Article first published as TV Review: 24 - Jack Bauer is Dead, Long Live Jack Bauer! on Blogcritics.
While watching the last minutes of the series finale of 24, I had a very bad feeling about what was happening. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is on his knees with a gun pointed to his head. The guy with the gun is about two seconds away from pulling the trigger, and I start thinking, "Damn, are they really going to kill Jack Bauer?" Then the guy gets a call from President Taylor. Jack’s reprieve is brief because, after Jack gets on the phone with her, Taylor basically tells him that he’s as good as dead. The Russians want him. The Americans will be after him too. Get out of the country. Run, Jack, run.
Jack makes one last call to Chloe. It is fitting that one of the fixtures of this show during all 192 episodes (the cellular phone calls between Jack and Chloe) is what ends it. Jack and Chloe talk. He thanks her for covering his back all these years. Chloe starts crying. Jack asks her to protect his daughter Kim and her family. Chloe says that she will as more tears fall. A drone hovers in the sky above the 59 Street Bridge, and Jack looks up at it one last time. Bleeding, beaten, and bruised, it’s a haunting image of Jack as he stares at the camera. Chloe utters the last line of dialogue in the series, “Shut it down.” The picture goes out and the iconic on screen clock clicks backwards to zero hour. Series over; Jack gone.
The true 24 fans will probably love that Jack did not die, even though it is like he is dead. He will never be Jack Bauer again. His family life is destroyed and his chances for a normal life along with it. By making him a man without a country, without a persona, Jack will be forced to do what Jack does best: survive and kill to survive. In essence that is what he has always done. It is left to our imaginations as to how he will do what he needs to do, but we have no doubt at all that he can and will do whatever it takes.
In the days leading up to the series finale, there was great speculation that Jack Bauer would die in the end. The producers and writers obviously knew better than to let that happen. Besides a 24 movie in the works, there are the residual elements that benefit from a breathing Jack Bauer as opposed to killing him off. For example, when the inevitable eight-season DVD package hit’s the market, people are more likely to invest those hard earned dollars in something that keeps their favorite character alive in their imaginations and in any other configuration likely to follow. Will there be 24 novels, cartoons, comic books, video games, and action figures? Of course there will be, and they will be more marketable with fans thinking Jack is out there somewhere in the world.
The series finale scored some points early on in the first hour when Jack kidnaps ex-President Chucky (your friend to the end) Logan’s lackey Pillar (acting head of CTU), and forces him to stitch up the wound in his side. As Pillar sews Jack up, Jack points a gun to his head and basically explains his actions not only in this season but for all eight seasons of the show.
He tells Pillar that he would have accepted justice through the law, but President Taylor blew the opportunity for that by becoming part of the cover up. This is when Jack decides to take the law into his own hands. He then has no choice but to become “judge and jury” for those nefarious characters who have plotted to set off a nuke in Manhattan, kill innocent people, and leave Renee Walker and other law enforcement people dead in their wake. This has always been Jack’s motivation, and he is finally able to speak the truth. He will right the wrongs, he will stop the bad guys from winning, and he does not care who or what gets in his way.
Pillar gets knocked on the head for his trouble and Jack goes upstairs in the building across from the UN. His plan is to get Chucky to call Russian President Subarov into the office, giving Jack a clear opportunity to nail the bastard who ordered Renee's death with his sniper rifle. At this point Jack has recordings implicating Subarov, Chucky, Taylor, and a partridge in a pair tree to boot. Chucky knows this and is shivering worse than a guy in his skivvies in an outhouse in January.
Chloe has other plans. Thanks to Cole’s brief showdown with Jim Ricker, they know Jack is heading to the UN to take out Subarov. Chucky gets a call from Jack, and he realizes that Jack has a rifle trained on his head, and he snivels and snarks as he talks during the call to Subarov, hoping to get the guy to come in and be a sitting Russian duck.
Chloe locates Jack and tries to stop him from killing Subarov. She asks him if he wants to start a war. Is that what Renee would have wanted? Jack backs down. Chucky, waiting for the bullet to take out Subarov, tries to stand up without his spine and then realizes the shot isn’t coming. Meanwhile, because CTU teams with "shoot to kill Bauer" orders are coming, Jack makes Chloe shoot him in order to save his life. Got that one? Having watched every episode for eight seasons, the last thing I ever expected to happen was for Chloe to shoot Jack.
The events from this point on are classically anti-climactic. The most intense moment is when President Taylor is confronted by Dalia Hassan, widow of the IRK President who had been assassinated that day. It is a great scene with Taylor starting to break as she understands the length and breadth of her complicity in the carnage of the day. By the time she reaches the podium to sign the much publicized peace accord, she lifts the pen (a gift from Dalia that her husbanded intended to give Taylor) but cannot sign the agreement. Subarov starts to sweat out those Stoli shots; he knows the broken deal will bring him down as well.
