It's so unfortunate that this schlock is included in 24. It sticks out like sore thumb. No, it's worse than that: It sticks out like a body builder at a 98-pound-scrawny-weakling convention. It diminishes the other plot lines, most of which are pretty well constructed. Yes, I know that Elisha Cuthbert, who plays Kim, is eye candy, and the producers have to find a part for her. But this is ridiculous.
I can only hope that the shows creators have realized what went wrong with season two and have fixed it in season three. Otherwise, the shows ratings will soon tank.
Finally, in last year's review I asked if "you should buy the DVD set?" I suggested that it was worth it if you were a big fan. Otherwise, maybe it would have made a good Christmas gift. This year, find something else to stuff the stocking with.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Chan S.
Spot-on! Except I can't believe you forgot to mention Hunky Boyfriend's "Where's the rest of me?" moment.
2 - Natalie Davis
Word has it that Runkimrun's character will be more grown-up this season and that there will be no cougar chases. Guess we'll find out tonight.
3 - David Hogberg
Yes, I did forget the "Where's the rest of me moment." Poor Hunky Boyfriend.
4 - The Theory
I never watched 24, either this season or last, however, I thought that the origional premise was that everything happened in 24 hours. it may just be me, but it doesn't seem like the plot they're building up to in the commercials could realistically happen in 24 hours...
5 - TDavid
I'm looking forward to season 3, just to see how they are going to work out what happened to the President at the end of season 2.
I totally agree with Kim's largely unplausible plotline. Writers should have given her a much smaller role in Season 2 and given that screen time to the underhanded actions of Nina Myers.
24 is like watching one extremely long, long movie, so the holes surface more obviously when watched back-to-back in DVD format vs. seeing them once a week.
6 - David Hogberg
The last two plots didn't seem like they could fit into 24 hours either, but they did. The shows writers are clever, and they can certainly come up with better stuff the RunKimRun. Not only it is a stupid plotline it is a waste of someone, Elisah Cuthbert, who is a talented actress.
7 - Ron Mwangaguhunga
Aside from the obvious problem of just how so much activity can take place in an hour and whether or not it is plausible is the problem of just how much mileage can Fox TV get out of terrorism.
8 - David Hogberg
Well, looks like bio-terrorism this season, maybe chemical weapons next season, then a dirty bomb if 24 lasts to a 5th season.
After that, maybe another attempt on Palmer's life, or maybe an attempt on a foreign leader crucial to fighting terrorism.
Lots of ideas, if they play it right.
9 - Eric Olsen
TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT - JACK IS BACK. Alert the media. Oh, the media already knows.
10 - Eric Olsen
Kim was a total retarded distracton last year. I hope they integrate her into the real story line a little better this year. Season 2 was even more impressive than Season 1, for me, because they sustained the plot and the suspense better. Season 1 fizzled out once limp wad Dennis Hopper and preposterous accents got involved
11 - Joe
Indeed, they lost me on season one after Mrs. Bauer got amnesia, but I had committed so I watched until the finale. I didn't watch season 2 at all, I wonder if it's even possible for me to go back to watching it now.
12 - TDavid
Coincidence that they are running the next Joe Millionaire out in front of 24? Wonder which of these two shows they are trying to help lol
13 - The Theory
FOX programing is pitiful this season. The only quality programing on the major networks this season is on NBC.
Unless you count PBS. They're always quality educational programing there.
14 - David Hogberg
PBS?!?!? If you want good educational programming, you've gotta go to Discovery Channel, the History Channel, Animal Planet, Court TV, etc. PBS stands for "Poor Bastards offering Slop".
15 - TDavid
Hey David, wasn't Wayne's World on PBS? :-)
16 - David Hogberg
No, but I think Wayne's World 2 was. Heh.
17 - sydney smith
Our newspaper's TV critic said the RunKimRun plot line this year is the worst yet. Said it would make you laugh, then make you think, "Oh, no."
Hope he's wrong, but he's probably not.
18 - Steve Rhodes
Kim is now a jr. CTU agent and her boyfriend of 3 months is Jack's partner. I hope they manage to weave in some backstory of how she decided on that career. Doesn't seem too plausible.
I was pissed at the promos they've been running which gave away most of the first episode including that the President had survived.
19 - Eric Olsen
Ah, but did he really ...?
20 - Natalie Davis
He looks weaker to me, his hand apparently still bothers him, and he is boffing his (probably duplicitous) doctor.
Yes, down with the promos. The only shock I had came in the last five minutes -- that one, admittedly, blew my mind. But all in all, the premiere of 24 was disappointing because it usually (except during the Runkimrun scenes) keeps me perched on the edge of my chair and shouting, "No fuckin' way!"
21 - Eric Olsen
Yes, they didn't go for the really boffo opening this year - I am reserving judgment. I like the Jack vulnerability this time around, actaully seems realistic unde the circumstances: what are undercover agents willing to do to themselves to complete their missions? Does the end justify the means? the coke kid reminds me of the "Falcon and the Snowman" - is he really doing it for the family? I like the new Kim much better, but what happened to college?
22 - Steve Rhodes
I guess while most students these days are on the 5 or more year plan, she was on the 2 year plan (or maybe good genes means more in fighting terrorism than education).
I wasn't even surprised that Jack is hooked.
But the ford ad was even more predictable (and lame), but I'm glad they ponied up the money to keep the first show basically ad free.
23 - TDavid
24 is getting to be a little too much like a soap opera in the plausibility department.
I found the computer-speak somewhat ridiculous from a technical point of view.
"You have to press CTRL-S to escape out of that screen!"
Control + S? What happened to the ESCape key lol
"Maybe I fixed ... the group permissions"
Dude's supposedly a CTU computer whiz and can't figure out he's locked out because of a simple group permission change on a file? LOL
And where did Kim get geek skills so fast? In a few small years she goes from an irresponsible teen who spends a night out on the town with hell boys and then a year later working for a psycho employer, dodging cougars and paranoid the-end-of-the-world-is-near characters to calm, calculating, geeky Kim the CTU computer specialist?
Bring back Nina!
As for President Palmer, well, I'd love to see a qualified woman or a black President in office in my lifetime, but his storyline is also borderline believable. Somebody please tell me that they are not going to exploit the interracial relationship as a "scandal" because I have a bad feeling that they are going to go there.
If viewers are to suspend disbelief and believe that people were willing to ignore color and the absence of a First Lady for voting in a President (which I think people should on the former account, because color has absolutely nothing to do with Presidential ability, but I'm admittedly a bit puzzled on the latter account. A single President? A President in the dating mode?), then how can the President dating a white woman be scandalous? I have a sinking suspicion that this will be at least one lame subplot this season though ...
Also, where was the President's influential brother in the first two seasons? Now he's the right hand man?
What about the President's good turned evil turned good turned evil turned good wife? How he continues to make such wise, authorative Presidential decisions and yet was blinded personally and stayed with that scheming bitch for 25 years is beyond me. Did he do it for their children?
Yeah, it's a lot like a soap opera, but I'm still hooked! LOL
24 - TDavid
authoritative, damn lol
25 - TDavid
Double feature tonight of 24, FYI. Those on the west coast can still catch at least some of the first episode, if they missed. Back to da tube ...