Monday, April 19, 2010

24 Season 8: 9AM-10AM Quick Review

Reeling from yet another dead lover, Jack Bauer has been ordered by the show's writers to drop all pretenses of his becoming a peaceful warrior (last season's entire story arc- adios!) and now he's returned to the well-worn trope of unstoppable rage. It seems that Jack Bauer is going to exit our TV world the way he entered it- as a broken, maniacal force of nature. Ah, symmetry...

After ten seconds of mourning her, Jack is only concerned with one question: "Who killed Renee?" That's a complicated question, Chloe tells Jack. And Chloe knows that Jack is absolutely going to interfere with her investigation. So, Jack says "I won't interfere with your investigation" which makes Chloe even more uncomfortable. It's really something to finally see Chloe be the weary "boss" dealing with Mr. Bauer. I'm telling you, Chloe as CTU Director is a stroke of storytelling genius.

Meanwhile, at Scumbag Cafe, Charles Logan pops in on the villainous Ruskie's light breakfast, setting off a conversation that reveals Logan is doing his dirty deeds again- leveraging his knowledge of the Russians' involvement in Hassan's death to manipulate the peace process moving forward. Who misses the Cold War? Come on, you know you do!

Jack is doing his own investigation, visiting Nuclear Rod-father Sergei at his arraignment on LAW & ORDER to set the tone for how things will proceed for the rest of this season. I have to admit, Jack Bauer Killing Machine is a great thing to watch, and Kiefer delivers his trademark quiet fury perfectly. But the cool thing is that in his quest for revenge, Jack actually broke the whole case wide open.  Way to go, Columbo!

The next move: Jack wants to interrogate Dana Walsh-- for real, now. Aw yeah. Jack delivers a classic line before entering the room "If I wanted her to be dead, she'd be dead." Chloe finds comfort in this, and Chico, Jr. is impressed by his mentor's complete machine-like demeanor. And once in the room, Jack goes to work on Walsh. Outside the room, Director O'Brian asks Chico to stop the slapfest, and Chico wisely says "Stay on target!" Walsh starts cooperating immediately, but Jack gets his whacks in nonetheless. This is professional courtesy that each person is affording the other in this scene. The slapping, smashing and punching are all part of the process for these two-- nothing personal, right? Walsh wants an immunity agreement- big freakin' surprise there, eh?

Back at the UN parking garage, Logan catches wind that Jack Bauer is on a rampage, and reminds his man-servant that Bauer "torpedoed" his presidency. Ha! Ah, Logan, you sociopath. He meets with Taylor and Kanin and one of the best scenes among professional actors plays out as Logan comes clean with Taylor that the Russians were behind everything, and even so, she's gotta play ball with them. Kanin plays the angel on one shoulder, Logan the devil on the other, and Logan wins the match. Gregory Itzin, where the frig have you been all season? Taylor agrees with Logan that she needs to tell Jack to stand down in order to continue a phony peace process to save face.  Taylor calls Director O'Brian and informs her of her pending arrival. Chloe quickly orders Arlo to stash his porno mags. And Taylor makes it to CTU from the UN Building in about 3 minutes. Real-time format... yeah.

As Taylor makes her case for peace, Jack immediately understands this is a political cop-out by his former "First Friend." And in true Bauer fashion, he yells at the President of the United States. Taylor has to go so far as to put Bauer on a leash so he doesn't disobey her orders to uncover the whole Russian plot (good luck with that, Madame President). I liked this scene a lot because it shows how good leaders do bad things, which is a taste of real-life. Taylor has legitimate reasons to choose peace over going after the Russians, but the moral stand Jack (and Kanin) take isn't overly simplistic. How do you negotiate a peace with a counterpart that has done so many things to undermine the whole process? Taylor is making a foolish choice, a deal with the Devil which will likely destroy her by the end of the season. Will she and Logan commiserate over some boxed wine about how Jack "torpedoed" both of their sham presidencies?

Jack makes the decision we all knew was coming since Renee got killed- he's going rogue. Jack & The Jack Sack™ hi-jack (see what I did there?) the helicopter that was meant to take him to some boring military base with stale coffee. Instead, Jack decides he's going to fly back to Manhattan to catch the new exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art one last time. Oh yeah, and to kill every last sonuvabitch that tries to stop him. Awesome.