When Chucky hears the news report about Taylor's actions, he gets his shaking hands on the nearest object and clunks Pillar in the head. Knowing everything has been for nothing this day and that Jack Bauer has won, Chucky takes Pillar's gun and shoots him in the head. Chucky then turns the gun on himself as Taylor bangs on the door. BANG! Chucky is his own best friend in the end because he takes the coward's way out.
Taylor’s reclamation is last minute when she calls off the attack on Jack. In a phone call between the two, we can see the heartbreak both are experiencing. Credit Cherry Jones as Taylor and Sutherland as Bauer for performances that shake the viewer with sincerity and grief. All the "what ifs" and "could have beens" are imagined as Taylor expresses her regrets and sorrow to Jack. She is taking responsibility. She will resign and put herself into custody. Another 24 president meets an inglorious fate.
There is nothing left to say (though I thought a presidential pardon was in order), and after Jack ends the call with Taylor, we get the last scene with Chloe. Jack has to get out of the country, and we know all of this is a perfect lead-in to a movie that will be filmed in Eastern Europe, centering the action in Prague. Jack will be on the run from the Russians and the Americans and everyone else.
Without the "real time" limitations of the TV series, it should be interesting to see what happens to Jack Bauer. In between all the shootouts and explosions, maybe he will fall in love again, and hopefully we'll see the guy get some sleep and maybe a bite to eat. After nine years, he must be awfully hungry. Can you picture Jack eating in the McDonald's in Prague? "Uh, Big Mac, prosim." I can't wait.
Until the movie, Klaatu Barada Nikto!
Showing posts with label Kiefer Sutherland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kiefer Sutherland. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
TV Review: Season 8 of 24: Jack of All Trades; Master of One
Article first published as TV Review: 24 - Jack of All Trades, Master of One on Blogcritics.
As Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) grinds his way through episode 22, we become painfully aware of the obvious: Jack has become a killing machine. Not that Jack has not always been adept at killing, but now he has become the master and commander of it. Although he has many talents and abilities, now Jack seems almost on autopilot and, except for a nasty wound that conspicuously leaves blood spots on walls, Jack keeps moving forward in an almost robotic drive for justice.
The episode begins with disgraced ex-prez Chucky (your fiend to the end) Logan watching news reports, excited by acknowledgement of his help in keeping the peace agreement on track. He needs to go meet old pal Russian President Suvarov who is landing at JFK. With all his nefarious plans seemingly falling into place, Chucky's celebratory mood is brief when Pillar (his crony who now is running CTU) calls to tell him Jack escaped. Ah, poor Chucky, this is all not going the way he expected. Damn that Jack Bauer!
Jack and Ricker are hiding in one of the dark corners of Manhattan with reporter Meredith Reed (who just happens to be the ex-lover of President Hassan who had been murdered that day). Ricker runs off to work on getting info from the SIM card Jack extricated from assassin Pavel with a gruesome tummy tuck, and Jack reveals the truth about what happened that day to Reed, gving her the disk with the evidence on it. He warns her that she will be a target too, so she better look over her shoulder and run in a crooked line. Eventually, she goes off to call her editor from a coffee house for a meeting of grande cappuccino importance.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch (in this case the UN), Hassan's widow Dalia (who is now tentatively running the IRK) is concerned about Chucky's part in the peace accord. Like probably everyone else with half a brain (besides the now ditsy President Taylor), she doesn't understand how this wormy man is getting praise for shining the peace accord apple. She asks her assistant to investigate what's going on, and we have to assume he might turn up something, since copious amounts of excrement are ready to hit the fan.
Chucky has another private meeting with President Taylor, and he lets her know the bad news about Bauer's escape. At this point the old Taylor (who knows Jack's resourcefulness) would probably give up and do the right thing, but this new Taylor (post spinectomy) allows the devil to sweet talk her into calling Reed's boss and stopping the story about the conspiracy to kill Hassan. Ah, it's so nice to see a president supporting the fourth estate so vigorously.
Arlo and Chloe are monitoring Pillar's team back at CTU, and Chloe sees the image of the eviscerated Pavel and then the gun that killed Renee. Chloe, who knows Jack better than anyone, still thinks she can save him, but since the presidential order is to shoot to kill, it's obvious that Jack is in big trouble now. Arlo is also able to identify Jack's old buddy as Jim Ricker (who supposedly has been dead for seven years). Chloe figures if they find Ricker, they'll find Jack. Good luck with that, Chloe.
