It's a good thing that this blog starts with the word "whine," since that gives me permission to get crabby every so often. My TV addiction is well-documented, but lately a lot of shows -- some of my favorites -- are letting me down... Lost, Desperate Housewives, even my beloved Scrubs has the two episodes still waiting to be watched on TiVo.
Add 24 to the list.
I am not alone. Go to any discussion board about the Fox Monday night thriller and the bandwagon is getting a tad less crowded. Sure this seems to have occurred every season of late, but the cry just seems to be a bit louder this year.
Sorry Jack, I just feel like I've seen it all before, seen it all before, seen it all before (imaginary prize for the person to name that tune).
The four-hour opener held promise. Curtis getting knocked off and even the nuke going off on U.S. soil (though even that is nothing new in 24 folklore) had its "oh crap" factor. In past seasons, when those final seconds of the hour clicked away, my jaw would often be on the floor or I would be yelling or cursing a week worth of wait. These days the end is more of an "eh" and we really do need your "Previously on 24" recaps to remember what happened in the prior hour.
I know this is escapist entertainment... so I have been forgiving about the plot holes... but they are getting more difficult to ignore. I know you're a super-hero Jack, but if you are stabbed in the shoulder with a knife at least pretend it still hurts just a wee bit when you are scaling fences and climbing onto rooftops just an hour or two later. And what luck you have with the cell phones you steal commandeer from the bad guys or just everyday folk. I guess they have been recently charged up and are already pre-programmed with the numbers for everyone at CTU.
I guess the "new" angle this season Jack is that you are starting to question your line of work. I saw that hint of remorse and hesitation when you were torturing Graem. Granted that goodwill was likely canceled out since he is your brother.
Speaking of which, it is just a tad too convenient that last season's secret bad guy is brother Graem and that never seen or mentioned Daddy is (ssshhh!) a bad guy of epic proportions as well. But surprise family members are not limited to the Bauer clan. Who knew the presidential Palmer brothers had a sister all this time?! I guess she wasn't on the notify list when David was assassinated in the opening moments of last season. And can we really believe David's second banana of brother who has the charisma of piece of driftwood is the new Prez? But I guess these days we can never question who (or how) one ends up being President of United States. While this show has never been about the good writing, Wayne just can't pull off the dialogue ("I will not promote the politics of fear!" We laughed. ) quite as well as the State Farm Allstate spokesman or even the over-the-top Charles Logan.
Even my snarky Chloe seems a bit neutered this season. I have read that there was an effort to have a new, "mature" Chloe this season. Too bad, since apparently that's just code for less one-liners and a new hair color.
Oh well. Perhaps things will change. This show tends to reinvent itself two or three times within a single season, so maybe subsequent acts will bring me back into the fold.
But Jack, after 4 seasons (we didn't watch the first season), you've set the bar pretty high. It's really hard to shock me... and I don't mean electrocution scenes... we've had enough of that method of "coercion" too.
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