Okay, I'm back, and here to dig into Season 7 of 24, which premiered last Sunday and Monday. I've got my cup of coffee and 24 music playing in the background, so I'm ready to think this through. I tried summarizing the episodes at one point, but it was so long that I won't bother. If you don't know what happened, go watch. That's all I have to say. I'm going to focus on opinions about the new series, assuming you the reader know what I'm talking about. Now, I'm going to break this down so as to not be quite as scattered and summation-al as I was in the last blog. Now, let's see...(Like yesterday, all this is up Spoiler-Alley, so watch out if you don't want to know!)
New Location, New Agency:
As you can (maybe) tell from the official Season 7 poster above, 24 is no longer in Los Angeles. It's been relocated to none other than our nation's grand capital - D.C. itself. Personally, I really like the change. As the EW blogger pointed out last week, there's only so many bad things that can happen in L.A., it's time to move on. Plus, it puts Jack closer to the President (I wonder if that will come into play...?), allows for new plot options, and makes for some really cool scenery, like when the First Gentlemen met up with Samantha and they sat right in front of the water, with the Jefferson Memorial behind them ... really pretty.
Also, with the new local, comes the news that CTU was disbanded and that the main agency we'll be dealing with in this season will be the FBI. Hmm... This one disappointed me at first. I mean, 24 without CTU is like Lost without The Island. But, it makes sense. CTU was going overboard, and they could only push it so far. I like that the FBI is more restricted - and I'm particularly enjoying all the audience intended jokes like "We're the FBI, we obey the law!" Sure, *rolls eyes* we'll see how long that lasts.
In fact, this leads into one of the questions that 24 raises... when you boil it down, this season is really asking Do the Ends Justify the Means? Sure, Jack Bauer went overboard in every season so far, torturing people and getting that vein in his forehead to stick out, but we were there - we all saw that it was necessary. Now, Jack's being brought to trial for it - he doesn't regret it, and neither do I (don't know about you). Meanwhile, there's the FBI saying they're not going to sink to their limits, but as soon as the pressure's on, Agent Walker is already doing just that. Innntteerrressting!
Jack is Back:
Hell yeah, he is. Jack is so cool, can I just say that? Last season he felt a bit "do I really have to do this?" but now he feels like he's back in it with more energy. Maybe it was the time of for Kiefer Sutherland, or maybe traveling around the world for a year did the guy some good... but I feel like he's more energized, readier to do what it takes to save the world, yet again.
Damn, this hacker is good:
They couldn't have possibly considered getting rid of Chloe, but I was still so happy to actually see her back. The face-off with Janis the FBI equivalent of Chloe was totally hilarious, and I loved when Chloe mentioned Jack's Senate hearing and ended with "By the way, you looked really good." I truly love this character, she's good writing and acting in action. I can't wait to see where they take her in the next 20 episodes.
Undead, or Not Dead TONY!!! Squee!:
Okay, I admit, when the info first leaked that Tony was back - and bad - I couldn't wrap my head around it. First of all, we saw him die in Jack's arms! As much as this show enjoys ignoring reality, it isn't LOST!? People who die stay dead. But the way that they explained it actually worked. Plus, I recently read a bit of trivia that said that they didn't use a silent clock for the commercial break after Tony died - which they always do for characters who die, so they've probably been planning this all along.
Still, Tony, evil? Nuh uh. I was so glad (literally yelling at the TV) when they revealed that he was undercover. I do really like the writing here - Tony did go back. That is, I guess, believable. He lost everything at the expense of the government and was angry. But he wouldn't go against everything he believes in - hurting innocent Americans in a terrorist plot. Too much of a change. So, I was glad to see he was good, and am really enjoying the Jack/Tony team-up. Can't wait to see where it leads.
Of Presidents and Plots:
I like the new President, for the most part. On a side note for a moment, I wonder what sort of real life political ramifications this will have. After all, David Palmer (and later Wayne) were the first mega-example of a black president, and now 7 years later, look who we've elected? I'm not the first to say it, but I really wonder if this will lead us to a female Commander-in-Chief in the next 4 or 8 years. (Just, dear god, don't let it be Sarah Palin!)
Back to the show. We haven't seen too much of Taylor in action yet, but she seems to be very noble and upstanding - in a way we haven't seen since David Palmer himself. I'm really starting to suspect that the big bad rat in the whitehouse is either Ethan, the chief of staff, or the slightly awkward Secretary of State. They're the only characters that have been really set up so far.
I think the issue of African lives vs. American lives is very interesting. It has a lot to do with the topic of National Interest, which interestingly enough (har har) we were just talking about in my history class. As horrible as it is, I believe that American lives should come first. But I bet they'll find a way to work around it.
Basically, I think the plot is really charged in this season. The only major issue I've had so far is that they've been talking down to the audience too much. You know, like taking extra time to explain what's going on, or always saying "Damnit, this is our only lead. Without it we have nothing!" That kind of thing. We get it, 24 writers. We're smart people! Don't waste our time.
But yes, the plot is good so far. I like the idea of not being able to trust anyone and I think, overall, they're doing a good job balancing plots and subplots. There's a new episode tomorrow night, and I can't wait!
That's it for me for now! We're off to see Defiance this afternoon, so my next blog will probably be on that!
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