Wow, is anyone watching 24 this season?
Apr. 15th, 2010 02:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hafitalThings were hectic with me, so I wasn't able to watch it till just recently, and as typical with 24, once I started I couldn't stop!
Is it just me, or is this season kind of amazing? I mean, I'm an easy sell for 24 -- I still am rather fond of day 6 despite its trainwreck-ness -- so, granted, it might not take much to make me love it, but I had felt day 8 had started off a bit weak, yet it's only gotten stronger with each episode. I've been completely riveted.
I wasn't surprised that 24 would not be continuing after this season, and truth be told I'm relieved! Not because I don't love the show like crazy, but it's exhausting just watching it and I'm not sure what else this show can explore without absolutely destroying the characters we (I) love. However, seeing how awesome this season has been so far, and also there have been certain developments that I would love to see play out further in another season. But, again, I think in general ending the show is probably a good call, and they get to end on a very high note, imo. (plus they say there's going to be a movie).
Thoughts and reactions to Day 8 of 24 (so far):
-- I LOVE Kim Bauer, so I was happy to see her and her family and know they're good and safe and not in any danger. There were moments throughout the episodes so far where I was really worried some terrorist would trot out that Kim and fam were being held hostage somewhere. lol.
-- "I hate this place." Oh man, Jack. I already loved him, but that moment just solidified that complex relationship Jack has with CTU and the (to him) necessary horror it entails.
-- On the whole I think this season has had one of the smoother plots. I mean, much of it still doesn't make sense if you look too closely and there are plot holes everywhere, but in terms of carrying your audience from one point to the next, each crisis has lead naturally into the next one, etc. The only storyline that I truly had no patience for was the Dana Walsh one with the crazy scary exboyfriend. For the most part, each time her storyline was shown I was all, OMG I DON'T CARE. It was annoying, and I was so happy she ended up being a traitor/mole mostly because that meant that whole storyline was over, and sadly Katee Sackhoff's acting wasn't enough to make much of it work for me.
-- I didn't think I was gonna like Freddie Prince Jr. as much as I have, and I really like Cole a lot and have been very much afraid that he was going to die and I'm very glad he hasn't (yet, hopefully never). He's a little empty-headed on occasion, but I like Jack and him together, and maybe I'm just missing Tony (UNDERSTATEMENT) but I always like it when Jack has a partner he can rely on most of the time in which he as something of an equal relationship with. Cole is not Jack's equal exactly, but he holds his own much more than, say, Chase ever did, or any other tactical officer we've seen in a while except for Tony or Renee. And also I like it that there's no animosity or power struggle between them, and they have the "betrayed by hot girlfriend who is really a stone cold killer and general all round traitor and evil person" thing in common. yay bonding.
-- In the 17 episodes that have aired so far Jack's been beat up, stabbed, electrocuted repeatedly, and nearly broken ribs from repeat gunfire through protective vest. During the electrocution scene I thought that he's gotten so tough and immune to torture that it's like they were tickling him. It was almost laughable. And I love how these bad guys (and one supposed good guy, the General) were all "I'll take out Jack Bauer, too". hahahahahaha. Well, I suppose you can try, and you may live to regret it but most likely you'll probably be dead after the attempt.
-- That was also one of the things I really like about this season so far, with both Jack and Chloe. You can really feel the weight of the lessons they've both learned from previous days informing how they respond to any present crisis. And for the first time, people actually listened to them. Not right away, granted, but soon after. It's nice to see the writers spin that particular device differently.
-- I grew to like Hastings quite a bit and he learned to listen to Jack and Chloe really fast which I'm thankful for because Jack and Co. v CTU Director gets tiring and repetitive after a while, and for a while there I thought 24 would actually go a full season without replacing a CTU director, but how AWESOME is it that Chloe is now interim head of CTU NY?!?!!? This is one of those things that I would love to see play out in another season, but at the same time nothing much good ever happens to CTU Directors so maybe it's a good thing because I'd hate for anything truly bad to happen to Chloe.
-- Awesome President Cherry Jones is awesome. I really like Allison Taylor. And although my heart still belongs to David Palmer, I think Taylor may be a better president. I mean, she's kind of unbelievably amazing and strong and true and just all around kind of kick ass.
-- I was also a little iffy on President Hassan at first, and we kind of didn't get to know what sort of man he *truly* was until mid-way through the season. Ultimately, we see that he is a man of strong passions, and if he loses his moral compass those passions take over, but in essence he was a decent man and chose to do the right thing more often than not. I didn't really think he was going to be killed. I was totally shocked, and the visual depiction of him tied to a chair with his throat cut was one of the most horrifying images 24 has shown. I thought Jack would be able to save him. Plot-wise, it makes sense for the last arc of the season, but I'm still a little queasy about it.