Using Pavel's cell phone, Ricker figures out Chucky's location and, after some mild protestations about giving up an ex-president, he sends Jack info on where Chucky's limousine is going. He warns Jack that there's no turning back if he goes after Chucky, and Jack says dryly, "I wasn't planning on coming back." More than anything, this should tell 24 fans that there is no happy ending with daughter Kim and granddaughter Teri. When all is said and done, Jack is going on walkabout - for the rest of his life.
Having watched this series from the very first episode in 2001, I have to say the most satisfying sequence in 24 history (reserving the possibility that next week's series finale could serve up something infinitely better) follows as Jack goes Darth Bauer, wearing black body armor and a black mask. He manages to kidnap Chucky right after the ex-president has just reassured Russian snake Novakovich, (who is worried that Jack will come for him too) that there is nothing to fear.
This sequence is satisfying on many levels, but especially pleasing to long-time 24 fans who have been waiting for Chucky to get unlucky. Jack drags him inside yet another abandoned warehouse, and there is a delightful Q&A session with Jack pummeling Chucky and getting him to spill his guts (while no doubt wetting his pants) rather quickly. Logan gives up Novakovich and snivels and begs not to be killed, but Jack already has better ideas. He knocks Chucky out and escapes right before Pillar and his men arrive on the scene.
Little home wrecker Meredith gets stood up at the coffee place (but she no doubt manages to knock back a few espressos anyway), and she knows the FBI has the editor in custody and the story will be killed. She rushes out with an idea to get the message about the conspiracy to somebody. Meredith somehow knows the hotel where her ex-lover's wife and daughter are staying, and she goes there and places a call to Dalia. Kayla, the daughter, answers, but eventually Meredith tells her about the Russian involvement in the murder of her father. Shortly after this, the FBI arrests her and takes the disk away from her.
Jack goes to Novakovich's hotel and has a battle with some guards to get to the elevator, killing them but getting stabbed in the side in the process (it seems he was stabbed in the same place by Renee about fifteen hours before). Jack is bloody but determined to get to his mark and goes onto the elevator.
Chloe finds a way to get Cole out of holding and gets him ready to go after Ricker. They both leave CTU, she in one car and he in the other. She tells Cole to get Ricker and learn Jack's location, but Cole puts enough firepower in the trunk of his car to suggest that he's not going to play patty-cake with Ricker. Cole also threatens to take Jack out if necessary (hey, Cole, did you forget this is Jack Bauer you're going after?).
The rescued Chucky is wheeled to an ambulance wearing an oxygen mask. Though he can barely talk, he orders Pillar to call Novakovich and warn him that Bauer knows everything. Pillar calls but gets a wounded assistant. Jack has already been there and taken out everyone, leaving Novakovich skewered with a fireplace poker. Some viewers may be disappointed because they missed the action in this scene, but I think it is brilliant not to see what happened and have the camera just pan the room, showing the aftermath of Jack's rage.
Pillar tells Chucky that Novakovich is dead, and Chucky then makes another call to Russian President Suvarov. Finally, we learn the even more ugly truth: Suvarov has been behind all the events of the day. He wanted to derail the peace accord, and now he is concerned that Bauer will come after him too. Chucky assures him that Bauer knows nothing because he killed Novakovich before he could talk, and more good news is that they believe Jack is wounded. Suvarov downs a couple of Stoli shots and says that nothing is worse than a wounded animal. Oh yeah? How about a wounded Jack Bauer?
As Chucky continues to talk to Suvarov, we see Jack standing in another dark corner of Manhattan listening to their conversation. Apparently, he planted a microscopic transmitter on Chucky's shirt (reminding us of a similar scenario from season five when he caught Chucky's incriminating dialogue with his wife Martha on tape) and is able to record the conversation for future use. Jack knows what he has to do now, and so do we, but as he moves away from his hiding spot, we see a bloodstain on the brick wall, letting us know our hero is weakened as he takes tenuous steps toward his fate (and the end of 24 as we know it).
Episode 22 is as good as any of the best episodes of 24 in past seasons. It features Jack going against all the odds, and all the loose ends are getting tied up as we proceed toward the series finale next week. Inevitably, there will be arguments for and against allowing Jack to fall into this dark mode, but ever since Jack Bauer told us about the first worst day of his life nine years ago, we should have known there could be no other way to go. 24 is a tragedy, and tragedies just don't have happy endings.
As Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) grinds his way through episode 22, we become painfully aware of the obvious: Jack has become a killing machine. Not that Jack has not always been adept at killing, but now he has become the master and commander of it. Although he has many talents and abilities, now Jack seems almost on autopilot and, except for a nasty wound that conspicuously leaves blood spots on walls, Jack keeps moving forward in an almost robotic drive for justice.
