"Condor"
As I said in
last week's blog, this shortened season will affect how
Jericho fans will emotionally respond to the new storylines. Unfortunately, those creative hindrances made its presence felt in "Condor."
I realize I am putting myself in hot water, but realize that my problems lie only with this dreadfully short season. For the conspiracy nuts (
and
Jericho NUTS!), this shortened season should satisfy the fans with desires to immediately experience the crux of the action! But those that enjoyed Season One's vast character focus will be disappointed by the current season's more limited scope.
There were two narrative styles used to shine light on the characters during
Jericho's first season. One method involved focusing on the primary storyline, while letting the characters grow in response to their objectives. The principle example of this was Jake Green. He earlier departed Jericho as a delinquent outcast, but would return to consistently save the people who once shunned him. Flashbacks aside, Jake Green's character was defined by his pro-active stance in his town.
Jericho also focused on characters involved with more personal storylines, independent of the episode's key tales. These characters were often attempting to live with a semblance of normalcy despite their lifestyle changes. These developments would often run parallel to the main plot points, only intertwining when it would be most inconvenient to its characters. A perfect example of this was with Eric Green's affair with Mary Bailey, and the affects on his marriage with April. The effects of the aftermath (Eric leaving for New Bern), was only as powerful as its dramatic set-up.
It is unfortunate that the only major character developments running outside the perimeter of this season's principle stories focuses on Stanley and Mimi. Make no mistake, these characters light up the screen with their every scene! And the return of Stanley's sister, Bonnie, was also a welcome surprise! But I feel that their participation in the episode would have been better utilized elsewhere. Mimi was given a job as an accountant with Jennings & Rall and now, with her close government connection, it would have been much more interesting to show her encroaching secrets of the government conspiracy. Stanley is both a farmer and a soldier, and it would not have been out of character to show him assisting Jake as a deputy. The continuing focus on Stanley and Mimi only retreads the previous episode and doesn't add much to their story. However if the love story shifted to characters such Dale and Skylar, the emotional pallet would be far more diverse and satisfying.
