Just had hour ten in the UK. I've had my doubts about this season. Some outstanding cliff-hangers apart, things were beginning to seem awfully familiar. Then, a cracking ending. Dodgy ex-President Charles Logan is coming back. Reminds you how dull the White House segment of the show has been this year compared to last. Hopefully the introduction of Powers Boothe will shake things up.
Well, this is interesting, Mr. Drake--the UK is getting 24 episodes a week or two after we see them! I only hope there's a reciprocity agreement in place so we won't have to wait until the end of the year to see the third season of Doctor Who!
Anyway, Hour 12 was a slight letdown, since that hour usually marks a major change in the plot. I guess this one does that--President Palmer is now out of commission, Assad is dead, and Karen Hayes is back in the picture--but things were pretty sedate. The highlights this time were Logan's new groove (has he really repented?) and Tom Lennox showing himself to be a hero only to be sucked into nasty political machinations. As for Jack--oh, that loveable scamp! Put him in an embassy and he just can't resist shooting up the place and cutting off a finger or two. Man, put him together with Dan Craig's Bond and they could bring down the UN!
The preview for next week's hour looked very promising. . .Ricky Schroeder makes his debut and we'll be seeing the return of my favorite character from last season, Marty Logan! Wonder if Aaron will be around. . .?
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Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
The preview for next week's hour looked very promising. . .Ricky Schroeder makes his debut and we'll be seeing the return of my favorite character from last season, Marty Logan! Wonder if Aaron will be around. . .?
Well, well, well. I read Ricky Schroeder would be in this seasons 24. But for next weeks preview of 24 I didn't see him, the preview was cutout by a commercial. But I did see "Marty" sitting on a couch with a person who closely resembled a past charector. I think "Mr. Pierce" will make his return to 24. Now all we need is Mike Novick to come back.
As for this weeks show. not to much to say. HB covered it well.
This weeks rant. That darn phone number that keeps coming up. We all should know it by now, 1-310-597-3781. Why can't they have this phone number be directed to the same person. In three hours this phone number has belonged to Jacks dad, Chole 'O Brian and now belongs to CTU or it's Bill Buchannons number at CTU. who will this number belong to next?
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
I've finally figured out the theme of this season--and, duhhhh, it only took me 13 episodes to do it!--and it's redemption. The obvious one, of course, is Jack's attempt to redeem himself in his own eyes; then there's Morris's desire to redeem himself from his "betrayal" of the country, Papa Bauer's attempts to save his family name and company, a reformed terrorist who tries to bring about peace as his atonment for past crimes, and Charles Logan's multiple shots at redemption--spiritually, politically, and romantically. All flawed men--even bad men--who try to do what's right (if only in their own eyes) before the clock runs out.
And, of course, there's torture, gunfights, and lots of bloodshed, too.
Anyway, in Hour 13, Jack again took a supporting role. Hide in the basement, kill a Russkie, take a couple hostage. . .all in a minute's work for our Jack. A more interesting story is that of Tom Lennox, who's gone from (improbable) right-wing ideologue in a left-wing administration to conscience-torn good guy forced to keep silent by the (improbably) right-wing vice president. It was also interesting to see Ricky Schroeder step into the Jack/Curtis position (you can tell because he's wearing the requisite black shirt with sleeves pushed up on his forearms) and to reveal himself as one of the biggest (insert vulgarity for male genitalia here) to enter CTU--and that's no small feat.
But the prize storyline, of course, goes to Logan's visit to Martha. Aaron Pierce with his hair down (what little there is) turns out to be--well, Aaron Pierce. And Jean Smart again makes an over-the-top nutjob role compelling and believable. It was indeed a shock when
she impulsively grabbed a knife and stabbed Logan! Is he dead? Will he rise again? Will aspiring presidents on 24 ever realize that the job sucks? Man, all their presidents get forced to step down from office, or get blown out of the sky on Air Force One, or get assassinated in an elaborate government conspiracy, or get blown up in an elaborate government conspiracy! Why does Noah Daniels even want the job?
One question, though--things went awfully fast in this episode. When Marty puts in the call to the Russian first lady, it's close to 7:00 p.m. in Los Angeles--wouldn't it be either very late at night or extremely early in the morning in Moscow?
Anyway, it was another fine hour. I'm looking forward to Hour 14, despite the teaser that someone in CTU is leaking information. Oh, come on--CTU has had so many traitors that I'm starting to think it's a requirement to get a job there!
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Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
A slow starting episode that picked up lots of speed towards the end. Jack trying to escape the Russian embassy, and Aaron Pierce finally returns {[] .
i would of never thought:
Good 'ol "Marty" would of stabbed former President Charles Logan
No rants this week. The phone number connected to two different people wasn't even mentioned. Kudos to the writers for realizing that the same number can't be connected to two difernt people, who may be on opposite sides.