I take back my skepticism over Renee's death. I was wrong. Jack Bauer has entered the game for real and this is going to get really interesting moving forward.

48 comments:

drsw36 said...

At first Season 8 was So, so. But now I love every seconds of it! Can't wait for next week!

B said...

Okay, dang, holy crap. I have to give it to you: you ARE super fast, at least tonight - did you seriously just publish about 13 paragraphs at not a minute past ten?
In honor of that, for tonight I take back any good-natured griping I may have dished out in the past. :)

TheJackSack said...

@drsw- right on- this season just got serious!

@Brittany- :) Thank you!

Stefernie said...

My favorite line was when Logan said Bauer needed to be stopped and Taylor gave the best and most wise one liner of the season..."Why?"

Jack going rogue, President Logan surreptitiously behind what's going on.
It REEKS of Season 5 and I LOVEZ it!!!!

TheJackSack said...

@Stef- it's just 100% freshly-squeezed awesome how things are set up now. Logan is my favorite villain in all of 24 and he does not disappoint here.

brandon curtis said...

I'm loving all the accolades thrown Chloe's way and her surprise that she is viewed as more than just a workhorse, but my favorite Chloe moment comes when she says, "we have a hostage situation" and then Jack commandeers the plane for himself with no hostages. Silly girl, I know you like machines but they can't be taken hostage. You can try and tell me that she didn't know that he wasn't going to take people hostage, but I'll just choose to disbelieve you.

The scene in the courtroom was outstanding. All of the conspiratorial whispering and secret meetings between shamed presidents and their respective pawns is a grand element to have coming back into play for these final hours.

I hope next week we get to watch the folks at CTU engage in some subtle forms of self sabotage to keep Jack in play. Also, am I the only person who notices the ice in Logan's eyes and how they make him look vaguely (and appropriately) like a reptile.

TheJackSack said...

@brandon- that's pretty funny about taking machines hostage. Soon, Chloe will declare that President Taylor has taken women's fashion hostage with that outfit she's rocking. Ah, the metaphorical use of the word "hostage"... anyway!

Gregory Itzin absolutely loves playing Charles Logan, that's pretty damned obvious. His Nixonian smile, he's twisted facial expressions, and like you noticed, his cold eyes set all of his scenes apart. Just great acting. Period.

Stefernie said...

Oh yea, Gregory Itzin LOVES playing Logan.

After last Monday's episode I read an article on the Interwebz that was an interview with Howard Gordon and he said Gregory calls EVERY year going "Can I come back, can I come back?"

And 24 is that much more amazing for it.

B said...

Hah - Who misses the Cold War? Come on, you know you do! Well put, my friend.

Other Cafe Scumbag revelations include the eerie realization that Logan reminds me A LOT of my great uncle, who has always confused the crap out of me with his own "moral ambiguity." I still won't call myself a fan, but I did appreciate a lot more of his subtle nuances than I ever have in the past. Let's just say I'm not opposed to seeing how it all plays out. I'm giving him a try.

Speaking of "classic lines," how many people did Jack say "I give you my word" to this hour, even though we all know that's pretty much a carved declaration that he's going to do the OPPOSITE of what he's promised? I feel like Jack's word is comparable to a death sentence for all concerned.

I would say even though I'm still not thrilled about the tried and trite trajectory, this was a pretty good episode. The whole dynamic unfolding with Chloe at the helm is definitely worth tuning into. And even though "rogue" has been done before, this time around it looks like we're in for even more convlution and absolution than usual. I'm looking forward to the original events to come.

P.S. HOLY Great Mother Ef. Is it really quarter to 11? Yes, this teeny little post took me that long to write. And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is why I should just keep my mouth shut sometimes.

TheJackSack said...

@Brittany- what makes Jack going rogue work for me now is that he is at odds with Taylor over what he believes is a bullshit peace accord. He's not only going for revenge, he's going for the whole enchilada- Russia. Jack has declared war on a superpower. And for good reasons that go far beyond his anger over Renee's death.

