Fans of Jericho have been waiting for weeks to find out if CBS would order a third season of the series, and today the network finally made a decision.  Unfortunately, it's not the decision that fans were hoping for.  The network announced today that Jericho is officially canceled yet again, and this time they really mean it.

The good news is that the producers of the post-apocalyptic drama shot two different endings to Tuesday's upcoming episode.  One ending would leave viewers with a cliffhanger in anticipation of a third season, while the other would tie things up a bit more.  Viewers will now be seeing the latter ending, but will it be enough?  Jericho star Skeet Ulrich recently told TV Guide that the last moments of the finale will leave fans "not terribly happy."

To prepare viewers for the end of Jericho, we have some exciting promo pictures and hints on what to expect in the series finale.

Regarding the cancellation, CBS entertainment head Nina Tassler stated, "The March 25 episode... will be the series finale.  Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program;  we simply wish there were more.  We thank an engaged and spirited fan base for keeping the show alive this long, and an outstanding team of producers, cast and crew that went through creative hoops to deliver a compelling, high-quality second season.... We're proud of everyone's efforts."

The official description for the episode, entitled "Patriots and Tyrants," reads, "The second season concludes with Jake and Hawkins attempting to prove to the independent Texas government that there is a huge conspiracy, but first they must get past the Cheyenne officials."

One thing that the CBS description doesn't mention is that Jake and Hawkins (Lennie James) will be teaming up to retrieve the bomb that the Cheyenne government took from Texas.  According to co-executive producer Dan Shotz, "The big question will be whether Jake and Hawkins can make it out of Cheyenne with the bomb and with their lives."

If there's one thing the past few episodes of Jericho have proven, it's that the producers aren't afraid to kill off a major character.  With this being the final episode of the series, Jake and Hawkins better watch their backs.

Below are some promo photos from the series finale.

Jake and Eric (Kenneth Mitchell) say their goodbyes:



Jake and Emily (Ashley Scott) also share a moment as Jake prepares to leave for Cheyenne:



Bonnie (Shoshannah Stern) gets a proper burial at the Richmond farm:




- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: TV Guide
(Images courtesy of CBS)