Finally, little Ricky Schroder sure has grown up. Last time I saw him on T.V. was in the show Silver Spoons. Yes, I know he was on NYPD Blue, but I never watched that. I don't want to be mean, but it looks like age isn't his friend. He's five years older than me, and looks like he's 10 to 15 years older than me. or maybe it's just the makeup. ?:)
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
While I was watching the "Previously on 24" segment this evening, I found myself thinking, "Wait--nothing at all about the fate of Logan? Must be an oversight." Nope. There was nothing about Logan. Nada. Zilch. Did he die? Who knows? Geeze, I thought there would have been at least ten seconds in the show--a talking head on a TV (naturally tuned to the Fox News network) mentioning Logan's death, or someone sticking their head into the CTU bullpen and saying, "I know you're all busy trying to save Nadia's job instead of locating the nuclear-armed drone, but President Logan just bit the big one"--but we got squat. Well, I presume this plot thread will be picked up later.
So, how about this week's hour. Hmmmm--maybe it was just me, but the "soap opera" elements seemed more apparent than ever. Key up the organ music, gang:
Will Jack be able to hook up with Marilyn and avenge the just-now-revealed death of Audrey in time to finally take a bathroom break?
Will Mike Doyle and Milo stop trying to respectively ogle and torture Nadia long enough to realize they're really in love with each other?
Did Vice President Daniels have a love affair with Karen Hayes? If so, will he bring Lisa Miller into a threeway, reasoning that if blondes have more fun, then two blondes must be a real ball?
Will Karen be able to wake the comatose Wayne Palmer in time to countermand Daniels' order, and to ask if his vegetarianism makes him a cannibal?
Will Jack's heroic manuevering of the drone away from San Francisco via remote control reawaken his early skills as an Atari Space Invaders champion, inspiring him to leave CTU and strike out on the lucrative video game circuit?
These questions and more will be answered next time on As the 24 Guiding Hours of Our Lives Turn.
Organ music fade out. . .
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Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
Funny post HB.
Hmmm. I enjoyed this weeks episode, but I think Noah Daniels is jumping the gun, no pun intended. Now it's up to Karen Hayes to get Wayne awake to override Noahs decsion to launch a nuclear weapon on innocent people. Not sure what else to say about this weeeks episode. Until next week.......
P.S. I'm surprised by this season so far. As of now, we have a villian that has survived more than 12 hours. How much longer will he last? Only time will tell
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
Hugo DraxLeeds, United Kingdom.Posts: 210MI6 Agent
I was surprised by the lack of Logan as well. Most bizarre.
Hour 14 was entertaining, as uaual. But I am in concurrence with HB in that the soap opera elements really became apparent in this episode. The next stage of the presidential subplot is quite predictable, a word that isn't usually applied to 24. The manner in which the Cabinet rolled over without offering any resistance to Acting President Daniels is breathtaking. David Palmer was removed from office with the 25th Amendment for much less than this!
Part of me was also wondering whether Nadia was indeed the mole. The idea of the Muslim CTU agent because used as a patsy may have been too predictable.
And then of course, good ol' Jack is on hand to save the good people of San Francisco. Who would have predicted that?
Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
Part of me was also wondering whether Nadia was indeed the mole. The idea of the Muslim CTU agent because used as a patsy may have been too predictable.
Leave it to 24 to have something up their sleeve. They may want us to think Nadia is the mole, but something will come out later to show it wasn't her. Remember, Morris is quite good with a computer and wanted a higher security clearance earlier in the show, but was denied. It could also be Milo, he granted her higher security clearance with his password.
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
I must be getting cranky in my old age, because this Hour annoyed me like no other Hour in 24 history. (Well, maybe Kim vs. the mountain lion was worse, but hear me out. . .)
The scenes involving Jack and the autistic computer whiz just made me cringe. I can take Jack injecting people with chemicals and cutting off their fingers, but Jack being all sensitive and understanding? Yuck. The scenes were so maudlin, so Rain Man lite, that I was hoping an errant nuclear bomb would hit the house and put us out of our misery!
Then there's the whole Wayne Palmer bit. Good Lord--they can't wake him up; he may have irreversible brain damage! But they MUST wake him up for the good of the country! But not only does Wayne wake up, he's as eloquent and sharp as if he'd just walked out of Toastmasters school. And Daniels is promising to get Palmer removed from office, something we pretty well saw in an earlier season. Man, this show is getting as talky and political as Star Wars I and II!
And what of Milo--who has only to remove his sling and he becomes an action hero, with only a bandage to remind us of the gunshot wound he suffered just a few hours before. (For that matter, aren't Morris's bruises and scars healing at an astronomical rate?) And did we need to see Milo and Nadia sucking face? Can anyone at CTU shut off their lives long enough to save the world?
And what the hell happened to Logan?!
In a word, AAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!
Till next week. . .
