24: Day 5 Discussion Thread

[Woochifer]

The ads on Fox weren't kidding when they said that the first 10 minutes would change everything!

I was absolutely not prepared for former President Palmer's assassination. Sheez, we're talking about well liked character from the first four seasons -- BANG, dead just like that. And then Michelle getting taken out right afterwards.

I'd have to say that this is probably the best setup that 24 has done since the first season. Already in the first two hours we've had two mainstay characters from previous seasons killed, Jack Bauer framed for assassinating former President Palmer, and now a hostage standoff at the airport with the President's own security chief involved in the conspiracy.

The direction that the storyline is taking seems a lot more personal than the past three seasons. Jack was tight with Palmer and Tony and Michelle, so it will be very interesting to see the lengths that he will go to this season. No need for a nuke or bioterror threat, there's more than enough tension going right now.

Another two hours tomorrow! Can't wait!

[topspeed]

Great episode! When Jack took out Palmer's assassin, both my wife and I channeled Marv Albert with an emphatic "Yessss!!!" THAT'S what makes Jack such a compelling character. No PC, no namby pamby rhetoric. You kill my President, I kill you. Simple. I also loved when he told the kid (Derek?) "The only reason you're conscious is because I don't want to carry you!"

Classic.

I was definitely not a happy camper when Palmer was taken out. He's the only politician that isn't a slimeball. The current pres is a whiney, gutless, turd. Jean Smart's character should add some interesting twists though. Walt was a bit too easy to pick-out as the mole, especially as every fan of the show knows there's one somewhere. I think Tony will make it back as Jack's wingman somewhere down the road. I could care less that Michelle was waxed, I never liked her anyway .

Another two hours tonite! Sweet!!!

[Woochifer]

I must say, the first four hours have had me absolutely riveted to the set the entire time! This was the kind of taut and tight tension that got me so hooked on the series during the first half of Day 1. The "real time" aspect of the series though has been waning through every successive season, to the point that I don't even think they try for clock realism anymore (c'mon, it takes a lot more than 15 minutes to get from downtown L.A. to Ontario Airport!). But, who's complaining when the suspense and plot threads thus far are this tight?

That really something when the Sean Astin/Sam Gamgee/Lynn McGill character came in like the usual overbearing prick from "Division" yet managed to save Jack's hide during the hostage standoff.

I'm looking forward to seeing how these story lines play out, but I'm also a little worried that the writers might have sprung the escape hatch too early. I mean, the hostage standoff is now over, the treaty's been signed, and the audience got a big chance to exhale. This is similar to the 13th episode from Day 1, when Jack rescued his wife and his daughter from the kidnappers, and resolved that entire plot thread. I know with Day 1 they had to have an escape hatch just in case 24 got cancelled midway through the season. (Can you imagine watching a cliffhanger episode, and then Fox canceling the series?) But, it virtually stopped everything in its tracks and took at least three more episodes to get the momentum going again.

Aside from the First Lady, none of the main characters were in any peril at the end of last night's episode; and I always thought that 24 was at its best when it managed to keep the tension going on all of the different subplots. And I really hope that 24 isn't about to try yet another nuke/bioterror threat. But, however it goes from here, they've already got four stellar hours in the can, and I'm just biding time until next Monday!

BTW, in case anyone wants to read some tongue-in-cheek recaps/reviews of 24, the Television Without Pity website has been doing some hilarious work at 24's expense. Some of the nicknames that they use on the characters are especially hilarious.

Jack = Kiefer
Tony = Soul Patch
Michelle = *****elle
Secretary Heller = DaD
Audrey = DoDder
Chloe = Potato Face
Kim = Spawn of Kiefer
Chase = Special Agent Charlie Brown

http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com...imit=all&sort=

[topspeed]

I noticed the Ontario Airport commute too. 15 minutes? Maybe if you've got a handy dandy Atlas rocket strapped to the roof of your car. I also noticed Ford isn't a sponsor anymore. Jack drives a Toyota!

I was a little surprised they resolved the airport standoff so quickly as well. They should have dragged it out a little longer. This nerve gas deal is like a whole new season now. Anyway, the last two hours were excellent and as tense as any episode before. It will be interesting to see how Lyn plays out. At first you thought he was another Washington pencil-neck, but then you realized he's a pro. I like Sean Astin so it was cool to see him on the show.

I'm not crazy about the nerve gas storyline. Like you, I feel the whole "Jack saves the planet" is getting to be a little old. The story writers couldn't come up with anything a little more subtle or even clever? I'll still watch to see how it plays out, but I still wish they would have come up with a more compelling storyline.

