24 Season 5: Episode 6 Recap(Hour 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.)

WARNING: The following post may, and probably will, contain spoilers.

Things are quickly becoming unrealistic on 24, big shocker. It progressively gets worse every week and the situations we find the main characters in on the show are just absurd and bogus. I want a fast-paced show just like the next guy, but I want my show and its facts based in reality, not some made up world where it’s okay to stretch the truth to better fit your story.

Hide and Stink
Okay, I’ve beaten this point into the ground already this year, but it makes no sense that this administration only has two cabinet members and a handful of security running around the complex. The only time a new character is introduced is to help the plot move along. In reality, there would be staffers and security running around everywhere... not to mention White House appointed members of the press.

So aside from this lack of security IN the building, I have to mention the lack of security OUTSIDE the building. When someone, anyone, can break out of the White House (or some lame ranch in California as the case may be), the entire security needs a great deal of looking over. Not only did the First Lady get out of the house, she managed to go across the grounds of the complex and hide in the stables... behind a saddle (nice hiding, by the way).

If Aaron is head of security, how is it that a) he can’t prevent the other agents from taking the First Lady, and, b) why isn’t he informed of Jack Bauer’s detainment? Who knows, but if you think about the true lack of security on the complex, it’s no wonder he had such an easy time “sneaking” Jack in to see the President.

But again, realistically, there’s no chance in hell that Jack drives an SUV within 20 miles of the Presidential compound, especially on a day like this. And riddle me one more thing... where did the helicopter and 5 SUVs full of secret service come from if they’re no where to be found inside the complex?

There’s No Time For That!
So Cummings was the mole, okay, fine. But there’s no way that he could fulfill his day-to-day duties and help masterfully plan out this “terrorist” attack. Remember, he also was the guy who somehow had time to overdub Palmer’s phone conversation with the First Lady (which is still absolute crap). This guy is the Chief of Staff, one of the busiest people employed by the President... but I guess when you get down to it, he apparently only overlooks himself and Mike... so maybe he does have time to be a bad guy.

But then Cummings goes and tells the President his secret. And what does the President do? The usual, he stands there and looks like a complete idiot. If anyone in the President’s staff were to unload on the President like Cummings did, they’d be handcuffed and gagged within 10 seconds, if not shot.

And while on the subject of there not being enough time, how does everyone somehow get involved in a love triangle on a day like this? I think personal feelings can be delayed for about a day when the entire CTU is looking for some terrorists and nerve gas.

CTU Needs A Re-Org
Jack’s little mini-interrogation of Cummings was pretty sweet... and to be perfectly honest, probably expected by a rogue agent. Which begs the question, how does CTU, for the fifth time, get themselves so backed into a corner in these situations that they have to completely bend/break the rules in order to get out of it. Funny how it always involves Jack. What have they done for fun the past 18 months? And tell me why you would think to NOT disregard an order directly from the President, but find it just fine to send Jack (a non-CTU agent) into the field for you.

If it were to all be summed up in one quote, I think this is the quote I’d choose: “If we’re not doing everything in our power to stop the terrorists, we’re not doing our job.” Well done, seeing as you work at the Counter Terrorism Unit, stopping terrorists WOULD be your job, now wouldn’t it?

Like I said, this season is already starting to drag on and is becoming incredulous... and there’s still 18 hours to go. When does Kim come back? I need a real laugh.

24 Season 5: Kim Bauer Returns!?!

WARNING: The following post may, and probably will, contain spoilers.

Doing a little investigation here turned up some potential crappy news. I think I’m imagining the fact that Kim Bauer’s name was mentioned in one of the shows this season, but I’m pretty sure it was. And for good reason, too. They didn’t mention Kim all of last season and she didn’t appear in the show. This year, they mention her... and look what appears on Elisha Cuthbert’s IMDB page:

Notable TV Guest Appearances
1. “24” playing “Kim Bauer” in episode: “Day 5: 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.” (episode # 5.10) 27 February 2006
2. “24” playing “Kim Bauer” in episode: “Day 5: 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.” (episode # 5.9) 20 February 2006
3. “24” playing “Kim Bauer” in episode: “Day 5: 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.” (episode # 5.8) 13 February 2006
4. “24” playing “Kim Bauer” in episode: “Day 5: 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.” (episode # 5.7) 6 February 2006

Here we go again... I hereby create the Derek vs. Kim challenge on who can get kidnapped first. Ooooh, maybe they’ll kiss and make things SUPER creepy for us all.

