"Jericho"

I just finished watching the first season of the CBS drama "Jericho." I have many thoughts running through my head. First, the premise absolutely fascinates me. In short, a small Kansas town has to adapt when America is hit by a massive terrorist attack that successfully nukes many of the largest cities in the United States. The drama explores how people react when their lives are suddenly in their own hands. There is no government taking care of everybody. Bad men are free to roam, and a community must figure out how to get along well enough to survive.

Pretty quickly, outside threats become a problem. Life and death decisions must be made in the face of fear and panic. Are Americans prepared to live without television to entertain them, the Internet to connect them, or the government to provide for the common welfare and defense?

The show is pretty well done, though the "constant jeopardy" and repetitive music can get a little tiresome. Characters must learn to deal with the consequences of their actions and get along with neighbors that they will be living with for the indefinite future.

A few things bothered me. For example, the writers don't quite grasp the necessary social elements required to keep a small community alive and stable. In their portrayal, adultery is evil, but part of life; fornication, however, doesn't even come up on the moral radar. In "Jericho" a good marriage is something to be sought for, but only after living arraignments have been tried and tested. The critical role that marriage plays in building and maintaining communities is critically miss-portrayed.

However, what bothered me the most was the secular tone of the show and the surprisingly irreligious response of everyone in the town to a disaster beyond comprehension. There are the obligatory visits to the Chapel for funerals and token requests for prayers before battle, but on the whole, this town believes that the only power that can save them is the arm of flesh. In fact, I believe that the writers would view a town prayer as outdated, and maybe even inappropriate.

When the town does not have enough food to feed everyone, the first response is to start kicking refugees out of the town. "The numbers simply don't add up," and "better them then us," attitude is prevalent. Somehow "right makes might," except when it doesn't. Fortunately, more charitable characters sometimes lead the way, but the show as a whole reflects the belief that sometimes, someone has to do the dirty work, and in a world that has gone to chaos, we all have to learn to get our hands dirty.

God is reduced to some force "out there." We return to him after this life, but he has zero practical influence on things in the here and now.

While, I disagree with these portrayals, the series is not without value. Very hard questions are addressed as best as the writers know how, and questions about the essence of government and democracy are explored in a manner not possible in most shows. If you would like to get addicted go here and watch for free online.