Soccer Dad

154

This is the first season of 24 that I've been watching in its original broadcast. I watched the first 6 seasons on DVD. So finally I can comment on the current state of the show. Spoilers alert.

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A theme emerges:
Season 1:
Nina Myers: Jack, if you kill me, you won't know who I work for. You think I work for Drazen, but I don't!
Jack Bauer: I trusted you, Nina...
Nina Myers: I was just doing my job.
Jack Bauer: Your job? My wife and daughter almost died today! How many people that trusted you lost their life today because you were doing your job? Walsh, or Jamey? Ellis? How many others?
Nina Myers: How many people died because of you, Jack?

Season 5

Jack wants to talk to Kim before she leaves, but Kim says that they will be leaving as soon as they get out of the room. She blames Jack--even though she admits it's not his fault--for death always seems to surround her when he's around. She says she loves him, but doesn't want to be in his life

Season 6

# James Heller: You're right Jack. It wasn't fair of me to put all this on you, to blame you for what happened to Audrey. I know the sacrifices you made. I know this country owes you more than it'll ever repay.
# Jack Bauer: I'm not interested in what you think this country owes me. I want my life back. And I want it now. Audrey's all I've got. And you can't stop me. In case you've forgotten, I'm very good at disappearing. And if you try sending someone after us, I'll kill 'em. Pretty good at that too.
# James Heller: Simply getting your life back, Jack, isn't gonna change who you are. And you can't walk away from it. You know that. You've tried it. Sooner or later you're gonna get back in the game, and my daughter's gonna pay the price. Like your WIFE did.

Season 7

Jack becomes angry and tries to explain how things are in the "real world." He asks them "When are you people gonna stop thinking everyone else is following your rules? They're not!" Renee ends up agreeing with Jack and leaves to go find Vossler's family. Moss angrily confronts Jack: "Look at yourself. You have lost everyone and everything you've ever had by doing what you think is necessary. I won't let you do it to her, Bauer. Renee will not end up like you." Jack doesn't even acknowledge this, and seems to go a little off the deep end. When Larry yells at Jack, "The rules are what make us better," Jack denies it, "Not today."

The idea that Jack's actions take a toll on everyone around him, has been with us since the beginning. Nina, of course, said that after killing Teri (and before Jack knew Teri was dead.) Maybe it assuaged her guilt a little; or maybe she was just laying a guilt trip on Jack, so when he discovered that Teri was dead, he'd blame himself.

Though last week's episode had a great shootout and upped the action level, this week was possibly better.Dubaku's been a bit of a disappointment; now his whole American operation is blown. His only victory now might well be knocking off his girlfriend's sister. After striking at the U.S. a personal vendetta is a big comedown.

The Provocateur liked the episode:

Now then, one way to look at 24 is as an allegory for the ideological battles that surround our own GWOT. I believe this season is an allegory for the ideological battles surrounding our own interrogation techniques. What is and isn't appropriate, and furthermore, how far should our nation go in getting information. The pinnacle scene in this allegory was the scene with Ross, Agent Walker and Agent Moss. The President's husband is kidnapped and there is less than an hour to find him and rescue him. Jack has information about a rogue agent named Vossler. Jack suggests that Agent Walker go to Vossler's home and hold the family hostage in an effort to extract information from the Agent. Agent Moss objects. The debate that ensues on screen is very much an allegory for the debate over these techniques that happen on television, in academia, and mostly within government itself. On screen in 24, the forces that support tough interrogations won. Agent Walker agrees. Ultimately, Vossler's family is used to break Vossler and he gives up vital information. Yet, Agent Walker is herself deeply affected. As such, the overall debate is far from over.

This is mostly correct. I just have one quibble. As always, Jack won the argument. The only way to get the necessary information and save the First Gentleman requires dirty methods. He convinces the President of it - though she probably doesn't have a full appreciation of what's involved; he sort of convinces Agent Moss. But in the end what happens? Henry Taylor is shot! So you can argue the ends justify the means; but the end didn't quite work out. Even if Henry survived is it possible that President Taylor will remain as trusting of Jack as David and Wayne Palmer were?

Jack - not Bauer - hasn't found the show as interesting lately.

Watched 24 again tonight and realized that I am losing a bit of that loving feeling. I still enjoy the show but it is become so formulaic that I am finding it harder to enoy.

The disabled sister is one of those devices that's helped the show a lot in the past. As I've written in the past, this year's show has been a bit too linear. Getting another wrinkle, even one who will be shot next hour, makes things interesting. (Dubaku's pulling up stakes, I wonder if Marika is also doomed.)

A good observation from Jamie:

A lot happened in a pretty short amount of time - but that's 24 for you. If you've ever been to Washington, D.C. you know that suburbs like the one Vossler's family lived in are pretty far away from the Capitol. So Renee got there and back in a pretty short amount of time.

And when Moss tells Jack where to find Vossler, Jack identifies the street he's supposed to be looking for. This is Jack's first day in DC, no way. DC is a maze.

However this is the thing that really got me:

3. Jack Bauer is in the White House! Considering that over the last seven hours he has both been brought before the Senate on treason charges and been accused of aiding terrorists, it's a little strange to see Bauer introduced to President Taylor and, eventually, giving her orders. But, alas, that's the type of thing that'll happen when the First Dude is kidnapped and threatened with death. President Taylor adjusts to the strangeness quickly, which makes one of us. Absurdity Factor: 4

Jack's a wanted man with noted anger issues and weapons skills and the Secret Service lets him have an audience with the President without armed guards!

Did you know that Kiefer Sutherland is under contract for one more year after this?

UPDATE: There was a point that I meant to make and somehow I forgot. While the show, "24," clearly argues that sometimes its necessary not to play by the rules, the tragedies that surround the show's #1 rulebreaker, Jack Bauer, show that there is a price to be paid. Ends may justify the means, but sometimes there's Karmic payback.

jack bauer