One of the necessary conditions for a decent genre story is that its characters be recognizably human (leaving aside science fiction tales with nary a human to be seen), that they behave in ways, given the bending of reality necessary to incorporate the genre's tropes, we can understand and, in some cases, identify with. Does 24 do that? Given the monumental seriousness of the crisis CTU is dealing with, does it make sense that Tony and Michelle would put it on hold to talk about their relationship? Given that Sarah loves her country enough to go back to work after being tortured by her boss, does it make sense that she'd take the time to play office politics before returning to her station? Given that Maya was quite obviously a danger to herself and others, does it make sense that she was allowed (albeit passively) to get hold of a razor blade or scalpel or some other sharp object, and kill herself? Given that Marianne was a temp, does it make sense that she was granted a top level security clearance and invited to sit in on meetings with the top brass? Given that he wanted to save Li Jong's life (for at least as long as it'll take to find out where Marwan might be), does it make sense for Jack to hold a gun to the surgeon's head? Given that CTU is an elite organization in the nation's fight against terrorism, does it make sense that it comes off looking more like a dysfunctional family of hillbillies? (And all of this completely ignores the high jinks going on in Deep 13 with the Shakes and Palmer Show.) The physics of the 24-verse are technomagical; I guess we now have to admit that the cause and effect of human interaction also runs differently there. What someone does now isn't governed by what happened then and motivation is a mystery. Either everyone in the 24-verse has ADHD or the writers aren't paying attention.
I don't know how much of this season was planned before shooting on the first episode began, but the sudden departures of Maya, Erin, and Sarah, as well as the endless string of escapes Marwan manages to effect (which long ago became tedious rather than edge-of-the-seat frustrating), smack more of being made up as the story goes along than they do conscious forethought. It seems to me that if the show is going to build up legitimate suspense (by which I mean suspense that isn't short-circuited by the myriad gaffes, blunders, and unintended comedy Jeff and I (mostly Jeff, because he's made of stronger stuff than I and has managed to get through all of the episodes) have tried to bring to light in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 sort of way), the writers should do the kind of research Mr. Ackerman did for the Salon article I cited earlier. I for one would find a story about a terrorist plot that's based more on the physics of reality and the workings of the real American antiterrorist effort far more compelling, frightening, and suspenseful than the manipulative pabulum that constitutes much of the 24-verse. Published comments from the producers on past seasons imply that they don't know at the beginning of a season how it will end, that they wait until an arc of several episodes is in the can before nailing down the next arc in more than a general way. I don't know if that's the way this season is being done, but it sure seems that way--i.e., it doesn't feel like a story that's unfolding, but rather like it's being written as we watch it. We should feel like the CHARACTERS don't know what's going to happen next, not like the WRITERS don't.
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
whew
2 - mike hollihan
Wow, indeed. Pretty exhaustive.
I can forgive 24 a lot of sins because it's just a television thriller. Even the elastic treatment of time this season. But the rocket launch last week gets me. I'm a model rocketeer and there's no damn way that missile, launched at that angle, has been in the air for an hour! Just ain't gonna happen.
3 - Paul Foth
Mike, thanks for your comment. Jeff and I were astronomy grad students at the University of Iowa. George Hospadarsky, mentioned in a previous review, was another of our ilk, and once in a while all the rocketeers in the physics building would gather at the farm where he grew up and spend the afternoon launching rockets. We definitely feel your pain when it comes to the show's launching of the nuke.
I think part of the reason we shred the show so much is that we don't want it to be "just" a thriller. We want it to be edge-of-the-seat, white-knuckle fun, yes, of course, but we don't want it to be so sloppy, either. A thriller should have thrills IN ADDITION TO the necessities of responsible storytelling, not INSTEAD OF them.
4 - mike hollihan
Exactly right, Paul. It's already a great show, but with just a bit more, extra, effort it could be one for the ages. Remember, the speed of light isn't just a good idea, it's the law! ;-)
5 - Jeff
And in Hilbert space, no one can hear you scream...
6 - Karen
I missed an episode. Does anyone know where I might buy an episode or see it?
Day4 4 to 5 AM
7 - Aaman
This is episode 23 torrent.
Here is the 24th episode torrent
This is the entire Season 4 (8 GB) torrent
All in hd
usual disclaimers apply.
8 - HW Saxton
In the seventh paragraph the reviewer
mentions a missile that was fired from
somewhere in the "mountains of Iowa".
I'm just wondering where the "mountains"
of Iowa are. Ive never even seen a hill
there that was more than maybe a couple
hundred feet tall and that's on a very
gradual grade. Hmmmm.......
9 - Jeff
Yeah, my mocking tone kinda gets lost when merely reading this! This goes back to the 12 AM - 1 AM episode, where Mike blamed the loss of contact with the warhead transport team on the mountainous terrain in Iowa. This silly comment (as anyone who has been to Iowa knows) was a howler, and I used it ever since.
10 - HW Saxton
I figured it was sarcasm but just wanted
to clarify. I'm familiar with the Iowa
landscape,having crisscrossed the state
on I-80 too many times. A hill would be
nice distraction amidst all the corn,soy
bean fields and stench of cattle & pigs.