Jericho’s Gone, And I’m OK With It
Last Night the Series Finale of Jericho Aired, Wrapping up an Amazing Story
Jericho
March 26th, 2008 - Last night, the series finale of "Jericho" aired, wrapping up an amazing story, both on screen and off. Of course everyone knows the story of the show's 2007 cancellation, the fans' peanut revolt, the show's rebirth, and most recently, the show's second cancellation. But now that the series finale has aired and I've had a chance to reflect on the show, I'm all right with it having it ended.
Don't misunderstand me - I liked "Jericho". It was a good show with an amazing concept. Whereas shows like "24" have our heroes trying to prevent a terrorist attack, Jericho began with one, and focused (mainly) on the aftermath, as told through the eyes of a small Kansas town. The first season had some amazing moments (like the bridge standoff with Goetz and Ravenwood), as well as some pretty dull ones (Emily's dreams about her wedding to Roger.) But all in all, I found myself invested in the characters, and I, like many other fans, was left desperate for some closure after the huge season finale cliffhanger.
Which brings us to Season Two. Though I enjoyed the seven-episode run, the great thing about it was also the worst thing about it; namely, that we had to expand beyond just the town of Jericho and expand into the larger view of "What's going in on the rest of the country?" I think that the producers and writers did an admirable job of answering that question through the eyes of Jericho and its inhabitants. They also managed to keep the heart of the show alive by not neglecting the Richmond family (even though the Jake/Emily, Eric/Mary, and Hawkins/Darcy relationships could have used a little more attention IMHO.)
SPOILER WARNING
I guess the main reason I'm comfortable with the show ending it's run is that I'm not sure how much further they could take it with a Season Three. Sure, there's a Second Civil War brewing, and unfortunately for Jericho, they are stuck geographically on the wrong side of the Mississippi. There could be some interesting stories to tell there, but with the "greater scope" necessary to tell that tale, I can't help but think that a third season would lose even more of the small-town perspective which was the show's main premise to begin with. As it stands now, the residents of Jericho played an important role in changing history, as Hawkins noted. As a fan of the show, that's good enough for me.
For more information visit Jericho Website.