The episode begins with disgraced ex-prez Chucky (your fiend to the end) Logan watching news reports, excited by acknowledgement of his help in keeping the peace agreement on track. He needs to go meet old pal Russian President Suvarov who is landing at JFK. With all his nefarious plans seemingly falling into place, Chucky's celebratory mood is brief when Pillar (his crony who now is running CTU) calls to tell him Jack escaped. Ah, poor Chucky, this is all not going the way he expected. Damn that Jack Bauer!
Jack and Ricker are hiding in one of the dark corners of Manhattan with reporter Meredith Reed (who just happens to be the ex-lover of President Hassan who had been murdered that day). Ricker runs off to work on getting info from the SIM card Jack extricated from assassin Pavel with a gruesome tummy tuck, and Jack reveals the truth about what happened that day to Reed, gving her the disk with the evidence on it. He warns her that she will be a target too, so she better look over her shoulder and run in a crooked line. Eventually, she goes off to call her editor from a coffee house for a meeting of grande cappuccino importance.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch (in this case the UN), Hassan's widow Dalia (who is now tentatively running the IRK) is concerned about Chucky's part in the peace accord. Like probably everyone else with half a brain (besides the now ditsy President Taylor), she doesn't understand how this wormy man is getting praise for shining the peace accord apple. She asks her assistant to investigate what's going on, and we have to assume he might turn up something, since copious amounts of excrement are ready to hit the fan.
Chucky has another private meeting with President Taylor, and he lets her know the bad news about Bauer's escape. At this point the old Taylor (who knows Jack's resourcefulness) would probably give up and do the right thing, but this new Taylor (post spinectomy) allows the devil to sweet talk her into calling Reed's boss and stopping the story about the conspiracy to kill Hassan. Ah, it's so nice to see a president supporting the fourth estate so vigorously.
Arlo and Chloe are monitoring Pillar's team back at CTU, and Chloe sees the image of the eviscerated Pavel and then the gun that killed Renee. Chloe, who knows Jack better than anyone, still thinks she can save him, but since the presidential order is to shoot to kill, it's obvious that Jack is in big trouble now. Arlo is also able to identify Jack's old buddy as Jim Ricker (who supposedly has been dead for seven years). Chloe figures if they find Ricker, they'll find Jack. Good luck with that, Chloe.
Using Pavel's cell phone, Ricker figures out Chucky's location and, after some mild protestations about giving up an ex-president, he sends Jack info on where Chucky's limousine is going. He warns Jack that there's no turning back if he goes after Chucky, and Jack says dryly, "I wasn't planning on coming back." More than anything, this should tell 24 fans that there is no happy ending with daughter Kim and granddaughter Teri. When all is said and done, Jack is going on walkabout - for the rest of his life.
Having watched this series from the very first episode in 2001, I have to say the most satisfying sequence in 24 history (reserving the possibility that next week's series finale could serve up something infinitely better) follows as Jack goes Darth Bauer, wearing black body armor and a black mask. He manages to kidnap Chucky right after the ex-president has just reassured Russian snake Novakovich, (who is worried that Jack will come for him too) that there is nothing to fear.
This sequence is satisfying on many levels, but especially pleasing to long-time 24 fans who have been waiting for Chucky to get unlucky. Jack drags him inside yet another abandoned warehouse, and there is a delightful Q&A session with Jack pummeling Chucky and getting him to spill his guts (while no doubt wetting his pants) rather quickly. Logan gives up Novakovich and snivels and begs not to be killed, but Jack already has better ideas. He knocks Chucky out and escapes right before Pillar and his men arrive on the scene.
Little home wrecker Meredith gets stood up at the coffee place (but she no doubt manages to knock back a few espressos anyway), and she knows the FBI has the editor in custody and the story will be killed. She rushes out with an idea to get the message about the conspiracy to somebody. Meredith somehow knows the hotel where her ex-lover's wife and daughter are staying, and she goes there and places a call to Dalia. Kayla, the daughter, answers, but eventually Meredith tells her about the Russian involvement in the murder of her father. Shortly after this, the FBI arrests her and takes the disk away from her.
Jack goes to Novakovich's hotel and has a battle with some guards to get to the elevator, killing them but getting stabbed in the side in the process (it seems he was stabbed in the same place by Renee about fifteen hours before). Jack is bloody but determined to get to his mark and goes onto the elevator.
Chloe finds a way to get Cole out of holding and gets him ready to go after Ricker. They both leave CTU, she in one car and he in the other. She tells Cole to get Ricker and learn Jack's location, but Cole puts enough firepower in the trunk of his car to suggest that he's not going to play patty-cake with Ricker. Cole also threatens to take Jack out if necessary (hey, Cole, did you forget this is Jack Bauer you're going after?).