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Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
edited March 2007
Who knew Jack had a soft and sensitive side? I guess if he tortured the autistic kid 24 would probably be cancelled. Also, i wonder what happened to Logan. Did he bleed to death? Or did they stich him up?
And HB, it should come as no surprise as everyones Wolverine type healing power on this show. I think I mentioned during season 4 how quickly someone seemed to heal from neck surgery (season 4 thread, page 7, second post from top). I forget his name, but it was Audreys then boyfriend.
And finally, congrats to Milo. He did what every man in that office probably wanted to do to Nadia. Some may of wanted to do more.
Until next week, let's hope they update Logans situation.
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
Up to hour 13 in the UK. (I've skipped the last few posts to avoid spoilers). Ricky Schroder has just turned up, with the haircut of an 11-year-old from the 1970's. Does anybody else think he's been primed as a possible Bauer replacement?
Up to hour 13 in the UK. (I've skipped the last few posts to avoid spoilers). Ricky Schroder has just turned up, with the haircut of an 11-year-old from the 1970's. Does anybody else think he's been primed as a possible Bauer replacement?
No. . .(and this really isn't a spoiler), he seems to be emerging as something of a villain. Not an evil guy, just a jerk everyone hates.
And, Mr. Martini, I said I'm getting cranky. You know how it is--you can be married to someone for years and suddenly you find yourself irritated by that person's habits and mannerisms and you just explode. It doesn't mean you love the person any less. . .
OK. . .Hour 16 has aired, and I'm in a better mood than I was last week. The show still irks me (there are at least two elements in this week's ep that are VERY similar to events that occured in earlier seasons*), but I thought Hr 16 was an improvement over 15 in most respects.
Surprisingly, the part of the story I enjoyed the most centered around Tom Lennox. I don't think I've ever seen a character do such a complete 180-degree turn on 24--or IS it a turn? I think the producers have been at pains to point out that, even though Tom is clearly a conservative, he's not a right-wing fanatic like Daniels or Rob Lowe's brother. He is fundamentally a patriot who believes in putting the good of his country first and believes that anything that could harm it should be stopped.
Last season I had a theory that President Logan was kind of a parody of the Left's image of George W. Bush. Producer Joel Surnow is a well-known conservative and even a pal of Rush Limbaugh; so it made sense to me that he was saying, "You want to know what the country would really be like if we had a right-wing cabal running things, and if Bush was the weakling you say he is? Well, here it is!" This season, I think Surnow is taking on the issue of bipartisanship. Wayne Palmer's cabinet has to be the weirdest ever assembled, with an equal number of righties and lefties. They squabble, they're at each other's throats--hell, they don't even follow the same policy! I think the producers are ever-so-subtly saying, "This is what bipartisanship gets you. Better all of one thing than a mixture of both."
I still think Wayne's near-return from the dead is beyond the belief, but at least it led up to a pretty good cliffhanger. Is there more brain damage than we thought? Guess we'll find out. . .
Otherwise, I enjoyed the action with the two main villains. Gredenko showed himself to be the ultimate survivor--
cutting off his own arm to remove the tracker!
--and his turning on Fayed in the bar was a great moment, if only because it allowed us to see Fayed get a good old-fashioned ass-whuppin' by some P.O.'d Americans. We're left with the possibility that Gredenko might have bitten the big one. I hope not--he's been a pretty decent villain.
I don't know what to make of Doyle's revelation of himself as a spiritual seeker. Truth or ploy? Or does it matter? And, for once, Nadia got the best line in the show: "So you're not a racist, you're just a sadist!"
Last thoughts: Lisa Miller--the nastier she gets, the hotter she is. And ex-President Logan is still MIA. They're going to have to put his face on a milk carton at this rate. . .
Till Hour 17. . .
* The meeting of the cabinet to determine if the president should be removed under the 25th Amendment, and
the business with Gredenko's arm--shades of detaching Chase from the bomb at the end of season three!
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Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
Hmmm. not to sure what to think of this weeks episode. Not much action. Not sure how to explain it. Best way to put it is Palmer Vs. Daniels. The show seemed to center around Palmer saving his presidency. Only thing I can't understand is, if Palmer didn't want Daniels to launch the nuke, why did he launch it him self. I guess we'll know by seasons end.
And for next weeks episode, in the preview. Did I see
Jack getting shot? Hope he's wearing his flac jacket
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
Only thing I can't understand is, if Palmer didn't want Daniels to launch the nuke, why did he launch it him self.
I think it's supposed to be a result of brain damage. Remember, Palmer was put into a coma to allow his brain to stop swelling, and the doctor warned of irreversible damage if Palmer was taken out of the coma. I can only assume that some of Wayne's hard-wiring has been damaged, making him paranoid and irrational. Either that, or all the adrenaline he had pumped into his system is causing him to suffer from delusions. Then again, this is 24--maybe Wayne has been in on a conspiracy for years. . .
Oh, and, yes, Mr. M, you saw what you thought you saw!
