Up The Ladder. Review of Episodes 21 & 22

I’m not sure of how much interest my thoughts on episodes 21 & 22 will be to anyone whose already seen 23 & 24, but we’ll see. I felt compelled to put my reactions down to have a further bench mark to compare against when I finally review the last two. Also since I enjoyed these a lot more than previous episodes.

The last few episodes really hadn’t done much for me, I still wasn’t getting excited, because of all the procedural rubbish that was going on around the edges I was finding it hard to get emotionally invested (or connected). But in 21 and 22, as we see just how far Jack is willing to go, and is going. Suddenly I get it, i’m with it. I’m edging ever so slightly towards the edge of my seat.

It’s all a bit more guilty pleasure than it was back in the good old days of Series One when you gained some satisfaction from deciphering the plot and perhaps guessing a plot twist no one else saw coming, the 2010 breed is a little more “detach the brain and enjoy the ride”, but hey, if the ride is this enjoyable then sure i’ll let a few plot holes (Novacovic gave the order to shoot Renee, not the Russian Pres.) the size of Manhattan flash by me. Same goes for a little repetition (Logan undone by a microphone after a rough and ready encounter with Jack).

Really is worth ignored when where treated to such gloriously scenes as Jacks full on assault whilst masked and in full body armour wielding an AK or something similar. Any encounter between Jack and Logan is worth watching and 22 didn’t disappoint. Truth be told any scene with Logan scheming, and twisting and being so Machiavellian and Nixon-esque is worth watching.

A lot of the problems of previous episodes was still present in these episodes, I just found myself not caring so much.

The show has set itself up for a very promising end, lets see if it delivers….

Wait, you already know if it delivers. Lets see if I think it delivers…. (yeah, thats better.)

3 thoughts on “Up The Ladder. Review of Episodes 21 & 22”

  1. Having gone back and watched the relevant scenes, there is a certain ambiguity, however in the conversation about it between Pavel and Novacovic Suvarov was never mentioned. However in episode 22 Suvarovs involvement is mentioned as if the audience has already been told about it.

    It’s perhaps not a plothole so much as slightly lazy writing.

  2. I finally got around to reading your thoughts on these eps. I must say that although I did enjoy them, too, I can’t remember much about them now, just some weeks later. I guess that (at least to me) this is sort of symptomatic of the recent 24 season: it just doesn’t stick with me that much. I mean, I can sit back and enjoy the ride, but once the ride comes to a stop, it’s over, it’s not like it stays with me, and keeps me invested beyond the final clock. That’s highly unfortunate. Especially since this was the final season and there will be no more. I still wish they’d let Season 7 be the last. Alas, they chose to sin. Nevermind.

    I digressed. Sorry about that.

    You’re right, Dan, these eps got as close to getting us to edge slightly to the edge of the seat as this season hitherto had. There had been memorable moments before, but Darth Bauer [(C) TheJackSack] was admittedly very cool.

    As for the repetitions, since S7, I’ve come to look at them not so much as rehashing of old story lines (although in essence that’s exactly what they are) but more as tributes to Ghost Of 24 Past. Some of the repeated moments looked so deliberate that my rationale offered me a logical explanation. Of course, using the ol’ “chip implant under the skin” trick three times during the course of 8 years could certainly be seen as lazy writing, but it’s also pretty damn cool when Jack literally digs the information out of a baddie’s body ;o)

    So, in essence, I’ve learned to ignore and forgive and forget, in order to be able to sit back and enjoy the ride. Overthinking things has hampered that enjoyment. Many mistakes have been made, but there’s no point in dwelling on them. What’s done is done, the writers are probably happy they don’t have to worry about real time issues any longer, and actors will be happy not to be stuck in the same clothes day after day for 9 or 10 months a year :D.

    Moving on to your thoughts on the finale. Let’s see what you thought.

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