Thoughts on Jericho
As mentioned below, one of the fall season’s most promising shows is Jericho, the story of (possibly) post-apocalyptic small town U.S.A.
But how realistic is the show? Who cares? It’s our modern-day speculation about the end of days, the end of our way of life and the tenuous creation of a new life. If you’re my age (47) or older, you can’t help but compare the tone of the show to that of the countless Twilight Zone episodes that, out of a cold fear of the Cold War, examined how reasonable and not so reasonable men and women dealt with a complete breakdown in what they know.
Obviously, instead of the Soviet Union, with Kruschev pounding the table at the UN, it’s Ahmadinejad and Chavez talking trash and smelling sulpher. Is Iran and Venezuela the equal of the USSR of the 50s? Well, between the threat of suitcase nukes, dirty bombs and the ability to jack up oil prices…Yes, they are.
In the 50s we were concerned about swarms of ICBMs that we couldn’t have stopped flying our way. Today, we fear the swarms of terrorists that may already be here that we can do nothing about. Our open immigration policies, and welcoming attitude toward Middle Easterners have brought this about. Those policies have brought many, many, good and peaceful people to our shores, but unfortunately, it’s impossible to doubt that a few evil-doers have stepped through the open gate as well. That’s part of life in the free world. It’s free.
I’m fascinated to see how this scenario plays out on the small screen. It looks promising so far.