BTW, how'd you like the First Lady's little card-key scene in the bathroom? That was pretty brilliant on her behalf. I have a feeling she's a lot smarter than they're letting on right now.

[Woochifer]

I noticed the Ontario Airport commute too. 15 minutes? Maybe if you've got a handy dandy Atlas rocket strapped to the roof of your car. I also noticed Ford isn't a sponsor anymore. Jack drives a Toyota!

No kidding! Next thing you know, they'll start using transporters just so the series can go global. Why not? They've already come up with ridiculous leaps of technological faith -- remember last season's pulse bomb detonation?

And you notice that the baddies were driving Tauruses, while Jack and Derek broke into a Contour and hotwired the thing in like 10 seconds? The things that can happen to the product placement when a rival carmaker outbids you!

I was a little surprised they resolved the airport standoff so quickly as well. They should have dragged it out a little longer. This nerve gas deal is like a whole new season now. Anyway, the last two hours were excellent and as tense as any episode before. It will be interesting to see how Lyn plays out. At first you thought he was another Washington pencil-neck, but then you realized he's a pro. I like Sean Astin so it was cool to see him on the show.

It almost felt like the writers were practicing for that long-rumored 24 feature film. Actually though, this would have been a pretty good movie-of-the-week if the story had ended at four hours. As it is, it does feel like a restart. It might have been interesting to still have Jack on the run, and framed for Palmer's asssassination. I'm surprised that he came out of hiding as quickly as he did.

I had no idea how the Lynn McGill character would play out -- is he another obstructive bureaucratic prick like Chappelle, or is he a pro's pro? So far, we've seen both sides, so it will be interesting to see how that character develops.

I'm not crazy about the nerve gas storyline. Like you, I feel the whole "Jack saves the planet" is getting to be a little old. The story writers couldn't come up with anything a little more subtle or even clever? I'll still watch to see how it plays out, but I still wish they would have come up with a more compelling storyline.

I would have preferred that they keep the tension more at a personal level. They haven't gone in that direction since Day 1 when Jack was forced to deal with the assassination attempt on Palmer while the assassins kidnapped his wife and daughter, and the first four episodes worked very well because all the perils hit Jack very personally (Chloe, Tony, Michelle, Palmer, and Derek). I hope there's something more to this bioterror thread than yet another group of baddies threatening to exterminate L.A.

BTW, how'd you like the First Lady's little card-key scene in the bathroom? That was pretty brilliant on her behalf. I have a feeling she's a lot smarter than they're letting on right now.

Loved it! The First Lady is probably the most intriguing new character this season. We don't know yet how far her "friendship" with Palmer went, and what else might underlie the information that she was supposed to get from Palmer.

It seems that 24 has always created great female characters that are a little shadowy or off-center -- Nina, Sherry (so sad when they off'd her!), Chloe, and now the First Lady.

[topspeed]

Who was Sherry?

I'd like Jack's daughter back, particularly if she's in peril...in a white t-shirt...with lots of water...in slo-mo

Umm, I'll be back, I gotta take a cold shower...

[Woochifer]

Who was Sherry?

Sherry Palmer (i.e. Lady Macbeth) -- Senator/President Palmer's manipulative and scheming wife/ex-wife. She was one of my favorite characters from the first three seasons -- sooooo good at being bad!

I'd like Jack's daughter back, particularly if she's in peril...in a white t-shirt...with lots of water...in slo-mo

Rub on that magical lamp a little bit more and your wish might come true ... hint hint ... while we're at it, let's bring that mountain lion back as well, that poor beast didn't get enough face time during the first go-round!

[Woochifer]

ts-

I'm surprised as well that we don't got more devotees of 24 chiming in! But, if they ain't watchin', they're missin' out big time! And apparently, the ratings for 24 this season are the highest ever.

Last night's episode was another great one. I thought that the nerve gas plot could bog things down, but that did not happen with last night's episode. The pace of this season so far has been more relentless than any of the other seasons. It seems that the show's moving through the plot very quickly, and not dragging things out. I hope they don't start running low on ideas by dinnertime! (BTW, do ANY of these characters ever eat or go to the bathroom?)

The identity of the CTU mole was no surprise, and I'm glad they didn't drag that out like with previous CTU moles (although in the case of supposed CTU mole Gael from Day 3, that was a shocker when it turned out that he was actually working with Jack and Tony undercover; probably the best restart in the entire series, even if the rest of that season was comparatively weak). Last night's episode also tied in very well with the "prequel" from the Season 4 DVD, because in that prequel, Chloe told Jack that CTU's network had been compromised, along with information about how Jack's "death" was concealed. Now we know that it was probably Spencer that dug up the evidence that Jack was still alive. Too bad they didn't make mention of this in last night's episode.

