Just finished the season finale of Jericho: Season One...

Only two weeks after getting the DVD, I finished the first season of Jericho, the possibly defunct television show starring Skeet Ulrich about a town who faces isolation and other far more serious problems after most of the United States is nuked into oblivion.

While the first part of the series relies on mystery as the townspeople don't know what's going on, the second half reveals quite a lot - although, as we find out, you can't always trust the rumors going around. Certain frightening things are revealed, such as the fact that the United States has apparently fractured into six governments, and that the bombs were not a result of foreign attack by a home grown terrorist cell. More is revealed about Hawkins, the guy who at times appeared to be a villain. With his identity further revealed, he really is able to kick ass.

Other episodes I really liked (there aren't many I didn't) were:

• Crossroads
  Several mercenaries threaten to invade Jericho, claiming they are working for the government.
• Semper Fidelis
  U.S. marines finally show up and say that the country is getting back on track, but it soon becomes clear that these people are not actual soldiers.
• A.K.A.
  The truth of Hawkins is further explained and Jake gets "in the know".
• The last four episodes
  I loved serialized stories, and the last four episodes play out like one long episode (and end with a hair-tingling cliffhanger that leads into next season). This is a great end to the season, as the nearby town of New Bern plans out a very strategic attack, and things go from bad to worse in a hurry

That being said, there were a couple episodes I wasn't as crazy about:

• One Man's Terrorist
  Realizing that the relationship between Jake and Emily could go nowhere with Roger around, the producers abruptly turn Roger into a hostage taker, effectively forcing him out of Jericho, both the show and the series (forever?). This didn't seem like a very believable turn of events.
• Heart of Winter
  Jake is left at the brink of death for much of the episode. As he is the main character, there isn't much tension here as we know he'll be okay.
• Red Flag
  People squabble over whether to trust food aid from China. The whole idea that China would try to kill off people by poisoning food seemed rather paranoid and unrealistic to me.

Overall, I can't wait for the next season of Jericho, even if it is only seven episodes long.