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| by Beth E. Cochran with additional writing by John Mundazio | ||
| CBS' ‘Jericho’— A Knock-Out First Season DVD | ||
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Essentially, it isn't really a "Good
vs. Evil" thing, it's more about the many degrees of survival within the
microcosm of a much smaller world view. Being cut off from the outside
world and all of the things we have come to rely so heavily upon like cell
phones, computers, the Internet, iPods, Blackberrys etc. etc. the citizens
of Jericho are unwillingly tossed into a very dire equation that forces
each of them to focus more on their intuition [something that the media
now does for us] and judgment... |
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Beth
E. Cochran is a nationally syndicated journalist as well as the
illustrious West Coast Editor for UPBEAT Entertainment News Online. She
has written for several prominent entertainment publications including
Entertainment Weekly, Soap Opera Update, and Soap Opera Magazine, to
name but a few. Beth is currently working on several screenplays. |
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In
1987 then indie rock band R.E.M. released the haunting track “Its The
End of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), which stated boldly that
the world would end with “an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane”.
Other visions of the end of times have been greatly detailed in films
(Terminator, The Matrix, etc…) and since September 11th people have been
overtly obsessing about the possibility of it more and more. One
television series to tackle the subject head on is the CBS show Jericho.
But is the series just another Lost Rip-off? No way. Jericho is a
top-notch, well-acted drama about what happens when a nuclear mushroom
cloud suddenly appears on the horizon, plunging the residents of a small,
peaceful Kansas town into total chaos, leaving them completely isolated
and wondering if they're the only Americans left alive. But in this time
of shock and dismay, as sensible people become paranoid, personal agendas
take over and well-kept secrets threaten to be revealed, some people will
find an inner strength they never knew they had and the most unlikely
heroes will and do inevitably emerge. As the show's landscape perpetually
changes and evolves, Jericho gives us a long hard look into the
fascinating dynamics of the human psyche in time of constant "crisis".
People take on more of a "Wild West" perspective on things like law,
ownership, power and morality. It becomes a continued struggle in all of
the gray areas of life that we rarely explore in any great depth.
The
DVD set itself is fairly packed when it comes to special features,
there is something for everyone here: Audio Commentary tracks on 5 of the
episodes, Deleted Scenes w/optional commentary on 13 of the episodes,
Building Jericho: In-depth look at the genesis and creation of the show
and What If? A revealing look at how the nuclear arms race has evolved
since the end of WW II. Presented in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Jericho
does a great job of presenting itself but does not stand out in any way,
but a lot of that has to do with the setting of the series, overall its a
very rural area, mostly farmland... nothing exotic. The sound design on
the other hand is a stark contrast to the visuals of the series. We are
given a full blown Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track and trust us it is top
notch! Overall a very strong effort and incredible series that deserves
another chance at redemption, so tune in folks! UB
