After watching these last two frustrating (yet somehow compelling) hours of 24, all I have to say is if security really is that bad at the White House, we’re all screwed.
Nevermind the fact that 15 minutes before General Juma snuck in through a secret underground tunnel, a bunch of tough-looking guys in camoflauged Army fatigues were shown in every scene held inside the White House. I guess when the clock strikes 8:00 (or twenty-hundred hours as they’d say in the military), it’s break time for the soldiers.
I can (maybe) live with the fact that the soldiers stationed at the White House all go off duty at the same time. But there are other things to consider, like the fact that Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery had a harder time busting into Alcratraz than Juma did when storming the White House. Or that these guys, with a single laptop (that miraculously survived submersion) can tap into Secret Service security. And even though we saw security cameras peppered throughout the hallways, not one of them picked up this commado team as it fought its way through the White House. Or howabout that White House safe room not having a phone line that could reach the outside world?
And probably the event which required the greatest suspension of disbelief tonight was Jack opening the door and allowing the President out of that safe room (which he did after she asked about his daughter, proving that Kim Bauer is once again responsible for all of Jack’s problems).
If you ignore the above, this was a pretty decent set of 24 episodes. Jon Voight, or Jonas something-or-other, was revelaed as one of this season’s villlains. It’s still up in the air as to whether he’s the main bad guy, or whether he’s just some arms-dealing terrorist enabler. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s behind it all. You don’t sign Jon Voight to a role that requires him to answer to somebody else.
I did think it was entertaining that the scene in which we were introduced to Jonas portrayed him eating (left). As soon as I saw Voight’s name in the credits, all I could think of was a famous earlier role of his which also required him to use his mouth. Come to think of it, he was a villain in that role too, even if the car did not ever belong to him.
But I digress. Now we know there’s a high-level conspirator who gave Juma all of his intelligence on White House security. And his name must not be on that list that the FBI has, because otherwise he’d be on the next flight to Mexico, rather than hanging out playing darts and eating Chinese food.
So because Jonas traded the White House blueprints (and apparently a really old Woodcutting in case Juma’s crew didn’t know what the White House looked like), we’re left with Jack Bauer, Bill Buchanan, the President and Senator That 70s Show involved in a hostage situation. Tony is off sitting in his car somewhere and the FBI is awaiting the word to move, but the Vice President is too busy giving the verbal smackdown to aides who are measuring the White House drapes.
Some other things:
-I have to say, I don’t blame Special Agent Renee for going in alone, especially considering her backup was Special Agent Larry Fine.
-Aaron better not be dead (or better not die last week), especially his line about serving five administrations. And I have to admit, after hearing that line, I was going through the previous administrations we’ve seen on 24:
- David Palmer
- Jim Prescott/Charles Widmore (all three hours of the Widmore administration)
- Keebler
- Charles Logan
- Leland Palmer
- Wayne Palmer
- Yosemite Sam
- Allison Taylor
Then I got to thinking, last time we saw Aaron, he retired, so he didn’t really serve the last four on that list. Geez- I know way too much about this show for my own good.
Other than the security lapses (lazy writing) mentioned above, this was a solid set of episodes. And remember- it’s all Kim Bauer’s fault.
What did you think?
This 2-hour episode(s) I think were some of the best so far because we’ve dove into some of the most ridiculous situations and it’s make it a lot of fun. Much easier to watch even if Jack isn’t doing a whole hell of a lot.
This episode puts 24 more in the category of the A-Team than of a serious policital/action drama, but all in all, I probably liked A-Team better.
The A-Team is far superior, at least to this and the last season of 24.
While it was somewhat enjoyable to watch, the more and more I think about last night’s episode, the more enraged I get about how weakly the defenses of the White House were portrayed. It’s mind-boggling.
This episode is where we can point to and say exactly where 24 “jumped the shark”.
Having watched 24 from the beginning and knowing as much about Jack as we do – there in NO way that he would have ever opened that door. In fact it would have been more believable that he KILLED the president to prevent the “office of the president” to be taken hostage. We could have accepted that from Jack.
The ridiculousness of the White House security pales in light of letting Jack’s character change like this.
It’s a frustrating show, especially because they’re making mistakes they wouldn’t have made in the first five seasons, but I’m not sure they’ve jumped the shark.
(If they did, it was probably last season with the Rain Man episode).
One thing I forgot–what about all the secret JFK tunnels? Why didn’t they try getting her out through there?