The rescued Chucky is wheeled to an ambulance wearing an oxygen mask. Though he can barely talk, he orders Pillar to call Novakovich and warn him that Bauer knows everything. Pillar calls but gets a wounded assistant. Jack has already been there and taken out everyone, leaving Novakovich skewered with a fireplace poker. Some viewers may be disappointed because they missed the action in this scene, but I think it is brilliant not to see what happened and have the camera just pan the room, showing the aftermath of Jack's rage.
Pillar tells Chucky that Novakovich is dead, and Chucky then makes another call to Russian President Suvarov. Finally, we learn the even more ugly truth: Suvarov has been behind all the events of the day. He wanted to derail the peace accord, and now he is concerned that Bauer will come after him too. Chucky assures him that Bauer knows nothing because he killed Novakovich before he could talk, and more good news is that they believe Jack is wounded. Suvarov downs a couple of Stoli shots and says that nothing is worse than a wounded animal. Oh yeah? How about a wounded Jack Bauer?
As Chucky continues to talk to Suvarov, we see Jack standing in another dark corner of Manhattan listening to their conversation. Apparently, he planted a microscopic transmitter on Chucky's shirt (reminding us of a similar scenario from season five when he caught Chucky's incriminating dialogue with his wife Martha on tape) and is able to record the conversation for future use. Jack knows what he has to do now, and so do we, but as he moves away from his hiding spot, we see a bloodstain on the brick wall, letting us know our hero is weakened as he takes tenuous steps toward his fate (and the end of 24 as we know it).
Episode 22 is as good as any of the best episodes of 24 in past seasons. It features Jack going against all the odds, and all the loose ends are getting tied up as we proceed toward the series finale next week. Inevitably, there will be arguments for and against allowing Jack to fall into this dark mode, but ever since Jack Bauer told us about the first worst day of his life nine years ago, we should have known there could be no other way to go. 24 is a tragedy, and tragedies just don't have happy endings.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
TV Review: Season 8 of 24: You Don't Know Pain!
Article first published as "TV Review: Season 8 of 24: You Don't Know Pain!" on Blogcritics.org
At this point in the 24 canon, we true fans of the show understand Jack Bauer, even when his actions seem beyond all reason. Witness his actions in episode 21 of this season, when Jack pulls out all the stops to get where he wants to get, taking no prisoners and seemingly not caring about anyone else. The truth is something else entirely, as when Jack tells Pavel (the man who murdered Renee Walker) during a brutal torture sequence, "We were out. Why wouldn't just leave us alone?" Then Jack proceeds to eviscerate him.
Anyone who is disillusioned by how deep and dark Jack has become hasn't been watching 24 for the last eight seasons. Jack goes as far as he has to go to do what is right, even in the course of events that make him do things that are ostensibly wrong. Can anyone forget how he wiped out the Drazen crime family in season 1, beheaded killer Marshall Goren in season 2, and killed countless others in the pursuit of stopping bigger and more inhumane things from taking place?
At this point we can look at the situation in two ways: the writers want us to completely accept that Jack has fallen from grace, or they want us to remember the Jack of old who kicked ass with no apologies. While I would like to believe it is the latter, there is a case to be made that this rogue Jack may going to a dark territory even he cannot navigate.
When disgraced former President Chucky (Your Friend to the End) Logan asks President Taylor for some kind of recognition for his help in the peace accord, we can see the great pain it causes Taylor to acquiesce to this essentially diplomatic blackmail. Thanks to Cherry Jones's amazing portrayal, Taylor is battling internal demons like never before, knowing that Chucky has dispatched a team to murder Jack Bauer. Despite knowing it is wrong, Taylor's eyes are on the bigger prize of world peace. Perhaps she sees the death of Jack Bauer as collateral damage, but her expression lets us know it goes against all that she holds dear.
Jack has the evidence that confirms Russian involvement in the death of President Hassan. He calls reporter Meredith Reed, with whom Hassan had a clandestine romance. Reed agrees to meet Jack to get the information to make it public in the press, but Jack's call has been monitored by CTU and teams are descending on the department store where Jack has arranged a meeting with Reed.
Jack is getting assistance from old buddy Jim Ricker (played with panache by the incomparable Michael Madsen), and they know the department store will be a set-up. Pavel is sent to to take out Bauer, and he confirms in a cell phone call to Logan that he should also kill the reporter for good measure.
Ricker is in place to stop Pavel, and then Jack bing-bang-boom takes out the team that was in place on the ground in the store. Pillar, the Chucky flunky who has managed to be in charge of CTU, realizes Bauer has escaped with the evidence and Reed, and he calls Chucky to tell him to get out while the getting is good. Chucky has his eye on the big prize (public redemption as a savior of the peace accord), so Chucky is unrelenting. He still orders Pillar to get Bauer.
