4 stars
24 Enthusiast - Season 7 Moralization and Next?
October 11, 2009
Dear 24,
I'm your audience - have every season since Season 1 - so it would be hard to lose me as a viewer, but, let me tell you what I didn't like in Season 7, and would like to see moving forward.
Thanks for giving us women a place in the White House, and Cherry did an excellent job, but the script - the President Mommy theme, was hard to chew. I realize the plot needed to thicken, but I'd have appreciated a bit more Maggie Thatcher in the mix. She showed her character in the final outcome, but installing her 30 something, spoiled daughter front and center in the cabinet was a bit hard to chew, and did little to further the cause of women in politics. And, I'd like to see her form a better bond with Jack (although I must admit, Jack's line, "Forgive me madam president, but, ask around" did send a rush up my spine.)
Secondly, I could have done without the excessive conflicted moralizing. Overdone, and cost you points with seasoned viewers. I'd like to see Bauer, with an apple didn't fall far from the tree long lost unknown son. Someone valiant, fierce, and pure and principled , just like his dad, someone Jack could be passionate about who wouldn't turn their back like Kim, or question every move like Audry, or focus on evil ends like his dad and brother. A son, with a parallel mission of his own, who could walk in for a season, and on to his own agenda at the end. I've been thinking about this for several seasons, since my 19 year old son looks like Keifer and would be perfect for the part, but, gee, wouldn't it be nice to know that somewhere out there in the world there was another Jack. And that wherever either lonely soul would roam, there would be another connected lonely warrior out there somewhere.
One more thing, love that Chloe, don't ever let her go, I laugh when she comes on the screen, and cheer with her every maneuver.
4 stars
Season 7 - a Disaster
October 7, 2009
While I enjoyed the first few seasons of 24, the last season was God awful. While the show has a reputation of being on the right, politically, in fact it has become one of the most politically correct action dramas on the air. All the gut wrenching about Jack's torture methods culminates in the absolutely nauseating deathbed scene where Jack begs for forgiveness from a Muslim imam. The whole season, Muslims are depicted only as saintly and heroic while the real villains are American defense corporations run by rich white males. The show may as well have been written by moveon.org or Code Pink. Is season 8 starts off like this, I'm done with 24 forever.
As an aside, has anyone noticed that in the show, we've had a white male president for one half of one season out of the 7 (Powers Booth)? Coincidentally, he's the only president portrayed as a villain - mainly for wanting to retaliate against a country that hosted the terrorists who nuked Valencia, CA. In Hollywood PC-land, it's wrong to strike back against evil.