The ending with Jack's "I'm not CTU" vow to get Walt Cummings was great! But, I think Chloe got off some of the best lines last night, especially her exchange with Edgar about sitting down and sharing their secrets over tea, y'know after they find the nerve gas and the terror level goes down. Great stuff!

Audrey's probably got the most thankless role so far. Looking ahead, wouldn't it be the ultimate trip up if we find that Diane and Derek have been working with the terrorists? That might be enough to sweep Audrey into the fray. But, I will add that my batting average with mindless 24 plot speculations has been quite low -- sign of a very well written show if I can't come close to predicting what comes next.

Logan's definitely a spineless scumbag, but he still has some opportunities to redeem himself. Should be interesting to see how things play out as Jack storms the gates of the Presidential compound. We know the First Lady will find a sympathetic audience with Jack, but we'll see who finds her first!

[Woochifer]

Alright, I've been neglecting this thread for way too long!

Have to chime in regarding the this week's "9pm" episode. My gawd was that ending a shocker when Audrey got implicated as the information source for these Russian terrorists. Audrey?! Geez, now I'm gonna have to buy the DVD set for this season, so I can go back and retrace Audrey's steps (kinda like how the surprise ending of The Sixth Sense completely changes how you view the movie the second time around).

It was very reminiscent of an early episode from Day One, when Jack and his boss got ambushed in a gunfight. Before dying, his boss gave Jack a key card that would reveal the identity of the CTU mole (back then, the idea of a mole at CTU was still a novel idea, unlike now where it's pretty much a given!), and the name "NINA MYERS" popped up. That plot twist was a shocker at that time. Later, Nina "proved" to Jack that she was framed, but of course, we found out later on that she was really a Serbian mercenary and she wound up killing Jack's wife as the clock ticked down on the first season.

So far, I think this is easily the best season of 24 since the first half of Day One. (Overall, I think Day Two was the best from start to finish) I like how they're not letting stray plot threads linger and get stale.

Jack's new girlfriend and her teenage son? Rescued from the hostages, and now back home in Bakersfield.
Lynn McGill? Created tension and conflict, but now gassed and gone.
Tony Almeida? Didn't drag out his recovery very long, now also a goner.

The pacing on this season has moved along very well, and unlike in other seasons, it seems that the action does not bog down when the focus shifts away from Jack. I really like the dynamic that they've created around President Logan. Considering how spineless he is, it's very conceivable to see him collaborating with terrorists plotting to assassinate the Russian president, and having all these other powergrabs in play from that scumbag V.P. With President Palmer, you knew he was a good guy who would in the end do the right thing, but you never get that sense with Logan.

And now we've got Wayne Palmer back in action (but considering the predicament he's in with those militia guys chasing him in that van, who knows how long we'll have him around). Something tells me that Agent Pierce is about to see some action as well, and that doesn't bode well for his future. Conspiracy theories abound, but I would guess that Mike Novick wants Agent Pierce out of the picture, because that would leave Novick and Jack Bauer as the lone remaining cast members from Day One!

And talk about cold blooded, what about when Jack shot Henderson's wife?! Yikes! I guess Jack's having a pretty bad day!

[Kam]

i was talking with a friend about this show, and how this is basically the fifth really, incredibly crappy day in this guy's life. (i dont really know that much about the show and need to catch up on it, but given the previous 4 seasons were all just one day each). but in the whole realm of plausible shows and all that, this one is quite possibly the most plausible of all tv shows ever.
given that, for example, take a show like Murder She Wrote, where for (how many seasons was that on? 3-4?) every week someone dies around this woman!!?? that's insane! i mean i stick by my friends through thick and thin, but if in a two year span, for 23 weeks of the year, someone dies around a friend of mine once a week EVERY week.... i'm gonna have to let that friendship slide a little, or at least stay VERY far away from them for 22 more weeks after that first death occurs!
and the doctor/hospital show with dick van dyke... where again.. .every week someone croaks around this guy! and he's a doctor!!!
and all the older (albeit cheesy and fun) shows like The Equalizer, Knight Rider, and The A-Team, granted they're all in the business of buttkicking, but seriously, c'mon! how much work can there be out there for these guys? (apparently several seasons worth of work!) even ER! i have several friends that are doctors, and it seems like this ONE emergency room has had an inordinate amount of tragedy and mayhem occur within it... one might even say that this hospital is flat out cursed!
but when it comes to the realm of suspending belief about "how much bad crap can ONE guy go through" type deal (ala mcclaine in die hard) 24 doesnt seem all that huge a suspension at all.
just a non-sequitor observation i had.

