TV Review: S6:6 of 24 - Skeletons in the Closet

I have complained before about the various subplots that have bogged down 24 over the years, but it seems that last night we had subplots as the main event throughout most of the hour. While sometimes these subplots add tangible moments to the rising action (like Lennox’s slick maneuver to get Karen to resign), the rest seem rather annoying and cloying and not important in the grand scheme of things.

Last week we left our hero Jack as he placed a plastic bag over his brother’s head (the evil brother Grim/Graem/Graham). Avid fans of 24 were just salivating at the prospect of Grim getting his just desserts, but Jack needs him for info and torture is just a way to break a guy fast. In terms of a spineless wonder like Grim, that took all of about ten seconds (even Audrey lasted longer under duress), and he divulges the truth about their father, their company, and the five missing nukes.

So here we have the first example of skeletons in the closet, the Bauer family closet to be more precise. Grim engineered some kind of deal that brought nukes from Russia in order to have them neutralized and recycled and maybe to become part of the Homer Simpson Memorial in Springfield. Nevertheless, Grim screws up by hiring this Charlie McCarthy character (with a more annoying Australian accent than Croc Dundee) who promptly sells them off to Abu (Mr. Clean) Fayed, who just recently used one to nuke Valenica and wipe out twelve thousand people (and also has four more waiting in the wings).

Admittedly, this rather damaging evidence is something Grim wants to hide, but Jack forces him to take off for Charley’s office to check the bloke’s computer. As Jack and Grim leave the palatial estate, we get a glimpse of Grim’s Trophy Wife looking even better than last week. Grim mumbles something about this turn of events but the key moment is the exchange of eye contact between Jack and Trophy. Jack, man, you really need to take a few minutes and talk to that girl.

Meanwhile, back at the underground bunker we have Tom (more Twitchy by the Minute) Lennox locking horns with Karen (I’m Not Some Liberal Do-Gooder) Hayes and it’s getting ugly. I don’t even mean the script or the actors, I mean the subplot. There’s talk of wearing each other down, but truthfully it’s wearing the viewer down. It’s just a very slow-moving subplot, but also necessary because Lennox is trying to realign the Cabinet and get the Prez Wayne on board. To do so, Twitchy can’ t have Karen around anymore.

Article Author: Victor Lana

Victor Lana has published numerous stories and articles in literary magazines and online, including his favorite haunt here at Blogcritics. His books A Death in Prague (2002),Move (2003), and The Savage Quiet September Sun: A Collection of 9/11 Stories are available at online bookstores. …

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