Has anyone been watching this season of 24?

[winston89]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 10:55pm

I have been watching it and I am not sure if I like what I am seeing or not. I think that at first the appeal of the show was seeing what Jack would do next. And, that the things that he did were considered " bad ass" etc. Now I feel like it might be too much. Yet, I can't stop watching it.

I think that what got me to watch this season was that I really enjoyed 24 Redemption which was the precursor to the rest of the season. I think that because I enjoyed that so much that I thought that this season might redeem itself from the mess that was last season.

What are some other views on this?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 11:45pm

I have mixed feelings about it so far. It's already much better than last season's nightmare, despite the apparent resurrection of Tony Almeida (can Michelle Dessler's re-appearance be far behind?).

I was annoyed that the "evil Tony" lasted about an episode and a half. Either commit to that story line or don't even bother.

What I want is for Chloe and Bill to have more important roles than sitting in a house somewhere staring at a computer giving instructions to Jack and Tony. If that's how this plays out, it's gonna be mighty dull. Chloe and Bill are two of the more interesting characters they've ever had, and to be frank, the only two reasons I stuck it out last year.

The FBI characters, with the exception of Renee are all irritating beyond belief. Jeanine Garofolo is playing "Chloe lite" and the boss is just irritating. Also, I couldn't care less about the annoying guy and the blonde chick he's sleeping with. I don't enjoy the FBI's preaching on this show about how morally superior they are to CTU. I know it will never happen, but I enjoyed the show the most when CTU was the base of its operations.

In terms of the Presidents on this show, Cherry Jones has been a lightweight thus far. Especially when you compare her to David Palmer, Charles Logan, and Noah Daniels. It's early yet, I know, but she needs to be given more to do. We know she's a brilliant actress, so why is she relegated to repeating some variation of, "If I pull the troops out, I condemn thousands of innocent Songalans to death" over and over again? At this point, her husband is more interesting. Not Sherie Palmer interesting, but who will ever be as outrageous as that character? Her staff (sorry Bob Gunton) has been a pretty dull group of actors, too. Where's interesting, complex characters in the inner circle like Tom Lennox, Karen Hayes, and my favorite, Mike Novick???

I'm also very, very worried that Spawn (aka Kim Bauer) is returning this year. Her character was irritating by the middle of season 1, much less the two seasons after that she was on (including the one where she randomly became a CTU analyst).

Still, it's early yet, and they've had some really great scenes (like the escape from FBI headquarters). The one with this show never is is complacent, so I'm sure things will change and continue to evolve.

Updated On: 1/24/09 at 11:45 PM

[Radiana]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 12:00am

I shouldn't be posting on this thread but I am trying desperately to earn my broadway legend wings. I started watching 24 the very first season and for me it was just overwhelmingly violent. I think I had to give up on it the third week. I felt it was a terrific show, well done in every way, but it got me so emotionally involved that my nerves couldn't take it.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 12:05am

The first season was incredibly tame compared to all of the later ones in terms of violence.

[Radiana]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 12:27am

Well then I'm glad I got out when I did. I remember in theater history learning that the early Greek theater would not allow violence to be shown onstage, it could only be part of the story through the lines that the chorus gave.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 2:46am

I'm not thoroughly excited by what I've seen so far, but I'm hoping that's because the first batch of episodes were filmed before the writers' strike, and hopefully they will get their bearings after a couple of more episodes. Right now, I'm not caring too much for the FBI agents, and seriously, "evil Tony" only lasting a couple of minutes was such a waste of hype.

[LaurenB]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 2:53am

'Jeanine Garofolo is playing "Chloe lite" ...'

That was my exact first impression too.

[winston89]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 4:39am

My friend who was watching it sent me an IM after he watched the first couple of episodes. He had asked me if written in somewhere that every government agency had to have some version of Chloe.
What I do find interesting is that normally, I would avoid the scenes from the next episode because I don't want anything to be ruined for me. Now, the way I feel about those is that in the beginning of the season they can show a fair amount in next weeks scenes and not give anything away. However, I find that as the season goes on they show the same amount but there is more going on that they do often give away something important to the plot. Normally I would avoid them no matter how far into the season they are. But, this time I really don't care. However, considering that I am back at school and my only option to watch it is on the fox website. My choice is made for me since they don't show the next week's scenes when your streaming it online.

There have been some pretty interesting scenes in this season in terms of violence.

Not to give away any spoilers as to what happened between Jack and Renee Walker. But, all I can say without giving anything away was that it was a very interesting and yet disturbing scene. Anyone who saw this weeks episode will know what it is I am talking about.

[broadwaybaby77]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 10:14am

I agree pretty much with what everyone else has said so far. I'm really enjoying this season; infinitely more than last season. Last season I wasn't stressed and hyperventilating during the episodes and this year I definitely am.

Winston, that scene at the end of last week's episode was QUITE disturbing. The whole time I had no idea what was really going on. I don't this this question constitutes as a spoiler, but how often do they do the silent clock tick? The last time I remember them using it was in season 5 with Edgar's big moment, and we all know what that meant. The use of it in this past episode doesn't quite make sense in the same way, though.

That may have been a little too cryptic to understand, but kudos if you even have a vague idea of what I mean :)

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 11:15am

I know what you mean. The problem is, though, Annie Wersching has been billed and advertised as a major new cast member this year. I doubt they'd off her so early on.

