So, the first time I saw this episode, I braced myself for what I was sure would be a Very Special Jericho. Despite how sad it was that April died, I’ve never been so glad to be proven wrong. This was really the episode that cemented my love for this show; to be able to kill off a main character in such a way that neither detracted from the show nor got maudlin is no mean feat.

Anyhow, ‘nuff about what I thought. Our next guest blogger is Judy and after a few words about her, you’ll get to see what she has to say about it:

Name: Judy
Age: 52 and proud of it!
Home: Aurora, Ill.
Started watching Jericho: Very first episode last September! And didn’t miss one all season!
Favorite character: I am so torn here, I just don’t think I can come up with ONE favorite! I loved Johnston Greene—he was usually able to calm the craziness, spoke calmly and assertively, straight from his heart. His military background was of immense help right from the beginning. I also love Jake—bad boy going straight! He seems to have a bit of a tortured soul and has had some trouble finding his place in the world. With each episode, however, he is definitely coming into his own and is living up to the challenges that have been set before him. He can easily take the place of his father, because with each little skirmish won, the people of the town come to respect him just a little bit more and are really beginning to look to him for guidance. But, then there’s Robert Hawkins—I didn’t like him at first (and I wasn’t alone!), but little by little as his secrets are revealed (or are they???), he’s kind of growing on me. The thing I like the best about him, though, is that he takes no c__p from anyone and is not afraid to skirt the law to make things happen.
What makes Jericho so special to you: This is not a show for the reality-show junkies who don’t know how to use their brains. It requires intelligence and is thought-provoking, particularly in these times. It inspires hope that no matter how seriously we may be in trouble, we are not alone, and even obstacles as daunting as this nuclear bombing can somehow be overcome. Together, we can accomplish miracles.

As this compelling episode begins, we find Hawkins burying Sarah in the woods (if it’s still winter in Jericho, my question is, how the heck did he manage to dig a hole? However, like others, I have suspended my desire for reality and logic because I so love this show!). Jump to the hospital, where Gail is telling April that she looks tired and needs to get some sleep. April tells Gail that she’s been sleeping. When Gail wants to know where it is she’s been doing this sleeping, April admits on the couch in her office, to which Gail replies something along the lines of, “That baby will be born with a crick in his neck!”

Next, we see Hawkins at home, cleaning Sarah’s blood from the floor. Here comes a knock at the door, and who should come a-calling but our friendly sheriff’s deputy, Jimmy. [Amy’s note: Love that Jimmy!] He tells Hawkins that the mayor has asked him to keep track of the refugees, find out where they end up and see how they’re contributing to the town. We can see panic in Hawkins’ eyes as he tries to come up with a response to what he knows will be the next question.

Back at the hospital, the generator kicks back in. April grabs her stomach and collapses. Jake is screaming for someone, anyone to help her.

Jimmy tells Hawkins how cold it is outside so that Hawkins is forced to let him in the house. When Jimmy sees that Hawkins is cleaning, he comments that if Hawkins is using the last of his fuel on housework, then Darcy has trained him well! When Jimmy asks where Sarah is, Hawkins responds that she left yesterday to visit family in New Orleans. Jimmy turns to leave, but not before noticing the nasty cut on Hawkins’ leg. Our secret agent tells him it’s the result of an accident with a tree branch while he was cutting wood.

Once again, back to the hospital (there was a lot of shifting back and forth in this episode—it wore me out!), April has regained consciousness and says that she is very tired. Mama Green seems pretty sure there’s a problem with the baby and sends Jake to find Papa Green and Eric and get them to the hospital. Jake doesn’t know this, but Eric and Mary are out in the boonies collecting wood.

Meanwhile, the new windmill finally arrives from New Bern, accompanied by good old Constantino, who seems to be the law in New Bern these days.

