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Original air date: February 28, 2007

Morse code deciphered: Bleeding KS (-... .-.. . . -.. .. -. --. -.- ...)

"Increased tensions over slavery led to the conflict and turmoil of 'Bleeding Kansas' and the Civil War". http://www.nps.gov/archive/fosc/bleeding.htm

"During "Bleeding Kansas," murder, mayhem, destruction and psychological warfare became a code of conduct in eastern Kansas and western Missouri".

Episode recap:

People are starting to die from hypothermia, and the gas supply to run the generator is gonna run out very soon. Converting to wind power becomes the town's only chance to get through the winter.

There is a designer in Jericho who can design windmills, but without certain parts, ones that cannot be built in Jericho, such as a regulating governor, they can't hope to get the windmills working. After Mayor Anderson asks for volunteers, the room looks to Jake. Jake agrees to the mission, but refuses to pull men off Jericho border patrol just to watch his back.

Heather volunteers to go in place of the town engineer as someone who knows how to recognize a good regulating governor and has no immediate family to worry about. Jake initially protests, insisting he can recognize a governor also. Heather calls him on his bluff and insists he needs her. Johnston also volunteers, saying that he just has to know what it's really like out there. After doing inventory in his nearly empty store inherited from Gracie Lee, Dale also decides to join the group to barter items for the store.

Jake and Heather discuss the fact that he hasn't spoken to her in the last month, ever since she kissed him. Heather goes on to tell Jake that she is okay with that and the trip to Black Jack with him is not a date. It's a chance for her to help out the town in a very real way.

The final group consisting of Jake, Johnston, Heather and Dale go to the Black Jack fairgrounds in Nebraska, which has now become a trading post. The group learns a lot about what is going on.

The country has been split into six federal regions and many people are trying to stake claims to the presidency. Several nations across the world have been sending aid by air (not just China). The fairgrounds has a giant news board telling what is going on across the country. The group tries to trade loads of salt from the town mines for the windmill part with a man known to have specialty items, but when Dale discovers bloody shackles in the back of his store, Johnston makes the decision not to do business with him.

Dale, however, steals the windmill part on their way out and they are all caught. Fortunately a group of men led by someone who happens to be an old friend of Heather helps them all escape.

After escaping, Heather tells Jake that she had a discussion with her friend, Ted, from Newburn. Newburn has a way to build governors, and she has the knowledge to get them built correctly. Again, Jake protests. Heather assures him it would only be for a few days. Still uneasy, Jake asks her to come back in one piece and hugs her before she turns to get in the car with Ted.

In the end, Heather goes with Ted hoping to give Jericho multiple running windmills for the winter. In return for their help making governors for the windmills, they ask for salt to be supplied to them from Jericho's salt mine.

Hawkins lets Sarah into his home. Darcy does not like her from the start. Hawkins and Sarah learn that their employer might be the same person who is betraying them and plan to go seek him out. However, it seems that Sarah might be in league with their employer, only known as "the old man," as at the end of the episode she with talking with him and saying that they should use Hawkins' family as leverage against him to get their "package," the bomb.

Gail confronts Mary about Mary's affair with Eric. Gail was looking at a note when she was talking to Mary (Mary assumed that it was a list of Gail's reasons for hating her). After Gail explains that she can never forgive her what has been done to the family, Mary talks about her past. Mary's mother abandoned her at a very young age and she is afraid she has brought a similar fate on Eric's child. At the end of the episode, Mary picks up the note, which says, "Be nice, she will be family some day."

Roger tells Emily about what happened to him on his way back to Jericho. He remembers passing out in a field in Nebraska thinking that he was going to die there. Then he saw a light with a ring around it and he followed it for about 2 miles when he fell right into a refugee camp. Roger believes that this light saved his life.

Dale managed to make some trades at the fairgrounds for his store. He asks his friend how much of the salt mine her family owns and tells her, "We may be rich."

What We Learn In Black Jack County Fairgrounds

1. There are now six capitals in the US: San Antonio, Texas; Sacramento, California; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Montgomery, Alabama; Columbus, Ohio; Albany, New York










2. We now have six presidents.

3. Food drops were also give by other countries (not just China, i.e., Germany) and confirmed by other towns.

• Beijing vows to continue aid --Third round of shipments expected (from news board).

