Okay, fire away with thoughts on night two of the "24" season seven premiere. One stray thought: who ever would have thought that the two talent bookers from "The Larry Sanders Show" would wind up trying to out-hack each other in the middle of a 21st century techno-thriller?
Monday, January 12, 2009
24, season seven, night two open thread
Okay, fire away with thoughts on night two of the "24" season seven premiere. One stray thought: who ever would have thought that the two talent bookers from "The Larry Sanders Show" would wind up trying to out-hack each other in the middle of a 21st century techno-thriller?
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I enjoyed the Janis/Chloe geek fight tremendously and am still looking forward to their first face to face meeting.
I'm surprised we got the "Tony's undercover" reveal so quickly, but whatever. Who cares? Tony, Jack, Chloe and Bill all in one room makes me happy no matter how gruesome the job or how many bodies they leave in their wake.
Also, that dude totally just sentenced his wife to death by bumping her flight up, right? Poor dumbass.
Hooray for Peter Wingfield!
Here's what I really loved about tonight's episode: the show is always at its best when Jack or others go "off the grid," and the writers have most definitely put all of the returning core characters way "off the grid." Next week is the make or break episode, for me anyway. If the writers can sustain this storyline I think we could have a solid string of episodes. I just hope it doesn't go like previous seasons where Jack goes "off the grid," kills the people he's working with, and we're back to business as usual one episode later.
Time will tell.
Here's a fun fact. I saw Janeane Garofalo do stand-up last spring and she talked about filming 24. She said that whenever she was in the background at her computer she'd do stuff to make Rhys Coiro laugh like pretend she was using a typewriter and adjust an imaginary scroll or put whiteout directly on her screen. The producers didn't notice at first, but then realized what she'd been doing and had to go back and refilm a bunch of stuff with a double in a wig.
So there was a reference to Gage Whitney Pace law firm, which at one point employed Sam Seaborn.
(Does this mean they exist in the same world? If so my head just exploded...)
This may have just been some exposition I missed, but are Bill and Chloe just freelance crimefighters now, or are they working for someone? 'Cause if they've just hung out a shingle and are doing all this as a two-person shop, that's just funny.
Rick, all their dialogue suggests they're freelance. I wouldn't put it past the writers to reveal seven or eight episodes from now (if not much sooner) that another character has been pulling their strings, but they told Jack that they're flying without a net.
I haven't watched 24 in about three years but I decided to start watching this year. So far so good. It was pretty cool to see Jack, Tony, Bill and Chloe all together again.
I don't know how much longer I'll watch this season but I'm enjoying the ride.
Actually...I'm pretty sure I'll keep watching until at least Elisha Cuthbert shows up. But once she leaves, no promises.
That was fun!
No, really. I'm hoping they can keep this up, but so far so good. I appreciate that we didn't have to wait forever to find out that Tony was undercover. And even though I recited about half the dialog a good 10 seconds before each character opened his or her mouth, I didn't mind so much. Sometimes predictability can be OK, like it's OK when something meets your expectations.
Tony being undercover was the most expected thing of all time. I am not buying this storyline. It's just a rehash of all the other overused storylines from previous seasons.
I can admit the action sequences were entertaining, and that it's probably better than the fiasco that was season 6, but the plot is just not good.
Maybe if I had never seen another season of 24 I'd enjoy it more. Maybe it would seem quite exciting and suspenseful then. However, after you see 3 or 4 seasons, the formula they use becomes apparent, and most of the twists become predictable.
I'll eat a hat if that secret service agent friendly with the First Gentlemen doesn't get killed.
Sigh.
And here I was, hoping for the writers to have the fortitude to give Jack a GOOD enemy. I was really hoping Tony would stay evil. They could've really gone some good places with Good Jack and Evil Tony and what separates the two. I'd love Jack to have an enemy that he has a personal stake with a la Nina Myers. And no, I do not count Glasses and Papa Jack.
But no, of course, Tony is working undercover. There goes that whole idea. Are the writers just lazy?