24 Season 5: Episode 5 Recap(Hour 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)

WARNING: The following post may, and probably will, contain spoilers.

Another week, another hour, another set of regurgitated story-lines. But don’t let that ruin anything, because there might be a silver lining in there somewhere. I think that things could turn a nice and sharp corner soon, but I’m not counting on it.

Escape From the Airport? The Nerve!

• That nerve gas was sure extremely dangerous to open, hence the gas mask apperatuses... but once there was no danger, they remove the masks and just carry the canisters around like it’s no big deal.
• How are the terrorists going to drive the nerve gas out of there??? Oooooh, because their van says, “Police Department SWAT” on it. Good to know exactly who they are and what city they work for. Be careful on the highway and don’t run into any “Flower Delivery Vans” or “Fire Trucks.”
• Hanger BB was “outside the secure permimeter.” If this follows any type of action plans we take against terrorists, I’m sure that all of the budding terrorists out there are happy to know that when/if they take over an airport, the police will leave certain sectors unsearched and unprotected.
• What’s in these hangars? Nothing too important, apparently, since the doors are secured with one padlock. And if what they said is true, about the US hiding different toxic gases around different airport bunkers, then a) this one would’ve been cataloged and known about, and, b) there’d be more than a simple padlock on the door.
• Hmmm, need to look for clues... whoa, dead rats! Guess those canisters weren’t so sealed after all.

The Dysfunctional First Family

• President Logan asks, “when did this happen?” Hmmm, well, let’s see... PROBABLY SINCE THE LAST TIME YOU SAW HER! But the real answer is that no one knows, since there’s only about six people running around there. And since when did the First Lady’s hair stylist personal assistant become her body guard, too?
• I like it when President Logan takes action... “close that door!” is such a manly thing to order.
• So President Logan doesn’t listen to his advisors when they’re talking about a matter of International Security. Ironically, though, he takes marriage advice and decides to send his wife away to the loony bin.
• Why is it so damn important to talk to Tony? What the hell will he possibly tell you? Oh, I know! “Jack, I was almost blown up!”
• What!?! The First Lady just up and went out a damn window!?! Is it bad that I said, “I hope she’s dead,” when we didn’t know where she was for about ten seconds? And just how does anyone leave the house that the President is at? That is some great perimeter security.

CT-Peeeee-EW

• Of all the protocols that CTU must follow day in and day out, on a day like this they allow Audrey, a non-CTU agent, to question people?
• “A lot of people thought you were dead, until today.” Yeah, he knows... wait, wasn’t it ALL of them?
• Why is it that the moles always hang out in the back rooms? And if you ever need to know, this is what you type in to figure out what people were looking at on a computer right before you, “Recall Last Command.”
• Those are some pretty thorough guards... menacing, too. I’d say that on a day like today, no one gets into CTU without being searched extensively. Think of CTU’s track record over the past five years... yikes.
• “It could take us months to figure out who the mole is in Logan’s administration, there are hundreds of staff members.” ... “wait, now that I think of it, there are only two that are in this story.”

Why Break From Habit?

• Oft-used story-line #1: A mole inside the White House
• Oft-used story-line #2: A mole inside CTU
• Oft-used story-line #3: Love Triangle(s)
• Oft-used story-line #4: Can’t talk to hurt person until they’re better
• Oft-used story-line #5: Idiot teenager gets in way
• Oft-used story-line #6: Personal issues muddy up busiest day of life

Randomness...

• Where is the Vice President?
• Where is Jack’s grave?
• Nice to have the moles exposed so quickly in the season.
• The fight scene was kick ass! But now we have to live with broken ribs, and probably some other medical drama, for Jack the rest of the season. Foreshadow alert!

24 Season 5: Episodes 3 & 4 Recap(Hours 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.)

WARNING: The following post may, and probably will, contain spoilers.

Sheesh, double episodes kill me...

Let’s see, when we last left the world of 24, President Logan was insisting on the continuation of hosting the Russian government against all of the advice that he shouldn’t. Even an assassination of a former President couldn’t sway him. Nor could the fact that Jack Bauer was on the loose and potentially trying to kill as many important people as he could. Then, out of nowhere, the airport that Jack was at (looking for a piece of the mystery surrounding his assassination setup) was overtaken by terrorists! The good news, Jack is trapped inside... the bad news, so is Derek:

Jack and His Super Bag of Goodies!

