Seeing as I got the first three episodes as a screener from CBS, I figured I’d go all out for the first three eps, recap-wise. Later this week, we’ll also have the second Blackjack Fairgrounds blog carnival for Jericho (submit articles here; learn about the carnival here; check out the first Blackjack Fairgrounds here), plus a guest blog recap from Yvonne/auntvonna.

Also, I decided to use Erika/kricka’s motivators to illustrate this recap, just because I can.

OK, ready?

Mimi comes downstairs to find a single red rose over a note that says “Go outside” and has a smiley on it. Stanley’s prepared a lovely breakfast on the veranda to celebrate her first day on the job with Jennings and Rall.

This is a big day. You get to be an accountant again. Count things, add things up. Maybe even a little subtraction? Right?

Mimi is totally amazed by the order and organization J&R brings to everything. “I have so missed bar codes and spreadsheets,” she opines. J&R knows where everything is and where it’s going and where it’s been. “I’ve forgotten how beautiful order can be.”

Stanley loves that Mimi loves this.

That’s probably the most boring story I’ve heard in months. [Mimi looks kind of hurt.] No, I love it. I mean, just a few weeks ago, we were sitting at this table, trying to figure out how to defend our farm from the next town over. Now, we’re sitting here, we’re about to eat pancakes with actual chocolate chips in them and you’re blabbing on about tracking packages.

They revel in their boring-ness and kiss, interrupted by a helicopter landing right next the farmhouse. It has the weird new flag on it.

Mimi is just so girly, sorta hiding behind Stanley. How cute.

Ken Kalley, the president’s deputy communications director gets out, introduces himself and informs them the president wants to address the nation (yes, the nation) on this very day from Stanley and Mimi’s front porch.

Cut to downtown; streetlights are being fixed, cars are being moved off the streets. Jake is out and about, Beck notes his lack of uniform. Jake’s pacing himself, shows Beck that he is actually wearing his badge.

Note: Beck’s uniform says U.S. Army.

Jake wonders what Beck even needs him around for; Beck points out that “Local intel always beats eye in the sky.”

The president’s code name is “condor,” because that’s the biggest bird in the west.

Cut to Chavez and Hawkins. They’re going over a map, figuring out how long Chavez has to get “the password.” The president is scheduled to be on Main Street for 20 minutes; that’s when they’ll make their move. Hawkins has diversions set up for two spots.

OK, who can tell me what the Morse code said this time?

In the mobile HQ now; it’s called the White House on Wheels and it has command and control capabilities that are even better than the U.S. had before the bombs were dropped. Surprise! Instead of 3 hours, Condor’s landing in 28 minutes. The Secret Service scrubbed a stop from the trip.

Then Beck sends Chavez out to secure the area; Chavez (who Beck calls Parker, natch) himself has to go do it. He didn’t have time to get the password, though. Now Darcy’s getting into the scrum. She fills Hawkins in; she’s going to have to snag a secure walkie-talkie so Hawkins can get what he needs.

The Richmond farm is getting a nice spruce up and Mimi is talking about their bridal registry. Stanley opines that he hopes her friends buy the expensive items. Mimi is kind of taken aback and walks away. Bonnie smacks Stanley. Mimi, she reminds him, doesn’t have anyone to invite. Duh.

We don’t really find out what Bonnie asks of Trish, but it has to do with Mimi not having anyone to invite to the wedding.

Back in the White House on Wheels. Running everyone in town through facial recognition software, checking against anyone with known criminal pasts or other reasons they might be flagged.

Hey! Dan Shotz!

Jake warns Beck that he himself might be in the database. Beck assures him he isn’t. Jake wonders if Beck has seen his “file.” Beck is noncommittal: “A lot of files come across my desk.”

Cut to the mayor’s office. Gray’s tying his shoes, getting ready to greet the prez. Eric and Emily come in, hand him a book. J&R just received a crate of these new history books.

Here’s what the table of contents said on the open page Gray looks at:

The Decline and Fall of the First Republic. 1945-present.

Unit 10

How Weak Policies Led to the Demise of the United States.
Chapter 29: A time of challenge and change. Section 1. The search for peace. Section 2. The Cold War begins. Section 3. War in Korea.
Chapter 30: The failure of the Cuban missile crisis. The lack of action against the Soviet Union. Section 1. New challenges. Section 2. The Kennedy administration. Section 3. Struggles at home.
Chapter 31: Vietnam. The premature withdrawl of troops in 1975. Section 1. The Nixon administration. Section 2. New movements to change. Section 3. The politics of protest. Section 4. Nixon’s foreign relations. Section 5. The Watergate scandal.

Gray, being Gray is disturbingly undisturbed. “Teach from it, don’t teach from it. It’s your classroom,” he tells Emily.

