Chloe? Bill? Where’d ya go?
Another Monday, another hour gone. How’d the latest episode of 24 hold up? Well, stick around and we’ll tell ya the 24 things we loved and hated about the episode gone by.
What I Loved:
1. Torture Theory: I kinda dig the torture debate as an underlying theme this year. At the very least they aren’t abandoning the theme that set up the season, seeing as Jack was on trial for this very thing. Plus the whole “torture is unreliable” argument holds some weight. Definitely the best debate on the topic in many a season.
2. Bad Gas: Jack’s ingenuity in formulating and administering the lethal gas against the ex-Prime Minister of Sengala not only proves his adaptability but also his dedication to the mission. He was actually willing to kill the poor guy! Hard-frickin’-core.
3. Ridin’ Dirty: Side note time. Renee’s car? Super huge, super awesome. ‘Nuff said.
4. Short Bus: Side note, round two. Terrorists’ yellow mini-bus? Also super awesome, but not super huge. ‘Nuff said again.
5. Renee Walker: Honestly, the female Jack Bauer. She’s on the scene, she’s ready to do what she’s gotta do… but damn, she’s captured pretty fast. Maybe more of a female Chase Edmunds. She’s got potential though.
6. Henry Taylor FTW: Henry Taylor is great. The real time element kicks in as he’s not shown until 30 minutes into the episode — all of that time spent dwelling on the revelations of his son’s death in the same spot as last episode. That, to me, is honest real time. Well done, writers.
7. Taylor’s Resolve: I still don’t like Allison Taylor, but at least she’s proving her stick-to-your-guns morality. Yeah, I miss the Palmers, but if we can find some characterization to match her steadfast beliefs, I’ll be sold on 24‘s first female prez.
8. FBI Chemistry: Hey Billy Walsh, what are you doin’ mackin’ on my girl Erica? That’s my girl! Alright, as long as you show more of her pretty face, I guess I don’t give a hoot. Just return her before 9:00 PM.
9. Green Screen Madness: Speaking of Billy Walsh, you know that convo between him and his wife, where she’s in the airport? Yeah, not real. Behold, biznartches.
10. Shut up!: Tony Almeida, so important in the first episodes of the season, is relegated to maybe ten lines the entire episode, his most prominent being the words “Shut up!” to Renee Walker. Hey, if you got nothing nice to say, you might as well tell it as it is.
11. The Old Days: The scene between Jack and Renee, where he has to shoot her in front of his newfound employers, was straight out of 24‘s first season when Jack had to do the same to eventual terrorist Nina Myers. From the line “You’ll have to look into my eyes,” the scene mirrored the first season pretty much to the letter. Thank you, writers, for offering this moment to longtime fans.
12. Graveyard Shift: Uh, how about the most effed up ending to a 24 episode in a long time? Burying Renee alive? Even I have to wonder how she’s gonna get out of this one. Very freaking creepy. Major points for keeping her cool in that situation. If you need proof that Renee’s the best female 24 has seen in years, look no further.
13. George Mason Reborn: On a side note, I should say now that I think I’m going to like Larry Moss eventually. I hate this butthole right now, but down the line, I think he might be A-OK. At the very least he’s a new version of the George Mason / Ryan Chapelle dynamic that’s been missing since the first three seasons of the show, so if he can bring that about-face into the forefront, I’ll be happy to stand corrected about this would-be-cheese-muncher.
What I Hated:
1. Yemi!!!: As I said in the last article, I love the Lost alums. So when Emerson tooled on the Prime Minister’s security guard, played by the same dude as Mr. Eko’s brother Yemi, I was pretty furious. Black Smoke Monster’s gonna be maaaaad.
2. Speedy Reply, Part 1: The sniper’s lawyers filed grievances against the FBI. Sure, I get that, Renee tortured the client. But that fast? Not a chance, real time gods. Not a frickin’ chance.
3. Richard Gere?: This could’ve fallen under the “love” category, but I’m way too distracted by the guy who plays terrorist David Emerson. That’s not Richard Gere? Really? Every time I look at the guy I get a First Knight flashback.
4. Shadow CTU?: Hey, uh, where’s Bill? Where’s Chloe? You introduce the very best plot twist in at least two seasons, yet these characters are totally absent from yet another episode? So far, they’re 2/5 episodes. Unforgivable.
5. Son of a Gitch, Part 1: Ah, yes. The old “Key Under the Mat” trick. Ye old “Ah, he musta left the key under the mat.” Gotta love old tricks. And by love, I mean hate.
6. Son of a Gitch, Part 2: Okay, who didn’t call that this guy was a total d-bag? Obviously he wasn’t on the level. I was hoping he was a junior Agent Pierce, but that would be too easy, right 24? Waaay too easy to make a brand new cool character. Nah, let’s just have another mole. That’ll shock the folks at home, right? Right?!
7. Janis Fights the Law: Attorney General is after Janis’s nuts. Larry won’t relinquish said nuts since she’s needed in the impending terrorist threat. Law department didn’t get that memo. Alright, 24, we understand the need for filler scenes, but even this is stretching it kinda thin.
8. Speedy Reply, Part 2: So the NSA catches word of Agent Walker on the phone lines within 10 minutes of the call? Look, I hope to god that the NSA is that good but I just don’t buy it.
9. Son of a Gitch, Part 3: Yeah, we’re going for a third round. This dude, Secret Agent Gitch (or, as I like to call him, Giatch), takes frickin’ forever to knife Henry Taylor. So long, in fact, that he hasn’t even stabbed him by the end of the episode. What are you waiting for, dude? Just get it over with! Sloppy footwork.
10. Presidential Pardon: The whole Taylor/Kanin plot is forced. Cherry Jones and Bob Gunton are fine actors that are totally wasted right now. Give these guys something to chew on, please! They have absolutely zilch to do other than debate the same topic over and over every hour. Booooring.
11. Landfill: Overall, this episode feels like total filler material. It’s a classic “Get from A to C” episode, where you have to dwell on boring ass “B” the whole time. This show has already used a lot of good will with the sixth season, so hopefully they pick up the pace before too long.
Come back every Tuesday morning for new installments of 24 Things I Hate/Love About 24!