Well, bless my soul! 24 managed to deliver one of the most unexpected surprises imaginable--the nuclear device plotline has been, for all intents and purposes, wrapped up! The bombs have been located, the villains are dead, the crisis is over. . .and it's only Hour 17!
Of course, 24 being 24, there's more to come--I won't spoil it for anyone, but it looks like an entirely new storyline, with new (but familiar) villains who have a particular task in mind for Jack. Looks to be an interesting change of pace.
Otherwise, I thought Hour 17 was pretty good. Lots of good action--plenty of gunfire, and Jack's mano-a-mano battle with Fayed was gripping and brutal, even by 24 standards. It was also one of the most strongly themed episodes of the season--the storylines all hinged on deception. Prez Palmer was only foolin' about the missile launch; the "rescue" of Fayed was staged to try to get him to talk; and, of course, Palmer has been faking his true condition to maintain his position. It all seems to fit into the grand message of 24--that you have to lie, cheat, torture, and generally get your hands dirty when dealing with terrorism.
What I could have lived without was the scene with Lennox and Palmer talking about their lessons learned. Tom now knows he can't persecute an entire race, and now Wayne understands that he has to show his teeth if he wants to get anything done. Gads, this scene could have been in an ABC After School Special written by Machiavelli. I also got annoyed by the obligatory Milo 'n' Nadia scene. Nadia expresses the least bit of concern for Doyle, and Milo instantly becomes jealous and possessive? Girlfriend, tell him to talk to the hand!
So, on to the new direction of 24. . .or, as I should call it, 7. . .
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Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
i enjoyed this episode a lot. I found the death of Fayed to be the most brutal of all villian deaths. I liked how it was dark in the warehouse to. It added to the intensity.
Going on, who thought Audrey was dead when Chole mentioned it hours ago. I did. I didn't think she'd be back. Boy was I wrong. Now we get to see Jack get back Audrey and maybe get some revenge on his captors at the end of season 5. C'mon Jack ole boy. Be like Bond. Get the villian and get the girl. Remember Jack, your intials are the same as our boy James. Now all you need is a cool car. :007)
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
For once, I'm not entirely sure what to say about an episode. It was acceptable and pretty well delivered what was expected. Palmer finally collapsed and Daniels is back in power; Jack again breaks the rules in order to rescue Audrey, and Chloe is back in "I'll do anything for Jack" mode; and there's still a total news blackout on Logan's fate, though news of the death of Fayed spread awfully quickly. There was also a pretty solid theme displayed throughout the episode--that of loyalty--but, I dunno, I guess it was more a transition episode than a full story. I'm just kind of underwhelmed.
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Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
I enjoyed this weeks episode. It puts Jack in the grey area to viewer. While he's still a good guY to most (wanting to rescue Audrey). By the eye's of the nation he could be considered a traitor. I wonder how this will play out. Will Jack rescue Audrey and destroy the circuit board? And if so, will he be able to stay out of jail? There's 6 hours left in the day, and I have a feeling things are about to get really good.
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
Hour 19 was pretty good. I'm starting to enjoy these "political" episodes, showing just how ugly things can be behind the scenes at the White House. It almost seemed that Tom Lennox was going to revert to form when he told Daniels that they're on the same side; but it's good to see that he and Karen Hayes have resolved to be allies, albeit uneasy ones. And poor Karen, having to throw Bill to the wolves to satisfy the politicos' need for a fall guy!
Alas, the soap opera in CTU is still going on. Chloe and Morris sniping at each other, resulting in Morris's request for a transfer; Morris's jealousy of Milo. . . How does anyone at that place find time to fight terrorists?
The Jack storyline was pretty good. His voicemail message to Bill was surprisingly moving, showing the extent he was willing to go to in order to both save Audrey and to keep the MacGuffin out of the bad guys' hands. One thing that will always keep Jack from being like Bond is his apparent death wish. I can't imagine Jack ever taking the time to enjoy a good drink or to appreciate a meal. . .Jack will be happy, I think, only when he's six feet under.
Best bit in the Hour. . .Audrey's mechanical repetition of her distress message. Oh, those ChiComs. . .you'd think we'd have learned about them from the original Manchurian Candidate!
Still no report on President Logan. Maybe we'll hear something in these last five hours. . .
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Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
Best bit in the Hour. . .Audrey's mechanical repetition of her distress message. Oh, those ChiComs. . .you'd think we'd have learned about them from the original Manchurian Candidate!
I enjoyed acting Presidents Daniels quip "Call the media. Tell them the acting President is a dirty old man." ) ) )
It's a shame to see Bill get fired. If this were the real world, he'd be the one person I'd be happy to work for. It's also nice to see Jack as a "bad guy" We know what he's doing is good. But in the eyes of this country he's rogue. When he left the message to Bill I thought for sure this would be his last episode, and the torch would be passed to "Mr. Silver Spoons" Ricky Schroder.