-- So, now we get to Renee Walker. I have to confess and say I was never that fond of her in Day 7. I appreciated her as a strong, female character who was kick ass in her own right, but the whole should I/shouldn't I torture thing was difficult to watch. And I didn't know how I felt about the way it was shown, as Renee not being strong enough or mentally capable of using hard interrogative techniques, not the way Jack can. Clearly she *didn't* have the personality that could handle it, but she started cracking almost in the first hour of Day 7, which tells me whatever her issues might have been they were there long before Jack entered her life, which we learn may have something to do with her undercover op with the Russian Mafia, or maybe it was always there. I did like Renee a whole lot more in Day 8, though. Despite clearly recovering from some form of depression, she was less anxious and her energy dovtailed with Jack's much better. She and Jack worked very well together, and I bought how the romance was shown -- not overtly, not sentimentally. Last season I really worried they'd go to the Jack/Renee place, because then automatically she'd lose all her agency, all of her strength, and would be subsumed under the umbrella of Jack Bauer, not to mention it would be a sure sign that she would then have something horrible happen to her, because that's what happens -- ultimately all the women Jack gets involved with are "'fridged." And clearly it DID happen. I mean, not two minutes after Jack and Renee get together, she's shot and killed. However, I will say that I appreciated that her death was not a direct result of anything Jack did, nor was it random violence.
-- Jack Bauer trying not to break down crying, sitting by himself outside the E.R., was truly one of the hardest things to watch. I don't know what this is going to do to him. I mean, jeezus. Cleary, if anyone can survive this sort of repeated heartbreak over and over again, Jack can, but I don't know. How is that man still sane? He has a core that is solid, and we've seen him close to the edge many times, but he's never really lost it. I hope he doesn't lose it. meep.
-- Next to Allison Taylor, my other favorite female character this season is Dalia Hassan. Soon to be President Dalia Hassan! AWESOME. And can I just note that it will then be two female presidents negotiating peace, and Chloe O'Brian running CTU. :D :D :D :D
-- Of course who knows what will happen in the next six hours. *big eyes*
-- I was sad that Tony Almeida wasn't in this season, but in many ways it's also a relief because then I would be on pins and needles about it all season long. It seems that Renee Walker really took up that slot in Jack's life this season (and she ended up dead and that's pretty much UNACCEPTABLE as a result for Tony), and they sort of wrote themselves into a corner with regards to Tony. Bringing him back might have limited their story options. So I can sort of understand why they chose not to have Tony in this season. Even though I miss him like woah.
-- My little Yuletide story is now totally an AU. lol. *pets it*
-- As a change from previous seasons, this time I've watched 24 without reading fandom posts or comments and not going to fan message boards, which has pretty much risen my enjoyment in watching on all levels. Once the season is done, I may poke through and see what the reactions were on the big events. I did start reading the TWOP recaps because those are relatively low stress -- my favorite quote so far: He says he's worried about her [Renee]. I'm worried about the sex-voice he's using. It makes me feel uneasy and slightly gay. *snicker*
Is it just me, or is this season kind of amazing? I mean, I'm an easy sell for 24 -- I still am rather fond of day 6 despite its trainwreck-ness -- so, granted, it might not take much to make me love it, but I had felt day 8 had started off a bit weak, yet it's only gotten stronger with each episode. I've been completely riveted.
I wasn't surprised that 24 would not be continuing after this season, and truth be told I'm relieved! Not because I don't love the show like crazy, but it's exhausting just watching it and I'm not sure what else this show can explore without absolutely destroying the characters we (I) love. However, seeing how awesome this season has been so far, and also there have been certain developments that I would love to see play out further in another season. But, again, I think in general ending the show is probably a good call, and they get to end on a very high note, imo. (plus they say there's going to be a movie).
Thoughts and reactions to Day 8 of 24 (so far):
-- I LOVE Kim Bauer, so I was happy to see her and her family and know they're good and safe and not in any danger. There were moments throughout the episodes so far where I was really worried some terrorist would trot out that Kim and fam were being held hostage somewhere. lol.
-- "I hate this place." Oh man, Jack. I already loved him, but that moment just solidified that complex relationship Jack has with CTU and the (to him) necessary horror it entails.
-- On the whole I think this season has had one of the smoother plots. I mean, much of it still doesn't make sense if you look too closely and there are plot holes everywhere, but in terms of carrying your audience from one point to the next, each crisis has lead naturally into the next one, etc. The only storyline that I truly had no patience for was the Dana Walsh one with the crazy scary exboyfriend. For the most part, each time her storyline was shown I was all, OMG I DON'T CARE. It was annoying, and I was so happy she ended up being a traitor/mole mostly because that meant that whole storyline was over, and sadly Katee Sackhoff's acting wasn't enough to make much of it work for me.
-- I didn't think I was gonna like Freddie Prince Jr. as much as I have, and I really like Cole a lot and have been very much afraid that he was going to die and I'm very glad he hasn't (yet, hopefully never). He's a little empty-headed on occasion, but I like Jack and him together, and maybe I'm just missing Tony (UNDERSTATEMENT) but I always like it when Jack has a partner he can rely on most of the time in which he as something of an equal relationship with. Cole is not Jack's equal exactly, but he holds his own much more than, say, Chase ever did, or any other tactical officer we've seen in a while except for Tony or Renee. And also I like it that there's no animosity or power struggle between them, and they have the "betrayed by hot girlfriend who is really a stone cold killer and general all round traitor and evil person" thing in common. yay bonding.