[winston89]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 11:37am

broadwaybaby77, I went to the 24 Wiki page and searched silent clock. The article that came up talked about how they only use the silent clock at the end if either a main character dies or something very dramatic happens at the end of an episode. According to said Wiki there have only been two times that they used the silent clock to make a dramatic situation more dramatic. And, that was with the attempt on Palmer's life in season 2. And, what happened on Monday's episode.

[broadwaybaby77]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 11:50am

I searched it also, and I just read "The silent clock has been used eight times; once per season in Seasons 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7, once in 24: Redemption twice in Season 2, and not at all in Season 4." (http://24.wikia.com/wiki/Silent_clock) I guess I forgot that they've used it so often.

Regardless, I don't think she's dead. I'm very excited for Monday night, though. I can't wait to see what's going to happen with the President's husband and his son's girlfriend and that ever-so-sketchy Secret Serviceman.

[BroadwayBoy2]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 12:20pm

Seasons 1-5 were fantastic. Season 6 was a nightmare. Rememption was not that fantastic either. With the history of the show, I was reluctant to watch this season, but I did. I am enjoying it alot. The way mondays ep ended I literally screamed out loud.

[winston89]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 7:21pm

I described this season of 24 to that of a typical season of Lost. In that I am not sure if I am liking it but I do know that I can't stop watching.

I did think that redemption was far better then the rest of the season is thus far. My brother had watched 24 from season one but stopped after the mess that was last season. We both agreed that they can only have Bauer do one "bad ass" thing after another before it gets to be old and stop being cool and starts giving off the impression that the writes aren't even beginning to try anymore.

I think that the problem with this show is that a couple of years back due to the high popularity with this show, I recalled reading somewhere that they had planned to keep this going until 2011 and then do a movie. I think that if that is true then they shot themselves in the foot because they lost a good chunk of their core fan base after what we saw last year and they have to work to redeem themselves. I mean, you know that a season of a show is bad when the writers have to release a letter say that they are sorry and asking for the audience to forgive them because they know that they messed up.

[winston89]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 7:21pm

I described this season of 24 to that of a typical season of Lost. In that I am not sure if I am liking it but I do know that I can't stop watching.

I did think that redemption was far better then the rest of the season is thus far. My brother had watched 24 from season one but stopped after the mess that was last season. We both agreed that they can only have Bauer do one "bad ass" thing after another before it gets to be old and stop being cool and starts giving off the impression that the writes aren't even beginning to try anymore.

I think that the problem with this show is that a couple of years back due to the high popularity with this show, I recalled reading somewhere that they had planned to keep this going until 2011 and then do a movie. I think that if that is true then they shot themselves in the foot because they lost a good chunk of their core fan base after what we saw last year and they have to work to redeem themselves. I mean, you know that a season of a show is bad when the writers have to release a letter say that they are sorry and asking for the audience to forgive them because they know that they messed up.

[broadwaybaby77]

Posted: 1/27/09 at 9:16am

Last night's episode was particularly interesting. When Tony was making the exchange, I was very jumpy. And the whole sequence with the President's husband was a really great way to sort of resolve things. That is my favorite sub-plot so far.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/27/09 at 2:18pm

I thought last night's episode was very good, although this whole "First dude" subplot is getting to me. I am glad they are finally giving Cherry Jones a real dilemma to solve, and we get a chance to see her flex her acting muscles a bit. I also like that they're keeping her in character as a Republican, given that according to the 24 timeline, that's what she'd be (her predecessor, Noah Daniels, whom she defeated in the election, was the Vice President for Wayne Palmer, who was a Democrat).

I loved, loved, loved the scenes at the warehouse. That's what I loved abou the show int he past- action combined with real drama (i.e. Tony having to kill his "friend").

Best line of the night, when Renee asks Bill who they're working with, and he responds, "Oh no one. It's just us."

This is rivaled only by the Colonel asking Chloe if she's from the FBI, and Chloe responding, "No, I'm a stay at home mom."

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/27/09 at 2:26pm

Chloe's "stay at home mom" line was the best of the night.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 1/27/09 at 3:09pm

The BEST show on TV.

Guess we can kind of throw the theory about the silent clock out the window, huh?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/2/09 at 10:14pm

What the hell was that tonight???????????

I'm sorry, but that had to be the dumbest two hours of television I've watched in a long time. Sneaking into the White House through some underwater entry point? Really? Who came up with that? A middle-schooler?

But, as if that weren't bad enough...it worked!!!! Come on, people, give your audience a LITTLE credit. How many secret agents were working anyway? About a dozen?

In order to like this show, you have to suspend your disbelief often, but this just took it too far. I think I may be done with this show now, as I can't put up with this nonsense anymore. Sad decline for a once great show.
Updated On: 3/2/09 at 10:14 PM

[BroadwayBoy2]

Posted: 3/2/09 at 10:16pm

I have to say the last 20 min of the episode tonight was prob the best this season has been so far. Cherry is fantastic, but this show will be what it was in season 5. Day 5 was their masterpiece and should have left it at that.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/2/09 at 10:23pm

There was nothing riveting or interesting about this ridiculously far-fetched idea of terrorists taking over the White House, a White House which appeared to have about a dozen agents guarding it.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 1:38pm

Sure, it was a huge suspension of disbelief. But what a fun one! What IF a group could take over the White House? I think it's wild. SO much more fun having action take place in DC.

And Cherry Jones is f***ing ASTONISHING! That last scene was wowwowowowowowowowow.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 2:43pm

Really enjoying this season.
Love Cherry as Mdme. President.
Looking forward to next week.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 3/3/09 at 2:53pm

vince flynn's transfer of power has a relatively plausible description of a takeover of the white house.