The Jack Bauer Power Hour (aka 24)

Surely I'm not the only one here who watches 24.

Unfortunately, I fear the show is in its twilight. It's been going downhill ever since it reached its zenith in season 3. Season 4 was good, season 5 was decent, though the slaughtering of the cast was downright excessive...

...and this season is an embarassment. The writers must all have suffered some sort of serious brain damage over the summer. The plotlines are so absurd, the writing is so bad...Just look at the most recent episodes, with the crazy vice president and the recent Rain Man plot. It's rather depressing to watch what was once an absolutely brilliant show turned into such trash. And don't get me started on the incident with Jack's family.

I will watch it until it is canceled, but I'm seriously disappointed in this season.

I'm quite happy with 24. It's been consistantly good, each season makes you go "WTF?!" at least a few times. Although I agree that season 5 was not in my good books, just solely because they killed off so many good characters and in this season, the only thing I don't like is the VP being such a backstabbing asshole. I mean, what is it with VPs wanting to wage war all the time? And why do Presidents have VPs that have totally different motives and agendas? It pisses me off how much insubordination there is in the fucking White House.

Other then that, I'm pretty easy to please, although superhuman Jack isn't as fun to watch as vunerable Jack (but, I'm glad Kim isn't in this season, everytime she leaves Jack's sight something bad seemed to happen to her). 24 won't end or get cancelled for a while, it's contracted for (I think) at least 8 seasons.

Possible spoilers
Yup season 6 has been poor so far. But I am still watching it. I actually liked the 'rain man' in the latest episode too. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up as a regular.. Imagine, super hacker retard and Chloe.....

Seasons 5 excessive killings were a pain, but the possibility's left over from that season to this were very good. Its just a shame that the conclusion was so crap. Jacks family's involvement was utter shit, and the result was stupid. It feels like they are just trying to fit in too much in one season. Indeed bad writing... But its not stopping me any time soon.

The writers are just recycling their tricks. In the past two and a half seasons, four presidents have been killed or disabled. Four. That's simply absurd.

Curtis died for nothing. Tony's death was pointless. Palmer and Michelle set up the season pretty well, but then the season wasn't actually that good.

The treatment of Graem was a complete joke. He was set up as this evil mastermind who had set up the plots from seasons 4, 5, and 6. He had Palmer and Michelle killed. He was running a massive conspiracy. He's Jack Bauer's brother...

...then he turns into a pansy and gets killed by Philip.

Philip shows up, turns out to be evil (no surprises here), then...runs off.

What a waste.

Well I never really picked up on the injuries to the presidents, but no doubt your right about that, it is absurd.

The whole thing with Tom and the two that tried to assassinate Wayne was bullshit, everytime the camera was on them, the only thing I could think was "why the hell is there an abandoned and unmonitored room in a place like that?!"

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Originally Posted by CI

...then he turns into a pansy and gets killed by Philip.

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My thoughts exactly, the build up for his character was great, and had so much potential. Wasted.

This season also has the weakest cast to date. Bringing back Milo was, an ok idea I guess, but the other characters have nothing to define them like Tony, Michelle, Curtis(at one point) and David Palmer did.

We have Nadia, who is nothing but a distraction for Milo and the whole of CTU to run without distractions. I honestly feel that she is there just to look good, what is she good at other than that?!

Then we have the wasted potential of Morris' character. I expected better things from him, I really did. The whole guilt thing he had after helping the terrorists was shit. Totally out of personality from what we have seen from him so far. I atleast expected him to do something worthwhile to redeem himself.
And what is it with these characters? Both Milo and Morris have these scenes where they are not working, but just looking idly at their screens or a picture, and nobody, NOBODY says or does anything about it.

Then you have Buchanan, I liked this character, I still think he is quite cool but hes shaping up to be the worst person to run CTU. Chapelle and Mayson may have been assholes, but they did their jobs right. Sorting out everything going on in CTU, not just sitting back and waiting for members of staff to get into an heated argument to then step in with authority.

The writers better fix up for the next season...

Oh and Wayne is shit as president..

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Originally Posted by Tetnubis

Well I never really picked up on the injuries to the presidents, but no doubt your right about that, it is absurd.

The whole thing with Tom and the two that tried to assassinate Wayne was bullshit, everytime the camera was on them, the only thing I could think was "why the hell is there an abandoned and unmonitored room in a place like that?!"

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It was completely ridiculous.

For the record, here's the list:

David Palmer: Shot through the neck, dead.

Season 4 president (Keeler?): Blown out of the sky, status unknown, never heard from again. Probably dead.

Charles Logan: Stabbed, last seen flatlining on his way to the hospital.

Wayne Palmer: Bombed. Alive, but severely injured.

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Originally Posted by Tetnubis

My thoughts exactly, the build up for his character was great, and had so much potential. Wasted.

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He would have been a perfect antagonist for Jack. As much as I dislike seasons 4-6, they had some great villains. Marwan, Henderson, Logan, Graem, and Philip are all excellent. Unfortunately, with the exceptions of Marwan and Logan, they were wasted. No villain has topped Sherry or Nina, but those guys were all really, really great.

Graem had such a great setup. The treatment of his character is proof that writing the show from one episode to the next with no real plan is not a good strategy.

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Originally Posted by Tetnubis

This season also has the weakest cast to date. Bringing back Milo was, an ok idea I guess, but the other characters have nothing to define them like Tony, Michelle, Curtis(at one point) and David Palmer did.

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The cast is really weak. Tony, Michelle, Curtis, and Palmer were all great supporting cast members, but these guys all suck. I even hate Chloe, who everyone seems to love. She's so absurdly over the top that I can't take her seriously.