Eric and Emily ask him “at what point is this a country we don’t recognize?”

Gray points out these people saved Jericho and are keeping order and that “earns them the right to a point of view.” Has Gray learned absolutely nothing? He is absolutely as weak and as lame as ever.

A reporter is walking around the HQ, as Jake sits watching the facial recognition software do its work. (Sorry, I forgot to go back and get his name!)

He’s from the Modesto Bee, which is now the second-largest paper in California. “We had a little help getting there.” Jake doesn’t think that’s much of a joke.

Emily’s been flagged because of her dad, Jonah. Jake and the reporter chat a bit, and Jake ends up asking, “Are you reporting on them or for them?” The reporter answers, “Yes.” [Ed note: And some people think the media isn’t hard enough on the administration now.]

Jake sees Darcy snag something, she walks out and he follows her. Condor is arriving! He’s too late; the president has arrived. Tomarchio gets out of his Hummer, hugs some kids, gladhands, walks into the J&R building. Darcy slinks away and Jake manages to eventually follow her to Bailey’s. [Side note: They’ve spent an awful lot of time in Bailey’s this season already, but barely even shown Mary.]

Jake grabs Hawkins in the bar, but the Secret Service guys call out for him and Hawkins sneaks out while Jake’s distracted. The Secret Service guys frisk Jake and the reporter, who were both in the command trailer. Jake starts to leave, but the SS guys tell him no one said he could move. Jake’s stuck at Bailey’s for the duration, whatever that might be.

Cut to J&R, where Tomarchio is all nice to Eric and extends his condolences on the loss of Johnston. He’s all “truly humbled” and asks Gray to represent the area in the upcoming constitutional convention:

We have the opportunity to write the next chapter of American history: The triumph of Democracy over the forces of evil. Think about it. We’ll need good men like you guys to help keep this country strong.

Gray’s all honored. Lame-o.

Secret Service guys come in, “CRASH CONDOR,” they get Tomarchio to a secure room. “Condor is secure at the Citadel.”

Back at the HQ, Hawkins goes in, knocks out the couple of folks still there.

Cut to the Police Department. Darcy looks really nervous. She puts the walkie in her purse, starts to walk out. Beck stops her. Explains that they’re in a crash, a Secret Service procedure when there’s a lockdown. A secure walkie-talkie has gone missing. Beck’s really nice to her.

Darcy looks way too nervous. She’s making me nervous.

Hawkins is downloading everything on the computer in the HQ.

Back at Bailey’s, Jake wonders why the reporter’s just having a drink instead of reporting on the crash. “Cheyenne doesn’t like incidents like this covered. They control my credentials.” Jake wonders, “What the hell kind of reporter are you?” The answer: “The working kind.”

The reporter explains that no one’s reporting the real news if Cheyenne doesn’t want it out. The Hudson River Virus, for example, the official word is that it was stopped at the Mississippi, the “Blue Line,” where United Nations peacekeepers are stationed. But the virus has jumped the river and has shown up in the west. Cheyenne doesn’t want anyone to know that.

This guy used to work for the Los Angeles Times before the attacks; won two Pulitzer prizes. “Good journalists,” he explains, “don’t exist anymore.”

Cut to Eric and Gray. “How,” Erick asks, “does a government no one voted for change the Constitution? We found time to have an election. Of all people, I think you would remember that.”

Back to Bailey’s. Jake and the reporter are discussing what really happened in the attacks. There are plenty of theories. This is one frustrated reporter.

What if a guy wrote an expose on the appalling gaps in port security three years before the attacks and it ended up on page C18 because it didn’t have any ‘zazz’? People get the news they deserve.

He remembers when he was a kid, two journalists “took down the White House with a typewriter.” (Watergate) “If I thought anybody was willing to listen anymore, I’d be talking.”

Jake sees him in a whole new light.

Back at the PD, Darcy is SO nervous. She’s gotta stop this.

Hawkins is STILL downloading? Only 55 percent? Darcy’s totally gonna get caught before he’s finished. See? The Secret Service guy is coming at Darcy. Beck wonders what’s going on; he’s protecting Darcy. I kind of like this Beck. He’s not a blind follower.

The Secret Service guy wants to see her purse. Beck indicates she should never mind, just show it to him so she gets it over with. She hands it over. Beck notices something across the room.

“You searched the entire office, huh?” he asks the Secret Service guy? The walkie’s on a shelf over by the wall.

When did Darcy do that!? Wow. She’s as good as her husband, practically.

Word goes out that the walkie’s been found. Jake realizes Hawkins caused the crash on purpose.

The download’s only 95 percent complete!!!

Finally!!!! Done. He’s walking out — someone’s coming in.

Hawkins punches one out, then Chavez goes all postal and starts knocking people out, jumps over the stairway rail (I thought they were in a trailer? I’m confused about location, but that was a cool jump. I think we just had a continuity issue here.)