I'll eat a hat if that secret service agent friendly with the First Gentlemen doesn't get killed.
No, silly, the First Guy's secret service guy is working for the Bad Guys and will now drug and/or otherwise incapacitate the First Guy so it looks as if he has become completely unhinged by the suicide of his son. The question is, will the secret service guy be able to get the thumb drive? I think we all know the answer to that. We have to get through these 20 hours somehow or other.
I love it that Bill has let his hair grow out... hehehe.
Alan:
Where can we ask how you feel about "The Unit"? Did you ever review it?
It's been entertaining so far, but the ridiculous points are piling up fast -- such as the fact that the guy who built the "firewall" didn't do a good enough job to prevent himself from breaking into it with what looked like spare parts from Radio Shack. Or the fact that the brutal dictator is also some kind of genius conspirator. Or that Tony's alive because yet another gang of conspirators injected him with something. Or the coincidences that Jack just happened to be in the neighborhood when all this went down... or that the guy who was asked to investigate what turned out to be financial crimes related to the president's administration happened to be the president's son... or that the FBI guy tasked with dealing with the planes just happens to have a wife on one of them. (Although it's still not as hard to believe as when all this kind of stuff used to happen in L.A.)
Here's a question; one of president's staff told the president that it will take them 6 days to rewrite the code to keep the bad guys out of the system, so why can't the president just call the war off for now but after 6 days launch a full blown attack?
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Peter Wingfield knows!
If you didn't know they've already filmed the whole season, you'd think they were worried about getting cancelled. Bauer's already switched loyalties twice, and it's not even lunch yet. This is like "24" on Red Bull.
Garofalo isn't annoying me as much as I thought she would, although I don't like her co-worker, Younger and Even More Charmless Andy Garcia. Oh, and I'm not the only one getting a Scully vibe off Agent Walker, am I?
Here's a question; one of president's staff told the president that it will take them 6 days to rewrite the code to keep the bad guys out of the system, so why can't the president just call the war off for now but after 6 days launch a full blown attack?
I thought the same thing, but to be fair, from a world politics standpoint that's not exactly the kind of thing a world power does or should do. Granted the way they were talking about this attack it's not going to sit well with the world community anyway. Plus they tried to make the point that something horrific was going to happen that very day if the troops weren't there to stop it (though admittedly I was only half listening).
I think this season is starting out well, as far as 24 goes. Yes it's ridiculous, yes there's lots of laughable things, but I'm OK with it. Last season went off the rails because they just tried a little too hard to top themselves, and while the action and conspiracies this year seem just as bad, they still didn't begin with nuking LA.
I really didn't think I'd enjoy this season, but watched it out of habit, but I'm really into it so far.
Can we please just start calling Sean "Billy Walsh" already? I keep waiting for him to fly off the handle about someone seeing an advanced copy of "Medellin"....
Jack drove a car through a window! Bill's gone rogue, and looks awesome in a black turtleneck. I'm totally in.
I'm glad we already know (as if anyone didn't) that Tony is deep undercover. There's no point in wasting time with a cat and mouse game between him and Jack. The New CTU has some butt to kick.
I'm also glad we know Tony's undercover; two hours of him being a bad guy was enough (plus we found he really was a bad guy for three years until the bad guys went too far, even for him). I'm sure Jack will get him exonerated for it all, too :-)
The producers didn't notice at first, but then realized what she'd been doing and had to go back and refilm a bunch of stuff with a double in a wig.
That's effed up. I love Garofalo, but that's pretty damn immature of her.
So far, so good. Did they say it's the VP who's corrupt? I thought that's what I heard, but I missed a couple of things and won't have time to rewatch until the weekend.
Bill totally rocks the scruffy bastard look, btw. I think I was more stoked to see Bill and Chloe than I was when Skinner popped up in the last X-Files movie, and I was downright giddy when I saw Skinner, so that's a lot of stoked-ness :-)
If she was doing it with the knowledge that it was going to fuck up a shot then, yeah, that was a sadly juvenile on Garofalo's part, but if she did it in sort of the same spirit that folks on "The Office" or other ensemble shows where the director is all "look like you're working!" to the actors in the background and they just screw around, then it's really funny.
