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Finally we're back to new episodes, and this one is a doozy. Though it puts a different spin on the whole tale, by turning back the clock to a day before the bombs (actually a day and a half, but who is counting, really). It's not a bad idea, as you get a lot of good information - but ultimately, it may signal that the writers have too much to fit in and don't know how to do it. That, and perhaps they are afraid of turning out like Lost if they don't start giving people some answers. So they do. Boy howdy do they.

When last we left the little town of Jericho, we saw Mister Hawkins playing some football on his front lawn with his son, and were left wondering exactly what was going on. As the series started, it seemed that he was up to something. But then he did good, so maybe he was just a misunderstood militia-loving, gun-toting lunatic. It seems that all roads lead to Hawkins. The message that said "See You Soon" just left us wanting more, and now it's time to deliver.

What we get is a little of his background, in Washington DC. It seems that Hawkins was indeed part of the resistance (for lack of a better term) that detonated the bombs. That wasn't really a surprise. What was a bit of a surprise is that he actually was in charge of one of them. What was even more surprising is that he still has one.

In any case, he and his girlfriend were on a team that was sent to Columbus, Ohio - apparently they were to take out Wendy's - but they didn't make it. Instead, Robert went to get his kids. His wife, who had a restraining order, decided that she didn't like her kids being kidnapped at gunpoint, so she came along for the ride. When Hawkins got back to the apartment he shared with his girl, she was gone. So he took the family and embarked on the fastest ride of his life, making it all the way to Jericho in record time.

If you'll recall in earlier episodes, Hawkins was accosted for moving to Jericho and buying his house for cash just before the bombs hit. Little did we know that it was literally just before the bombs hit. It had to be. This episode is called The Day Before, remember? And they came all the way from Washington, DC, making it across much of the country in less than that day. According to online sources, just making it to Kansas City would be nearly a 17 hour drive and I somehow suspect that Darcy Hawkins wasn't anxious to help drive.

But that isn't all. We also get to see some of Jake's background. He hung out in San Diego for a while, trying to get in on a sweet pilot gig. It turns out that his time in Iraq didn't do him well, though, because when that turned up on his background check, the interview went South in a hurry, and Jake had to walk away. Then it got worse. An old buddy wanted to go back to Iraq and make a run for Jake's pals at Ravenwood, but that's just not a good idea, and when the Feds tell Jake that he needs to work for them instead, it gets even worse.

And it's still not all! In Jericho, the mayor (that would be Jake's dad, who at this point hasn't been deposed) is starting to get sick, so he asks his other son, Eric, to consider running for office. Unfortunately, Eric is too wound up in his little mistress, Mary Bailey, to want to be mayor. And he's a weasel anyway.

Across town, Emily and Roger stir things up on their way to the altar, as Roger tries one last time to try and get Emily to leave Jericho. He just can't understand what it is about this little town that has her so attached to it, and she can't understand why he wants her to leave so badly. So things end on a bad note, to say the least. I guess that's why she's so distraught when his plane seems to disappear, and why she's so anxious to go out looking for him as the whole series starts. But it doesn't really explain why she seeks solace in Jake's arms. I guess it will do that to you when you figure your future husband should be dead. But when he walks back into town with a bunch of other refugees, it throws a bit of a wrench into your plans.

At least she isn't Hawkins. That man has plenty of problems, and what to do with his family isn't the largest of them. He has to worry about what to do with a spare nuke for starters, and his missing/kidnapped girlfriend later showed up on video on that fancy laptop of his. But to make matters worse, when Roger and the other survivors stumbled into town? She was among them. Frankly, I'm thinking that she's the one doing the spying, and the one who sent the message that said "See You Soon". I guess we'll see!