Now here comes Mimi dropping Bonnie off at the hospital for her volunteer work. Bonnie asks Mimi if she has ever volunteered for anything, closes the door to the truck and walks into the hospital. Next thing we know, Mimi shows up at the hospital all dressed in scrubs to do some volunteer work of her own. Needless to say, Bonnie is less than thrilled and hands her a bed pan.

Back in April’s room, her blood pressure is dropping and she’s feeling contractions. She can’t have this baby now—she’s only 16 weeks along. There’s no medication on hand to stop the contractions. She tells Mama Green that if she loses consciousness, Mama should get some alcohol from the still and give her a 10% alcohol drip, after which April promptly loses consciousness. Gail immediately tells someone to hurry up and go to Bailey’s and get Kenchy, the drunk doctor who can barely stay on his bar stool. Doc comes in, smelling like a brewery, and tells someone they have to get a fetal heart monitor, which of course, they don’t have, so he hands Mimi a stethoscope and teaches her how to use it to take blood pressure and pulse. Mimi is visibly terrified at the prospect of being hands-on in the effort to save April and the baby.

Jumping to the Mayor’s office, we find our illustrious Mayor Gray Anderson talking with Constantino about buying more wind turbines. The haggling begins. Constantino says the town can have 10 additional windmills in exchange for 10 percent of the town’s spring crop. When told that the town could starve next fall if it gives up 10 percent of the spring crop, Constantino replies, “Starve next fall, or freeze this winter.” Eventually, as the episode progresses, the Mayor agrees to the deal that Constantino wants. Constantino then tells him that he will need 10 men from Jericho to come to New Bern with him to help build the wind turbines, and that they will be leaving right away.

Next, we see Hawkins lowering the nuke into a hole he dug under the shed. Along comes Jimmy again, telling Hawkins that the Mayor wants him to find out what resources Sarah might have taken with her when she left for New Orleans—gas, food, etc. Hawkins says she left with just a backpack. Jimmy inquires as to whether or not Darcy might know and asks to talk to her. Hawkins is, at this point, forced to admit that they had split up and tells the deputy that he will get his coat and take him to her. While Hawkins goes back into the shed to quickly finish lowering the nuke into its new hiding place, we see Jimmy waiting outside calling out marital advice—how important communication and honesty are, etc., etc.

Continuing with the baby crisis at the hospital, Kenchy says they will have to operate to save the baby; he refuses to do it. He tells the group he has seen too many people die as a result of being treated in unsanitary conditions with improper equipment. Gail pipes up and says, “We are not losing this baby!” Kenchy responds, “Find yourself another butcher,” and walks out, Jake hot on his heels. Jake manages to convince the good doctor that they do have the spinal tap kit that he needs and can make the environment as sterile as possible by boiling the sheets and the surgical instruments. Kenchy reluctantly agrees to proceed.

At the Richmond farm, we come upon Mimi doing laundry. She tries to tell Bonnie to get her some bleach, with little success and great frustration on Mimi’s part. Bonnie signs the word “bitch” to Mimi, then roughly shows her the signs for “please” and “sorry.”

Finally, Deputy Bill finds Eric and Mary, who rush to the hospital, just as the surgery is getting underway. Mama Green sees Mary standing outside and orders Jake to close the door. Later, the baby’s heartbeat stops and everyone panics, telling Kenchy he has to do something. Kenchy responds, “This has not been about the baby for several hours.” When asked to elaborate on that, Kenchy says, “I am trying to save April.”

Oh, look! Here we are at the Refugee Center, where Hawkins and Jimmy have arrived to talk to Darcy about Sarah. Hawkins gets a moment alone with Darcy and she reluctantly agrees to corroborate Hawkins’ cover story to explain Sarah’s absence, but she refuses to talk to Jimmy in Hawkins’ presence.

Poor Mary! Back at the hospital, when Eric comes into the hallway to tell everyone that they had lost the baby, she tries to give him a hug and console him. Eric pulls away, tell her he needs space, that they’ve lost the baby, and he needs to be with April right now.