Beck sees what’s up, orders his men to get Parker/Chavez, who attacks Jake. “Find Hawkins,” he whispers urgently as he’s pulled off Jake.

Darcy is looking at Jake. Is Jake starting to grow a mullet?

Out at the farmhouse. Hawkins is on the computer. Jake comes in.

“You had a guy inside Beck’s camp and you didn’t tell me?” he’s ticked off at Hawkins. Jake explains what happened. Hawkins knows that Chavez must have planted something on Jake. Sure enough, Jake finds a slip of paper in his pocket.

It’s a password. “A conspiracy this big leaves footprints, Jake.” The 23 sites where bombs went off were tested, Hawkins explains. The official results said the fuel for the bombs had been milled in North Korea. Somewhere in this info Hawkins downloaded are the original results.

The password works!

I gotta admit, Hawkins found the correct files a bit quickly. But it would be kinda boring to sit and watch as he opens file after file, “Nope, not this one. ” “Wrong file.” “Not this one, either.” Still and all, that would be kind of funny.

Aha — the plutonium was milled in Seversk. It’s an ex-Soviet nuke.

This is just the paper trail, the nuke Hawkins has in his shed is the hard evidence.

He’s got to get both to Texas to make sure Texans know the truth and don’t join the Cheyenne government. One problem: Chavez has been captured and is going to be taken to Luma Ridge (sp?) a supermax facility in Colorado. Chavez had the Texas contacts and Hawkins doesn’t know who they are.

Hawkins suggests they go another way: The reporter. “I’ve been trusting you,” he tells Hawkins. “Now it’s time for you to trust me.” Hawkins nods, Jake walks out.

The reporter seems interested; “This is the biggest news story in American history. It’s going to make a godawful mess.” Jake tells him he’s going to have to leave the press pool immediately and drive through all night to Modesto. “Don’t call, just drive.” If he calls on his government-issued phone, he’ll be caught, Jake warns him. “Two guys and a typewriter.” They shake hands. They’re both all in.

Back at the Richmond ranch.

Trish is there. Stanley and Bonnie approach her for a favor. Stanley can’t get the words out and Bonnie orders him away. Trish knows American Sign Language, as all J&R managers have to be fluent in at least one other language, so they can communicate just fine. Bonnie explains that Stanley’s getting married soon to Mimi.

“She scares me,” Trish says. Bonnie signs back, “Me too, but it just so happens I like her.” We don’t hear what favor Bonnie asks of Trish.

Beck visits Chavez/Parker in the lockup. He wants to know what was in the room that was so important. Wants to know, at least, what his real name is.

All Chavez will say is, “I’m a dead man.” He doesn’t even blink.

Beck orders a subordinate to send his prints and other ID info to Camp Laramie for identification.

Out on the street. Some guy had a heart attack at Bailey’s. Jake unzips the body bag to see who. It’s the reporter. He’s dead.

Cut to the ranch; we see an honor guard.

Tomarchio is speaking:

Citizens of Jericho. I am honored to be standing here today with you on this most hallowed ground. Those who died here gave their blood to protect our lives and liberties. So we honor them.

Honor guard presents arms.

Jake is back at the ranch with Hawkins, who’s been denied access to one of the files. What’s in it?

“It’s over, he’s dead,” Jake says, extremely upset. He throws his sheriff’s badge on the table.

Back at the ranch. The honor guard folds the flag, gives it to Tomarchio, who gives it to … Gray? Oh, blerg. It seems that Gray is kind of conflicted. The honor guard fires a 21-gun salute. Lots of flinching. The last time they heard gunfire, it was aimed at most of them.The camera pans up to the new flag.

Back with Jawkins. Their best guess is that the reporter called his paper. Jake wants an autopsy, but Hawkins suggests that that body will never be seen again and that Jake’s lucky they didn’t take the reporter alive, because he would have given Jake up to save his own hide.

Tomarchio is still speaking at the ranch:

You’ve lost loved ones. But here you are again. Still strong. Still proud. This is the best of America. (applause). But infighting has left us weak and vulnerable to our enemies. Remnants of the old federal government have fallen back to Columbus, Ohio.

After the attacks, that government endlessly debated our response. So, in a vacuum of leadership, I acted to let the world know that America was down, but not out. (applause)

Eric and Stanley look at each other. What’s going on here?

Jawkins again. Jake can’t let this go. Hawkins: “Jake, I need you not to be my problem right now.” Hawkins is right.

Tomarchio again:

The federal government of the Eastern Bloc states no longer has any governing authority beyond the Mississippi. You’ve seen the flag. This is the flag of a new country, flying from the Mississippi to the Pacific. The 13 stripes of red and white still represent the 13 colonies, but they run in a new direction — just as we must chart a new direction for ourselves. In a few short weeks, Mayor Anderson will represent you as we ratify a Constitution for this new nation that will be known to the world by a new name: The Allied States of America.

