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April Green’s pregnancy is in jeopardy. She collapses and Kenchy – rescued in an earlier episode from Ravenwood Baddies – must sober up and save her life. It’s not possible. Internal bleeding first takes her baby, then her life.

Gail Green must set aside the anger and resentment she holds toward Eric for leaving April to help her son with his grief when April dies.
With April dead, Kenchy steps into the role as town physician.

Meanwhile, the struggle for domination in the trading industry becomes heated.

The first windmill arrives in town to provide power – and prevent people from dying during the dead of winter in a town fast running out of diesel power. But they need more power – and with more windmills comes a price: 10 percent of the spring crop and several thousand pounds of salt.
They can’t make that deal. They aren’t certain what will happen with next year’s crop and the citizens of Jericho are top priority. Tough, say the people from the neighboring town. They need to survive, too.

The people of Jericho get antsy. They don’t understand why the mayor doesn’t make the deal. After all, the Marines just told them supplies were on the way.

But what the people don’t know is the Marines were classic fakers. Johnstone said to keep the news that the Marines had lied from the people so they could keep hope. That decision has come back to bite Jericho’s elite. If they tell the people now, there will be anarchy. So they make the deal – except the price has gone up and more salt is now on the table. Also, ten men from Jericho must help construct the towers – and stay in the nearby town until the spring crop is delivered – human bondage in its most basic form. Farmer boy Stanley Richmond and a grieving Eric Green are among the men who leave.

It would be interesting if the town’s people need to use the tank confiscated from the so-called Marines to rescue these men in a future episode.
Heather, who went back to the town to help with construction, didn’t return to Jericho as planned. Jake is worried.

Dale Turner, the young boy who now owns the market, gets stiffed by a farmer who refuses to give up Dale’s share of the crops. Dale has already given him the goods. The man says there are no laws to enforce that. Dale goes to his house with a gun – and his cutsie little girlfriend – to get what he’s owed. Don’t forget, Dale murdered the man who murdered Gracie, the store’s former owner.

Interestingly enough, Dale’s girlfriend is now owner of the salt mines. Mayor Anderson, proving to be a complete dud when it comes to management, didn’t get her permission for the trade. Be interesting if that comes back to haunt them with the gun-toting teen nearby.

And in episode minutes unworthy of the storyline potential, Rob Hawkins has buried Sara’s body. Mayor Gray Anderson wants law enforcement to keep tabs on all refugees. Deputy Jim comes by at the most inopportune times to find her. Hawkins says she went to New Orleans to visit family. She is suspected of killing a man found near Mill Creek – Mr. Bald Man, whose neck Sara snapped a few episodes ago. Hawkins manages to keep the truth from Deputy Doo Right, while his wife and children move from the refugee shelter to the deputy’s home.

It may sound like a lot happened, but this episode was a bore – not as bad as episodes at the start of this post-nuclear war drama, but not worth an entire hour. The Cliff’s Notes version would have sufficed, thank you very much.

What was missing was Mimi’s acerbic tongue, more information about the nation’s major power players, and the constant mystery surrounding Hawkins. Bring that back, and Jericho will be worthy of TV viewing time.

www.WhoDroppedTheBomb.com

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