I caught up on my 24 last night, didn't even realize that it was a two hour Monday. At one point I considered 24 to be a pretty smart and even somewhat edgy show, but now it's really like my television pulp novel. It's not that the writing is bad, it's just hard to take the show seriously. Because if I did, I'd be really scared. Apparently our entire national security is held up by one competent person.
Take President Logan, or as I like to call him ... Bush. After cutting a deal with Russian separatists to assassinate the Russian president (and indirectly, his own wife) ... he plans to follow up his day of failures (which includes the entire terrorist plot being spawned within his own administration) by declaring martial law. Illegally.
Meanwhile, Kim "Deathtrap" Bauer comes back on the stage. Seriously, this girl is such a jinx that I doubt Chase left her because he loves his job ... he was probably afraid for his life. Naturally, her karmic injustices bring a Russian terrorist in through the front door. Sure, he had the keycard of a CTU higher up (has it ever been explained just what Lynn's job was?). Course, the CTU higher up was in holding and had been completely relieved of his duty. Did CTU security bother to take Lynn's access card when that happened? Nah. Lock down his access codes? Why bother. Didn't anyone find it odd that Lynn somehow got back into CTU without his key card? Peoples, we got better security at my office ... and I work for a national chain of houseware stores.
24 is like the anti-Lost. Don't look too closely at the clues, or else you might realize there isn't an island.
Thankfully, Jack "torture only works if you're me" Bauer is on the scene. Only not even Jack's magic blend of torture mojo was working last night, so CTU might actually need to get non-coerced intelligence this time around. And really, where is the fun in that?
Oh, and for you scoring at home. That whole "we can declare martial law and worry about Congress later" ... well, it's one of the reasons I do still like the show. It's fun and occasionally gets the smart political jab. Because under the Bush administration's "understanding" of the law, they'd be justified in doing the same.
tagged: television , 24
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
24: Incompetence Kills
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2 comments:
So true! They're pretty unsubtle with their Bush jibes, aren't they?
Don't forget that from last season Jack is the messiah! He died, was brought back from the dead and with his healing touch he solved all of Tony's problems and then saved the entire US! Again.
It wouldn't surprise me if Jack ends up defusing something while walking on water this season. Or perhaps he'll convert centox gas to perfume.
Last season though, we did get the angle that the ACLU were nothing but terrorist huggers ... so they are at least bipartisan in their jibes.
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