What Taylor has done is something typical of a lot of politicians- she's made the politically expedient choice where the far more difficult and long-ranging choice was needed. Taylor wants people to sign a piece of paper that's truly worthless. How can she honestly expect Russia to abide by a peace agreement they went very far to stop? Are they just going to give up and go with peace? No way. Taylor doesn't recognize this, but Jack does. And that's why rooting for Jack down the homestretch is so enjoyable now. It's a great thing to watch!

brandon curtis said...

Adam, now that we've broached the subject of President Taylor holding women's fashion hostage does anyone know if she's rocking shoulder pads or, more importantly, do you think she should?

TheJackSack said...

@brandon- hehehehe, she strikes me as a shoulder pads kind of gal. Bulletproof shoulderpads to be exact.

J. Todd Hatcher said...

This episode just felt like perfection to me, all around. Lingering on Renee's death, Jack with Bazhaev in the courtroom (his reaction upon seeing Jack was priceless), EVERYTHING with Logan (another priceless reaction - him hearing Jack's name), Jack slapping Dana around, President Taylor coming to CTU (!!) and her argument with Jack (!!!), and Jack back up to his old tricks. Oh yeah, and Chloe. Just pure awesomeness all around.

And it was completely awesome/hilarious when Chloe had them bring up the audio, and the first thing we hear is Jack screaming "I WILL KILL HIM!!!" Her face said it all: "Sheeeiiiitt, here we go..."

Anonymous said...

Another spectacular episode. Charles Logan is such a great character and Gregory Itzin is a natural at it.

I will disagree and say the President made the right choice. Even though the Russians cant be trusted, they would publicly have to endorse this treaty and be bound to it. If they break it, international scrutiny not to mention domestic shame would be pretty hard to take. It's not the whole govt that doesnt want it, it's "certain" people. Therefore, in the interest of this greater good of mid-east peace as the show is putting forward, I would have to say that it trumps Jack's cause.

However, since we only care about what Jack thinks, it's gonna make for some great ass kicking.

And yah, CTU sabotaging itself to not find Jack ala Bill Buchanon would be great.

B said...

"Sheeeiiiitt, here we go..." He he he.

Good old Chloe. Even if she keeps her mouth shut she gives it all away with her face.

brandon curtis said...

"Good old Chloe. Even if she keeps her mouth shut she gives it all away with her face."

Brittany, I don't know you but this statement makes me love you instantly.

55 said...

That was a freaking amazing episode. Few things stood out-

We all expected Jack to go ballistic. Instead, he was mostly calm and measured, and pretty much restrained until the final seconds.

Two scenes called back to seasons 1/2. First, Jack staring at Renee's corpse- you know he's just thinking "First Teri, now her" and blaming himself.

Then Taylor...a few hours ago she was willing to trade thousands of innocent lives for Hassan's. Now she's unwilling to trade the probability of war for the possibility of bringing down a criminal government. Both choices were done to protect the treaty and thus her reputation. You know Jack was just thinking, "I can't believe I once thought you were anything like David Palmer."

The Taylor/Logan/Kanin scene was amazing. I was expecting Kanin to threaten to resign. The only thing I was disappointed in was that I hoped Logan had a bigger play to push the treaty forward other than redemption in the public's eye. He still might; I can see Jack finding out he's responsible and killing him once and for all. That was indeed an awesome scene when he hears Jack's name.

I didn't think killing Renee was a good move, but it really looks like they set up the rest of the season very well.

Brian Pelts said...

Here's what I took from tonight's episode at first blush. TO THE BULLET POINTS!

-Alison Taylor is a fucking moron. I mean, we all knew that already, but last season her ham-fisted idiocy erred on the side of Jack, so we were cool with it. But now she's looking at Nixon 2.0 and going, yeah, that's a good idea. And her shit's about to get eight kinds of fucked up for it. Good, I say.

-Chloe is already the 3rd greatest CTU director of all time. If she DOES subtly undermine the effort to bring Jack under control, she could pull into a tie for second, but I get the feeling that she's gonna be forced to be by the book on this.