Meanwhile, in yet another abandoned warehouse, Jack has Pavel tied-up and ready for torture. Jack knows how to take pain as well as anyone (witness how many times he has been tortured in eight seasons), but Jack also dispenses it with expertise. He tells Pavel, "You don't know pain" and proceeds to work on him with tools, alcohol in wounds, and a blowtorch. Still Pavel will not give, proving to be as resilient to torture as Jack.
Seeing that his methods are not working, Jack checks Pavel's cell phone. He realizes the SIM card is missing, and then figures that Pavel swallowed it. This is when Jack parts ways with Pavel, telling him this is for Renee. He splits open Pavel's stomach and retrieves the SIM card, leaving the terrorist who killed Renee to die.
Upon putting the card into the phone, Jack makes a huge discovery: President Logan was the last person who spoke to Pavel. The expression on Jack's face (give credit to Kiefer Sutherland for this nuanced performance) lets us all know that everything has come to this moment. The ghosts of the past collide with the here and now, and it is obvious Jack's next move will take him to a place he has never been before.
With three hours left in the season and the life of 24 as a television series, we must pause to understand that Jack has no place left to go. He is more than a rogue operative at this point; he is a man without a life, without a country, with nothing left to lose or to give. Jack will pursue justice the only way he knows how, but the price of his actions may be more than we as fans have ever wanted him to pay.
At this point in the 24 canon, we true fans of the show understand Jack Bauer, even when his actions seem beyond all reason. Witness his actions in episode 21 of this season, when Jack pulls out all the stops to get where he wants to get, taking no prisoners and seemingly not caring about anyone else. The truth is something else entirely, as when Jack tells Pavel (the man who murdered Renee Walker) during a brutal torture sequence, "We were out. Why wouldn't just leave us alone?" Then Jack proceeds to eviscerate him.
Anyone who is disillusioned by how deep and dark Jack has become hasn't been watching 24 for the last eight seasons. Jack goes as far as he has to go to do what is right, even in the course of events that make him do things that are ostensibly wrong. Can anyone forget how he wiped out the Drazen crime family in season 1, beheaded killer Marshall Goren in season 2, and killed countless others in the pursuit of stopping bigger and more inhumane things from taking place?
At this point we can look at the situation in two ways: the writers want us to completely accept that Jack has fallen from grace, or they want us to remember the Jack of old who kicked ass with no apologies. While I would like to believe it is the latter, there is a case to be made that this rogue Jack may going to a dark territory even he cannot navigate.
When disgraced former President Chucky (Your Friend to the End) Logan asks President Taylor for some kind of recognition for his help in the peace accord, we can see the great pain it causes Taylor to acquiesce to this essentially diplomatic blackmail. Thanks to Cherry Jones's amazing portrayal, Taylor is battling internal demons like never before, knowing that Chucky has dispatched a team to murder Jack Bauer. Despite knowing it is wrong, Taylor's eyes are on the bigger prize of world peace. Perhaps she sees the death of Jack Bauer as collateral damage, but her expression lets us know it goes against all that she holds dear.
Jack has the evidence that confirms Russian involvement in the death of President Hassan. He calls reporter Meredith Reed, with whom Hassan had a clandestine romance. Reed agrees to meet Jack to get the information to make it public in the press, but Jack's call has been monitored by CTU and teams are descending on the department store where Jack has arranged a meeting with Reed.
Jack is getting assistance from old buddy Jim Ricker (played with panache by the incomparable Michael Madsen), and they know the department store will be a set-up. Pavel is sent to to take out Bauer, and he confirms in a cell phone call to Logan that he should also kill the reporter for good measure.
Ricker is in place to stop Pavel, and then Jack bing-bang-boom takes out the team that was in place on the ground in the store. Pillar, the Chucky flunky who has managed to be in charge of CTU, realizes Bauer has escaped with the evidence and Reed, and he calls Chucky to tell him to get out while the getting is good. Chucky has his eye on the big prize (public redemption as a savior of the peace accord), so Chucky is unrelenting. He still orders Pillar to get Bauer.
Meanwhile, in yet another abandoned warehouse, Jack has Pavel tied-up and ready for torture. Jack knows how to take pain as well as anyone (witness how many times he has been tortured in eight seasons), but Jack also dispenses it with expertise. He tells Pavel, "You don't know pain" and proceeds to work on him with tools, alcohol in wounds, and a blowtorch. Still Pavel will not give, proving to be as resilient to torture as Jack.
Seeing that his methods are not working, Jack checks Pavel's cell phone. He realizes the SIM card is missing, and then figures that Pavel swallowed it. This is when Jack parts ways with Pavel, telling him this is for Renee. He splits open Pavel's stomach and retrieves the SIM card, leaving the terrorist who killed Renee to die.