It looks like a very interesting last five hours. It also looks like we'll have a two hour season finale.
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
After a strong opening, I have found this to be by far the weakest season of '24.' I was genuinely beginning to fear that it had jumped the shark, when wouldn't you know it, it pulls you right back in and becomes as riveting as ever. I never believed for a moment that Audrey had died. There was no evidence except for a picture of a smashed-up car, and as we all know, '24' like to kill its main characters on-screen. I though they'd return to this at some point, but I didn't think it would be so quickly. And while Doyle appeared to be a bit of a bas**** earlier on, it appears that like Jack, he's also a good bas****. I still think he may be a potential Bauer-replacement, should Kiefer ever permanently hurt himself in a repeat of his heroically drunken Christmas-tree attack a couple of years ago.
I think doyle is likely to be killed by jack in this season tbh. He is an interesting character but I think he could start to take some of the spotlight away from Jack. This change of story has got me back into the series again and i'm gagging for my next episodes.
I have to be careful what I read in this thread because you are a little ahead of me over there.
Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
I still think he may be a potential Bauer-replacement, should Kiefer ever permanently hurt himself in a repeat of his heroically drunken Christmas-tree attack a couple of years ago.
I saw that to. It's on that new DVD he just released about a month or two ago. They showed that clip on Leno one evening. Funny stuff!
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
I saw Hour 20 last night, but was unavoidably detained (not in the Jack Bauer way) from posting until now.
This was a pretty good episode, perhaps because it seemed to turn all of the characters inside-out. Tough, brutal, torture-em-till-they-talk-then-torture-em-some-more Jack begs that Audrey not be injected with psychotropic drugs. Hard-as-nails Doyle develops a soft spot for Jack--maybe Audrey too--and again breaks the rules. Prim Nadia becomes the boss from hell (and she's even more sexy when she's bustin' cajones). Chloe gets her heart broken and cries! Noah Daniels pours his heart out to Tom, revealing his flaws and insecurities. The action was pretty much the same ol' same ol', but it was fun watching the characters play around with their own personalities.
Otherwise, what I most enjoyed about the ep (aside from the totally gratituous shot of Lisa Miller losing her shirt) was the final scene, with the return of a very different Secretary Heller. "You're cursed, Jack. Everything you touch ends up dead." The expression on Jack's face makes it plain that Jack thinks he could be right.
And still no news on President Logan. . .
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Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
Just finished watching this weeks episode. Not to much to say about it, HB covered it pretty well. I'm curious if CTU will find out if the component is damaged. And what are they planning to attack? I better not miss the next 3 episodes.
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
With Hour 21, this season of 24 seems to be heading back into Greatness territory. It had been a while since a regular was bumped off, so I figured it would be only a matter of time. I can't say I'll shed many tears over who bit the bullet (literally!), since he was becoming a whiney bore; but the method of shuffling him off this mortal coil was suitably shocking. I also enjoyed the discomfort of Tom Lennox and company as they send Lisa Miller on a supposedly simple mission and end up standing by as she has sex. And, of course, we got a reunion of the Family Bauer, which takes all the "fun" out of dysfunction. I was hoping Papa Bauer would rear his hoary head, and indeed he has.
But to gripe: is it any wonder CTU could be infiltrated by Chinese hunks in their wife-beaters? Chloe and Morris trying to hash out their problems; Milo expressing his jealousy to Nadia, who in turn talks about how romantically confused she is. . .people, there are seriously ripped Asians drilling a hole in your floor! Would you pay attention, please? But I guess it's all in a day's work at CTU.
Three hours to go. Maybe we'll learn something about President Logan before it's all done. . .
Vox clamantis in deserto
superadoRegent's Park West (CaliforniaPosts: 2,652MI6 Agent
Hmmm, Day 6 began at 6 a.m., which does leave only 3 more hours. When I began counting down a few weeks ago, my count fell short by one episode, but at the end of Hour 21 they said there are only 2 episodes left.
I wonder if the one hour deficit will be used as some kind of gimmick segue to the upcoming "24" movie, that's set to take place between Days 6 and 7?
"...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
Hmmm, Day 6 began at 6 a.m., which does leave only 3 more hours. When I began counting down a few weeks ago, my count fell short by one episode, but at the end of Hour 21 they said there are only 2 episodes left.
Elementary, my dear Supes. Hours 23 and 24 will run back to back, as they did last year, making them one two-hour episode. Sigh: I miss the good ol' days of one hour per week!
Comments
Anyway, Hour 12 was a slight letdown, since that hour usually marks a major change in the plot. I guess this one does that--President Palmer is now out of commission, Assad is dead, and Karen Hayes is back in the picture--but things were pretty sedate. The highlights this time were Logan's new groove (has he really repented?) and Tom Lennox showing himself to be a hero only to be sucked into nasty political machinations. As for Jack--oh, that loveable scamp! Put him in an embassy and he just can't resist shooting up the place and cutting off a finger or two. Man, put him together with Dan Craig's Bond and they could bring down the UN!