-- In the 17 episodes that have aired so far Jack's been beat up, stabbed, electrocuted repeatedly, and nearly broken ribs from repeat gunfire through protective vest. During the electrocution scene I thought that he's gotten so tough and immune to torture that it's like they were tickling him. It was almost laughable. And I love how these bad guys (and one supposed good guy, the General) were all "I'll take out Jack Bauer, too". hahahahahaha. Well, I suppose you can try, and you may live to regret it but most likely you'll probably be dead after the attempt.
-- That was also one of the things I really like about this season so far, with both Jack and Chloe. You can really feel the weight of the lessons they've both learned from previous days informing how they respond to any present crisis. And for the first time, people actually listened to them. Not right away, granted, but soon after. It's nice to see the writers spin that particular device differently.
-- I grew to like Hastings quite a bit and he learned to listen to Jack and Chloe really fast which I'm thankful for because Jack and Co. v CTU Director gets tiring and repetitive after a while, and for a while there I thought 24 would actually go a full season without replacing a CTU director, but how AWESOME is it that Chloe is now interim head of CTU NY?!?!!? This is one of those things that I would love to see play out in another season, but at the same time nothing much good ever happens to CTU Directors so maybe it's a good thing because I'd hate for anything truly bad to happen to Chloe.
-- Awesome President Cherry Jones is awesome. I really like Allison Taylor. And although my heart still belongs to David Palmer, I think Taylor may be a better president. I mean, she's kind of unbelievably amazing and strong and true and just all around kind of kick ass.
-- I was also a little iffy on President Hassan at first, and we kind of didn't get to know what sort of man he *truly* was until mid-way through the season. Ultimately, we see that he is a man of strong passions, and if he loses his moral compass those passions take over, but in essence he was a decent man and chose to do the right thing more often than not. I didn't really think he was going to be killed. I was totally shocked, and the visual depiction of him tied to a chair with his throat cut was one of the most horrifying images 24 has shown. I thought Jack would be able to save him. Plot-wise, it makes sense for the last arc of the season, but I'm still a little queasy about it.
-- So, now we get to Renee Walker. I have to confess and say I was never that fond of her in Day 7. I appreciated her as a strong, female character who was kick ass in her own right, but the whole should I/shouldn't I torture thing was difficult to watch. And I didn't know how I felt about the way it was shown, as Renee not being strong enough or mentally capable of using hard interrogative techniques, not the way Jack can. Clearly she *didn't* have the personality that could handle it, but she started cracking almost in the first hour of Day 7, which tells me whatever her issues might have been they were there long before Jack entered her life, which we learn may have something to do with her undercover op with the Russian Mafia, or maybe it was always there. I did like Renee a whole lot more in Day 8, though. Despite clearly recovering from some form of depression, she was less anxious and her energy dovtailed with Jack's much better. She and Jack worked very well together, and I bought how the romance was shown -- not overtly, not sentimentally. Last season I really worried they'd go to the Jack/Renee place, because then automatically she'd lose all her agency, all of her strength, and would be subsumed under the umbrella of Jack Bauer, not to mention it would be a sure sign that she would then have something horrible happen to her, because that's what happens -- ultimately all the women Jack gets involved with are "'fridged." And clearly it DID happen. I mean, not two minutes after Jack and Renee get together, she's shot and killed. However, I will say that I appreciated that her death was not a direct result of anything Jack did, nor was it random violence.
-- Jack Bauer trying not to break down crying, sitting by himself outside the E.R., was truly one of the hardest things to watch. I don't know what this is going to do to him. I mean, jeezus. Cleary, if anyone can survive this sort of repeated heartbreak over and over again, Jack can, but I don't know. How is that man still sane? He has a core that is solid, and we've seen him close to the edge many times, but he's never really lost it. I hope he doesn't lose it. meep.
-- Next to Allison Taylor, my other favorite female character this season is Dalia Hassan. Soon to be President Dalia Hassan! AWESOME. And can I just note that it will then be two female presidents negotiating peace, and Chloe O'Brian running CTU. :D :D :D :D
-- Of course who knows what will happen in the next six hours. *big eyes*
-- I was sad that Tony Almeida wasn't in this season, but in many ways it's also a relief because then I would be on pins and needles about it all season long. It seems that Renee Walker really took up that slot in Jack's life this season (and she ended up dead and that's pretty much UNACCEPTABLE as a result for Tony), and they sort of wrote themselves into a corner with regards to Tony. Bringing him back might have limited their story options. So I can sort of understand why they chose not to have Tony in this season. Even though I miss him like woah.
-- My little Yuletide story is now totally an AU. lol. *pets it*
-- As a change from previous seasons, this time I've watched 24 without reading fandom posts or comments and not going to fan message boards, which has pretty much risen my enjoyment in watching on all levels. Once the season is done, I may poke through and see what the reactions were on the big events. I did start reading the TWOP recaps because those are relatively low stress -- my favorite quote so far: He says he's worried about her [Renee]. I'm worried about the sex-voice he's using. It makes me feel uneasy and slightly gay. *snicker*