Upon putting the card into the phone, Jack makes a huge discovery: President Logan was the last person who spoke to Pavel. The expression on Jack's face (give credit to Kiefer Sutherland for this nuanced performance) lets us all know that everything has come to this moment. The ghosts of the past collide with the here and now, and it is obvious Jack's next move will take him to a place he has never been before.
With three hours left in the season and the life of 24 as a television series, we must pause to understand that Jack has no place left to go. He is more than a rogue operative at this point; he is a man without a life, without a country, with nothing left to lose or to give. Jack will pursue justice the only way he knows how, but the price of his actions may be more than we as fans have ever wanted him to pay.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Season 8 of 24: Do You Know Who I Am?
Article first published as "Season 8 of 24: Do You Know Who I Am?" Blogcritics.org
In episode 20 we get to see Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) basically stopping at nothing. The NYPD tries to stop him, but that lasts only a few seconds. Soon he has a gun aimed at one officer's head and threatens to shoot him. The officer's partner hesitates to put down his gun, and Jack asks him, "Do you know who I am?" The guy is like thinking, "Uh, you're friggin' Jack Bauer" and quickly puts down his weapon. To thank him Jack shoots him in the foot for good measure. You gotta love the way Jack gives a guy a hot foot.
At this point in season eight as we wind down to the series finale, some things are becoming very apparent. First of all, our gal Chloe O'Brian has gotten in way over head. Yes, Chloe deserves recognition for all her great work, but she is playing in the big leagues now as acting head of CTU, and Jack knew she was setting him up and let her think that he didn't know about it until it was too late. If you have followed me so far, this basically means that Chloe is a novice and Jack is an ace, so she is struggling and then suddenly has to take orders from Chucky (Your Friend to the End) Logan's aide Pillar.
What amazes me is how short-lived the 24 writers' memories are. President Taylor has basically given carte blanche to Chucky, but her character is tougher than this. She resisted all sorts of entreaties from her husband and daughter in season seven, so much so that she had her daughter sent to jail for treason and her husband left her. Is this a woman who would allow a disgraced former president to get into a position to wield power? It just doesn't make sense.
Getting back to our hero, Jack is in full Bauer mode now. Chucky says nothing will stop Bauer, and at least he has got that right. Jack rescues Dana Walsh from Team Chucky, which waterboards her and then plans to kill her after she reveals information. Jack takes out Blesdoe as he's holding Dana with a gun to her head. He tells Jack he won't risk taking the shot, but apparently he doesn't know who Jack is like the cop, and soon he has a bullet lodged between his eyes.
Dana's ex-boyfriend Cole is now working with Jack, and Dana bats her eyelashes and tries to sucker Cole once again. Cole is a nice guy, but too nice for Dana and Jack tries to warn him that she is messing with his head. Cole knows it but he lets his guard down when they go into the bank to get into Dana's safe deposit box. Dana stashed a disk with all the info needed to implicate the Russians, but she also has cash and a pistol in there. Cole reaches to get the pistol, a flash goes off, and Dana knocks out Cole. The banker comes into the room and Dana shoots him, then she takes the money and the disk and calls 911. This is how the cops come to stop Jack in the first place.
Meanwhile, Chucky is talking with the Russian snake Novakovich and his henchman Pavel, the guy who killed Jack's squeeze Renee Walker. Chucky has played this chess game before, but this time he thinks he has his bishop and rook aligned in order to take out the Queen (President Taylor) and her knight (Jack Bauer). With Pillar now in place at CTU, Chucky will funnel the information to Novakovich who will send Pavel to finish Jack off.
President Taylor is suffering in this episode. She has to listen to President Hassan's widow during a press conference, and the woman is praising Taylor's integrity and strength as a leader. We can see the wheels turning in Taylor's head, knowing she has made a deal with the devil. Hey, Jack Bauer is only a phone call away, but she is now weighted down by Chucky in such a way that could bring down her presidency.
The episode ends with Jack chasing Dana into yet another abandoned warehouse/construction site/factory. When the series is over, I should go back over every episode to see how many times Jack has been in this situation. Dana is a crafty opponent, but let's not forget she's dealing with Jack Bauer. They have a gunfight, she runs out of bullets, and Jack corners her with his gun drawn.
Dana pleads for mercy, but we remember what Jack did to Nina Myers, and it's clear you just don't mess with people Jack cares about. He demands the evidence, but Dana's still looking for a deal. "No deal, sweetheart," I can almost hear Humphrey Bogart saying. Jack takes the disk and then pumps Dana full of lead. She lays there staring up at the ceiling (ending one of the most bizarre story lines in 24 history, and Jack takes off because he has bigger fish to fry.
