Originally posted 2017-04-16 17:24:17.

*I do not own the copyright to this tv series.  I am merely a a fan 🙂 *

 

I got bored the other day and was browsing through my Netflix account, and stumbled upon a show I hadn’t seen in ages.  I started binge watching it again.  The show?  It was the Jericho TV series, which is an American made post apocalyptic drama that aired on CBS in 2006.  It is set in the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, and the trials the citizens of the town faces after a nuclear blast wipes out Denver.  There will probably be a few spoiler alerts in this article, so you’ve been warned if you don’t want any surprises ruined for you!

Survival Lessons from the Jericho TV series

I think the most important lesson from the Jericho tv series was that it takes a village.  The only way the people in this town managed to survive all the tribulations of a post nuclear war were to work together as a community.  This included sharing supplies, keeping watch, and even helping one of the farmers harvest his corn crop by hand before it was lost to pests.  Jericho makes it abundantly clear that everyone has to support each other for the best chances of survival.  Stars of the show include Skeet Ulrich, and Lennie James who you might recognize from The Walking Dead. 

The ability to communicate effectively under pressure was also showcased in the Jericho tv series, and we do have to remember that this is fictional, entertainment television so the good guys always figure out a winning plan.  Communication becomes pretty difficult when the power grid goes down, so most of these plans are made via a face to face conversation.   I like to think of my self as pretty calm and level headed, and I am sure you dear readers all can think of someone that does not take very well to having their opinion challenged or hearing things they don’t want to hear (the I’m always right and when I am wrong I just yell and scream types) and this is just in the normal, non disaster laden times we live in now.  So, brush up on your speaking skills!  Being able to get through to someone and talk on a rational level can be tough, but its a great skill to have.

Now, on to some of the things in the Jericho tv series that are a little unrealistic – and while you should definitely watch the show for its entertainment value, it’s again important to remember that this is fiction and far from realistic in a lot of what it presents.  First off, where on earth do they get all this endless gasoline and supplies?    As the show progresses, the town finds out that the explosion in Denver was not an isolated incident, but in fact most of the major cities in the US have been obliterated by nuclear attacks.  In a real life scenario like this, commerce would be halted for months or years.  Your local gas station gets refilled at least once a day from a truck, as well as pretty much anything you purchase.   Yet, in the Jericho world, they are still somehow living and purchasing goods (although limited) without much of a distraction. Months after the incident you can still see everyone has ample candles, boxes of food, and cars are still running.  None of the main characters are really ‘preppers’ by any means, just rural farmer types.  So, I guess my point being is that if something major like this disrupts the ability of trucks to deliver goods, you’d better be ready rely on what’s already in your home.

Another gripe I have with this show is how slow they are to realize the vulnerability the town has from outsiders.   Several groups challenge the townsfolk for control of Jericho and each time the planning for defense of the town is scattered and chaotic.  It is interesting, however how you almost see a reversion of towns turning into medieval style city states, and former neighbors turn into deadly enemies.  I do think the show’s creators did a very good job of portraying how local politics would evolve (or devolve, depending on how you look at it)  Without giving away too much of the plot, as the series progresses you see these political struggles take place on a national level.

If you haven’t seen the Jericho TV series, I recommend it for entertainment purposes if nothing else.  It was a cool show, even if it was a little too cheesy at times. There were two seasons of the series before CBS cancelled it, but due to it’s cult following seasons three and four were released as graphic novels.  The series is also available on Netflix.