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#1 2010-02-15 19:48:46

Steveb
Moderator
Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Episode 8x07 discussion

Oh hello there, I haven't seen you for a while, do you remember we met in... oh when was it? 2001, 2002 something like that... it's 24 isn't it? The last time I saw you properly Jack was in a coma and Renee had just put her badge down. Remember? So how's the family? I heard that Jack doesn't want to do this anymore... oh you're conveniently ignoring that for the time being are you? Fair enough. And what's Chloe up to? Not a lot. Right. Anyway, it's great to see you.

As that somewhat sarcastic monologue may indicate I'm a happy man again. I sat down to watch episode 7 last night with much trepidation. Having watched episodes 5 and 6 twice I was still unimpressed and was worried that the theme would continue into Sky's first single episode of the season. Thankfully, I was wrong. What I watched was a sharply plotted episode with enough action, drama and emotion to more than make up for the lack-lustre start. Whilst still not attaining the heights of the early seasons, in my mind this episode was certainly up there with the some of the best offerings of 'the second trilogy'.

That's not to say it was perfect. There are still too many characters doing nothing and a little too much stalling for time, but it finally feels like 24 again. I can even forgive the Starbuck storyline... just about. Whilst I still think it's one unnecessary contrivance too far, it was given enough screen time this week to keep my attention. The scenes were Dana skulked off to some weird wicker man-esque office to were perhaps the most interesting simply because her colleagues have started to click that something is wrong and the anticipation of someone coming through the door and rumbling her was incredibly engaging. Yes, it was obvious something was going to go wrong- the story needs a continuation, but there was at least an attempt at connecting it to the main story, with the van driving past the truck containing the "nuclear materials. It was beautifully subtle, almost a meta-plot link if such a term exists.

Aside from Starbuck, CTU is still a tad redundant. This is a good thing to a point, at least it isn't the soapy tripe that was offered up in season 6, but it doesn't have the right balance that was struck with the FBI last year for example. I assume that there'll be some variety of siege/ crisis/ attack that puts them all in danger before too long. There are too many characters in one location for it not to happen, at least going on previous episodes.

Also not being used to it's full potential is the United Nations. President Hassan's Hamlet like descent into madness is taking shape nicely and the fact that the bloke from The Bill has now been taken into custody does give us a character that we are familiar with on the other side of the platform. Anil Kapoor has basically stolen every scene he's been in this year, and given his english soap opera origins, TJ Ramani has impressed me with his quietly understated performance. I look forward to next week to see the furthering of the confrontation between these two. However, I did say that the UN isn't being used to it's full potential and I stand by that, particularly the American political cartel. President Taylor seems to have done nothing but make speeches and deliver ultimatums she hasn't followed through on, Ethan seems to be a shadow of his season seven character and the new chief of staff is so two-dimensional and irksomely shouty I haven't yet bothered to learn his name. Again it's a balance thing, and I think that what's lacking in this particular strand is the balance between the two political sides- it is still relatively early in the season though so finger's crossed.

And so on to Jack, Renee and the Russians. I did think for about ten minutes that they were going to sit around doing nothing for another hour, but it was actually a perfect slow build to a perfect 24 cliffhanger, which has so swiftly moved the plot on I'm wondering if the writer's realised that things were dragging and just decided to mix it up a bit. There were some great moments in this story. Jack and Renee's tender exchange, complimented by the timidity of Renee wanting to know what had happened to him at the end of the episode. I was reminded of the Jack/ Kate Warner love story of season two, they thankfully didn't go too far and ruin it, but there is a suitably lingering love between our two heroes.

Having said that, the high emotion and tension of this whole story was matched by it's comedic brilliance, the frankly hilarious bread knife sequence is one of my highlights of 24 so far. I think it was the moment that Jack pulled the knife from his own stomach and flung it into the advancing ginger terrorist's neck, before perfectly doing a man by shooting him through warped perspex, whilst Renee knelt crying over her torturer. I possibly have a macabre sense of humour but to me it was like the rest of the episode, brilliant.


"The water is unpalatable, to improve the taste we added Whiskey. By diligent effort I learned to like it." Winston Churchill

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#2 2010-02-15 20:55:50

hardy24
Administrator
From: London
Registered: 2007-02-28
Posts: 981
Website

Re: Episode 8x07 discussion

I had to use such a metaphor, but this really was like watching a man learning to walk again. So far they'd managed to stand up only to fall on there arse. In recent weeks we've seen him stand up for longer periods whilst holding onto the railings. This week he actually got some stuttering steps forward before suddenly bursting into life and pulling a knife out of his stomach and throwing it at the doctor.

That scene where it's suddenly, "oh this aint going anywhere, lets kill everyone!" is classic 24, worthy of any of the great episodes.

In a slightly more level head review, again this continued the pattern of most scenes I enjoyed, but they still not seem to hang together comfortably. It doesn't transition as effortlessly between scenes as I remember the early hours of day one doing. And it still lacks a certain amount of energy, it's not as quick off the mark as it used to be, although some of it my be an intentional plot to be more "thoughtful".

President Hassan's descent into madness is a nice angle, and the havoc it may wreak on the peace treaty. Although we as an audience aren't likely to care as much as we might seeing as we've only known the character for 7 hours, but Anil Kapoor really is giving it his best shot. President Taylor is just annoying really, the less we see of her the better.

Another thing which would be working better if we'd known them for longer is the whole "Russian Family" thing, it's not terrible, but really you need to build them. We'd known the Drazens to some extent for 15 hours before they started to do the mob family stuff.

Overall very encouraging signs, not many complaints, although sad to see Vladimir go, couldn't Renee have killed Taylor instead?


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#3 2010-02-15 21:41:13

Steveb
Moderator
Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Re: Episode 8x07 discussion

I find the Russian family thing fascinating, but odd. It's obviously going somewhere but I can't quite place where. The brother is being built up to turn on the father, but that is -in many respects- too easy. I'm glad they are at least developing these characters though. one thing 24 has never done well is villains, Ira Gaines stands head and shoulders above the rest.* The Bakhaev's are obviously the villains for the first half of the season, and the real test will be if they can create a decent enemy for the latter half of the story.

I really want Taylor to get a good story, she was fantastic last year; the first President since David Palmer to genuinely interest me. This year, she just doesn't have it. Partly it seems that her arc was concluded at the end of last year, because everything feels a little stretched.

*I also have a soft spot for Stephen Saunders, Charles Logan and Jonas Hodges, but no one beats Gaines.


"The water is unpalatable, to improve the taste we added Whiskey. By diligent effort I learned to like it." Winston Churchill

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#4 2010-02-15 21:51:54

hardy24
Administrator
From: London
Registered: 2007-02-28
Posts: 981
Website

Re: Episode 8x07 discussion

Gaines is the original, the best. Simple as. All debates on the topic of best villian are redundant, he helped drive the early hours of 24 almost as much as Jack did.

The Russian family is going somewhere, just not sure where yet. If they can pausibly manage anything other than the son turning i'll be impressed.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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