4. Items in high demand are diesel, salt, iodine, antibiotics, morphine and sulfur.

5. Weather lab predicts the worst winter in decades (from news board).

6. Florida is sending delegates to Montgomery (from news board).
[Perhaps to discuss the formation of an emergency regional government?]

7. Tallahassee votes to back Sen Snowden's claim to presidency (from news board).
[Perhaps something to do with the delegates sent to Montgomery, since Tallahassee is in Florida]

8. The Northwest Grid is beyond repair (from news board).

9. Fifteen are reported dead in I-70 attack (from news board).

10. Cheyenne nears accord with Sacramento (from news board).

11. Chicago Camp West violence continues (from news board).
[Underneath this, is says the Magistrate (unknown) enlists spring(unknown still being written)]

12. Jennings & Rall wins AK Pipeline in contract (from news board).
[Unknown who Jenning or Rall are at this time, though possibly the Alaskan Pipeline? AK is Alaska]

13. P.M. Clemente brings neutrality to vote (from news board).
[Unknown who this is, P.M. most likely being Prime Minister, but of where?]

14. Senator Marchio suspends posse comatatus act as expected (from news board).
[Posse Comatatus is the federal law that prohibits the U.S. Military from being used as a police force.]

15. There are apparently areas that are noted as "Red Flag" and the "Yellow Flag". The Red Flag areas consist of several areas that are listed on the board underneath it: I-70 Manhattan to Topeka, I-70 Denver to Goodland, and I-80 East of N. Platte. What is not explained is how a particular area becomes a Red or Yellow Flagged area, nor what it means to be designated as such.

Quotes:

Heather: "I'm coming too."
Jake: "Not a chance in hell."
Heather: "Would you know a working mechanical governor for a wind turbine if you saw one?"
Jake: "Yes."
Heather: (can tell he's bluffing)
Jake: "No, I'm not taking passengers out there. No. No. No."
Heather: "Jake, Mr. Carmichael has a family. I can help. You need me."

Heather: "I need to go. We both know why it didn't work out with us. I'm not bad enough. That's just how you tick."
Jake: "It's not."
Heather: "Yes it is. If it wasn't, we would have never met on that bus."
Jake: "Just for a few days."
Heather: "You worried about me?"
Jake: "Come back in one piece." (hugs Heather)

Mayor Anderson: "At current levels of consumption, we will be completely out of gas and diesel in two weeks."
Johnston: "Wonder when the dancing girls show up."
Gail: "Stop."
Johnston: "There a way of doin' this without scaring the crap out of everybody?"
Gail: "He was elected. I guess he's gonna do it his way."
Johnston: "I'm gonna need a hobby."

Johnston: "You don't think I can watch your back?"
Jake: "Why, you wanna go?"
Johnston: "Look, you've already seen what it's like out there. I just need to see it for myself. Besides, I'm unemployed, not obsolete."
Jake: "Did you ask mom?
Johnston: "Son, I am 59 years old. I was mayor of this town since the Carter administration. I'm a retired US Army Ranger and a combat veteran. Course I asked your mother."

Heather: "Jake! I need to talk to you."
Jake: "Alright."
Heather: "I shouldn't have sprung this on you. It's too weird."
Jake: "What? What's weird?"
Heather: "...Okay."
(Heather Chuckles)
Heather: "I kissed you. A month ago. We haven't spoken since. Generally people speak after something like that."
Johnston: "I'm just gonna...You know..." (Turns and leaves)
Jake: "I know I'm, uh, I'm sorry, really. But-"
Heather: "Oh, no, you don't have to apologize. I'm not upset. I understand why it happened. Look, I want to go, because i want to help get this place back on it's feet. That's it, it's not a date."

Dale: "It's like Ebay."
Heather (disgusted at everything): "......Not like Ebay."

Trivia:

The Battle of Black Jack: http://signal.baldwincity.com/section/black_jack/story/5302


Guest stars: Clare Carey, Bob Stephenson, David Meunier, Dustin Seavey, John Diehl, Christopher Darga, Siena Goins, Christopher Wiehl


See also:
(Link to related pages on the wiki, where relevant.)

• BlackJack Transcript
  
• Music of Jericho
• Morse Code

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