Jericho- 10/11/06

[Taelorn76]

one would think you have a finacial intrest in seeing Kidnapped succede the way you are promoting it on the Jericho threads.

 

[Ranger REG]

one would think you have a finacial intrest in seeing Kidnapped succede the way you are promoting it on the Jericho threads.

I wish. Try as I might, I'm not interested in Kidnapped. The NBC show can cancel with my full blessing.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Either you critics want to rush to the conclusions

Given that Jericho (and Heroes and the Nine and probably a show I'm forgetting) are responses to the Lost phenomenon, they should settle in for the looooooong haul.

 

[Ranger REG]

Given that Jericho (and Heroes and the Nine and probably a show I'm forgetting)...

Shark?
Ugly Betty?
Justice?
Brothers and Sisters?

 

[Taelorn76]

Shark?
Ugly Betty?
Justice?
Brothers and Sisters?

Yeah but those aren't Lost wannabes

 

[LightPhoenix]

Either you critics want to rush to the conclusions or you want more actions a la Mad Max.

If that's the case, go watch Kidnapped.

No, I'd like a show that doesn't suck. Jericho has a great premise, but the execution, especially this week, is just god-awful. The writing is decidedly sub-par, and the show it trying to be too many things for that to work.

To address the latter point first, the show is a hodgepodge of character drama, action, and conspiracy mystery that is only held together by the fact that it's all being hung on a common backdrop - the post-apocalyptic theme. If it did any of these things well, that would be one thing, but it doesn't. The perfect example is the kid - randomly inserted character drama for the sake of just having it there, having very little if anything to do with the rest of the story, except that it is set in post-apocalyptic Jericho. It's not needed and it dilutes the show. That's time that can be used to the benefit of the whole show - either building more suspense, or having more interaction between the main family/characters, or developing the mystery a little further.

Of course, it doesn't help if the writing is sub-par. For example, there was the whole plot about the "radioactive" rain. That was, in my opinion, a pretty darn good episode, by far the strongest so far. Why? It focused on the suspense, the imminent danger of Bad Things coming. It made a point - like Jericho, probably most cities are unprepared for such an event. It introduced conflict - the town wasn't prepared, there wasn't enough room for everyone, not everyone could be reached. Then, it took a big steaming dump all over that by completely dismissing that there was even a threat at all. Heck, Hawkins even said that afterwards there would be problems - a perfect set-up for the next episode, for ongoing struggle. They walk out, no sick people, no radiation on the Geiger counter. Oops, it looks like the people of Jericho were freaking out for no reason! Undermining your entire story is simply bad writing.

Regarding Hawkins, I have no problem with a bit of mystery, if it is leading somewhere. On Jericho, Hawkins really comes off as a gimmick to add in a bit of mystery more than an actual plot element. Contrast this to, for example, Sharon on the first season of BSG. We knew the big secret beforehand - she's a Cylon. What made it interesting was that no one else knew, and how she dealt with that. The alternative is to keep making Hawkins knowledgable... a bit too knowing, but you know, everything he says about St. Louis could be true. Then knock us out with a big reveal, make us go back and realize that he played us all. Either of those is much more elegant than this stringing along.

As an aside, it would appear at first glance that the latter option was what they were doing for Hawkins. Everything could be explained away neatly. Even the last episode, possibly. This episode? Threw that entirely out the window, in a fairly predictable, deus ex machina way that was simply unsatisfying.

As for Kidnapped, it's a shame it was cancelled because it did everything - characters, drama, action, suspense, mystery - much better than Jericho. That's what the real travesty is.

 

[Fast Learner]

Either you critics want to rush to the conclusions or you want more actions a la Mad Max.

LightPhoenix pretty much covered it. The writing really is atrocious.

First, only Jake (Ulrich's character, name could be off) can do anything, at all. Only he can find the schoolchildren, only he can blow up the mine entrance, only he can get the gas at the station, only he can do anything remotely useful. I understand the concept of protagonist just fine, but this is ridiculous. It's like he's James Bond, but there's no cheekiness to tip the audience off. In addition, everyone does what he says, which is totally nonsensical, mayor's son or not.

Second, the drama is incredibly forced. The whole hospital-generator-shutting-off-a-few-minutes-before-the-gas-comes thing was very, very painfully pushed, and it's not the first time. The awkward lovesick teen thing is terribly written, just a pile of cliches.

Third, the townspeople in general are horribly written. On cue they're utterly complacent and do everything they're told and the next they're panicky and insolent, whatever serves the plot at the moment. They're not two-dimensional, they're one-dimensional, and highly inconsistent at that.

The Hawkins plot is the only thing that's kept me watching. I like it fine.

And the "action" thing? Couldn't care less, I'm not that big an action fan. I am a drama fan, and that's something they've failed at every single week, except possibly the first.

None of that means I think other people shouldn't like it, it's just why I personally don't. Other folks may like the drama just fine, and I'm not calling them "wrong." It just doesn't work at all for me.

 

[WayneLigon]

They walk out, no sick people, no radiation on the Geiger counter. Oops, it looks like the people of Jericho were freaking out for no reason! Undermining your entire story is simply bad writing.

Or, it's a factor in what has happened. It could very well be a plot point, an important one.

 

[LightPhoenix]

Or, it's a factor in what has happened. It could very well be a plot point, an important one.

Possibly, but I have to then counter that we've seen people in the fourth episode die of radiation poisoning.

Personally, while I'd like to believe that to be the case, based on the quality of writing on the show overall, I really don't think it is.