@Maura: that whole parking deck scene rocked. Tony jumping, Bill spinning up in the van and then Jack driving that car right off the ledge...awesome. And then they showed it all again in the previously ons, I like to think, just so I could watch it again.
^True, if she was just goofing around as in the second scenario you outlined, then that is funny :-)
I love Garofalo, but that's pretty damn immature of her.
Well, it's Garofalo. Speaking of immature, the first few times she popped up, I enjoyed yelling at the screen, "Yeah, say the words The Man wrote for you to say, PUPPET. Walk over to where The Man told you to walk, PUPPET!" I live alone and that's why.
Or that's why you live alone...
I think the show is going pretty good right now. Yeah, it's pretty formulaic, but it's still great popcorn tv.
I hate the premise though. There is no way anyone would threaten the US like that to avoid a war. The only thing that does is guarantee an invasion, maybe not right away, but in 6 days when the new firewall is in place. What member of the cabinet would be so dumb as to think this would actually work? Why would the dictator in charge go ahead with this plan? It doesn't help him at all. It simply guarantees his destruction within a week. He would have been better served by holding his own people hostage and making the US, through their invasion, responsible for their deaths. That's the only kind of pressure that could possibly halt the invasion.
It's still fun to watch if you don't think too hard about it though.
To the above poster, exactly. But maybe Dubaku and Candyman aren't that bright, and of course, without this move there'd be no season.
Also ridiculous: President Taylor's talk of running on a "no negotiating with terrorists" platform. Oh you did? That's good to know, since the U.S. is really in the habit of that and we just needed someone like you to save us from that particular bad habit.
But like I mentioned yesterday, I love this stuff while I mock it, and honestly, it's been pretty good. The whole escape sequence was totally badass (who knew Bill was such a pro driver?) and the geek in me cheered at the sight of the 4 CTU standards working together again. It does take away from the emotional heft of Season 5, having Tony alive, but I'll tolerate it to enjoy he and Jack working together again.
So Warden Norton would be too obvious as a bad guy, right? What about the guy that offed Phil Leotardo? Or the FBI boss, Big Bird? (C'mon, you know he looks like Big Bird with a haircut!) And how long before we find out what Morris O'Brian and Karen Hayes think about their spouses doing this rogue work?
I'm totally in, even if I'll never care as much as I once did. This stuff has an expiration date, but I haven't reached mine yet, apparently. Bringing back Bill, Chloe and Tony was enough to make me care, and it'll sting especially bad if/when one or more of them gets killed.
@Dan Coyle
When I saw Wingfield's name pop up in the credits, I was sooo in, even if he is a baddie (at least for now). He was my favorite part of Highlander.
Who didn't think Tony was a double agent, raise your hand. That's what I thought.
I got giggly when Buchanan was revealed. I think I read somewhere that the actor teaches yoga in his free time, so the longer hair probably goes with his real, mellow self. I love how the show always has Chloe trying to work past her major crush on Jack.
I was thinking last night that this show really turns on its head who you root for. Normally, we'd be all over the FBI to catch their man, but last night, we were praying they would be complete morons and let Jack and Tony get away.
Or that's why you live alone...
Echo, echo...
Another vote for the whole escape sequence. Tony jumping onto the roof of the SUV was awesome.
that whole parking deck scene rocked. Tony jumping, Bill spinning up in the van and then Jack driving that car right off the ledge...awesome. And then they showed it all again in the previously ons, I like to think, just so I could watch it again.
Oh, it did rock. It was possibly the best part of the entire two hours. But I was sure they showed it in the previouslies just for me. :)
I'm dreading Kim's appearance. An hour or more of listening to her whine and bitch at Jack is not my idea of fun.
How did it not occur to me that Chloe is married to Morris? Who else would she be married to?
