24: Season 8, Episode 8 “11:00PM-12:00AM” (D)
Nothing’s getting better, and everything’s just getting worse, both in terms of things not going well and the show’s quality plummeting towards horrific. The most striking and regrettable part of this episode is the way that this show has been transformed. It’s a change I’ve noted repeatedly in the past, but it has never been more apparent than in this hour. This show used to be a smart thriller that focused on many characters and created suspense and thrills from its awesome story. Now it strives week after week to outdo itself with violent content and make Jack into the most superhuman hero ever. Everything continues to get stupider as Jack is the only one who, single-handedly of course, can get anything done. His ability to shock the guy who’s torturing him by using his feet is preposterous, and classifying Jack as some kind of super-powered brute who jumps down from the ceiling to take out his enemies and overturns tables ferociously to avoid getting shot just doesn’t make any sense. I’ll remind you that he got stabbed only half an hour earlier. Suspension of disbelief wouldn’t be such a problem if the show had anything else to offer. Josef clearly doesn’t share his father’s vision of the world, and therefore his taking over the sale of nuclear rods just to get back at his father doesn’t track. President Hassan’s story is getting less interesting by the moment since he’s no longer actually hunting any villains and instead just looking for trouble in his own camp. And regarding Dana, they obviously weren’t going to let Dana off the hook that easily, and now her deception is all for naught. Worse still, she actually leaves CTU in the middle of the crisis to go to a club to likely do something very dumb. Arlo has now gone ahead and crossed the line by showing Cole the photos of Dana getting close with Kevin, and that can’t possibly pan out well.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
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2 comments:
Point-for-point, as per usual Abe. Hassan was originally built up as a multi-layered character. All at once he was concerned for his country's welfare, his political status, his personal indiscretions, and (although lacking the gravitas of the others) keeping his family together. Recall a few "hours" ago, when Hassan gave Cole the potential explanation for why the Russian assassin made the Geiger counter go tick-tick: it was highly expository. That's what the Hassan the character and Hassan the plot line have been reduced to. Even the apparent afterthought of an addition of the relationship between Hassan's daughter and his aide (which, perhaps not by coincidence, is not referenced in your review) reads out of place; it's filler rather than substance.
And while I have the virtual floor, can anyone venture a guess as to why Jack receives a nifty Palm Pre, along with up-to-the-minute intel? Folks, Jack Bauer is RETIRED. Let's spell it out: R-E-T-I-R-E-D. Jack is not employed by CTU. He completed the opp and should have been back at CTU by the hour's end.
What response would be complete without the obligatory Cherry Jones comment? This one is small, minute, and pointless, but it irked me: Why does the President of the United States pause to say she is sorry (?) that she hadn't had the opportunity to speak to Jack until now? Jack's polite "Shut Up and Let's Talk About the Threat" retort to Taylor is well deserved. Personally, I'd prefer if the President skips the pleasantries, and works instead to save lives.
But, that's just me.
Agreed on all counts! Thanks for commenting, Ross!
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