"Termination for Cause"
Verisimilitude.
Not only is this one of the neatest sounding words in the English language, "Verisimilitude" essentially means something that is true or something that has the appearance of truth. I first learned of this word through documentaries about
Superman: The Movie. Director Richard Donner prepared his staff for filming by hanging sign on their office walls containing the word "verisimilitude" with Superman's figure hovering above it. Donner succeeded in lacing the movie with human candor, so that a man flying in blue and red tights would be taken seriously.
"End of the World Films" have inundated the film medium in recent years,
Independence Day being the most high profile vehicle. That movie went the more comedic route, portraying outrageous characters and their unbelievable feats. But what this film lacked was the "verisimilitude" needed to truly bring these characters to life.
Jericho's "Termination for Cause" packed an emotional wallop that I have rarely experienced in either television or film. The characters were portrayed at odds with each other, each with rational subjective arguments to their cause. It was with this understanding of their humanity, this "verisimilitude," that our hearts sympathized with their plight.
Goetz became aware that Mimi was hidden inside the Richmond House when he murdered Bonnie, so he gathered his men from Jennings & Rall to silence Mimi while she was still in the hospital recovering. Goetz had a Jericho citizen undercover inside the hospital, named Fred, to provide him intel regarding the impending siege. Fred's reason for defecting to Goetz was based solely on the guarantee that his family would not be harmed. Not only did I empathize with Fred's actions, his peers similarly understood his reasoning. Instead of condemning Fred after his two-faced guise was discovered, Jake sternly told him to leave and return to his family. Earlier in the episode, another Jericho resident was faced with the dilemma of either defending the hospital against its J&R insurgents or leaving to protect his wife. Just like this other individual, Fred's conduct was tainted by his love for his family. Meanwhile, Goetz and his soulless soldiers had no motivation other than cover up the unexplainable havoc they created. I do not understand Goetz, and that is why I hate him.
Of the Richmond trio (Bonnie, Stanley, and Mimi), I am glad that it was Bonnie who was deemed "worthy" to die. Stanley and Mimi have now experienced a loss that will color their every scene for the remainder of the show's existence. It was painfully heartbreaking to witness Stanley signing to Bonnie's corpse, "Are you ok?" Stanley felt such an emotional responsibility towards his sister that in his mind he failed her. Thus, it made perfect sense when Stanley, who has proven himself to be a fierce soldier when necessary,
***SPOILER ALERT*** put a bullet through Goetz' head. Despite the inevitable confrontation with Major Beck, Stanley's revenge made for a necessary step towards his self-inflicted redemption.