-Look, I love Killbot Jack as much as the next guy. But I think it bears pointing out that when we first met him in Day 1, he wasn't some uncontrollable force of nature. He was just this guy, you know? Clever, yes; very good at his job, sure, but not the crazed killer the writers are determined to make us remember him as. I view it like the Bond franchise; the Fleming novels and early Connery films were light on gadgets, heavier on actual work and ability. Then we got to the 70's and they started ladling on the gadgets to the point where James Bond was like Adam West's Batman - he had a handy device to get him out of any jam with minimal effort. And that's bullshit. But whereas the recent Bond reboot has stripped away all the techocrap, 24 is still firmly in the Pierce Brosnan era. "Oh, you guys like it when Jack flips on and tortures someone? Then we'll give it to you ALL THE TIME!" I know this is kind of a rehash of my thoughts from last week, but there were so many other ways they could have finished out the show's run, but they just decided to put their feet up and coast with Angry Jack Kill Kill Kill. Bah.

Besides, OMG ROGUE JACK has actually been done more than Jack Bauer: Non-Disgraced Federal Agent.

singingdoll said...

Haven't seen the ep yet, but

@Brian who's the top two CTU directors above chloe? of course bill is in there, right?

and

did they REALLY have to use renee's death to set this up? couldn't something else have been the catalyst? i mean really. i'll reserve judgment till i see the ep (and yes, haven't seen it, my last two weeks have been spoiled for me so i self-inflicted a third)... but i think there had to be a better way to set up uber baddie jack.

Sunny said...

I agree the scene with Taylor/Logan/Kanin was awesome. Taylor going along with Logan is equivalent to Nixon covering up for G. Gordon Liddy and crew.

Let's face it. Taylor is a political animal. At first I thought she had her own daughter jailed out of honor and a sense of justice. Now I see Taylor as a creature who will do anything to protect her legacy. Whether it is the right thing to do or not.

J. Todd Hatcher said...

@Pelts - I agree that Jack wasn't that way in the first season, but there were hints that he USED to be that way, and that that's what he could become again if pushed. We never saw him get to the point beyond [i]threatening[/i] to shove a towel into a guy's stomach and rip his guts out, but we got the sense that he COULD. Season 2 came along and showed us that he was willing to act on these things. I remember being kind of upset when Jack blew away Goren at the beginning of Season 2, because I thought that it just didn't make sense with his Season 1 character. But then I went back and watched Season 1 again, and you could tell there was an animal under the surface.

Brian Pelts said...

That's kind of my point exactly. The animal is a part of Jack, but it's not all he is. I wish they'd let us go out with a well-rounded character using all his talents to save the day, but the writers have seen fit to just turn him into every stock "lone wolf", rage-driven character from every shitty 80's action movie.

Cirroc said...

As I've mentioned, I'm just a caveman. I fell in some ice and was later thawed by some of your scientists. This latest episode of '24' frightens and confuses me...!
...so I must repeat my question after this week's first scene with Renee's 'body'...
Is Renee actually:

1. Edgar dead?

2. Tony dead?

3. Murphy/Robocap dead?

4. Spock dead?

5. Wolverine regenerative powers dead?

...AND as I note that '24' has many TV Star Trek alum involved in its creation, I see that this week, after First Officer Reneek of Vulcan was laid to rest in the photon torpedo pod, pragmatic Starship Captain James T. Bauer is ordered by some pompous female Federation Admiral to stand down....leading of course to his hijacking of a Federation Shuttlecraft from the CTU SpaceDock....

Nick Fury said...

So NEXT week I'd enjoy it if either:

stowed away in the back of the chopper is Cole, and he joins with Jack to go for broke in a manly 'Thelma and Louise' way...

OR

Jack uses his super Jack phone (jPhone) to call Aaron.... they then go and break Tony out of custody and after Jack explains how his loss of Renee is plagaristically just like Tony's loss of Michelle, Tony agrees to help.... and THEN when Tony finds out that Charles Logan is back.....

Granny Annie said...

Exciting episode. Dana is a fine villain after all. We just hated her role when we thought she was supposed to be good.

Am I the only one that saw Ethan give Madam Hassan the very chauvinistic and condescending wink? Perhaps it's my age but it couldn't have been protocol for a (soon-to-be) foreign nation's President. But maybe good, kind and sweet Ethan just can't help himself.

TheJackSack said...

@Cirroc- thank you for coming back, my unfrozen caveman friend. Many people here may be frightened and confused by you as well, but you speak my language, or rather I understand yours.

