowed Stanley to bury his sister despite their orders. The governor of Texas granted asylum to Jake and Hawkins despite having armed Cheyenne military personnel outside his gate. Independent action was clearly the theme of this episode, and many characters had the chance to show their true mettle.

It’s hard to complain about this season of "Jericho." Sure, the pace was rapid, and there were minor breakdowns in logic here and there, but overall any complaints were trivial. The fans who fought for its return were rewarded with a very satisfying seven-week experience.

Quite simply, it was the best program on television this year. The writing was superb, the acting was excellent, and the story was an intricate thrill ride, the likes of which we may not see again for some time.

Certainly, "Jericho" was exciting, but it was also thought provoking. It regularly presented troubling questions and scenarios and forced us to deal with them. How would we like it if the government took over our city? What would we do if a neighboring town attacked us? Sometimes I didn’t like the answers, but that just meant the writers were doing their job well.

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