The Day Before

Season 1, Episode 12, Aired

Episode Summary

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9.2
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The lives of Jake and Hawkins are explored during this flashback episode. This episode begins 36 hours before the bombs went off. Sarah is introduced and is associated to Hawkins. Jake had been living in San Diego.
  • A quick look at the events that lead up to the big boom

    7.9
    "Good"
    So Roger did live? Mmmm. They didn't cover that as nicely as they should have.

    Instead, as most suspected, Hawkins has something to do with the bombings. We knew he was hiding secrets all along and he is still hiding more.

    We get some information on Jake but still not enough. We get some key back information on the people but it's still a bit slow on the uptake anytime there is a new storyline.

    The writers need to pick up on this deal and improve it because Jericho is one good show and shouldn't be suffering from bad writing. The cast is great though!moreless
  • Nice very nice.. Now we know what happened before the bombs..

    9.6
    "Superb"
    This episode was just great. We know all the stuff that happened before the bombs and we know some more about Hawkins.. And i always kinda knew that Jake wasn't a bad person. But Hawkins has a lot of unanswered questions. Like was the truck seriously the bomb and who are these people? Are they really the FBI or something totally different? Is someone like the president behind this or is it some one else?
    But still there are a lot of other questions answered in this part. Like what Jake really did before the bombs and how Hawkins brought his family to Jericho and all.
    A lot of other stuff also happened like Emily's story being reviled. But where is Heather? She hasn't appeared in a scene for ages!
    So this episode was really worth every second... But i still wana know where the truck is that Hawkins brought and i shouldn't forget about his partner coming back...moreless
  • This episode fills in a lot of gaps leading to the circumstances before the attack. Primarily, we learn about Emily and her finance' Roger; Hawkins; and Jake. This episode really cinches together a lot of loose ends.moreless

    8.9
    "Great"
    This episode really means a lot to the story of Jericho. In this episode, the writers have gone back and filled in a lot of gaps that had been nagging me as a viewer, and after watching this episode, I know a lot more about the events leading up to episode 1.

    It's a good episode in a couple of ways. One is that it satisfies my curiosity about what is going down with a lot of characters, and two is that it fills in a lot of filler that would have seemed meaningless or out of place in one convenient package. Learning about Roger had been an ad hoc proposition before this episode, and further development would have seemed sloppy. This entire episode is a series of flashbacks, so all of this stuff fits together and doesn't stick out too badly.

    This was a good episode. I think it is the first real glimpse we get into what went down around the country. It took them half a season, but they finally got around to letting us in on what happened.

    I rated this episode really highly not because the acting was stellar or the directing was superior or even that the writing was awesome. The editing was done well, but for the most part this is a standard episode. What makes it mean more is the way that it ties the plot together in a way that could not be accomplished by telling the story chronologically. You have to have seen the previous episodes to develop the want to know more, and then this episode comes along to fill that need. It is a solid episode in many respects, but its location in the season displays a new level of storytelling. I really enjoyed this episode. If you are watching the series in order like me, you'll be pleased after this episode.moreless
  • A look back at the events leading up to the bombs.

    8.9
    "Great"
    After last week's cliffhangern with Roger returning, I was afraid this entire episode would be one big flashback to postpone dealing with Emily and Roger. That turned out not to be the case. This highly interesting episode had some revealing scenes about the events leading up to the bombs. We get a little more information about Jake's past. The scenes with Robert Hawkins were intrigueing. He's definitely involved in the bombings, that's certain now. Emily and Roger's fight and his subsequent apology might say something about their future relationship. Jake telling her to go to him might too. Also, Heather hasn't appeared in three or more episodes now. Johnston considering not runing for Mayor was surprising as well.moreless
  • Review

    8.8
    "Great"
    Ive been waiting the entire series for an episode like this and for some reason I just think that the writers missed a good oppurtunity here to make something out of the time that they were given. I think Hawkins storyline played out well with the "8 Weeks Ago" episode, concluding with the woman showing up with the injured and is sure to make complications in his life in the next episode.

    Jakes backstory is where I think they dropped the ball. We knew he was apart of Ravenwood before and we knew he had a bad past as a bad kid, so I didnt really see the point in the episode. I didnt get the connection with the two people who knew in San Diego, so I was kind of let down by that. All of the scenes without the two of those characters were bad. Mimi and Stanley meeting for the first time, the affair going on...I could have went without seeing them.

    The end of the episode was another nice cliffhanger. Thats back to back episodes now with solid endings to episodes I thought. Overall, it was kind of a let down, but still lots of good information.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (8)

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    • April's attorney's name is William Garity, as seen when she exits his office with her divorce filing papers.

    • Here we learn that Robert was part of a several man team that was supposed to deliver the packages to several major cities. The city Hawkins was supposed to deliver his package to was COLUMBUS, OH.

    • In Vox Populi, we find out that Johnston Green has been mayor for about 25 years. In this episode, we establish that he took office when Eric was in Second Grade. Assuming that Eric was a normal age for his grade level, that would put Eric around 32 years old.

