(S07E12) "Madame President, right now your life is a priority whether you like it ot not." - Jack
That wasn't as gripping as I thought it would be. After all the set-up in last night's first hour, I assumed there'd be a lot more pay-off. Instead... it was more set-up.
Yes, the taking of the White House was exciting and I loved how we got to see more of Agent Pierce in action, but overall I'm left wanting more and we just didn't get it.
The biggest reveal? Well, it wasn't really a reveal at all because we still don't know who Jonas Hodges is or what he does. However, since he was able to supply Juma with all sorts of intel on White House Security, it's a safe bet that he has some connection to a defense contractor maybe.
His motives, as well as Juma's, are still cloudy and I'm honestly having a hard time buying into them - whatever they may be. Based on Juma and Hodges' conversation, it seems as though they've had this White House plan in the works for months. Was the civil war in Sangala ever a priority for Juma? It's looking more and more like it wasn't, especially if dying in the White House while trying (there's no way he'll succeed) to kill the President is his endgame.
Complicating matters is the newly introduced wussy Vice President. I'm not sure we caught his name, but the Veep doesn't appear to have enough spine to sit up straight. He has no intention of calling any shot until he has concrete intel on Taylor and the FBI is obviously not going to be able to get that intel unless they get the go ahead to bust down the doors. Who'll crack first? I'm guessing Moss and Renee take matters into their own hands.
However, the highlight of the hour was Senator Mayer. Once he was a hostage, sitting right next to Bill, looking defeated, angry, and scared, he asked Bill the million-dollar question: "are you suggesting that had I allowed Bauer to torture Burnett, then this could have been prevented?" Um... yes. Buchanan's face was priceless. To top it off, Blaine was angry when Jack finally caved and went along with the terrorists by releasing the President. Don't be a rogue! Be a rogue! He can't win in Mayer's eyes.
Final thoughts...
- Call me crazy, but it seemed way too easy to break into the White House.
- Was there any point to the sub-plot with Dubaku's son? It would have only paid off had he believed Renee about Juma killing his father and released her - but he didn't. He tried to kill her and Moss shot him. So why bother giving him any character at all?
- Rory Cochrane was Hodge's #1 henchman! Jeez... guess him leaving CSI: Miami to pursue his movie career never panned out.
12 hours down and 12 to go. Based on the previews for next week, it looks like we're going to be stuck in The White House for a while. Here's a question though - say Juma sticks around for another three or four hours? Then what? Is the rest of the season just going to be the hunt for Hodges? At the risk of sounding like an idiot... there has to be another threat, right? Nukes? Another disease? How about Ebola? These guys are from Africa.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-03-2009 @ 10:39AM
jnewman176 said...
kept feeling throughout the show that I kept sensing there were sharks being jumped over between the potomac river and the white house...come on, we're supposed to believe that terrorists from Africa can easily break into the white house security system using a laptop (the white house must use IE and not been downloading updates), and the secret sevice is helpless to do anything? There is a "safe room", but no way for the occupants to phone out? Where is Jack's trusty cell phone? The President of the USA is going to willingly allow herself to be taken hostage by a terrorist and not have expected to be exploited and then killed? Next episode I expect the President to get her leg caught in a bear trap while a mountain lion is nearby (not that that would ever be a plot line).....
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3-03-2009 @ 10:39AM
Edward said...
I think either Olivia or Bill dies next hour...
3-03-2009 @ 10:40AM
Mike Davis said...
Watching 24 to look for plot inconsistencies/shark-jumping moments is like watching Friends & spending all 22 minutes griping on how no one could afford that apartment on a barista's wages.
24 is a fairy tale. It's a soap.
It follows only the most rudimentary laws of logic. It has a glancing knowledge of how US government actually works. It has detonated TWO nuclear warheads in the Western US alone. It is absurd and I love it that way. It is the last 20 minutes of a great Hollywood action movie every week...for an hour.
Just repeat to yourself, "It's just a show. I should really just relax.".
3-03-2009 @ 3:52PM
Dinu said...
Was it really necessary to post this in both reviews from last night's show?
It's at least a little ironic that you're complaining about lazy writing from the 24 staff, while you can't be bothered to write a fresh post for the second review.
Nice.
3-03-2009 @ 3:52PM
D-Bo said...
@ Mike Davis:
Well put.
3-03-2009 @ 10:39AM
Edward said...
Random fact: Juma also was Worf's brother in Star Trek: TNG
Breaking into the White House could've/should've stretched over two hours, although time is of the essence in the world of 24.