Death is illusory. We perceive death as an end, a cessation of life. But if I kill a box of graham crackers, are they truly dead? Of course not- yes, the crackers no longer exist as they once were, but they live on in my stomach, giving me a bountiful store of carbohydrates, sugars and grahamy goodness. And those crackers aren't truly dead so long as I remember them. (cue "Amazing Grace"). Now, put down that huge cellphone from 1989 and tell me that you understand what I've written.

@Col. Fury- I like both of your scenarios. I would add Ethan Kanin into this A-Team too, old Ethan was none too pleased that his girlfriend chose to side with Nixo-errr Logan. Kanin is a friend of Bauer.

TheJackSack said...

@Annie- Ha! I didn't notice the wink, but I'll go back and check it out. And as for your question last week, nobody seems to have discovered the decaying probation officer in the wall yet. Look, NYC has some pretty awful smells, especially by the East River, but come on, people. There's a dead man in your office. Look into it!

Gene Roddenberry's ghost said...

....here's a sneak peek at the Season Finale plot...DO NOT tell anyone where you heard it:

'24' Finale Synopsis:

For many years despite having great respect for him, Chloe has been jealous of Jack. With her elevation to CTU head, she is briefed-in on new CTU interrogation tech. This includes a device that allows the interrogator to effectively swap minds with the suspect for a short period....
...Chloe tricks Jack into the procedure to allow herself to BE Jack.... ...the ruse is discovered by Arlo when Jack (in Chloe's body) castrates him for looking at "his" ass....

the final episode title is:

'Turnabout CTU Intruder'

....which I personally LOVE for a TV episode finale title!

Jerry Seinfeld & Larry David said...

Here's another finale, something we cooked up for the 2 people:

Jack, Tony, Chloe and Aaron Pierce are all on a flight which is diverted to a small town in Middle America. They present their true selves to America and are put on trial for being selfish counter-terrorists. Diane Huxley returns and declares her breasts are real. Brian Hastings, their defense lawyer agrees with that testimony.

The series ends with all 4 characters being placed in a jail cell together, where they talk about nothing.

D. Bellasario said...

..a THIRD Finale:

Thomas Sullivan Bauer has stolen the Island Hoppers chopper owned by T.C. Hastings to find his girlfriend's killers... Rick Cole, manager of the King Kamehameha CTU Club joins him in the search...

...after much action and thrills, we find that Renee is still alive, and ex-President Charles Higgins is actually David Palmer in disguise!

..all this causes Jack to return to his first job as an officer in Naval Intelligence, and the last scene is Jack and Renee's wedding on the waterfront across from the Statue of Liberty..

Bob Newhart said...

Jack goes to bed, muttering about how the Russians are taking over the country. In the middle of the night, he wakes up and finds Teri Bauer laying next to him. Jack says "Honey, you wouldn't believe the dream I just had!" and then tells Teri to dye her hair red and get breast augmentation.

The end.

King Kamehameha said...

Aloha Bauer -
My Bauer C.T.U. Memories

http://www.larrymanetti.com/book.htm

Rick Berman said...

Finale:

'All Good CTU Things...'

...the extra-dimensional being, Q, shows up and decides to show Jean-Luc Bauer that 'It's a Wonderful Life'.....

..no..wait.....

Mike DeFalco said...

Best Finale:

...Mary Jane Watson-Bauer isn't really dead!!!!

It was just her Clone that was killed!!!!

....and old Aunt Chloe will help Peter Bauer find the real Renee, who is suffering from amnesia in the the Icelandic volcano-caused Dark Phoenix, AZ.....

55 said...

Another thing- remember a few weeks ago when Jack looked at the army guy and said "You betrayed your president and your country"? Now he's doing the same thing.

Also, I'm not sure what you saw last night, but Jack was definitely not some uncontrollable animal. He only went off/rogue when it became clear that Taylor was ready to let an international, government-aided conspiracy to murder a president and bring nuclear material into the US (!!!). Until then he was much calmer than I'd expected. eg trying to get Dana an immunity deal instead of locking the door and torturing the info out of her.

TheJackSack said...