• I figured out how Jack has a nice new cell phone (a cell phone that has every personal CTU agent’s phone number), he has some sponsorship with Sprint!
• In addition to the city-wide teleportation abilities that Jack has shown us over the past few seasons, he can also type in an email address in two seconds. An email address, mind you, to send CTU an email of terrorist photos. And now they’re going to send him data back to his phone. HIS PHONE! Buy Palm stock now!
• Jack’s vision and/or math skills are a bit wacky... “approximately 10-12 hostages” looks more like 24ish.
• David Blane: Jack Bauer: Street Magic – Watch as Jack blows up a remote with his cell phone! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Wouldn’t that blow up all of the terrorists’ vests? Well, no, probably not, he just pointed his wand at the one he wanted to blow up. Or maybe the terrorists spent money on getting different remotes for everyone – yeah, that makes more sense.
• Jack is now a seen as a postitive statistic inside CTU... without him, success for the entire human race is 20%.
• How many other cool things does Jack have in his bag? Aside from two cell phones (one for calling and one for emailing), he’s got guns, a car-jacking tool, a telescope and probably some Bert’s Bees Wax.
• Remember, Jack hasn’t been cleared of assassination charges yet, but we don’t see the importance of handcuffing him. I mean, he only allegedly killed a former President and two CTU agents.

CTU (and Their Technology) Rocks, Sometimes...

• I’m not sure what I’d do with it, but I need some of those face-scanning programs... you know, the ones where they can take a photo of an angled face and match it to a gigantic database of terrorist mug shots. If they’ve got mug-shots of that many terrorists, why not just jail them all up instead of just photographing them? Problem solved.
• My God... the CTU computers and their databases are absolutely amazing, did you see all of the photos of remote detonators they had on file? If these things really existed, we really would have zero terrorists in this world. I mean, we’re talking some real “Minority Report” type shit here, people!
• Why is it every season of 24 there’s a change in the chain of command at CTU? If that government unit is in such constant turmoil, you’d think that they’d have some type of stable leader or dissolve it all together.
• Speaking of a new leader at CTU, it’s one that micro-manages? Jeez, talk about recycled story-lines (crazy first lady, a mole, new micro-managing leader at CTU, multiple love triangles, etc.)
• Let me get this straight, CTU can pinpoint and track people in “real-time” movements from the garage of a hotel, yet you can’t use computers, or satellites, to track where terrorists and hostages are inside a one-story airport terminal? What about those nifty infrared satellites you had last season 18 months ago? Plus, why will it take 20 minutes to re-deploy men around a 10,000 square foot (at most) building? Oh, that’s right, it doesn’t... because when you had to quickly re-deploy your men again, it took two.

Rookie Terrorists

• The blood on the shirt of the idiot hostage (the one that tried to use his cell phone) spread awfully far, awfully quick. Blood doesn’t flow that quickly out of a singular bullet wound, nor when the dude is laying on his back. But, we can’t discount their flare for the dramatic.
• How did the terrorist have the phone number to a specific policeman on the scene? Speaking of police, no one from a police unit would be running the operation at an airport. It would be the FBI, or some other government agency, doing that (haven’t they ever seen “Die Hard 2?”)
• The terrorists spray-painted the security cameras and not only did the terrorists have the number to the policeman outside the airport, they also had the number to the television networks, and the means to broadcast a live feed.
• “The terrorists have taken control of an entire airport!” Translation: One terminal and a concession stand – a concession stand, mind you, that has blue and red plastic Dixie Cups.
• No chance the terrorists would be standing in the main terminal in front of giant windows. They would’ve been shot long ago.
• “The President has 15 minutes to meet our demands. Well, minus 5 for a commercial break and 2 for the meaningless dribble that Jack just spout out... so really, the President has 8 minutes! Wait, I forgot that we don’t count commercial breaks... so back to 13 minutes! You got that!?! 13!!! ”
• How do we stop people coordinating by cell phones? Ah the old cell phone jamming software, duh.
• Why just secure Jack? Why not just kill him? No one wants him alive!!!
• Keep your head down, you filthy hostages... except for you, yeah, you... the one who’s not really a hostage! In fact, leave it up for a while, so the audience knows what you look like!
• How does a hostage just get out of the building and through a locked-down airport? Through the back door, that’s how.