[KaiWinters]

Shooting the bad guys wife in the thigh when he refused to talk was awesome...the shocked look on her face was so well done...I even jumped...woohoo great stuff.

Watching all those people in CTU die was shocking. I did not expect that at all...great to see a show taking such risks.

It seems to me that Homeland Security will be portrayed as a very bad outfit from the end of the last episode...personal power grabs seemingly regardless for the safety of the country will make great tv...maybe it will even spur some real life interest and commentary regarding the real HS and how it acts/overacts/underachieves to the real security of our country and its citizens.

Seems to me that Jack may not be on a "leash" at all very soon...at least in my forward looking imaginiation. That could provide some interesting episodes and all sorts of intrigue regarding "subversion/treason/etc.

I did not want to get sucked into another show...love Bones, House and CSI Vegas...but my wife LOVES the show since day one and one evening the "Giant Sucking Sound" of 24 pulled me in and I am stuck...ah well...lol

[topspeed]

take a show like Murder She Wrote, where for (how many seasons was that on? 3-4?) every week someone dies around this woman!!?? that's insane! i mean i stick by my friends through thick and thin, but if in a two year span, for 23 weeks of the year, someone dies around a friend of mine once a week EVERY week.... i'm gonna have to let that friendship slide a little, or at least stay VERY far away from them for 22 more weeks after that first death occurs!

ROTFLMAO!

Who sent the merc's after Wayne? It had to be the VP, right? So the question is, why did he do it? Is it possible both the VP and Cummings were in this together with the VP knowing it was going to play out like this all along? It's not inconceivable that he planned this whole thing as a power play. After all, Logan clearly doesn't make decisions for himself and can be manipulated pretty easily. Not a bad way to slide into the presidency.

What is it with Jack sleeping with terrorists, anyway?!? He banged Nina, and we all know how that ended, and now it looks like Audrey's involved too. Maybe she's involved with the VP in an effort to ursurp the President, which while the intention is good (he's a tool)...it's being done in the worst way possible.

Finally, I'm hereby protesting the all-to-short presence of Kimberly ! Plus, she's with an entirely too old C. Thomas Howell, a fact that I'm sure went over well with her dear old dad. What is up with that?!?

[KaiWinters]

The show is over the top but that seems to be the intent of the show. I wonder when Jack has the time to go to the bathroom, relax and watch Home and Garden on the telly or listen to his Paradigm Studio 20's? lol...

The VP sending in his goons is also way over the top and in the land of the unbelieveable...that has soured me a bit on the show.

The Prez is the biggest pussy...wow...talk about no balls, easily manipulated, coward.
I loved the look on the Russians face when the prez met him after the attack...he knew they were set up...jeez he is a freakin' Russian...that is the norm in Russia...what a wuss.

[topspeed]

That slime ball! I always hated that sniveling coward, and now I have a legitimate reason to want Jack to take him out. Good twist tho. After leading everyone to believe it was the VP, they spring it on you that it's been Logan all along.

Now the question is why?

[KaiWinters]

Wow what a twist...not the VP at all but the "no balls, weasel" of a president.
Wonder what his wife will do?
Wonder what Jack will do?
Wonder what Cleo will do?
Wonder what the VP will do?
Add your "Wonder what..." here

[Woochifer]

Oh man! And I already erased all the earlier episodes from this season! I'm going to need to rewatch a whole bunch of episodes to see if anything from before makes sense anymore.

Logan?! Holy crap! Great plot twist, but now I'm really confused over how everything from Walt Cummings to the First Lady to Mike Novick to Agent Pierce fits together. I mean, everything up to this point logically made sense with Logan as the incompetent slimeball and all these other people scheming behind his back, and the audience guessing who's really behind everything. I just don't see Logan having the backbone or the brains to actually plot everything that has happened.

Will be very interesting to see Mrs. Logan and the President knock heads (you know that conflict is coming, well, unless Mrs. Logan is actually the brains behind this whole plot), AND if the Secretary of Defense is connected, because that would of course bring him on a collision course with his own daughter Audrey.

I guess we'll find out soon enough! I gave up on trying to predict 24's plot twists a long time ago, because since Day One, my plot predictions have rarely been right. Of course, not knowing what happens next keeps me hooked! (And IMO, there's nothing more boring than a show where I can anticipate every plot twist)

[topspeed]

IMO, there's nothing more boring than a show where I can anticipate every plot twist

Heh, watch Lost.

