As the radioactive rain subsides, the residents of Jericho come out of their hiding places to face a few surprises. Those trapped in the mine have been out of contact, and they have a surprise waiting. One of those inside didn’t make it back out again. While the exact manner of death wasn’t revealed, it seems that the two men who led him away from the rest of the group weren’t the most compassionate in their methods, and they may have killed him.
While everyone else gathers at the bar to try and tune in something on the satellite, they manage to pick up a signal. It isn’t strong, and it is determined to be in “Mandarin”, according to town enigma Mr. Hawkins – but it shows a number of impact zones imposed on a map of the United States, perhaps including Seattle, San Fransisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadephia and perhaps Dallas.
This is a relatively small number, especially when you compare it to the number of push pins pulled out of the drawer by Hawkins previously when he picked up the morse code on the radio. But it’s at least something.
The town decides to send folks in each direction, with the messengers being dubbed the Four Horsemen, to see if they can gather some information. By the end of the show, only one of them has returned, and that is Jake. He ran into several planes on the highway, and he manages to bring back one “black box”, so they spool it up and listen the last moments of the plane. Under the noise they pick up sounds of another plane, which it turns out is the plane carrying Emily‘s boyfriend, so there is some hope that he is still alive.
Finally, with the rest of the food in danger of spoiling, the town decides to have a cookout, and that at least puts a smile on some faces. Perhaps the last for a while, as there may not be much food for a while. At least, it didn’t look like it until the train that is supposed to deliver the next batch of food turns up on a spur outside of town, full of food. Maybe they will be able to eat after all.
