24: Day Four, 7 - 9 a.m.
Oh,
24 how I have missed you. The thrills, the chills, the spills, the fact that everywhere in L.A. is only five to seven minute care ride away. Man, I love this show.
I have to admit that going into season four, I was a bit worried that the virtually wholesale jettisoning of the major and minor supporting cast might hurt
24. But as I watched the first two hours of day four unfold, I was reminded of the intensity that we had back in day one. Outside of Jack and Chloe, we don't know who these players are and where they stand in the overall game. And I think that lack of assumptions about any of these characters really helped drive the first couple hours of day four. Also, the fact that Jack didn't have the president to call and pull a few strings to get him back in the game helped a lot. Seeing Jack get antsy at CTU as he tries to get back into the game reminded me of the scene in Star Trek: Generations with Captain Kirk on the bridge of the new Enterprise and trying to jump into the fray but he can't because Captain Harriman is in charge.
One of the fun things about the early hours of 24 is trying to figure out who is who and what is actually important to the plotline. I have a feeling the teenage romance between Behroz and Debby will become somewhat more important. Honestly, I thought she'd intercept him before he could deliver the briefcase--which they went to great lengths to not show us what's inside of it--and it would become lost in the shuffle. I figured the first few hours dramatic edge would be the various parties involved racing against time and each other to get back the briefcase.
Instead, we get a far more interesting plot development. The terrorist cell kidnaps the secretary of defense and will put him on trial for his "crimes against humanity." The final few minutes of hour two as we see Heller on his knees between three terrorists who are broadcasting their threats to the world--how hauntingly reminiscent of the real world was that? I did have to wonder why they went with a close-up for Heller's face at CTU--is he blinking a message to them in morse code?
Ah, this is the fun of
24. Man, I'm glad it's back.
Lost: Whatever the Case May Be
Don't you just love it when a show actually has a clever title like this one?
Well, my three week
Lost-withdrawal-syndrome comes to an end with the first new episode of 2005. And it starts off well with not one but two counts of gratitious lack of clothing shots by attractive female cast members. First Kate in her briefs swimming in the pond and then Shannon sunbathing.
Speaking of Kate, didn't it make a lot more sense for her to go back to the pond later and retrieve the briefcase without Sawyer? Knowing what we do about Sawyer, you knew that he'd not let something like that go so easily--especially if he thought it might earn him another kiss from "Freckles." Also, is there some significance to the fact that Kate goes to all the trouble to rob a bank and get the case back to get a toy airplane? Certainly we saw in Claire's dream the airplane mobile on her baby's crib. But what is the significance here--or am I just reading way too much into it?
I have to admit the entire backstory of Kate this time was fairly predictable. I think we've figured out that Kate is a criminal mastermind. What I'm more interested in is why she killed someone. But again, like Jack's backstory, this one may be setting up things to come in future episodes. I'm willing to go along with the ride for now and see where it takes me.
Also of interest--Locke and Boone haven't told anyone about the metal hatch they found to end the last episode. My first question is--why not? Of course, they didn't all come clean with the whole polar bear incident from early on in the episode.
I loved how the whole episode dealt with things buried under the surface. Kate and Sawyer find the case in the pond under the water. The ocean is slowing eating away at the beach. Shannon struggles to be more than "essentially useless" to the castaways. Locke hides the knowledge of the hatch. And Charlie has to deal with his guilt over losing Claire to Ethan.
And that scene at the end where Boone stands watching as Shannon talks to Sayid....all I can say is Boone did not look happy about his sister helping out Sayid. We need an episode soon about the backstory of Shannon and Boone. You almost get the feeling he disapproved of her French boyfriend and that's why he's out of the picture. Or maybe that's what led to them being on the plane and why Shannon is so bratty with him.
Also, it's interesting to hear that the song "Beyond the Sea" is important to this show as well. If you're an X-Phile, you'll remember th eimportance of that song to the first season of the show and the first great Scully episode.
posted by Michael Hickerson at 1/10/2005 08:23:00 AM |
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