The Californian White House and Schtuff

• How exactly do you “alter” a voice recording? If we ever hear the original, and President Palmer never said anything like what we heard in episode two, then we know that “alter” really means “bs.”
• The networks are under no legal obligation to comply with the President’s demands? I’m sure there’s some clause somewhere that says he can do whatever he wants (the clause that says he can ignore his own rule that America doesn’t torture suspects anymore comes to mind).
• Now the First Lady’s hair stylist personal assistant has forgotten that the First Lady is supposed to be crazy and just might believe her now.
• Where exactly would the First Lady be going? Everyone would be in a gigantic lockdown right now. That means no press, at least more than two cabinet members, and they would all be flying somewhere in the air – and if not in the air, there would be guards everywhere, so that nobody would be walking around alone, or anywhere for that matter.
• They store all transcribed conversations at a house in California? That’s convenient. And, just how many boxes does the First Lady have to go through? Wasn’t the call made last night?
• What is this, blame the First Lady’s hair stylist personal assistant day? First she’ll take blame for letting the First Lady out. Then she’ll take the blame for the First Lady stealing information that could be an International Matter of Security. Poor girl.

So everyone knows, the catch-phrase of 24 this season is “real-time updates.” But I guess nothing, absolutely nothing, has happened to Tony in the past three+ hours, since we’ve heard no updates.

Coming up next week: Nerve Gas!!! I hope I have the nerve.

24 Season 5: Episodes 1 & 2 Recap(Hours 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.)

WARNING: The following post may, and probably will, contain spoilers.

Well, well, well... color me impressed. So far this season has started off in an exciting way. The action was good, the direction was good... heck, even the acting was good (except President Logan, what a goofball). I like the story thus far and it gives me hope that the series could turn into a great, or at least better, direction. The one problem I’m super afraid of is that generally the premieres of series are produced and directed with more vigor than the rest of the series (save the sweeps and finales). If that’s the case here, we could easily slip back into the bad land... but we’ll soon see. Here are my thoughts from tonight’s two-hour premiere.

Awww, Fox, You Spoiled Us
If you were a loyal 24 fan and read up on season five before it even started, you were sure to find out that there were some potential major spoilers in store. Sure enough, as the opening credits rolled in during the first episode, Fox pretty much confirmed the deaths of Michelle and Palmer. Don’t call them "special guest stars" next time something like this is going to happen, I knew right off the bat who was going to die. Tsk tsk.

Throw That Lock Down!
Okay, we’ve been through this before with other seasons and we’ve even been through this in real life (see September 11). If a major event occurs, such as the assassination of a former President (which was 15 minutes away), the entire West Wing (so to say) goes into immediate lock down. The President’s whereabouts are not disclosed and he, and the rest of his staff, are whisked away to some super safe spot. In cases like this, the President doesn’t have the final say in whether a special summit is still going to occur. Besides, I’m thinking the Russians would turn right around, I know I would.

And where exactly is the rest of the staff? Not that "The West Wing" or "Commander in Chief" are better representations, but they have staff, secret service, FBI, etc... running around EVERYWHERE all the time. I think here it’s just a matter of keeping the cast down to a minimum, but not a very logical interpretaton.

Hip Hip, Hooray!!!
Glad to see Palmer’s brother, Wayne, is back. I really liked him from two seasons ago, he’s definitely a good addition to the cast. Speaking of good casting, Derek, the teenage boy with spidey-sense (I gotta warn Jack, yeah, right), is another good addition to the cast. I liked the dynamic between him and Jack.

I also loved the edginess of Jack when talking to the assassin. That ruled.

Celly Phone Silliness
It’s about time someone has trouble hearing Jack while he’s flying in a helicopter! Maybe his good cell service ran out when his CTU employment ended. And while I’m thinking about it, how did Jack get cell phone service? Surely he didn’t put his account under Jack Bauer, did he?

Also, why does everyone use cellphones? Even the bad guys? Marwahn used them extensively last season and now with the recent realization that the government can listen in on any call in the United States, surely they’d be picking up on these bad guys and the crap they’re planning... right?