The preview for next week's hour looked very promising. . .Ricky Schroeder makes his debut and we'll be seeing the return of my favorite character from last season, Marty Logan! Wonder if Aaron will be around. . .?
Well, well, well. I read Ricky Schroeder would be in this seasons 24. But for next weeks preview of 24 I didn't see him, the preview was cutout by a commercial. But I did see "Marty" sitting on a couch with a person who closely resembled a past charector. I think "Mr. Pierce" will make his return to 24. Now all we need is Mike Novick to come back.
As for this weeks show. not to much to say. HB covered it well.
This weeks rant. That darn phone number that keeps coming up. We all should know it by now, 1-310-597-3781. Why can't they have this phone number be directed to the same person. In three hours this phone number has belonged to Jacks dad, Chole 'O Brian and now belongs to CTU or it's Bill Buchannons number at CTU. who will this number belong to next?
And, of course, there's torture, gunfights, and lots of bloodshed, too.
Anyway, in Hour 13, Jack again took a supporting role. Hide in the basement, kill a Russkie, take a couple hostage. . .all in a minute's work for our Jack. A more interesting story is that of Tom Lennox, who's gone from (improbable) right-wing ideologue in a left-wing administration to conscience-torn good guy forced to keep silent by the (improbably) right-wing vice president. It was also interesting to see Ricky Schroeder step into the Jack/Curtis position (you can tell because he's wearing the requisite black shirt with sleeves pushed up on his forearms) and to reveal himself as one of the biggest (insert vulgarity for male genitalia here) to enter CTU--and that's no small feat.
But the prize storyline, of course, goes to Logan's visit to Martha. Aaron Pierce with his hair down (what little there is) turns out to be--well, Aaron Pierce. And Jean Smart again makes an over-the-top nutjob role compelling and believable. It was indeed a shock when
One question, though--things went awfully fast in this episode. When Marty puts in the call to the Russian first lady, it's close to 7:00 p.m. in Los Angeles--wouldn't it be either very late at night or extremely early in the morning in Moscow?
Anyway, it was another fine hour. I'm looking forward to Hour 14, despite the teaser that someone in CTU is leaking information. Oh, come on--CTU has had so many traitors that I'm starting to think it's a requirement to get a job there!
i would of never thought:
No rants this week. The phone number connected to two different people wasn't even mentioned. Kudos to the writers for realizing that the same number can't be connected to two difernt people, who may be on opposite sides.
Finally, little Ricky Schroder sure has grown up. Last time I saw him on T.V. was in the show Silver Spoons. Yes, I know he was on NYPD Blue, but I never watched that. I don't want to be mean, but it looks like age isn't his friend. He's five years older than me, and looks like he's 10 to 15 years older than me. or maybe it's just the makeup. ?:)
So, how about this week's hour. Hmmmm--maybe it was just me, but the "soap opera" elements seemed more apparent than ever. Key up the organ music, gang:
Will Jack be able to hook up with Marilyn and avenge the just-now-revealed death of Audrey in time to finally take a bathroom break?
Will Mike Doyle and Milo stop trying to respectively ogle and torture Nadia long enough to realize they're really in love with each other?
Did Vice President Daniels have a love affair with Karen Hayes? If so, will he bring Lisa Miller into a threeway, reasoning that if blondes have more fun, then two blondes must be a real ball?
Will Karen be able to wake the comatose Wayne Palmer in time to countermand Daniels' order, and to ask if his vegetarianism makes him a cannibal?
Will Jack's heroic manuevering of the drone away from San Francisco via remote control reawaken his early skills as an Atari Space Invaders champion, inspiring him to leave CTU and strike out on the lucrative video game circuit?
These questions and more will be answered next time on As the 24 Guiding Hours of Our Lives Turn.
Organ music fade out. . .
Hmmm. I enjoyed this weeks episode, but I think Noah Daniels is jumping the gun, no pun intended. Now it's up to Karen Hayes to get Wayne awake to override Noahs decsion to launch a nuclear weapon on innocent people. Not sure what else to say about this weeeks episode. Until next week.......
P.S. I'm surprised by this season so far. As of now, we have a villian that has survived more than 12 hours. How much longer will he last? Only time will tell
Hour 14 was entertaining, as uaual. But I am in concurrence with HB in that the soap opera elements really became apparent in this episode. The next stage of the presidential subplot is quite predictable, a word that isn't usually applied to 24. The manner in which the Cabinet rolled over without offering any resistance to Acting President Daniels is breathtaking. David Palmer was removed from office with the 25th Amendment for much less than this!
Part of me was also wondering whether Nadia was indeed the mole. The idea of the Muslim CTU agent because used as a patsy may have been too predictable.
