The Tyranny of Socks

I too was hooked on the idea of Jericho, although I think the execution faltered at points -- as you say, you never knew from one moment to another whether you were in soap-opera territory or apocalyptic fiction territory. But I think in a way that, over the course of the season as a whole, the soap opera qualities became part of the show's strength. They kept it a show about people rather than only about ideas and worldbuilding.