Hey all, sorry I wasn't here tonight to offer my insight. But, man, that was an awesome two hours of 24! I mean, just stellar! Riviting, tense, very, very well done stuff. I was worried there for a while Aaron or Bill would be getting a silent count down. This season of 24 so-far has been great, far better than last season and I even dare say these two episodes are two of the best from the series, although I do want "more" from Jack. Fantastic episodes, Excellents all around. Man, wish I could been here delivering my wit with the rest of you but, alas. And more wet Agent Red/Freckles climbing out of a river with her hip-huggers riding low and showing off her backside and hips. Great episode(s).
I absolutely hated that ending, because I predicted it less than halfway through the second episode. Other than that they were good.
On one hand, it was as ridiculous as this show can get. I mean, the white house? Secret underground waterway access? A dozen men with Juma can somehow overpower many more secret service, not to mention all the other military personal we've seen roaming around the place. It was also a conservative circle-jerk (of course the Senator crusading against torture is weak and simple minded ). But, damn, this was the most exciting 24 has been in a while. I'll give them both above average. There was actual tension when it came to Aaron and Bill's fate. Looks like people are going to die next episode. And I can't help but feel the Kim Bauer name drop is a portent of things to come. We'll see.
The first episode wasn't that great, but the second was one of the best in '24' history (and I've seen them all). Besides the fact that there is no way Juma and a squad of soldiers should have been able to get into the country, let alone the White House, everything else was great. I was especially happy that Aaron Pierce got something to do this season, rather than just a cameo. Of course he didn't get much combat before he was down. It looks like next week Larry grows a pair and gives the middle finger to the VP.
The underground tunnel that was so disgustingly easy to access was the only thing that really bothered me in tonight's two hours. Sure it's a show where suspensions of disbelief is a vital ingredient to enjoyment, but there's a point past which I wouldn't want them to go. Even so.... I agree with you Hirogen.. that was really a nice on-edge way to spend a couple of hours of TV.
Not to mention the fact that ruthless dictators and well-known terrorists (24 Season 7) can get into The United States of 24 at will. Still, I agree with what you said...these were two very exciting hours.
You would think that after all of the shit that the US has been through in the last 10+ years or so of the 24-verse that the White House would be infintely much more secure. The idea of everyone -even the POTUS- wearing tracking bracelets was kind of "funny" though. But you'd think something as simple as security cameras in the halls with men watching them and seeing the team of soldiers walking around would be called for. If the Bellagio has that shit certainly the White House can.
I wish they had never created the Senator's character, because he is the kind of caricature that fits perfectly to any far-right wing view of a liberal politician. I have noticed a LOT more blatantly political shots at the left this year than previously, which is not good. Despite the fact that I totally disagree with Bauer's methods throughout the series, I have enjoyed the show because it had not really (until now) started to hit you over the head with the producers'/writers' politics. Between the Senator and Larry Moss, this is getting old. Same goes for the transformation of Agent Red from a normal person into a female Jack Bauer. Judging from the trailers for next week, Moss may end up undergoing a transformation as well. So far he has been totally by the book, but things like Sean's betrayal and the Vice President now refusing to act are setting it up for him to change. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that's where they are going.
I hope Senator "Red Forman" gets it. I really can't stand him still thinks Jack went too far even though these bad guys holding him aren't playing by any rules, he'd still treat them with a kinder result. oh and did anyone notice the Tim 'Speed' Speedle is one of the bad guys on the inside, with Jon Voit's character?
I've tried to get through all this torture political stuff and tonight I think was the straw that broke the back. I hope someone shoots that senator in the head or something, as well as the Vice President. All these torture is bad stuff is really getting out of hand and really hindered my enjoyment of these episodes. That, and everytime I hear Tony Todd, especially tonight, I think of the Hirogen from Voyager's Pray saying "Take me To It." They were good episodes, prediactable, but good. I am really starting to like Renee a lot this season. She's been the most welcome cast member so far in the last few seasons. 8:00 Episode - Good 9:00 Episode - Almost Great but shoot the Senator in the head and it will be.