    • Jericho Geography: The second line in the heading on April's divorce papers reads "County of Jericho, Kansas". This would make it likely that Jericho is the county seat.

    • The following locations are indicated as "Final list of intended targets" on Hawkins' computer screen: Washington DC: 38 53' 55.00" N 77 01' 37.00" W This is on 11th St NW near corner G St NW Philadelphia: 39 57' 34.00" N 73 02' 38.02" W This has to be an error because the location is in the Atlantic Ocean! The correct location should be around 75° W. Los Angeles: 34 03' 00.95" N 118 14' 22.08" W The Japanese American National Museum New York: 40 43' 01.79" N 74 00' 18.38 W Leonard St between Church St and Broadway Denver: 39 44' 29.28" N 104 58' 57.89" W Parking lot at 16th E St corner Logan St. Dallas: 32 47' 00.61" N, no longitude given. St. Louis, Chicago: no coordinates given.

    • The timeframe for the bombings has been established as occurring in 2009. The TV announcer mentioned the "mid-term elections" while discussing the President's address. This would make it the year 2010.

    • Jake Green is a Pilot and an Embry-Riddle graduate Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) is a non-profit, non-sectarian, coeducational private university with a history dating back to the early days of aviation.

    • The Morse Code in the title is: BLOODSHED It is the answer to the contest riddle and goes with the phrase "it begins with 6 and ends in BLOODSHED"

  • QUOTES (16)

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    • Roger (on answering machine): Hey Emily, it's Roger. I just tried your cell but I couldn't reach you. I hope you haven't run off with the milkman yet. Last night was terrible. I kept wanting to get up and tell the captain I'd made a horrible mistake and turn the plane around. My home is where you are babe, and if that means Jericho, Kansas for the rest of my life, it'll be a happy one. I'm flying back tonight and get into Wichita at 10:30. I can't think of anything I'd rather see than your beautiful face when I get home. In case you're wondering, I didn't go on that interview.

    • Gail: I studied French and Italian for four years and after all those years, all I can remember is my name, how to count to ten, and Would you please pass that packet of sugar?

    • Gail: Something happened, watching April listen to your heartbeat. I began to wonder: how many good years do we have left together? Johnston: Did you hear something I didn't? 'Cause all she told me was I might be getting a cold.

    • Gail: It's time for some changes, Johnston, starting with your diet. Mayor Green (indicates his mostly empty plate): A man can't live on that. Gail: He can if he wants to stay married to me.

    • Stanley: It's nice to meet you, Miss Clark. Mimi: Do you not read your mail? Stanley: Nope. Nothing but bills and bad news. Why? Mimi: Well, this would be a little of both. I work for the IRS and according to our records you owe more than $180,000 in back taxes. It's nice to meet you.

    • Eric: Dad, there are worse things in the world than a venti cappuccino! Mayor Green: Speak English!

    • Cell Leader: Take a look around you, gentlemen. (pause) These are the faces of the men that will change the world.

    • Sarah: I have to say that…when they recruited me I thought I was prepared for just about anything but nothing like this. Robert: Well, that's because nothing like this has ever happened before. (cell phone rings)

    • Jake: You finally pulled the trigger, Freddy? All right. Freddy: You know it baby. Hey she's got some good looking sisters, man? Unless you're still all hung up on that farm girl in Iowa. Jake: Kansas. Freddy: Same thing. Jake: No, not the same thing.

    • (Robert throws Darcy's cell phone to the side) Darcy: You let them out of there right now Robert or so help me I'll start screaming. Robert: No, you listen to me very carefully, in 5 seconds I'm getting on this truck and I am leaving Washington for good and I did not come here to discuss this with you, now you can either trust me and come with us or you can stay here, but you will never ever see your children again.

    • Freddy: Do me a favor, skip ahead in your mind a couple months, visualize yourself on a Mexican beach, knee deep in bikinis and Benjamin's. Jake: I try not to think that far ahead; keeps me from being disappointed when things go to hell. Freddy: My pop once told me, if you don't keep an eye towards where you're going, you'll never get there.

    • Stanley: Well, now, who doesn't like corn? I mean you got corn on the cob, cornflakes, corn nuts, corndogs, cornsicles. Mimi: Cornsicles? Stanley: It's a joke, lady? Mimi: Can you not talk to me please?

    • Darcy: I don't know what's going on, Robert and right now I'm…I'm too exhausted to fight but I promise you one thing, come tomorrow one way or another I will have you arrested. Robert: You know, come tomorrow, a whole lot of things will be different.

    • Emily: I can't imagine what you've seen out there. (Roger has a dazed shock look on his face) Roger….I said, I can't imagine what you've seen. Roger: Couldn't have imagined it either.

    • April: Do you have a place to stay? Do you know anyone in Jericho? Sarah: Actually, I do.

    • Darcy: Robert, you're scaring Samuel. Robert: Well then un-scare him.

  • NOTES (4)

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  • ALLUSIONS (1)

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    • The episode title is a twist of The Day After, a 1983 TV-movie which dealt with the life in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion...the exact opposite of the events of this episode.

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