Jimmy exits the Refugee Center after talking with Darcy and tells Hawkins that he has invited Darcy and the kids to stay at his house. And, oh, by the way, they found a body outside of town with a broken neck. Witnesses said they saw a woman fitting Sarah’s description in the area. “Do you think Sarah is capable of something like this?” he asks Hawkins, who responds, “You never know what people are capable of.”

Kenchy decides there is nothing more that can be done to help April. They are unable to stem the bleeding, and he wants to stop the surgery. Mama Bear (oops, sorry, Mama Green) says no, even as the doc is walking out of the room. Eric and Jake both follow him outside. Jake sends Eric back inside and manages to talk Kenchy into continuing, even though they both know April is going to die. Our good doctor breathes a huge sigh, shrugs his shoulders and heads back into the room, where they close up April. Next we see Eric sitting with April and Jake telling Gail that Eric will need her—now. April opens her eyes and tells Eric that she likes the name Tracy. Eric agrees that Tracy is a beautiful name.

April closes her eyes for the last time. Eric breaks down, Mom rushes in checking for a pulse. On finding none, she goes and envelops Eric in a huge hug and they both are sobbing. Jake comes in, kneeling on the opposite side of the bed from Eric with tears in his eyes and reaches across the bed to take Eric’s hand. Johnston joins the family, wrapping his arms around Gail and Eric, mixing his tears with theirs, as they all say a final farewell to April.

As the news of April’s death spreads through the hospital, Mimi approaches Bonnie and signs, “Sorry,” to her. Tears spring to both their eyes as they hug each other.

A little later on, as the doctor is leaving the hospital, a medical student addresses him by his full name and fills him in on the symptoms of a woman sitting on a gurney. Kenchy draws himself up to his full height, drops his jacket and introduces himself to the patient, telling the student to get boiling water and make a tent with a sheet so they can get the patient breathing normally again.

It’s now time for Constantino and his little band of thieves to depart for New Bern with their 10 “volunteers” from Jericho. The good Mayor tells the men that the town’s survival depends on them. Stanley tells Bonnie that he hopes she and Mimi won’t kill each other while he’s gone. Bonnie tells Stanley that he’s all she has. In a very low voice, reminiscent of the Terminator, Stanley says, “I’ll be back!”

He tells Mimi to take care of Bonnie. Mimi decides now’s is the time to tell Stanley how she feels about him, but Stanley interrupts her and says, “I’ve loved you since the first day I saw you at Bailey’s.” Mimi says, “You said it first. No one’s ever said it to me first before.” Eric tells her that he told her because he doesn’t know what tomorrow will bring, plus he can hold it over her for the rest of their lives. Mimi hugs him and tells him she loves him, to which Stanley replies with a grin, “I said it first!”

As Eric prepares to say good-bye to his family, he tells Mary that he just can’t stay in Jericho right now. Johnston says, “Take care, son.” Eric hugs Jake, who tells him, “Be strong.” He turns to Gail and wraps his arms around her, telling her he’s sorry. Mom reassures Eric that they will take care of Mary while he’s gone.

Jake goes to find Heather’s old buddy, Russell, who’s in town along with the contingent from New Bern, and asks him where Heather is. Russell tells Jake that Heather is fine, she just didn’t want to come on this trip. Jake looks Russell right in the eyes and says, “If anything happens to any of them, you’re the first one I come for.” Russell replies, “I know,” and turns and climbs into the truck with the “volunteers,” which heads out of town as Jake watches them go.

For those of you who might be wondering what Dale and Skylar were up to this week, they paid a visit to a farmer who wasn’t holding up his end of the deal he had made with Dale and drew a gun on him, telling him to give them their share of his crop. The farmer told Dale he didn’t have much left, and Dale settled for his share of what the farmer did have left. Later on, he and Skylar ended up in a liplock after laughing about the look on the farmer’s face when Dale drew the gun on him.

Much more to come next week!

Thanks Judy! Excellent recap!

Interested in joining the great Jericho blogging experiment? E-mail me at avernon@lohud.com.