Author: King Tom

What Makes 24 Fans Tick

As I do every Monday night (during the season), I’d like to share some thoughts about 24.

No, not about tonight’s underwhelming episode (although we’ll get to that).  But about 24 in general.  I’ve been watching the show since the beginning hours of Day Two.  I’ve been blogging about Jack’s adventures here at the Kingdom since the first hours of the awesome Day Five.  I like to think I know the show.  I also pay attention to my blog statistics.  I don’t get thousands of visitors each day (more in the 20s or 30s each day), but I get a solid number of people each week who arrive at the Kingdom having searched for something 24-related.  Taking some of these most popular searches reveals a lot about what interests 24 fans.  Here are some of the most popular terms which have brought 24 fans to the Kingdom:

Quite an interesting list.  Most of these are about Jack and the various ways he’s taken out bad guys or killed their lackeys.  The ones that aren’t about Jack are about other, interesting main characters the show has had over the years.  I can say that I have never gotten Web hit from any of the following (and we’ll only cover those plots from the time I’ve been blogging):

Unlike the previous list, I’ve gotten none (or close to none) Web hits from people searching for these terms (or similar items).  Leading to the conclusion that not only are plotlines such as those on the second list not interesting, but people don’t want to find out more (or read more) about them.  It’s understandable that 24 can’t feature 24 straight hours of Jack running around, killing people with staple guns, circular saws and other items you’d find in a hardware store.  No, Jack is subject to the rules of real life and will get stuck in traffic.

The show needs supporting characters with plotlines to set up Jack, and occasionally, waste time.  The thing is, in more recent seasons, those additional characters haven’t been worth paying attention to.  The early days featured the Palmer family drama (which yes, was tedious in Day 3), compelling stories like the romance, break-up and re-romance of Tony and Michelle, and villains who you actually feared.

These days, the supporting characters are boring (or, as made popular by Kingdom fave Edgar) are killed off all too soon.  The political plots are predictable re-hashes of what we’ve seen before.  And the villains are cookie-cutter stereotypes who don’t even last long enough to get interesting.  The two exceptions- Jon Voight as Jonas Hodges, who was Blofeldian in his evilness and David Anders as, well, he didn’t last long enough to get a nickname, much less have me care about his real name.

I can’t tell you who the villains are this season, except for some dude stuck in an oxygen chamber and his cronies hanging out in a diner.  And I can’t tell you about a non-Jack storyline I care about.  And I wish it weren’t that way.

I’ll continue to watch 24, more out of duty and the promise that Jack might do something awesome once every three or four hours.  But it’s tough.

Now about tonight….

Continue reading “What Makes 24 Fans Tick” →

King Tom4 Comments

Waiting and Waiting (for Pinkerton Deluxe)

UPDATE September, 2010: A Japanese Web site posted a possible tracklist, view it here.

Last fall, Weezer announced a special Deluxe Edition of their second album, 1996’s Pinkerton would appear in stores in February or March 2010.  Not only would this deluxe album feature the 10 tracks of Pinkerton, it would also contain demos, alternate versions and possibly other unreleased gems like a full-band version of Superfriend (from Songs from the Black Hole), Getting Up and Leaving or even the (now) mythical track Tragic Girl.

Last November, I wrote a post speculating what would comprise Pinkerton Deluxe, and I’ve gotten some traffic to the Kingdom thanks to it.  Well, I feel it necessary to post an update: It’s February (almost March) and we’re going to have to wait a little longer for the album.

Weezer Homie Karl Koch posted on allthingsweezer this week that while the tracklist is done, we will have to wait a little longer for Pinkerton Deluxe.  No word on how much longer.

However, before we get Pinkerton Deluxe, we can expect Odds and Ends, a CD featuring a number of unreleased Weezer songs that were recorded for album releases, but never saw the light of day.  If you want to speculate on what songs will be on Odds and Ends, you better have some time on your hands.  All I can say is check out the Weezer Recording History, and anywhere you see a song mentioned as being recorded during an official album session, you have a potential O+E track.

King Tom4 Comments

Candidate Party At The Lighthouse

Over the six seasons of Lost, Dr. Jack Shepard has undergone an amazing character journey.  From an annoying man of science with meaningless tattoos, Jack has seen enough miracles and other amazing things happen on the Island to turn him into a man of faith who is somewhat tolerable.  At least on the Island.

