Jericho 2x05

[vaznetti]

I am rewatching the episode now, and this really is one of those "why the hell aren't you all watching this show?" episodes. Seriously. I just got to the bit where Hawkins plays the two Ravenwood goons who come fo him -- looking so innocent and confused and agreeable, and then -- wham! Or rather, ::snap:: and where's my wife?

As yahtzee63 put it, the first rule of Jericho is don't mess with Hawkins. Sadly, no one told Goetz. And he gets another great moment, later on, counting the bullets in the Beretta.

This is a really well put-together episode, from the smallest to the largest scale -- the gradual escalation of violence is perfectly captured. First Stanley, with Bonnie (I don't blame myself, he said) and then with Mimi. And then on a slightly larger scale, Jake and the rangers barricaded in the hospital: each side pushing the other toward greater violence, one threat after another -- or so it seems, until the whole situation is defused by a trick. And then, on the largest scale, the escalation in New Bern: bombings, assassination squads, and finally the exposure of bodies like trophies.

And then finally, Stanley: pulling the trigger while his hand shakes. (And Stanley and Mimi, here, both of them doing what they can do to get back at Goetz -- more similar than they realize, maybe.)

I would love to see the series ending with an alliance of Jericho and New Bern against Ravenwood.

I remember, sometime last year, comparing Jericho with BSG, as post-apocalyptic scenarios -- it was just a throwaway thing, but my idea at the time was that Jericho had put its energies into worldbuilding, and BSG into characterization. Now, not all of the Jericho worldbuilding actually worked (I am still not clear on the food shortage plotline from last season, frankly), but the slow build at the start of the last season means that they can do things with obvious contemporary resonance -- hanging a contractor's body above the road into town is not the only plot point stolen from the news from Iraq, here -- without making them seem inorganic to the world and characters. And without me feeling that the show is preaching at me, either. it's shockingly well-done, really.

OK, the speed of the escalation in New Bern seems a little unbelievable, but you buy it at the time, or at least I did. And after all, last season New Bern used violence as a not-exactly-last resort, and that may just be Constantino's MO.

A couple things that didn't work quite so well for me: coming to kill Heather and then just not bothering to do so, even after she said that she wouldn't cooperate. Not that I expected her friends to kill her, but I do think there needed to be a greater sense of threat there. I mean, what, she's just going back to work now? And then -- a larger issue -- Goetz being fired before he was killed. I am not sure what I think about that: in a sense, it lets J&R and Ravenwood appear to have cleaner hands than they actually do, here. And will that detail affect Beck's response to the body? It does complicate the situation somewhat.

I did like Goetz and his men at the end, caught between Jericho and New Bern -- a reversal of the situation at the opening of this season -- and the two groups fighting over him. And then the end. Oh, Stanley, squeezing his eyes cosed as he pulls the trigger. Unexpected, and perfectly in character.

And all this leading to what looks like it will be even greater escalation, next week: revolution and war.

And again, all I can say is, why aren't you watching this show?

Comments

[sizequeen.livejournal.com]

I'm actually very, very worried about what will happen with Heather. First of all, like Stanley, she's willing to take some injustice to have peace, and we see how that worked out for Stanley. Secondlt, like Shpshana Stern, Sprage Grayden, is a special guest star, and we see how that worked out for Stern. Finally, this show has a tradition of killing characters---April, Bonnie, the Mayor, Gracie., to get other characters to act. I think killing Heather, might get Beck on the side of the "insurgents."

But the New Bern assassins did say that if they got Goetz, then they wouldn't have to kill Heather, so I'm holding out hope... Right now, I, too, want New Bern/Jericho/Beck's troops/the Western Alliance out of Texas to ally against Ravenwood/Jenning and Rall.

[vaznetti]

You make a good point about Heather, here -- that given Grayden's contract, she might well end up dead. Somehow, my brain hadn't made that connection.

I think killing Heather, might get Beck on the side of the "insurgents."

Wouldn't it have the opposite effect? If she is killed, it will be the New Bern insurgents, right? And I don't see Beck drawing a distinction between them and any insurgents he might be dealing with in Jericho. A lot depends on how he sees Jake and the rangers, after this week's episode: they did kill Ravenwood personnel, after all.

I can't wait to see what happens next week!

[cofax7]

Except they didn't kill Goetz until -- oh, wait, no, you're right. Goetz had been fired, but the other RW guys hadn't been. Good point.

[vaznetti]

And the two three guys Hawkins killed while breaking in, as well.

I am not sure that Beck is not going to see this as "getting Goetz fired to he can be killed," either. And he would not take that well, I suspect.

[hossgal.livejournal.com]

*shields eyes from spoilers*

I have DVDs! And no time! But I will! Promise!

- hg

[vaznetti]

I will be very interested to hear what you think about this show.

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

It's been a long time since I saw a scene as devastating as Stanley signing to Bonnie as she lies dead in front of him. I mean -- it just ruined me.

DON'T MESS WITH HAWKINS.

[vaznetti]

Hawkins was amazing in this episode, but Stanley really stole the whole thing: the scene with Bonnie broke me (and Eric in the background, watching!), and then the end, squeezing the trigger with his eyes closed. Poor, poor Stanley.

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

I had to give myself time to watch the episode where Bonnie dies - the opener was so fraught with tension that I couldn't deal. I ended up watching that one and this week's episode as a double feature, and OMG! So amazing. When Stanley held the gun to Goetz's head, my breath caught, and when he pulled the trigger I was shocked but also not - this show will tip over into those horrible moments (where so many others would wuss out), but it did seem organic, just as you mention. It's kind of amazing that they can get me to buy an execution of vengeance, feel a pang for Goetz, want to pet Stanley as he goes to retch from what he did, and still feel a growing dread at the consequences yet to be visited upon the town. Wow.

[vaznetti]

I do remember when this show used to pull its punches, but about halfway through S1 it just... stopped doing that. And instead you get Stanley, doing this horrible thing (and without giving his revenge any nobility, I thought), and this thing which is going to lead to all kinds of trouble -- and yet you still understand his actions and sympathize with him as he does it. As you say, wow.

And Bonnie's final scene, defending her home with the shotgun... really one of the best things I've ever seen

[cofax7]

I wonder if they stopped pulling their punches once they realized that their ratings were tanking. Because really, when you're going down the toilet anyway, why not take chances with the storytelling?

I've long since stopped believing showrunners who claim they know Everywhere the story's going. They're always lying.

And I'm also cranky because they swore at WonderCon they had the whole cast back and we still haven't seen Gale. Pffft.

[vaznetti]

I wonder the same thing about the ratings, especially because I have a hard time imagining a network singing off on some of the stuff they've done. I'm amazed that they brought it back for these few episodes, frankly. But as you say, why not go ahead and tell the best story you can, if you know you're not going to get the ratings.

And I really wish showrunners would stop claiming that they HAVE A PLAN. They never do, and we all know it.

[loligo.livejournal.com]

I'm watching! And verily, it is thrill a minute, but I don't find that I have any thinky thoughts afterwards. Other than, given some of what appeared to be conservative leanings in the first season, I am ever so glad to see that the true villain of the whole piece has turned out to be Halliburton Jennings & Rall.

[vaznetti]

I think they've done a good job with the political balance, actually -- especially in the first season, they were dealing with issues like the validity of economic contracts, and the preservation of private property, and the rule of law, and cool things like that. Well, I think they're cool!

Although the Evil Government Contractors are also a favorite villain in shows like 24; I don't know what that says about anything.