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As we enter the winter TV season (did this even exist 10 years ago? I thought all shows started in September) we see the return of two of my favorites: Lost and 24. Since Lost doesn't start for another two weeks and I'm probably not smart enough to write a good blog about the mysteries of Lost, I'll start with 24.
I started watching 24 after getting season 1 on DVD off Netflix back in 2002. I loved Season 1. The introduction of the "happening in real time" format, the action and suspense and of course one of the greatest surprises/twists in television history with Nina Myers, all made season 1 one of my favorite seasons of television ever. Over time I got a few people hooked on the show, including my parents with whom "Jack" on Mondays became a winter tradition. Although the show has its good seasons and bad seasons, I love Jack Bauer and so should you. What have we learned through the first four hours of Day 8? Let's take a look. (Side note before you start, 24 seasons are referred to as "Days" since they all happen in 24 hours.....terrible? Not for me!)
We start by looking at the man himself: Jack Bauer. This season opens up with "Grandpa" Jack babysitting his granddaughter. Stop right there. The Jack Bauer I know and love is a cold blooded, win at all costs federal agent. No one wants to see Grandpa Jack. We want the man who tortured his own brother, got so deep undercover that he became a heroin addict and would probably waterboard his own mother in order to get "THE TRUTH!" I was thrilled to see him bury an ax in that guy's chest during the first hour but was a little upset that he wasn't on board when Renee cut that Russian's hand off at the end of hour four. Hopefully, Jack will turn it around over the next twenty weeks.
The highlight of the first four hours was definetely the introduction of the new characters. In the interest of time and reader boredom, I'll focus on three.
President Hassan
President Hassan gives us the leader of a radical Islamic state that is open to talks with the United States over nuclear proliferation. This is an interesting character considering the current state of our world and shows that the writers and producers can incorporate real world issues into the show. However, I was completely taken out of it by constantly thinking about becoming a MILLON-AIR! I'm sure Anil Kapoor will have a fine career but I all I could do during the first episode was think of ways to mix President Hassan with his character from "Slumdog Millionaire" such as "When President Hassan leaves office he could write a book that would make him a MILLON-AIR!" or "If his wife finds out that President Hassan is cheating on her with that reporter, the divorce settlement will make her a MILLON-AIR!" Also, I always love the fictional country that they create for these world leaders. My wife deemed President Hassan to be from Quagistan but after a little research it looks like he's from "Kamistan." (It goes without saying that I prefer Kate's by far.) I would love to see them choose a real country and stick with it. I mean they have no problem picking on the Russians! During Hour Four, we again learned that the Russians have their dirty, commy hands in this one. Why is it that they can't name a real Middle Eastern country but they can always drag "The Russians" in? Twenty years after the fall of the Iron Curtain and it's still the god damn Russians!
Cole Ortiz
Freddie Prinze Jr. reprises the same basic role that we see each year. The young CTU hot shot that gets to work with Jack. We can only hope he can pull it off as well as "Cut Your Arm Off" Chase from Day 3 or Rick "Don't call me Ricky" Schroeder in Day 6. I'm hoping Day 9 will bring us either Josh Hartnett or if we're really lucky Chris Klein.
Dana Walsh
Had to save my favorite- and most ridiculous- character for last. Dana Walsh is a Senior Data Analyst at CTU New York who is hiding a secret past including a former identity. What is her secret? Well her van driving white trash ex-boyfriend or perhaps her single-mother sister will let us know. Either way, it's absolutely ridiculous. Now I'm not one who goes out of his way to find plot holes, but I'm having a tough time accepting that someone who works for the Counter-Terrorist Unit wouldn't have some type of background check done on her. Is there no type of vetting process for a federal agent??? Additionally, who gets harassed/stalked and threatened by ex, but then proceeds to give him the keys to her place? It's clear that the ex boyfriend angle is this season's version of the "unneccessary storyline" that was previously taken by the director of CTU has a crazy daughter in Day Four and Wayne Palmer is president in Day Six.
Other highlights? The always fantastic Chloe O'Brian (again played perfectly by Mary-Lynn Rajskub), the bit roles from the cable TV all stars especially Captain David Aceveda from "The Shield" and Vincent Chase's scumbag cousin from Entourage and finally Bubba Gump himself as the head of CTU New York. When you throw in a mentally unstable Renee Walker sawing hands off while undercover with the Russians and the rumored return of President Charles Logan, I know that I will be enjoying Day 9.
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