My fave part of the parking garage scene was Jack saying something like, "Oh, this is gonna hurt!" before driving himself, screaming, over the ledge. He's Jack Bauer, dammit! He can survive anything!
>>Echo, echo...<<
Oh, c'mon...you saw what I did. I saw your "self deprecation" and rasied you "borderline mean" just by rearranging it a little bit
It was *kind* of funny...
Anyway, are Bill and Karen still together? Not that things can't have changed in however long it's been, but I can't recall how they ended things with them. And I didn't think to look for a ring. I assume we'll see Morris and maybe Karen, but I sort of hope that they don't know what Chloe and Bill do when they aren't at home.
@Maura: it never occurs to me that the things I see on my television might be for the benefit of others!! {g}
Huh.
Anyway, nope, Karen isn't coming back:
http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/tunedin/archive/2009/01/13/press-tour-journal-24-character-mia.aspx
Which is too bad, because she had that whole Helen Mirren thing going on. Oh yeah.
I'm in the "24" press tour session right now, and Howard Gordon just said that Bill and Karen are still married, but the only reference to Karen so far got deleted at the script stage.
Will post a fuller report later in the day.
"I'm not the only one getting a Scully vibe off Agent Walker, am I?"
All I know is that I haven't stopped giggling since I saw her referred to as Special Agent Freckles on another message board.
As annoying as I'm finding all the hand-wringing about torture in these first four episodes, it was a singular pleasure watching her cross the line last night, made extra special by the fact that Janeane Garafalo was enabling her!
That said, I'm far less irritated with Janeane than I expected to be, but something tells me that she's going to get whacked before too long. Chloe makes her redundant.
^She can't get whacked at least until she and Chloe meet.
BTW, if she's the FBI analogue to Chloe, does that make Sean Edgar? Hee.
ugh! cant believe I got sucked in. I did not watch the last season past the nuclear bomb exploding, but as soon as they bought Tony back I was hooked back in. Tony was always the best character. I guess with 24 and Gosssip Girl Monday night will be bad tv night for me.
The unintentional comedy was at an all time high last night. Jack and Tony just take part in shooting at the fbi agents and then allowing the bad guy to kill the innocent African security guards lol! I was rollin.
One part I dont understand is the president's son being dead. I just watched the 24 special and in that the president's son is alive, it is his friend that was killed for messing with some files.
Yay, Bill and Karen's love has gone on!
And Jim Treacher, you took the words right out of my mouth
One part I dont understand is the president's son being dead. I just watched the 24 special and in that the president's son is alive, it is his friend that was killed for messing with some files.
That was several months before this, I think. At the very end of the movie, Jon Voight character was glaring at the kid, basically saying to his henchman, "Rub 'im out."
Plus, the actor wasn't very good.
"that whole parking deck scene rocked. Tony jumping, Bill spinning up in the van and then Jack driving that car right off the ledge...awesome. And then they showed it all again in the previously ons, I like to think, just so I could watch it again."
Oh, yes! And the best line of the night (and possibly the season thus far)...Jack pushing the gas pedal down and saying, "This is gonna hurt."
"24" as I know and love is BACK!
As others have mentioned, Jack's escape from the parking garage and "oh this is gonna hurt" was pure awesome and vintage Jack. 24 has sucked me back in... for now anyway.
I was also happy to see Methos back on my tv. He also did a nice turn on Sanctuary and I hope he lasts a while on 24.
I just read this somewhere else and had to share.
Rogue CTU as viewed by It's Always Sunny:
Bill - the brains
Tony - the muscle
Chloe - the looks/ useless chick
Jack - the Wildcard.. bitches!
(he would totally cut the brake line on a van)
All I can say is: Chloe never needs a CIP device to get behind a government firewall.
It's a Once and Again reunion for Jeffrey Nordling and Ever Carradine.
That threw me off track seeing her in the FBI room.
I died laughing when the head FBI dude called Jack a "wildcard." Safe to say that word applied to a person will make me laugh for the rest of my life.
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