Jericho

Previously on Jericho: 28 episodes of rather entertaining television. Jennings and Rall, in conjunction with members of the Cheyenne government, executed a attack on the U.S. Mastermind John Smith now has the last bomb and is plotting to blow up Cheyenne. Jake Green and Robert Hawkins plan a road trip to stop this.

Tonight is the series finale of Jericho. For real this time. Much as you may hope, I doubt CBS will un-cancel it again. On the bright side, the Jericho team was smart enough to foresee this tragedy and so they filmed two different endings. As such, at least we'll be getting some closure instead of a cliffhanger.

Jake (Skeet Ulrich) and Hawkins (Lennie James) pack up supplies, aka lots and lots of guns. Jake asks how they're gonna find the nuke, and Hawkins admits he has no idea. In Cheyenne, Gray Anderson (Michael Gaston) is disgruntled by the new Constitutional Convention in which they recently shot down the 2nd Amendment (pun intended). He walks into his room and finds Jake and Hawkins. Wow, I get this is the series finale, but I feel like the show just skipped over about four or five episodes of Jake and Hawkins' dangerous road trip to Cheyenne.

Jake tells Gray to head back to Jericho after Gray warns that Cheyenne is close to ratifying the new Constitution to coincide with Texas joining them. Hawkins sends a communication and meets up with Chung, his only ally aside from Chavez. They use some computer stuff to track the nuke to a hospital. Hawkins and Chung bust in and kick some Cheyenne government operative ass. They think it's over, but some old guy shoots Chung and Hawkins, then kills the only other living person in the room. It's John Smith!

Luckily, Jake saves the day and shoots John Smith, saving Hawkins. They get away with the bomb. An injured Hawkins calls up Chavez and asks for a favor. They bust through a gate and are taken into custody, but lucky for them, it's the Texas Embassy. Hawkins is seeking political asylum and it's greeted by the ambassador, though Cheyenne claims he's a terrorist. Inside, Hawkins gives a moving speech about why he does what he does, for freedom.

The Texas ambassador helps them get the bomb to an airfield to take it to Texas. Hawkins orders Jake to go with the bomb while he stays behind to hold off Cheyenne. Jake ignores him and drags Hawkins into the plane. It takes off successfully. OK, now they've crammed about seven or eight episodes of material (Jake and Hawkins in Cheyenne) into about 20 minutes. This single episode is an entire season's worth of show.

The Cheyenne Air Force tries to stop them and bring them back. Jake tells them it's a diplomatic flight, but the others don't care, saying he has 30 seconds to bring the plane down, or they'll bring it down for him. He doesn't respond in time, and missiles are launched, but they're from two other planes, and they blow up the Cheyenne Air Force. Jake was saved by the Texas Air National Guard! I wonder if George W. is flying one of them planes.

Back in Jericho, Major Beck is ordered to move to Phase 3 by a superior. That does not sound good. Indeed, we quickly learn that Phase 3 means the town is more or less considered a war zone and the government is allowed to kill people. A guy from New Bern offers a solution, because Constantino knows how to deal with Phase 3. Eric Green (Kenneth Mitchell) considers this, which ticks off Stanley (Brad Beyer).

Major Beck interrogates Heather (Sprague Grayden) about the missing page she stole from his office to help Hawkins hide the location of the bomb. He feels betrayed, but she confesses and tells him the truth about the government conspiracy. She calls him a coward and he puts her under arrest.  The soldiers bring back the evidence confiscated from Hawkins and Major Beck wants to see it, particularly the laptop. Beck logs on and learns the truth, that J&R was behind the attack on America.

Eric meets with Constantino and they strike up an unholy alliance. Constantino suggests no mercy, leaving no soldier alive. Eric refuses to kill American soldiers and heads back to the Richmond farm to help bury Bonnie. Soldiers arrive to arrest them all, but Mimi pleads with them and convinces them to wait until after Stanley buries his sister.

Beck comes to the funeral and lets everyone go free. Beck notified the Cheyenne government that he no longer recognizes its authority. His men are meeting to discuss options. If they vote against him, he'll be sent to Cheyenne and tried for treason. He leaves, and after the funeral, Mimi and Stanley share yet another beautiful scene in which she says she wants to make a life with him for the rest of his life. It sounds like a wedding vow, and Stanley says “I do.” Aww, an imaginary wedding!

Back at the police station, Beck's men throw their Cheyenne flags to the ground and ask for their orders. He tells them to prepare for a fight. Yay, Major Beck is gonna kick some Cheyenne ass!  Gray somehow makes it back to Jericho and is shaken to the core by the run-down mess left. He greets Eric and company and shows off the l;ag he raised, Johnston Green's “Don't Tread on Me” flag from the mayor's office.

In the show's final scene, back in Texas, Jake and Hawkins learn engineers will find the truth, expose Cheyenne's involvement, Texas will side with Columbus, and the Second American Civil War will begin, only thanks to Jake and Hawkins, the good guys have a chance.

In the ambulance, Hawkins asks Jake, “How does it feel?”

“What?” asks Jake.

“Making history.” And that's the end of Jericho.

Read More:
The Original Ending for the Jericho Series Finale
Can Jericho Be Saved Again?


-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of CBS)