24: The Rambling
Yep, it's that time again! Spoilers for the last two episodes (7x15 and 7x16) in particular, especially the latter, and for the entire series in general.
First off: is it weird that I get really excited and happy whenever 24 has a biological threat? I just find them much more interesting than any other kind of threat for some reason. Season 3 had a lot of things wrong with it (mostly the wild goose chase at the beginning with the stupid blonde kid) but I still loved it overall for the whole virus-in-the-hotel bit. I think I just find them more interesting because they tend to be more unpredictable, and nuclear threats have become kind of clichŽ now.
Secondly: what's the general consensus on Jack's illness and whether or not he's going to make it? I have to admit that I'm pretty cynical and am half-way expecting that they'll miraculously come up with a cure/antidote even though Jack is 'patient zero', but this is the first season where I've genuinely started to consider that they might kill Jack off. It helps that they've spent some time setting up a possible replacement for Jack (Renee) for most of the season, which lends the 'dude, we're totally going to kill off the main character! I mean it!' threats that they do every single season a little more weight.
The strange thing is that at the end of the second-last episode, when all we knew was that Jack had been exposed, I was chatting with my friend and said that if they were ever to really kill Jack off I'd like it to be some kind of thing where he's exposed at the very beginning of the series - it's made explicitly clear that he's going to die within 24 hours, and there's no way around it - so then the rest of the season becomes about him trying to get everything done while fighting with his deteriorating condition. To be honest I have no idea whether that would really work as a season-long arc (my guess is no) but the idea just struck a chord with me for some reason, and I'm intrigued now that it seems we might get the same thing on a shortened timescale in the actual show.
Third point: I vote that the next time someone on the show says 'I want immunity', Jack shoots them immediately. It might not make any sense for the story, it might actually be the least rational course of action at the time, but it would make me feel good. The 'I want immunity' thing comes up at least once a season, every damn season, and there are only so many ways of doing it before it gets dull. At least this one was mercifully brief, thanks to product placement.
Actually, something that amuses me about the 'immunity' bit is that terrorists set their sights so much higher these days - anyone else remember back in the day when it was 'I want immunity, signed by Chapelle'? These days terrorists won't accept anything less than the President his/herself!
Fourth point: David Palmer vs. Alison Taylor. Who is/was the better president? I genuinely can't decide, partly because it's been so long since I saw the early seasons that I've forgotten most of Palmer's really kick-ass moments, but the fact that I'm even considering a new president might be better than Palmer is kind of impressive. I suppose with Palmer it's easy to be attached because we saw his rise from Senator to President, whereas with Taylor she pretty much just appeared as President.
Fifth point: predictions for the next episode? I'm assuming the FBI forces will have to back down or face massacre, which is never good, and I'm semi-expecting a ridiculous-but-awesome sequence in which Jack breaks into Starkwood as a one-man army and goes hunting for the weapons himself. Because hey, he's Jack Bauer, and the last episode was pretty light on Jack Action. And maybe he'll bring Renee with him to cement her as a potential candidate for Next Jack Bauer.
The alternative idea I've come up with is that they pretty much just wait outside the compound waiting for the weapons to leave so they can jump on the truck (or something) but that's a pretty ropey plan when they know that the weapons can be transported by helicopter.
Sixth point: this is probably jumping the gun a bit, but predictions for the next series? My friend suggested that maybe Larry and Renee branch off and re-form CTU, possibly with the help of Janis, which strikes me as perhaps slightly cheesy but not outside the realm of possibility (I mean, this is '24' we're talking about). I think this was on the assumption that Jack was dead and therefore that Renee would be the new action character that the plot mostly revolves around. What I like about the idea is that it would continue CTU's fine tradition of inappropriate inter-office relationships within power hierarchies, and who doesn't enjoy those?
As for my own predictions... assuming she doesn't die by the end of this series, I would expect Renee to be in the next one if only to show the after-effects of today's crisis (since they seem to be pressing the 'this kind of lifestyle will break you' angle). I wouldn't mind too much if she does end up being the Jack replacement since she's kind of grown on me throughout the series, though I could do with not seeing her 'sad look' expression again because there's something about it I find a little bit funny. It would be quite nice to see Larry again as well, because I think he does a good job of being the guy who wants to stick by the rules even as he's beginning to doubt them.
Oh, and one last point: after being shanghai'd into service by Olivia (aka. 'Biiiiiiiiitch!' whenever my friend and I are watching 24 together), I am going to be incredibly angry if Aaron dies this season. I have a horrible feeling they're going to do it, just for the 'he was loyal to his country until the very end!'-type sentiment, and if that happens then I will not be held responsible for my actions! (Realistically, said actions will be complaining about it on LiveJournal and moping a lot - nevertheless, I refuse to be held responsible for them.)
