The Greens of Jericho

Reviewer: Penny Lane Signed [Report This]
Date: 06 Jul 2008 7:31:35 PM Title: Chapter 4

I loved Jake in this chapter. First bringing the good news to Eric and then trying to keep Heather from discovering the destruction of her home by herself. It's almost like all the things I mentioned that were overwhelming him in the last chapter are getting held at bay because he's focusing on doing things for these people he cares about. Kind of like they're bringing him out of himself for a while.

I think you've captured Eric so well in this paragraph:

It was easy to rib Eric; it always had been. Eric took everything in earnest, and Jake often joked he came out of the womb with a solemn expression. Whereas Jake had always been the family’s rebel without a cause, Eric was the family’s conformist with a cause. Well, multiple causes, actually, from his crusade to expand the animal shelter when he’d been in high school, to his attempts to implement mandatory recycling within city limits. If someone had a problem, they’d always go to Eric. Hell, even if people didn’t come to Eric with their problems, he had a solution, whether it was solicited advice or not. To his face they called him Mr. Studious, Mr. Steadfast, and Mr. Reliable. Behind his back, he was sometimes known as Mr. Stick-up-his-Butt

I was totally picturing him with that look he always gets on his face that expresses everything you have described so eloquently here. You always handle all the characters so well; with a sort of respect, I think. You let us see their flaws, but also that their thoughts and feelings are valid.

The way you described Heather's reaction upon viewing the wreckage of the apartment building here:

“I left it right here,” Heather muttered to herself as she stood outside the remnants of a two story apartment building. What had once been a substantial brown brick building was partially gutted. Its outer walls stood against the cool spring breeze, but its roof had collapsed. Numbly, she moved toward the charred remains of what had been her building—her home—and her feet hit pieces of…what was that…a kitchen blender?

...completely drew me into this scene. It's such a heart-breaking, horrible moment for her, but the first thing she feels is shock at this really bizarre thing that's occured in her world.

I really liked the joking comraderie between Jake and Heather as they walked and talked. It kind of reminded me of that early scene in season one in which they were walking home from Bailey's by flashlight, but of course, in a full-cirlce kind of way. So much has happened since then, they've both grown so much. It was a really interesting contrast.

Wonderful!

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Author's Response:

Thanks for reading and commenting, Penny!  I've always enjoyed the Jake/Eric brotherly relationship.  Certainly on the series, it began tenuously but they came to depend on one another.  With that said, it's not all feel-good all the time for Jake and Eric.  They are well aware of each other's flaws--and to some extent, their own flaws.  I'm glad that the characterization of Eric worked.  I think that he has the potential to be a very strong character, but so much of his air time was spent with the whole Mary/affair mess.  I used to want to throw things at the t.v. when he would come on because I was so disgusted by him. LOL.

Heather has certainly been through the ringer, but she'll have some help along the way.  She tries to compartmentalize the events in her life.  If she set out to "fix" the problem, then she doesn't have to deal with the emotional ramifications.  Jake was right to make her stop and take stock.  On other flip side, Jake was about the only person who could then pull her back up, much as she's done for him in the short time she's been back, i.e. pulling him out of his anger and grief.  Interesting that you mention the scene from season one in which they were walking home because that scene served as inspiration for this one.  That gently teasing, the comraderie, played into this scene, but certainly, much has happened in the interim.