As seen in tonight’s episode of Lost, The Lighthouse, the off-Island/sideways Jack is still an unsufferable bore.

But he is a candidate.

Continue reading “Candidate Party At The Lighthouse” →

King Tom2 Comments

Jack Goes Rogue. For Ten Minutes.

At least once a season in 24, Jack Bauer will go rogue.  Whether it’s to save a colleague, a family member, or to exact vengeance on a villain in a way the government won’t let him, Jack throws all rules aside and acts as a free agent.  Heaven help those, good or bad, who get in his way.  Usually, Jack’s rogue status lasts a few episodes, by which time, either Jack lets himself be taken into custody or the authorities realize Jack is right and get out of the way.

Well, in Day Eight of 24, Jack Bauer went rogue.  And it lasted all of ten minutes.

Continue reading “Jack Goes Rogue. For Ten Minutes.” →

King Tom1 Comment

John Locke: Don’t Accept The Substitute

A few weeks ago, in Lost’s sixth season premiere, LA X, there was a scene between Ben and Fake Locke (henceforth referred to as FLocke) where FLocke said that the real John Locke was, quite basically, a loser.  At the time, I felt sorry for John Locke, and thought he was misrepresented, that sure, his off-Island life may not have been the best, but through his determination and will, he was able to overcome all of his obstacles.

Over the weekend, I watched some of Locke’s original flashback episodes (Walkabout and Deus Ex Machina) and I realized that FLocke was right about off-island Locke: he was pathetic.  Sure, he had a lot of bad luck and was repeatedly taken advantage of by his father.  But he allowed himself to be victimized and focused too much on the past rather than wheel on towards the future.  His only chance for redemption was the Island, which gave him what he wanted.  Too bad that he allowed himself, once again, to be taken advantage of.  And in tonight’s episode, The Substitute, we’ve seen Sideways Locke, and I’m not sure he has it any better in this other timeline…

 

Continue reading “John Locke: Don’t Accept The Substitute” →

King Tom3 Comments

Jack Bauer Vs. The Olympics

Usually, I’m not concerned about the other shows on TV at the same time as 24.  However, right now, it’s up against the Winter Olympics, and when there’s an event like snowboard racing, biathalon or curling, I’m torn between Jack Bauer and the games. Fortunately, tonight scheduled against Jack was the most useless of the competitions, figure skating, so my choice was easy.

I have a feeling though, that the producers of 24 thought more people would be into watching the Olympics, so they had Jack Bauer try his hand (or legs, as it were) at an Olympic mainstay, the paralell bars:

For some reason, I don’t think he got high scores from the Russian judges.

Continue reading “Jack Bauer Vs. The Olympics” →

King Tom2 Comments

What Kate Does is Annoy and Bore Me

I’ve been blogging about Lost since Season Two, and I’ve waited for five long seasons to use that as a title.

It’s fitting though, that here in Lost’s last season, in what’s hopefully the very last Kate-centric episode, that I would be frustrated with an episode centering around my least favorite Island castaway.  Kate seemingly has nothing to do with the larger Island mythology.  I can see no discernible reason why two otherwise likable characters would dispel all rational behavior in favor of acting like a bunch of idiots while fawning over her.  And most importantly, she’s not that interesting.

So in the third episode of Lost’s final season, we wasted an episode on Kate.  But we did get one big question answered:

Continue reading “What Kate Does is Annoy and Bore Me” →

King Tom4 Comments

Accidental Stabbing Can’t Stop Jack Bauer

Pop quiz.  The TV show known as 24 got it’s name because:

(a) There are 24 episodes in each season, mimicking the whole idea of 24 hours in a day, ergo each season takes place over the span of one day.

(b) It’s the number of times Jack Bauer gets stabbed, shot or otherwise maimed each season.

(c) The last 24 minutes of each episode are the only ones worth watching.

If you answered (c), you were right!  You win a year’s supply of turtle wax and one free tax preparation session from Jack Bauer, CPA.

This is how Jack Bauer, CPA does business.

Continue reading “Accidental Stabbing Can’t Stop Jack Bauer” →

King Tom2 Comments