"24": A long wait until January...
A question popped into my head as I was getting ready for work this morning.
Which is worse? A show that produces 21 strong episodes and a 22nd that leaves you disappointed and makes you wonder if you’ll even watch next year, or a show that produces 23 mostly disappointing episodes and a 24th that leaves you so excited about next year you can’t see straight?
In the case of “Heroes” vs. “24,” I’ve got to give the edge to my beloved “24”…
Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s season finale of “24.”
I have to admit with all of this talk about a reinvented “24” next season (including the promise of some details in this week’s “TV Guide”), I wasn’t as jacked up about the finale as I usually am since I was already looking ahead to next year. But by 9:10, my stomach was starting to churn…
Boy, have I missed that feeling...
That’s not to say everything about the two hours was great, because it wasn’t. Like most of this season, it had its ups and downs…
First the ups…
I was a little concerned right from the get-go that Doyle was going to be the central character in the episodes and Jack would once again be reduced to a cameo appearance. Thankfully, Karen Hayes remembered the lesson that she learned while at CTU—Jack is always right—and intervened. I loved it when Vice President Daniels saw the light himself. He said that Karen was right, but we all know that means Jack was right…
It was great to see Bill Buchanan back, and out in the field. But I was so sure he was going to die that I was singing “Blaze of Glory” during the commercials…
Peter MacNicol continued his stellar work (although I would have liked to have seen him have more to do) as Tom bounced back and forth from weasel to nice guy. I had planned to name MacNicol the MVP of “24” this season, but Ken Tucker of “Entertainment Weekly” beat me to it last week…
The scenes on the oil rig platform were stunning and the excitement of the F-18s bearing down on it was “24” at its best. I’m not really sure why my stomach was turning since I knew Jack was going to be fine, but it felt good to finally be excited about the show…
Now, for the downs…
Was Ricky Schroeder that bad of an actor when he was a kid? His writhing in pain was absolutely laughable. And I’m not even going to discuss Rena Sofer (Marilyn) with her constant screaming and crying. But they didn’t make Josh Jack’s son, so I’m willing to look over her…
And what was up with Jack being so understanding to everyone? He told Nadia that it was okay to trade his nephew to his sociopath father because she was just doing what she thought was right. He told Doyle that what he did was okay because he was just following orders. Huh? Plus, he let Cheng live. The Jack Bauer I know would have never walked past him without putting a bullet in his forehead. And then there were those two completely awkward phone conversations with Nadia with that really bad dialogue…
In fact, most of Jack’s speeches last night seemed a little awkward. That whole “I know what it’s like to take another life” speech to Josh was bordering on ridiculous. Of course Jack knows what it’s like to take another life. He’s killed hundreds of people in six days! And Jack’s confrontation with his father? Almost pointless…
It’s pretty sad when you make the best actor on TV look like he’s sleepwalking through his lines. Thankfully, the writers made up for it later…
It’s a “24” tradition that the last 15 minutes or so of the finale are a little more touchy-feely as the day winds down, but I think they may have crossed the line this time. Chloe pregnant? Are you kidding me?...
Maybe the reason I thought they crossed the line was because there were so many happy endings flying around (which is EXTREMELY rare in the world of “24”). Chloe and Morris were having a baby (would’ve loved to have heard Jack’s reaction to that), Tom gave VP Daniels the incriminating tape (which even made Daniels smile) and told Karen he would actually miss her. Karen and Bill were exonerated of all charges so they could live happily ever after; and Josh was reunited with his mother. In fact, it was a happy ending for everyone…
Everyone except Jack…
It all began with Cheng’s ominous words to Bill: “My people won’t abandon me the way you did Jack Bauer”…
It was something we hadn’t really given much thought to since Jack got back from China. Why didn’t anyone try to get him back? Jack was wondering that same thing and he knew exactly the person to ask…
After deciding not to go back to CTU after he rescued Josh, Jack showed up at James Heller’s house (good thing he lived close). But he wasn’t there to beg to see Audrey. He was there to confront Heller about why he didn’t help him. Many fans were upset that Jack didn’t put up a fight against Heller when he told Jack he was cursed a few weeks ago. I could hear all of those fans cheering as Jack snarled, “How dare you!” It was great to see William Devane in such a powerful scene. James Cromwell (Phillip Bauer) was probably a little jealous…
“You had the power and influence,” Jack told him, taking out all of his rage on the man he looked up to like a father—even pulling a gun on him, as right there in that living room, Jack started to crack. His whole life he had followed orders and done what his country needed him to do, but when he needed his country it deserted him. He was tired of following orders from people like Heller (which explains a little why he was so sympathetic to Doyle and Nadia); and now, Audrey was all he had and he was going to take her back—take his life back—and Heller wasn’t going to get in his way. Until Heller uttered the words that stopped Jack dead in his tracks—“your wife.”
When his brother, Graem, played the Teri card earlier in the season, Jack beat the crap out of him; but this time, Jack knew it was true. He couldn’t protect Audrey no matter how hard he tried. And no matter how hard he might try to get away from saving the world, he couldn’t. So, he did the only thing he could—he let Audrey go. I probably would have cried during those scenes if I gave a crap about Audrey. And the fact that she didn’t even wake up to say goodbye was a little annoying, although I understand that made it a little less sappy and a lot easier on Jack.
The episode ended with Jack watching the sunrise on the balcony of the Heller home, allowing himself to think for a second about disappearing into the ocean—which made my stomach start churning again. The ticking clock fell silent as the screen faded to black…
The ticking clock is always reserved to mark a death—Ryan Chappelle, Edgar Stiles—and it was no different last night. But the death was not of a character, but of “24” as we know it. Next year, Jack will have a new life in a totally new environment until he gets sucked into yet another bad day.
And that’s why I’m so excited. My beloved “24” is getting a facelift. How it will turn out, I have no idea, but I think it’s off to a great start already.
It’ll be a long wait until January…