@55- If I engaged in some hyperbole at the start of my review, forgive me that indulgence. Of course, you're right- Jack is rational, alert and calculating in his actions, even if he is grieving Renee's death. The idea of Jack being a one-man killing machine is more or less a pop-culture piece of oversimplification, one that has been in place for years.

That being said, Jack is definitely emotional- he's acting out of a singular loyalty to Renee. He's correct that the Russians cannot be trusted, but if he was dispassionate and logical, he would not be acting the way he is now.

John Michael Davis said...

Jack say's, "you betrayed your president and your country." He has a moment of thought at the end of the scene and I wonder what he is thinking in that moment of self reflection.. I waited for him to show some sign that he was happy that new york was for the moment saved but I don't think that thought gave through completely the scene would have failed without that small instant of abstraction

They carried that to the bone with the Presidential Bitch slap and proclamation that President Taylor would pull the switch herself on the Treasonist Employees

So to apply this to the future I feel these points are possibly significant for resolution to take place

Meaning: Jack has when necessary "betrayed his President", This season may be working on making a clarity of this. he is thinking about it.. the unraveling of this thread is going to need to confront the issue presented and is likely to do so head on.

it makes you wonder if President Taylor's Obsession may turn her to a Villain in a sort of interesting way. She is highly motivated by her legacy and it might be in the way of the nations best interest for the circumstance of the moment. In the next few hours she is going to have to come to terms with that.

Will Jack be forced to make a choice that goes against president Taylor based on his deeper motivations? What are his motivations? Personal vs. Greater good and does he operate from a definable balance between the two? Will we be given a view of Jack that redetermines his true ideal? Is jack really recovered from the months of torture of his China Imprisonment? Is Jack the true force of truth for his country? Does Jack act from a core law that transcends yet forms the basis for freedom, peace and independence for the entirety of the world?


all from 2 weeks ago after the seasons 2 hours special...

charlie said...

I dunno. This one bored me, but it seemed like some necessary down-time and setup for something that's going to amount to half vengeful killing spree, half Taylor-getting-what-she's-had-coming. I figured Jack would only be mourning for a couple minutes, and frankly none of the rest of this episode was predictable.

For that matter it was relatively obvious the Russians were in on this whole thing the minute they introduced the first scene with delegate Creepyovich from Russian. Bringing Logan back into the plot at that moment only cemented the obviousness that the Russians were at least involved (if not masterminds).

Taylor's a politician. Jack sees a need to bring down a woman he sees as having lost her sight of the right thing to do. He's lucky enough to be in position that he can sort of seek vengeance on Renee's behalf at the same time he'll be able to bring down a political scumbag who's foisting a bullshit peace on the world. I never liked her much but she screwed her situation up the minute she agreed to give Logan some "discretion." At the very least, she acting surprised that the Russians' secrets were pretty damn dark was unconvincing. She had to know that Logan knew something very bad about the Russians; after all, if Logan was just going to bring up some affair or "malfeasance" to blackmail the delegate into signing, Logan would have disclosed such petty blackmail.

All in all, it was good "reboot" episode, but I thought it was boring and predictable. Hindsight is always 20/20, but the Russians being the linchpin was neither an unpredictable twist nor the pinnacle of writing brilliance.

Chloe's position is odd, as far as I'm concerned. She's no leader. Her appointment as head of CTU is an interesting piece of writing but it seems to run against the entire character of Chloe as she's been built up in previous seasons. It just doesn't make sense other than as dramatic sleight of hand. Then again what else is this show supposed to be than a drama?

Frankly I was expecting Chloe to surreptitiously aid Jack in escaping CTU, and it actually did sort of did me when she didn't just kind of let Jack get away. She has to know that Taylor's full of shit and while her position is precarious, I figured her for somebody different than the dutiful head of CTU.

I half expect Chloe to resign and go rogue, too.

singingdoll said...

i think chloe has the skill and intellect to be a leader. it was time for her to take that role on. while it's not in her character to be that way, loyalty and brains often put you into a leadership role, albeit reluctantly. chloe had "greatness thrust upon her," so to speak. i like it.

55 said...

Hey Adam, I was actually talking to one of your commenters, not you, but thanks for the response and keep up the good work!

TheJackSack said...