It's nice that they brought Jon Voight back to be in 'National Treasure 3,' what with the secret White House water entrance and all. Aaron should have hidden the First Daughter in the secret TARDIS compartment in the Resolute Desk. And Speedle's back! Bonus points if he dies because his gun misfires from not being cleaned in months and Jack plugs him in the chest. Is there some reason that Juma's men needed a sketch of the White House? In case they didn't recognize one of the most famous buildings in the world, the location of their primary enemy at the moment that would have been shown in almost every news piece about the President's response to the Sengala crisis? Could the same information not have been conveyed with a floorplan that said The White House rather than blatantly obvious pic to beat you over the head with the location that was already given away by the previews for the episode? Maybe if Juma had not sent himself, his chief lieutenant, and his best troops who can apparently deal with ten to one odds to the US, his country might not have been conquered in what, three or four hours? I was expecting Juma to have at least 50 guys, not a dozen. I don't care if they have anti-tank weapons, 12 guys are not taking the White House from the Secret Service, even with the secret entrance, their own African Chloe, and insiders helping them out. I think the reason Tony didn't want to disclose who his inside source working with Juma on the Washington attack was because Tony was that source. You can tell by the shame in his voice and expression during that scene, and his hesitation when Jack asked who his source was. He didn't know the exact location of the attack, but he knew all along that an attack was coming, and only changed his mind once Jack became intimately involved. He didn't want an attack on innocent American civilians, but he had no problem with an attack on a government target out of revenge. As much as I want both of them to survive as two characters with minor Bauer-level badassity, I thought it was a bit of a cop-out for neither Bill nor Aaron to bite the big one when the situation obviously called for it given the reaction of Juma and his men to everyone else who opposed them. Why does the White House "lockdown" not have features even the most basic panic room has, like the ability to communicate with those in the house and with the outside world? That was a really lazy plot device. Can we have a VP worthy of some respect? Just once? He's not even part of the conspiracy, yet he might as well be with his self-serving attitude and ability to get in the way of people trying to do the right thing. Clearly Juma didn't have the President given his lack of confirmation of having her and the fact that they were all huddled around the lockdown room. Plus, you're telling me that African Chloe can access the Secret Service Presidential locator system (albeit with help), but the SECRET SERVICE can't? Senator Red Foreman needs to be one of the hostages that gets executed, because I don't buy him forgiving Bauer even if he saves his life given his attitude in the episode. All that being said, even with this being one of the most 24 cliche laden episodes of 24, it was still awesome, especially the nonstop excitement of the second half. Plus, Tony Todd is always badass, and definitely an improvement over Dubaku's romantic comedy issues.
One would also think the Pres' panic room would've been only openable from the inside to -you know- prevent people from hacking the panel to open the door. Didn't the African embassy at the begining of the "day" have this? I guess, Tony Todd is yet another Trek alumn added to 24's ranks. Chloe the perpetually annoyed tech geek better damn-well return! I'm falling in love with her all over again this season. I wish we could've had at least a full episode or so with Jack and Ms. Pres talking in the panic room and her seeing his views and motives and coming to an understanding of why he does what he does. Getting them both locked in the panic room seemed like a good set-up for that but then Jack had to go all McGyver with the lamp and searching through the cabinet and, yeah, seriously, why DIDN'T the panic room have a phone or radio?
If NightCrawler can do it, so can these guys The moment I saw the previews I was like "what?" The show's become a parody of it self with Jack spouting off his most famous lines.
Actually, he appeared as a different character (a detective investigating Palmer) in season three. In addition, he's appeared as Juma in both "24: Redemption" and the first episode of season seven, on a television screen.
That map's all wrong. Where's the cloning facility and hanger for the alien/human hybrid fighter jets!
It's very nice to see that so far this season is a massive improvement over the extremely mediocre and completely unremarkable season 6. 6pm to 7pm: Good 7pm to 8pm: Excellent Aaron Pierce should have his own spin-off.
I actually was kinda turned off/put off by this episode. I don't know why it just turned out that way but maybe it has to do with how the show continually beats us over the head with the torture stuff. Ok Ok, I get it, the writers think torture is great and is justified no matter what the cost and those that disagree with that view are just weak. I will say this though, even though some of the writers are expousing that belief I do believe that the show is trying to give some credence to those who believe otherwise. jack has and always will be a badass, but Jack IMO has been somewhat out of control this season. Holding a man's family hostage, threatening to hold Dibouku's family hostage and then kill them, pulling a gun on a paramedic so that he can wake dubouku, attacking and then knocking out Bill Buchanan, relying solely on torture to break that chief of staff dude to find out the source of the attack when good honest police work (ala Agent Freckles) found out the same information humanely. I dunno, I think the show is in someways beating us over the head with the torture debate however, it is also building a small case against Jack's over the top methods. Maybe what is trying to say is similar to what the President said in this episode, the world is not just black and white there is always some gray.