And then of course, good ol' Jack is on hand to save the good people of San Francisco. Who would have predicted that?
Leave it to 24 to have something up their sleeve. They may want us to think Nadia is the mole, but something will come out later to show it wasn't her. Remember, Morris is quite good with a computer and wanted a higher security clearance earlier in the show, but was denied. It could also be Milo, he granted her higher security clearance with his password.
The scenes involving Jack and the autistic computer whiz just made me cringe. I can take Jack injecting people with chemicals and cutting off their fingers, but Jack being all sensitive and understanding? Yuck. The scenes were so maudlin, so Rain Man lite, that I was hoping an errant nuclear bomb would hit the house and put us out of our misery!
Then there's the whole Wayne Palmer bit. Good Lord--they can't wake him up; he may have irreversible brain damage! But they MUST wake him up for the good of the country! But not only does Wayne wake up, he's as eloquent and sharp as if he'd just walked out of Toastmasters school. And Daniels is promising to get Palmer removed from office, something we pretty well saw in an earlier season. Man, this show is getting as talky and political as Star Wars I and II!
And what of Milo--who has only to remove his sling and he becomes an action hero, with only a bandage to remind us of the gunshot wound he suffered just a few hours before. (For that matter, aren't Morris's bruises and scars healing at an astronomical rate?) And did we need to see Milo and Nadia sucking face? Can anyone at CTU shut off their lives long enough to save the world?
And what the hell happened to Logan?!
In a word, AAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!
Till next week. . .
And HB, it should come as no surprise as everyones Wolverine type healing power on this show. I think I mentioned during season 4 how quickly someone seemed to heal from neck surgery (season 4 thread, page 7, second post from top). I forget his name, but it was Audreys then boyfriend.
And finally, congrats to Milo. He did what every man in that office probably wanted to do to Nadia. Some may of wanted to do more.
Until next week, let's hope they update Logans situation.
No. . .(and this really isn't a spoiler), he seems to be emerging as something of a villain. Not an evil guy, just a jerk everyone hates.
And, Mr. Martini, I said I'm getting cranky. You know how it is--you can be married to someone for years and suddenly you find yourself irritated by that person's habits and mannerisms and you just explode. It doesn't mean you love the person any less. . .
Surprisingly, the part of the story I enjoyed the most centered around Tom Lennox. I don't think I've ever seen a character do such a complete 180-degree turn on 24--or IS it a turn? I think the producers have been at pains to point out that, even though Tom is clearly a conservative, he's not a right-wing fanatic like Daniels or Rob Lowe's brother. He is fundamentally a patriot who believes in putting the good of his country first and believes that anything that could harm it should be stopped.
Last season I had a theory that President Logan was kind of a parody of the Left's image of George W. Bush. Producer Joel Surnow is a well-known conservative and even a pal of Rush Limbaugh; so it made sense to me that he was saying, "You want to know what the country would really be like if we had a right-wing cabal running things, and if Bush was the weakling you say he is? Well, here it is!" This season, I think Surnow is taking on the issue of bipartisanship. Wayne Palmer's cabinet has to be the weirdest ever assembled, with an equal number of righties and lefties. They squabble, they're at each other's throats--hell, they don't even follow the same policy! I think the producers are ever-so-subtly saying, "This is what bipartisanship gets you. Better all of one thing than a mixture of both."
I still think Wayne's near-return from the dead is beyond the belief, but at least it led up to a pretty good cliffhanger. Is there more brain damage than we thought? Guess we'll find out. . .
Otherwise, I enjoyed the action with the two main villains. Gredenko showed himself to be the ultimate survivor--
I don't know what to make of Doyle's revelation of himself as a spiritual seeker. Truth or ploy? Or does it matter? And, for once, Nadia got the best line in the show: "So you're not a racist, you're just a sadist!"
Last thoughts: Lisa Miller--the nastier she gets, the hotter she is. And ex-President Logan is still MIA. They're going to have to put his face on a milk carton at this rate. . .
Till Hour 17. . .
* The meeting of the cabinet to determine if the president should be removed under the 25th Amendment, and
And for next weeks episode, in the preview. Did I see
I think it's supposed to be a result of brain damage. Remember, Palmer was put into a coma to allow his brain to stop swelling, and the doctor warned of irreversible damage if Palmer was taken out of the coma. I can only assume that some of Wayne's hard-wiring has been damaged, making him paranoid and irrational. Either that, or all the adrenaline he had pumped into his system is causing him to suffer from delusions. Then again, this is 24--maybe Wayne has been in on a conspiracy for years. . .
Oh, and, yes, Mr. M, you saw what you thought you saw!
Of course, 24 being 24, there's more to come--I won't spoil it for anyone, but it looks like an entirely new storyline, with new (but familiar) villains who have a particular task in mind for Jack. Looks to be an interesting change of pace.