@Ozogo Meticulate- as usual, you see the deeper moral questions and present them to the discussion- thank you. As for Jack's motivation, I think it's a combination of his personal loss and his desire to see the "right" outcome for the nation. But remember, early on this season, all Jack wanted was to get on a plane back to LA. He even basically left Chloe high and dry when she pleaded with him to help. Jack had been, up until Renee's death, looking for the first appropriate chance to leave town. He even declared that he's not GI Joe anymore at some point.

That being said, I do believe he still cares about the well-being of his fellow citizens. If he only cared about finding Renee's killer, would he even bother to try and uncover the Russian conspiracy? He could have just said to Sergei "I don't care about moles, etc. just send me in the general direction of the killer and I'll avoid a lot of red tape on my end." Nope, Jack is still a hero, more reluctant than ever, but still cast from the hero mold.

@charlie- I agree that Taylor is making a bad choice, but good people make bad choices all of the time. Her motivation isn't strictly about her legacy, it's about coming out of a long, costly process with something to show for it- to salvage a crisis with a victory (however flawed). Like I said, I think she made a deal with the Devil, she cannot escape her fate now. But her personal character isn't bad, I don't think that's how the writers want us to perceive her either. Drama = conflict, and Jack and the United States of America were getting along too well for 2/3 of this season. Game on.

@singingdoll- I agree, Chloe is doing an excellent job so far. She grew up real fast- great character development. As to what charlie suggested earlier, I'm not sure her "helping" Jack would end up helping him. She would surely be exposed as an aide to Bauer and replaced and isolated as CTU Director. And with someone else running CTU, Jack would lose an ally down the road, when he'd really need one the most. Chloe remains in play and that's a good thing for Jack.

@55- Ah, no worries. My opening thoughts in the review set the tone on that issue, and Pelty made a good comment re: my interpretation of Killbot Jack too, so together I felt it was appropriate to clarify my thoughts. But thank you very much for your comments. Keep 'em coming.

And that goes for all of you!

Dietcoke said...

I posted this on another board but I'd love to get your guys thoughts on this one.

I'm still confused by the Dana/Renee connection. In the last episode Dana tell Jack that she knows who the hitter was who took down Renee and she has proof. It was only at the Hassan death scene that Renee recognized the guy from her undercover days in the Russian mob. He saw Renee, thought she might be working for CTU and decided to take her out. How would Dana know about this given she was in holding at the time? How could she possibly have proof?

Sergei was a high level Russian mob guy but he didn't even know who Renee was yet he knew that Dana was working for the Russian government and was planted at CTU. Logan knows about Dana too.

Dana knows all about Renee and her connection to the Russian mob. So if Dana knows about Renee's past with the Russians and she knows the man who shot Renee, then why in the heck would she recommend bringing Renee into CTU to help them with the "Red Square" connection? Sergei says that Red Square doesn't exist yet Renee was showing evidence that they did. Before Renee died she wanted all the info from her file on Red Square. Dana knew about Renee's file and the Red Square connection yet she brought Renee into CTU anyway.

Any ideas on this?

Anonymous said...

Hey thejacksack! Nice! After watching 24 for 8 seasons, I finally discovered this site. Wow! Alright, we're gonna ride together for the last few weeks...better late then never, right??!! Fits right in with my intro to 24; I missed the first three seasons, then prior to season 4, watched all three seasons within a weeks time. Talk about a wild ride. Haven't missed an episode since...

B said...

@brandon curtis - Why, thank you. :)

I've a pokerless face myself. I know what it's like.

And I like to be loved, so you know what? I don't care if I do sound like a ten cent hooker. I'll take your instant love and I'll raise you a "right back at you." :)

Alli said...

A pretty strong episode. I've actually started to look forward to scenes with Dana- shes so different as a Russian terrorist that I almost forgot how terrible her orginal plot was. That scene with her next week looks good.

I welcome Logan back, but Taylors new protect-the-peace policy confuses me. Last year she was chanting, "don't give in to terrorists" like it was her personal mantra and now shes allowing the Russian government to walk all over the United States like a rug at a garage sale? The obviousness of this turn of events as obvious plot fodder unsettles me slightly.