[Kam]

for you 24 fans... straight from Kiefer when asked about a 24 movie... (as told to MTV)

He says, "The 24 movie would be a two-hour representation of a 24-hour day. That would be the first time that we would not do something in real time, but the characters would obviously all be derivative of the show. The timing issue is something the writers are working on right now. But the sky's the limit at that point for them, because we would not be restricted by the time element."

[Groundbeef]

I think the time limit thing is a bit of a distraction actually. It really limits the scope of travel and other action to a very unbelivable level.

For example, the take over of CTU by homeland IN 1 HOUR? This is high level govt. agencies. It would take days if not weeks to get a transition team in and running. Let alone 10 minutes alloted in "real" time. And how is it that Jack can get around traffic w/ narry a delay.

I enjoy the show, but I think lifting the time limit would lend much more credence to the action.

[topspeed]

I agree. Just make it a Jack Bauer movie and screw the time element. It was a great gimmick during season one, but does anybody actually pay attention to it anymore? The action is so great, who really cares? If anything, it's a distraction. Does anybody really think you can get from downtown LA to the Ontario Airport in 20 minutes?!? Only if you had Scotty beam you up !

[Woochifer]

I guess it's a sign that 24 is an unqualified hit if we got cartoonists drawing up parodies of the series. Here's an amusing bit of political humor featuring "Special Agent Bush" with the clock ticking down from "36" (percent). Man, and I thought Agent Bauer had a difficult mission!

http://www.markfiore.com/animation/special.html

[dean_martin]

remember when Jack started off in the FBI? 'member? Special (wet behind the ears) Agent Sam Stanley.

[Groundbeef]

Is it just me, or in a couple of weeks we should have the rest of the cast of RoboCop on board.

I'm just waiting for Peter Weller to ask Logan what the "Prime Directive" is for his next mission.

[MomurdA]

Is it just me, or in a couple of weeks we should have the rest of the cast of RoboCop on board.

I'm just waiting for Peter Weller to ask Logan what the "Prime Directive" is for his next mission.

Thats great ! Unfortunately i missed the first five minutes last night, so I guess the Sec. is dead now?

[Woochifer]

Wow! Just four more episodes to go! Now we got YET ANOTHER layer of baddies to sift through, the guys that are really pulling Prez Logan's strings. Like the rest of you, I can just see the camera panning back to reveal Kurtwood Smith and Ronny Cox puffing away on a stogie, and the VP walking in on them for the Robocop reunion!

While this season has been another great thrill ride, I think some of the story threads are veering dangerously close to the edge right now. Push the envelope any further and it could turn 24 into camp. I'm still hooked, but I think that the really taut interpersonal tension that the writers injected into the early episodes is pretty much gone, and now it's bouncing around from one impossible situation into another.

In a way, the story has not evolved as well as I had hoped after the big revelation with Logan, and last night's episode with Jack hijacking a diplomatic flight was really stretching things! Now, it's a matter of whether Jack's co-opted jet can outduel an F-18 armed with air-to-air missiles (but hey, in the Season 5 prequel, Jack managed to outrace a group of baddies in a Bimmer by gunning a Toyota Avalon in reverse!).

Still though, seeing Chloe and Bill setting up CTU-in-exile was pretty cool, and as laughable and ridiculous as it is, I loved seeing Chloe tweaking with the fate of the world from a freakin' hotel bar armed with only a laptop and a wireless card (not to mention a well-placed Tazer gun to ward off any unwanted advances -- how cool was that, and Chloe didn't break stride)! Oh and by the way, someone needs to send the Alcoholic Beverage Control officers to that hotel. What the hell are they doing serving drinks after 2am?

I'm also really enjoying the tension between the First Lady, the Prez, and Novick. You just KNOW something's going to break loose there!

And from the week before, I wonder if Secretary Heller really off'd himself, or if he lived through that plunge (I would have given much better odds if Jack had been driving the Secretary's Toyota Avalon).

And last night, where the hell was Curtis, Henderson, Audrey, and Agent Pierce? I mean, Buchanan was paraded through CTU like five minutes after he was apprehended, yet Curtis and Robocop haven't shown up yet? What up with that? It's not like they can go for a late night burger run or camp out at Canter's with L.A. under martial law.

So anyway, we're now in the stretch run. What do you all think is going to happen? I have a feeling that the First Lady might do Logan in, and that somehow, the Chinese are going to put Jack back on the run by the time 7am rolls around. Even though the press has been reporting that Keifer is signed on for three more seasons, could all that just be a smokescreen leading up to Jack Bauer's demise? A couple of months ago, there were a lot of rumors about Edward Norton taking over the lead role on 24. At this point, anything's possible!