Episode 20 of season 8 is a great episode, one of the best this or any season, and is really very reminsicent of early Jack Bauer when he gets his mojo rolling and is a force that cannot be stopped. We have four episodes left, and we have to wonder how far Jack is willing to go to get revenge. Judging from this episode, he might be going all the way to the UN to satisfy his need for justice. Honestly, with Jack operating on all cylinders, watching 24 is truly a pleasure once again.
Until next time, Klaatu Barada Nikto!
In episode 20 we get to see Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) basically stopping at nothing. The NYPD tries to stop him, but that lasts only a few seconds. Soon he has a gun aimed at one officer's head and threatens to shoot him. The officer's partner hesitates to put down his gun, and Jack asks him, "Do you know who I am?" The guy is like thinking, "Uh, you're friggin' Jack Bauer" and quickly puts down his weapon. To thank him Jack shoots him in the foot for good measure. You gotta love the way Jack gives a guy a hot foot.
At this point in season eight as we wind down to the series finale, some things are becoming very apparent. First of all, our gal Chloe O'Brian has gotten in way over head. Yes, Chloe deserves recognition for all her great work, but she is playing in the big leagues now as acting head of CTU, and Jack knew she was setting him up and let her think that he didn't know about it until it was too late. If you have followed me so far, this basically means that Chloe is a novice and Jack is an ace, so she is struggling and then suddenly has to take orders from Chucky (Your Friend to the End) Logan's aide Pillar.
What amazes me is how short-lived the 24 writers' memories are. President Taylor has basically given carte blanche to Chucky, but her character is tougher than this. She resisted all sorts of entreaties from her husband and daughter in season seven, so much so that she had her daughter sent to jail for treason and her husband left her. Is this a woman who would allow a disgraced former president to get into a position to wield power? It just doesn't make sense.
Getting back to our hero, Jack is in full Bauer mode now. Chucky says nothing will stop Bauer, and at least he has got that right. Jack rescues Dana Walsh from Team Chucky, which waterboards her and then plans to kill her after she reveals information. Jack takes out Blesdoe as he's holding Dana with a gun to her head. He tells Jack he won't risk taking the shot, but apparently he doesn't know who Jack is like the cop, and soon he has a bullet lodged between his eyes.
Dana's ex-boyfriend Cole is now working with Jack, and Dana bats her eyelashes and tries to sucker Cole once again. Cole is a nice guy, but too nice for Dana and Jack tries to warn him that she is messing with his head. Cole knows it but he lets his guard down when they go into the bank to get into Dana's safe deposit box. Dana stashed a disk with all the info needed to implicate the Russians, but she also has cash and a pistol in there. Cole reaches to get the pistol, a flash goes off, and Dana knocks out Cole. The banker comes into the room and Dana shoots him, then she takes the money and the disk and calls 911. This is how the cops come to stop Jack in the first place.
Meanwhile, Chucky is talking with the Russian snake Novakovich and his henchman Pavel, the guy who killed Jack's squeeze Renee Walker. Chucky has played this chess game before, but this time he thinks he has his bishop and rook aligned in order to take out the Queen (President Taylor) and her knight (Jack Bauer). With Pillar now in place at CTU, Chucky will funnel the information to Novakovich who will send Pavel to finish Jack off.
President Taylor is suffering in this episode. She has to listen to President Hassan's widow during a press conference, and the woman is praising Taylor's integrity and strength as a leader. We can see the wheels turning in Taylor's head, knowing she has made a deal with the devil. Hey, Jack Bauer is only a phone call away, but she is now weighted down by Chucky in such a way that could bring down her presidency.
The episode ends with Jack chasing Dana into yet another abandoned warehouse/construction site/factory. When the series is over, I should go back over every episode to see how many times Jack has been in this situation. Dana is a crafty opponent, but let's not forget she's dealing with Jack Bauer. They have a gunfight, she runs out of bullets, and Jack corners her with his gun drawn.
Dana pleads for mercy, but we remember what Jack did to Nina Myers, and it's clear you just don't mess with people Jack cares about. He demands the evidence, but Dana's still looking for a deal. "No deal, sweetheart," I can almost hear Humphrey Bogart saying. Jack takes the disk and then pumps Dana full of lead. She lays there staring up at the ceiling (ending one of the most bizarre story lines in 24 history, and Jack takes off because he has bigger fish to fry.
Episode 20 of season 8 is a great episode, one of the best this or any season, and is really very reminsicent of early Jack Bauer when he gets his mojo rolling and is a force that cannot be stopped. We have four episodes left, and we have to wonder how far Jack is willing to go to get revenge. Judging from this episode, he might be going all the way to the UN to satisfy his need for justice. Honestly, with Jack operating on all cylinders, watching 24 is truly a pleasure once again.
Until next time, Klaatu Barada Nikto!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)