While this was a pretty strong episode and they played Renee's death well, I'm still disappointed that they used something so 24-linear for a Jack-Rampage catalyst. Before all this Renee stuff I thought Chloe would call him into the action. After all those years, I would think he owes her that much.

brandon curtis said...

Brittany- you're welcome. I too can't tell a lie, but I like it just fine that way. Also, ten cent hookers are my favorite, way classier than those nickel ones.

Unknown said...

This has been an interesting episode but couldn't we all see it coming. When someone said that Jack would betray his president, I had to agree. but before we get to that . . .

I know Renee died last week but I have to say this. How does she get a silent clock? Really? Don't get me wrong, I like Renee, but I don't think she was important enough for a silent clock. Hassan was president of a fake country. Renee was ready to die 12 hours ago. The plot clearly suggest against Jack and Renee having so intimate relationship between season 7 and 8. He said he couldn't get a hold of her, she ignored his calls, yada yada. I think the bar should be set hire than sleeping with Jack. Now Chloe getting offed, a silent clock. Hell Ethan has been around 3 seasons (or more?). IDK, i don't think 40 hours warrent a clock when you only get three kills the last season (don't hessitate to correct me. (Stabbing Vladimir, shooting sniper ready to kill Jack, and IRK lady). Additionally, Renee dying was so expected. No Silent Clock although you will be missed Renee, rest in peace.

Further more, I can predict that next week they'll repeat season 3 where jack flies over NY where they won't shoot him down and he'll land in the middle of Times Square and excape into NY foot traffic.

@whoever was questioning Chloe as a leader. I think Chloe is handling leadership very well. Its hard to see her as a leader because she has been so rebellious as a subordinate. Now she has a little power and exercising it. Eh.

Will she help Jack or not? IDK. I think as a data analyst, she has had more opportunity to help Jack in the past where now, there are too many eyes on here. If she tries to help Jack, it will be difficult to hide. Furthermore, if Taylor is smart, she'll yank Chloe's chain to avoid a conflict in interest. Overall, I think Chloe has too much on the line now heading CTU. Don't forget about Boris (Morris?) and the kid and I think there will be too much heat for her to be able to make a move. But we'll see.

About Mrs President, she is completely out of character. This is the same lady that has her daughter sitting in jail. Now she going to let Dalia? Hassan sit across the table from her husband's murderers? That is just wrong for her to keep Dalia out of the loop. If I was her and to find out, I set the nuke of myself on U.S. soil. I'll settle for a nice cat fight (although I think Taylor would win)

Cole Ortiz? Whats his role? He still has a job after the whole Dana thing. Something big is going to happen with him. He'll probably help Jack if Chloe doesn't or pull a gun on him and get his ass kicked. Or they'll probably split up. He and Daphne will go one way, while Shaggy Velma and Scooby go another. We'll see. . .

Arlo? Will he ever have any use to the plot?

B said...

@Adam – Politics, Bleh. (The funny thing is, not that I have political aspirations of my own, but I feel a bit uncomfortable “publicly” putting down the whole arena. But since when has discomfort kept my mouth shut?) I’m just glad that Jack himself is beyond politics, because that whole “protecting your image,” shining faces telling polished lies, campaign-oriented tunnel vision, getting into bed with the rich and powerful, and “drive to stay in the game so strong it eventually trumps whatever values and goals you started out with” thing is just so warped it’s beyond me. It’s a giant convoluted freakin machine, as inauthentic and manipulative as the mainstream media, in my opinion. And the saddest part is that in order to “stay in the game,” as I said, the players all too often feel the pressure to play by its rules, as sneaky and deceptive as they may be. Until eventually they don’t even remember where they started out and what they really care about and how to operate for good outside the bounds of the “system.”

Oy ve. I know most of what I just said is like, “duh, obvious,” but I still felt like your comment deserved a response. And to be honest I’m not sure I’ve got my brain wrapped well enough around the specifics that are unfolding on the show yet to comment intelligently on them. You do bring up some very insightful points (I don’t know how you can understand the whole picture so clearly, so quickly) - maybe after I watch a bit more unfold this week I’ll be able to grasp and grapple with them myself.

P.S. Thanks for using the word “enchilada,” now I really want one.

@brandon curtis - It’s all about the class.

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