Jericho

Jericho promised viewers a major death in last night's episode, and executive producer Carol Barber was on record as saying it would be “heinous.” In fact, many fans even predicted and expected it to happen. Sadly, that did nothing to lessen the emotional punch Jericho viewers experienced last night when Bonnie Richmond was killed.

Indeed, it was as “heinous” a death as any fan could imagne. Bonnie, played by Shoshannah Stern, was such a sweet and innocent character, a lovable farm girl who was, in many ways, the only real family Stanley (Brad Beyer) had left. The fact that both the character and actress who played her are deaf only added to that innocence, a character so pure that it's impossible not to root for her.

In “Oversight,” Mimi Clark (Alicia Coppola) uncovered an embezzlement scheme at Jennings and Rall, leading Goetz and his Ravenwood cronies to the Richmond farm to shut her up. Bonnie refused to go quietly, and in a scene of powerful intensity, Bonnie picked up a shot gun and defended her home. The scene was filmed beautifully, alternating between the loud explosions of the gunfire and the eerie quiet heard (or not heard) by Bonnie.

Thankfully, we weren't shown the actual death, just Goetz sneaking up on Bonnie, then a gun shot, then a later scene with Stanley cradling his dead sister in his arms. The Richmonds were always the heart and soul of the show, a good, wholesome family. Before the bombs, and before Mimi came along, it was two against the world, just Stanley and Bonnie relying on each other.

With only three episodes left in the season, we can imagine justice will be swift and severe. Stanley is a powerful man, an ex-football star, and it's going to take a lot of will power and restraints to keep hi from going after Goetz one-on-one. Similarly, the death of an innocent child will undoubtedly unite the entire town of Jericho even more solidly against Ravenwood. This is an organization infamous for getting away with everything, being beyond the law. That was before the bombs. Now, as we've seen, the old ways have gone out the window.

Despite numerous characters' deaths, Jericho has never been a depressing show. It's just the opposite. Jericho shows that, in a time of crisis, though there will be some bad eggs, good people in a good town will band together to defend not just themselves and their property, but the American way of life. Jericho is not about the way this country is, or even the way it was, it's about the way it should be. In the land of the free, the home of the brave, Goetz and his men have nowhere to hide.


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