Current 24 could do with more Naked Mandy, I agree. However, season one had some great moments and because it was the first season I didn't get the feeling that a lot of them were just put in to top what they did last season. For some reason, Teri Bauer "taking one for the team" to protect her daughter had a lot more impact than Jack randomly torturing people.
I doubt that it would, but I am no psychologist. OTOH, Rick was somewhat sensitive and defensive for her... so that could have colored her perceptions.
^Plus there was a point to her being there, she was being used to enforce her father's compliance. From season two onwards she was just shoe-horned in to the story and menaced by Cougars for no reason.
Well she was nearly as useless and dumb as she was in S2. "Sure, honey. Set the officer driving the car at highway speeds on fire!"
Spoiler: about the current season Tony will be the hero again in the final ep - it's the classic double-double-cross with a last-minute backflip. But he will die, most likely shot by Red, and only Jack will know the truth. By that time, Jack will be Mirror-Universe-Jack and nobody will believe him when he says Tony killed FBI Party Pooper only to insinuate himself back with the baddies and save the day.
Nope. Tony's bad and has been all along. Rene will still kill him to save Jack, I think, but there'll be no last minute "I did it for the children" turn around. Tony is Jack if he hadn't gone on a walkabout. Freckles is pre-Jack, before he became the cynical at any cost agent. She's actually begun to turn him back from that. Course, look what it got him: a facefull of crippling disease. She'll end up nursing him back from that too, though, with hot Freckled love, so I guess he wins after all. Spoiler: Potential spoilers for Season 8 As for the early seasons, I did like the more personal drama and tighter focus of 1 + 2, but I've enjoyed all the seasons, regardless. Hopefully Season 8: Jack waterboards the Big Apple will be a totally inwardly-focused one. Perhaps he follows Rene there as she's reassigned, she stumbles onto something deadly and dramatic, but small, centered wholy in NYC and reluctantly drags Jack out of retirement to help save American lives one last time. Did 9/11 happen in the 24-verse? Are we going to get a shot of Jack at ground zero? It'd be really weird if they make no mention of the WTC with Jack in NYC, what with 24 being all about preventing just that sort of thing from happening. And bring back Mandy, the naked assassin. She was in the first season, she survived, she should be in the (potential) last.
I'll never forget watching that initial season for the first time. I had thought it was the most incredible show I'd ever seen at the time. I watched each episode about 3 times before the next one aired. While still predictable at times, and it did have a bit of a meandering plot in the second half, most of it was certainly a lot more believable than how things would evolve. I think the plot being on more a personal level (a vendetta against Jack and Palmer) made all the difference in terms of storytelling. Wanting to nuke the world gets a little old. I must have introduced that show to about a dozen people. I'd be interested in hearing what parts you felt to be the "moments of true emotion" you refered to. I like reliving that sort of stuff. I'm also amazed you could sit through that much 24 after having already seen it.
I think the greatest moment of "true emotion" that came for me is when Jack is holed up with the sassy waitress. Jack reflects on the terrible things he's done and has a "real" moment with the woman. He even drifts to sleep!
I thought mole #1 was obvious. Nina had been mistaken for the mole so she was out. Tony was all too obviously not because he clashed with Jack all the time. But Jamie was the quiet innocent tech geek that tries not to draw too much attention that shows like this love to use. Allan York/Kevin Farrel was also obviously a baddie in my eyes. I saw the scene with Kim's friend coming a mile off. Mole #2/Nina was totally illogical and obviously made up on the fly as a last minute kool twist.