And with this new name, a clean slate. Our debts have been forgiven and we are open again for business. That means jobs, stocked shelves, a return to life as we knew it. And, in the fall, we’ll have elections, where we can all take part in building a new government, as a safer stronger America.

God bless you and God bless the Allied States of America.

Big applause

Cut to the PD. Army guys (their uniforms still say U.S. Army) are taking Chavez out. Jake attacks him. Beck tells him to back off, Parker will get his due. I’m thinking that wasn’t just a punch, though Jake still probably enjoyed it after having been left in the dark.

Back in Beck’s office. A lieutenant comes in, tells Beck that Parker’s name and prints belonged to a soldier who was killed in May 2003 in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

Beck knows what that means and it’s bad: “He’s black ops.” He immediately gets on his radio, calling the soldiers escorting Parker/Chavez to Colorado. No answer. We see that everyone in the jeep is dead.

Cut to the mayor’s office. Eric brings Gray the flag, which Gray left at the farm. Second thoughts, perhaps? Gray drops the folded flag on his desk. Eric chides him for not even asking one single question of the president.

Gray: “I want to go to the convention and interrogating the president is a way of ensuring that doesn’t happen.”

Eric doesn’t think much of this man who replaced his father in the mayor’s office. Gray pulls out an old, framed “Don’t Tread on Me” flag that once hung in Johnston’s office. It had been in storage during renovations and Gray found it. Maybe Gray’s not as completely lame as we thought; he admits the sentiment on the flag doesn’t exactly mesh with his own personality. But he’s growing a backbone.

I’m going to Cheyenne to ask those questions. I’ll keep asking them until I get some answers. I just don’t want them to see me coming.

He asks Eric to act as mayor in his stead, but to try not to get the town into too much trouble.

Detente. They smile at one another.

Cut to Beck’s office. He’s on a video conference with Valente, who’s telling Beck that the Parker/Chavez incident is unacceptable, won’t let Beck get a word in. Asks about Sarah, where things stand on the hunt for her. Valente tells Beck he sees that the major is overwhelmed and so he’s going to send him some help. “A private contractor who knows the area.” They’ll take care of the day-to-day while Beck hunts down the terrorists.

Jake comes in; Beck sees him, as he’s off the video conference call now. Beck knows that Jake had something to do with this whole mess, but isn’t quite sure how. Or why. And, it seems, isn’t altogether sure that’s a bad thing. Jake opines that given that word is that Parker was a spook, he probably picked the lock on his handcuffs to escape. Yeah, that’s probably it, Beck replies.

Back at the ranch for a final time. Mimi’s cleaning up all by herself. Stanley and Bonnie look all stressed. Finally, they tell Mimi what’s up. Bonnie tells her. They asked J&R to trace her family. Mimi gasps; she’s happy, then sad. Stanley and Bonnie tell her the bad news: They found nothing. Just her father’s second cousin on a census in Indiana but he’s not there anymore and a woman by the same name in a nearby refugee camp, but she wasn’t related.

Mimi’s touched and thanks them.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Stanley tells her. “I really wanted you to have your family at the wedding.”

She will, she tells him: “You’re my family. You and Bonnie from here on in.” Awww, group hug.

Hawkins and Chavez meet in a field (this sounds like the start of a dirty joke). Chavez wishes Jake would pull his punches. Darcy made sure there are no photos of Parker/Chavez left in City Hall. Hawkins wonders if Chavez ever heard of a Project Boxcar? The password wouldn’t open it. Chavez looks surprised. Is he?

Chavez asks: “Remember when this job used to be eays?” “Uh, no,” Hawkins says, laughing. Chavez hikes off.

At the Green home: Eric and Emily are waiting for Jake when he gets home. Jake and Emily are all kissy kissy. Ick. Erick tells him that he’s acting mayor. “Mayor Green. Nice to hear that again.”

Cut to City Hall, Beck comes outside. Two Humvees drive up. RAVENWOOD is printed on the doors.

The Green brothers discuss how things got dicey with Beck, but they’ve dealt with worse and tehy can handle it. They clink beer bottles.

Cut to City Hall. A man, in shadows, gets out of one of the Humvees.

IT’S THE BAD GUY FROM THE ABORTED ATTACK ON JERICHO BY RAVENWOOD. Getz! Kenchy’s totally going to freak when he sees Getz.

He introduces himself as the tactical operations officer. “I’ll take it from here,” he tells Beck.

Beck does NOT look pleased.

Neither am I.

Images courtesy of CBS; motivators by kricka (who informs me that maybei/Vicki supplied most of the screencaps).