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Originally Posted by Tetnubis

We have Nadia, who is nothing but a distraction for Milo and the whole of CTU to run without distractions. I honestly feel that she is there just to look good, what is she good at other than that?!

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I knew as soon as they introduced her that she would be suspected of being a mole at some point in the season. That was a pathetic plotline.

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Originally Posted by Tetnubis

Then we have the wasted potential of Morris' character. I expected better things from him, I really did. The whole guilt thing he had after helping the terrorists was shit. Totally out of personality from what we have seen from him so far. I atleast expected him to do something worthwhile to redeem himself.
And what is it with these characters? Both Milo and Morris have these scenes where they are not working, but just looking idly at their screens or a picture, and nobody, NOBODY says or does anything about it.

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Morris's alcoholism subplot is almost as bad as Kim and the cougar.

Speaking of which, Sandra Palmer is the single worst character in the show's history. Her entire story made Kim's cougar seem like brilliant writing. That was downright pathetic. I miss the Palmer children from season 1.

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Originally Posted by Tetnubis

Then you have Buchanan, I liked this character, I still think he is quite cool but hes shaping up to be the worst person to run CTU. Chapelle and Mayson may have been assholes, but they did their jobs right. Sorting out everything going on in CTU, not just sitting back and waiting for members of staff to get into an heated argument to then step in with authority.

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The leadership at CTU has been in trouble for a while ever since season 4. The country itself has been screwed ever since David Palmer left the White House.

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Originally Posted by Tetnubis

The writers better fix up for the next season...

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It's almost too late. At this point, it's going to take an act of god to save the show. Every current writer needs to be fired, the majority of the cast needs to be removed, and they need a new type of story. Season 1 had the best plot, and it didn't even feature terrorists.

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Originally Posted by Tetnubis

Oh and Wayne is shit as president..

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Indeed. He's worthless.

Thank god I'm not the only one who hates Chloe, god she pisses me off so much, sure she helps Jack out, but even with a personality disorder you'd think someone as smart as her (and trained to think) would at least give a couple of seconds to consider what she is saying before she says it.

I agree that Wayne is a crap President, but honestly we haven't got to see him do much, the only good decision he made was letting Jack head the investigation. Speaking of which, Jack bounced back really fucking quickly, I mean you get tortured for 2 years, seemingly abandoned and the only reason you get released and set free is to fucking get tortured and killed ANYWAY. I don't know about you but I would be pissed, he showed weakness for the first few episodes, which I liked but after killing the second best field ops agent and witnessing a nuke go off you'd think he'd spiral into some kind of depression, nope because death and massive amounts of destruction seem to be a cure for Jack if he ever is depressed.

I think, if they wanted to keep 24 fresh, they could've featured new cast members, a new leading man every 2-3 seasons, no one minds when Bond changes every 2-3 movies, I doubt it would be a big deal if the leading man changed. Because lets face it, there's only so much backstory and character development a main character can get before you know how he's going to act and what he's probably going to say.

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Originally Posted by Elcura

Thank god I'm not the only one who hates Chloe, god she pisses me off so much, sure she helps Jack out, but even with a personality disorder you'd think someone as smart as her (and trained to think) would at least give a couple of seconds to consider what she is saying before she says it.

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I have only seen seasons 1-3 but I hate her... she is such a fucking ponse. In series three all she does is stick her nose into everything. Drives me crazy!

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Originally Posted by Elcura

Thank god I'm not the only one who hates Chloe, god she pisses me off so much, sure she helps Jack out, but even with a personality disorder you'd think someone as smart as her (and trained to think) would at least give a couple of seconds to consider what she is saying before she says it.

I agree that Wayne is a crap President, but honestly we haven't got to see him do much, the only good decision he made was letting Jack head the investigation. Speaking of which, Jack bounced back really fucking quickly, I mean you get tortured for 2 years, seemingly abandoned and the only reason you get released and set free is to fucking get tortured and killed ANYWAY. I don't know about you but I would be pissed, he showed weakness for the first few episodes, which I liked but after killing the second best field ops agent and witnessing a nuke go off you'd think he'd spiral into some kind of depression, nope because death and massive amounts of destruction seem to be a cure for Jack if he ever is depressed.

I think, if they wanted to keep 24 fresh, they could've featured new cast members, a new leading man every 2-3 seasons, no one minds when Bond changes every 2-3 movies, I doubt it would be a big deal if the leading man changed. Because lets face it, there's only so much backstory and character development a main character can get before you know how he's going to act and what he's probably going to say.

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Switching up the main character wouldn't work at this point, unfortunately. It could have happened in the first three seasons, before it became the Jack Bauer Power Hour. At this point, Jack is the show.

Ok, what the hell is going on?

[SPOILERS]

I just finished watching episode 16, and I really was not expecting the amount of stupidity that this episode was compiled of.

The episode itself had no focus, it also spent to much camera time floating around non-essential characters like Milo and Nadia. We get the point! They like each other, enough already. The last 4 or so episodes have covered that fact.
The Vice Presidents arguments at the meeting had no grounds, it would have failed and ended right there.

There was not enough Jack in this episode either. I never thought I would say that, but heck, I didn't expect Wayne to prove yet again that he is a disgrace as a president.
David must be turning in his grave.
What is wrong with him? Too many adrenaline shots making his penis feel so small that he feels the need to nuke a country?

"Tom, I risked my life to reassert my authority. I have got Vice President Daniels calling me weak, even you thought the same thing!"

So what is being president all about? I was sure it was not about boosting your ego, but I really don't know any more.