I cast WALL OF TEXT upon this LiveJournal!
First off: is it weird that I get really excited and happy whenever 24 has a biological threat? I just find them much more interesting than any other kind of threat for some reason. Season 3 had a lot of things wrong with it (mostly the wild goose chase at the beginning with the stupid blonde kid) but I still loved it overall for the whole virus-in-the-hotel bit. I think I just find them more interesting because they tend to be more unpredictable, and nuclear threats have become kind of clichŽ now.
Secondly: what's the general consensus on Jack's illness and whether or not he's going to make it? I have to admit that I'm pretty cynical and am half-way expecting that they'll miraculously come up with a cure/antidote even though Jack is 'patient zero', but this is the first season where I've genuinely started to consider that they might kill Jack off. It helps that they've spent some time setting up a possible replacement for Jack (Renee) for most of the season, which lends the 'dude, we're totally going to kill off the main character! I mean it!' threats that they do every single season a little more weight.
The strange thing is that at the end of the second-last episode, when all we knew was that Jack had been exposed, I was chatting with my friend and said that if they were ever to really kill Jack off I'd like it to be some kind of thing where he's exposed at the very beginning of the series - it's made explicitly clear that he's going to die within 24 hours, and there's no way around it - so then the rest of the season becomes about him trying to get everything done while fighting with his deteriorating condition. To be honest I have no idea whether that would really work as a season-long arc (my guess is no) but the idea just struck a chord with me for some reason, and I'm intrigued now that it seems we might get the same thing on a shortened timescale in the actual show.
Third point: I vote that the next time someone on the show says 'I want immunity', Jack shoots them immediately. It might not make any sense for the story, it might actually be the least rational course of action at the time, but it would make me feel good. The 'I want immunity' thing comes up at least once a season, every damn season, and there are only so many ways of doing it before it gets dull. At least this one was mercifully brief, thanks to product placement.
Actually, something that amuses me about the 'immunity' bit is that terrorists set their sights so much higher these days - anyone else remember back in the day when it was 'I want immunity, signed by Chapelle'? These days terrorists won't accept anything less than the President his/herself!
Fourth point: David Palmer vs. Alison Taylor. Who is/was the better president? I genuinely can't decide, partly because it's been so long since I saw the early seasons that I've forgotten most of Palmer's really kick-ass moments, but the fact that I'm even considering a new president might be better than Palmer is kind of impressive. I suppose with Palmer it's easy to be attached because we saw his rise from Senator to President, whereas with Taylor she pretty much just appeared as President.
Fifth point: predictions for the next episode? I'm assuming the FBI forces will have to back down or face massacre, which is never good, and I'm semi-expecting a ridiculous-but-awesome sequence in which Jack breaks into Starkwood as a one-man army and goes hunting for the weapons himself. Because hey, he's Jack Bauer, and the last episode was pretty light on Jack Action. And maybe he'll bring Renee with him to cement her as a potential candidate for Next Jack Bauer.
The alternative idea I've come up with is that they pretty much just wait outside the compound waiting for the weapons to leave so they can jump on the truck (or something) but that's a pretty ropey plan when they know that the weapons can be transported by helicopter.
Sixth point: this is probably jumping the gun a bit, but predictions for the next series? My friend suggested that maybe Larry and Renee branch off and re-form CTU, possibly with the help of Janis, which strikes me as perhaps slightly cheesy but not outside the realm of possibility (I mean, this is '24' we're talking about). I think this was on the assumption that Jack was dead and therefore that Renee would be the new action character that the plot mostly revolves around. What I like about the idea is that it would continue CTU's fine tradition of inappropriate inter-office relationships within power hierarchies, and who doesn't enjoy those?
As for my own predictions... assuming she doesn't die by the end of this series, I would expect Renee to be in the next one if only to show the after-effects of today's crisis (since they seem to be pressing the 'this kind of lifestyle will break you' angle). I wouldn't mind too much if she does end up being the Jack replacement since she's kind of grown on me throughout the series, though I could do with not seeing her 'sad look' expression again because there's something about it I find a little bit funny. It would be quite nice to see Larry again as well, because I think he does a good job of being the guy who wants to stick by the rules even as he's beginning to doubt them.
Oh, and one last point: after being shanghai'd into service by Olivia (aka. 'Biiiiiiiiitch!' whenever my friend and I are watching 24 together), I am going to be incredibly angry if Aaron dies this season. I have a horrible feeling they're going to do it, just for the 'he was loyal to his country until the very end!'-type sentiment, and if that happens then I will not be held responsible for my actions! (Realistically, said actions will be complaining about it on LiveJournal and moping a lot - nevertheless, I refuse to be held responsible for them.)
I cast WALL OF TEXT upon this LiveJournal!