The First Lady, The Latest Craz-y
What is it with dysfunctional First Ladies on this show? The latest, Martha Logan, seems to be a super loon. All the President wants to do is keep her all doped up, which is something they should’ve done with Erin Driscoll’s daughter last season. You just knew her "craziness" was a setup for yet another mole from within... and I’m tired of the whole mole deal, too.

Edgar-Chloe Schtuff
Looks like the rumored love triangle is effectively established. Wonderful. And since when does a place like CTU have one super administrator that can do things no one else can? That’s not very likely at all. Nor is it likely to get such a strong signal in an underground parking garage – I barely get cell phone reception in my garage. It was funny that Edgar pointed out that Chloe was probably in a parking garage or something, since her signal was weak... but when the building was being "secure" to capture Jack, why didn’t they a) shut off the elevators, b) block the exit of the garage, or c) head directly to the garage to get Chloe?

In addition, Chloe had already been missing for about an hour and CTU was concerned that she was assisting Jack. If that were the case, her name and file would be placed on immediate alert status... meaning that when she arrived at the building where Palmer was assassinated, she wouldn’t have gotten past the first guard (you know, the guard that did the lean-in-glance-over vehicle check). And one more thing, why was there one FBI agent in the garage, but 25 of them upstairs? When you secure a building, I’m pretty sure everything is secure, not just the penthouse.

Misplaced Family Values?
Is this not the perfect season to bring back Kim? Jack’s been gone for 18 months and barely a mention of Kim. I’m assuming that she’s still a CTU agent somewhere, if that’s true, then she’s been informed that Jack is now suspect number one. I think she’d be popping up somewhere demanding some answers. If anything, they could bring her back and kill her off... I’d be down.

Miscellaneous

• With as bad as that car was after the explosion, I’m betting that Michelle wouldn’t look so good herself, nor would there be much of her for Tony to hug. And why did the car explode twice?
• Was that the outdoor shopping mall from The 40 Year-Old Virgin?
• Geez, why is Audrey back? Please don’t say her dad is back, too.
• "Real-time updates." Yeah, I don’t think that’s a real-time term.
• Cool smoke screen. Buuuuuuut, wouldn’t the helicopter blow all the smoke away?
• Woohoo! Macs! Too bad it’s not the new Intel iMac. And it also sucks that the CTU peeps are stuck with HPs.
• Looks like Chloe will be the first person interrogated, and so it begins.
• If I’m not mistaken, the glass that Jack broke out of the drivers side window (the one he and Derek drove to the airport) was back.

Great start for season five. My hopes are up thus far, but we’ve still got 22 hours to go. Sigh.

24 Season 5: A fore-warning

When I started this web site, I was squarely under the influence and stench that was season four. My goal with the site is to point out where 24 lacks in creativeness, integrity and consistency. 24 is, and has always been, an exciting show. To create and execute an entire 24 episode series takes an incredible amount of writing and planning... it’s something that I would probably have a very hard time with, nor something that I would like to do. The problem with a show like 24 is that it was a high-concept show and I think over the past two season’s the writers and producers have struggled to keep the intensity at a high level. It’s not enough to have Jack Bauer running around screaming his head off for the entire season, sad but true.

That’s where I stepped in. Just as most major films and television shows have people working in the continuity department, I use this as a forum to discuss where 24 falls flat and decides to embellish their story to make it work within the boundaries that they created. 24 is a popular show, no doubt about it, but with more and more viewers tuning in each season, there needs to be a voice somewhere inside Fox that asks, “is this realistic and, more importantly, is this believeable?”

I know my posts may seem a bit negative at times, but my intention is to help the viewing public keep 24 at a more realistic level... not that anyone at Fox is listening. Saying that, I know that no show is perfect and it’s very hard to be just that. I loved the first two seasons of 24 and believe that it can be the best show on television, but it definitely has kinks to work out.

That said, I’m actually excited about season five and think that the teasers and commercials for it thus far have made it look more film-like and realistic. It should be fun to watch the season, or day, progress and I’ll be right here after every episode with my thoughts and comments. I’ll be sure to call 24 out on its silliness, but I’ll also be positive when it does things the right way. With a little better direction and acting, 24 may finally break through the bubble and win some of the more important Emmys.

We’ll see. Enjoy season five of 24, I know I will.