Otherwise, I thought Hour 17 was pretty good. Lots of good action--plenty of gunfire, and Jack's mano-a-mano battle with Fayed was gripping and brutal, even by 24 standards. It was also one of the most strongly themed episodes of the season--the storylines all hinged on deception. Prez Palmer was only foolin' about the missile launch; the "rescue" of Fayed was staged to try to get him to talk; and, of course, Palmer has been faking his true condition to maintain his position. It all seems to fit into the grand message of 24--that you have to lie, cheat, torture, and generally get your hands dirty when dealing with terrorism.
What I could have lived without was the scene with Lennox and Palmer talking about their lessons learned. Tom now knows he can't persecute an entire race, and now Wayne understands that he has to show his teeth if he wants to get anything done. Gads, this scene could have been in an ABC After School Special written by Machiavelli. I also got annoyed by the obligatory Milo 'n' Nadia scene. Nadia expresses the least bit of concern for Doyle, and Milo instantly becomes jealous and possessive? Girlfriend, tell him to talk to the hand!
So, on to the new direction of 24. . .or, as I should call it, 7. . .
Going on, who thought Audrey was dead when Chole mentioned it hours ago. I did. I didn't think she'd be back. Boy was I wrong. Now we get to see Jack get back Audrey and maybe get some revenge on his captors at the end of season 5. C'mon Jack ole boy. Be like Bond. Get the villian and get the girl. Remember Jack, your intials are the same as our boy James. Now all you need is a cool car. :007)
Alas, the soap opera in CTU is still going on. Chloe and Morris sniping at each other, resulting in Morris's request for a transfer; Morris's jealousy of Milo. . . How does anyone at that place find time to fight terrorists?
The Jack storyline was pretty good. His voicemail message to Bill was surprisingly moving, showing the extent he was willing to go to in order to both save Audrey and to keep the MacGuffin out of the bad guys' hands. One thing that will always keep Jack from being like Bond is his apparent death wish. I can't imagine Jack ever taking the time to enjoy a good drink or to appreciate a meal. . .Jack will be happy, I think, only when he's six feet under.
Best bit in the Hour. . .Audrey's mechanical repetition of her distress message. Oh, those ChiComs. . .you'd think we'd have learned about them from the original Manchurian Candidate!
Still no report on President Logan. Maybe we'll hear something in these last five hours. . .
I enjoyed acting Presidents Daniels quip "Call the media. Tell them the acting President is a dirty old man."
It's a shame to see Bill get fired. If this were the real world, he'd be the one person I'd be happy to work for. It's also nice to see Jack as a "bad guy" We know what he's doing is good. But in the eyes of this country he's rogue. When he left the message to Bill I thought for sure this would be his last episode, and the torch would be passed to "Mr. Silver Spoons" Ricky Schroder.
It looks like a very interesting last five hours. It also looks like we'll have a two hour season finale.
I have to be careful what I read in this thread because you are a little ahead of me over there.
I saw that to. It's on that new DVD he just released about a month or two ago. They showed that clip on Leno one evening. Funny stuff!
This was a pretty good episode, perhaps because it seemed to turn all of the characters inside-out. Tough, brutal, torture-em-till-they-talk-then-torture-em-some-more Jack begs that Audrey not be injected with psychotropic drugs. Hard-as-nails Doyle develops a soft spot for Jack--maybe Audrey too--and again breaks the rules. Prim Nadia becomes the boss from hell (and she's even more sexy when she's bustin' cajones). Chloe gets her heart broken and cries! Noah Daniels pours his heart out to Tom, revealing his flaws and insecurities. The action was pretty much the same ol' same ol', but it was fun watching the characters play around with their own personalities.
Otherwise, what I most enjoyed about the ep (aside from the totally gratituous shot of Lisa Miller losing her shirt) was the final scene, with the return of a very different Secretary Heller. "You're cursed, Jack. Everything you touch ends up dead." The expression on Jack's face makes it plain that Jack thinks he could be right.
And still no news on President Logan. . .
But to gripe: is it any wonder CTU could be infiltrated by Chinese hunks in their wife-beaters? Chloe and Morris trying to hash out their problems; Milo expressing his jealousy to Nadia, who in turn talks about how romantically confused she is. . .people, there are seriously ripped Asians drilling a hole in your floor! Would you pay attention, please? But I guess it's all in a day's work at CTU.
Three hours to go. Maybe we'll learn something about President Logan before it's all done. . .
Hmmm, Day 6 began at 6 a.m., which does leave only 3 more hours. When I began counting down a few weeks ago, my count fell short by one episode, but at the end of Hour 21 they said there are only 2 episodes left.
I wonder if the one hour deficit will be used as some kind of gimmick segue to the upcoming "24" movie, that's set to take place between Days 6 and 7?
Elementary, my dear Supes. Hours 23 and 24 will run back to back, as they did last year, making them one two-hour episode. Sigh: I miss the good ol' days of one hour per week!