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3-03-2009 @ 10:40AM
Ryan said...
Tony Todd was also amazing as adult Jake Sisko on Deep Space Nine.
3-03-2009 @ 10:40AM
Robert said...
And don't you forget Candyman. That's the only thing I think about when I see him on screen.
3-03-2009 @ 10:39AM
Ryan said...
I was worried the whole episode that Bill was going to buy it.
Juma pretty much had the civil war sewn up and was free to slaughter civilians. The tide was turned by the "resources" and weapons Hodge provided in "Redemption." If the U.S. invaded at all, it was pretty much a guaranteed loss for Juma from what has been mentioned repeatedly on the show, so stopping Taylor was the number one priority. Since Dubaku's op failed, Juma's already lost Sangala, and his Plan B is to go out in a blaze of glory.
Hodges seems to have made this deal for Sangalan diamonds and the shipment, which is two hours away from D.C. (plus probably exclusive mining, trade and other exploitation rights if Juma had kept Sangala). It's almost guaranteed that the shipment is the next threat or leads to it.
The instant Dubaku, Jr. caught Renee, she blurted out that Juma killed his father, and kept babbling. This prevented him from shooting her long enough for her to edge slightly closer and then go for his gun. The ploy would have worked even without Moss if she had been a little more like Jack and kept a knife on her to use while being strangled.
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3-03-2009 @ 10:40AM
Michael said...
I agree with the comments (and my wife) that the taking of the WH was a little far-fetched, even by 24 standards. The Secret Service falls back?!? Are you kidding? I will say, however, that with the right equipment provided by Hodge I could understand how they disabled the laser grid... But 10 of Juma's "special guard" against an entire WH security detail?
But suspend disbelief and just have fun with what's to come... Will Tony and Renee ride in on a white horse to save the day? What will happen to Aaron and Bill? How long will they be trapped in the WH? (Based on the show's pacing this year, I'm guessing not long.)
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3-03-2009 @ 10:40AM
Jason said...
Best line of the night, "Now let's play some darts!"
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3-03-2009 @ 10:40AM
reader1 said...
I was also rolling my eyes at the ease of the WH break in. Then later in the episode when talking to Hodges character, he spills the bit about providing Juma with what he needs to crack the safe room. So obviously this has been partially planed from the inside, with all the intel and tools being provided for Juma and his elite SWAT team. I would guess the tracking computer to the hacking device was all provided to them, and the tracking computer might even be one like the secret service would use. It still suspends belief, but that’s why it’s 24. It’s not near as improbable as many of the other things they do on the show.
I still want to know how they can set up all the computer protocols, position satellites, write and print briefing reports, and all that in the time of one commercial break, but it takes like 3 hours to go through the list of “insiders”.
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3-03-2009 @ 10:40AM
Adam said...
Okay, I really hate to complain about 24, but this episode was absolutely ridiculous... even suspending belief was impossible. Granted, I'm very picky about how "realistic" a show is, but I was willing to look the other away about a single electronic device that could remote seize all of air traffic control, crash planes into each other by simply given pilots bad directions (more or less, specifically over Washington DC), and blow up a chemical plant that somehow does not have a magical manual override switch. However, having 7 soldiers take complete control over the White House????? Give me a break. The writers clearly have never consulted any security specialist, who will tell you that the White House is probably one of the hardest fortresses to penetrate on Earth. Even if they had a man on the inside (which would be really hard at that), every bell and whistle within a mile would be screaming about the "laser grid" being deactivated or the trembles of unauthorized footsteps underground by seismic sensors. There's no way Secret Service would ever stand down, no way the President would not have a telephone to communicate with the outside world, and no way she would open the door (they've been trained not to do this, in case such a thing were to happen). Clearly nobody on 24 has ever read Tom Clancy... geez. Okay, I had to get that off my chest... ridiculous.
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3-03-2009 @ 12:07PM
Eludium-Q36 said...
Agreed, the ridiculosity (!) of this show puts it on the same level of fantasy as Harry Potter ! Seriously, what's the point of watching this when the situations and capabilities are so far removed from reality ?! WoW and Rainbox Six video games have more realism than this televised tripe!
I think I'm most frustrated at how this show has wasted its potential, it could've been so much more than the silliness that it is. Yes, I know, many of you don't care and will watch anything Mother Fox feeds you but that's it for me, I've had it with "24" once and for all, this'll be my last post to this particular show blog so you won't have to endure these complaints any further, at least from me.
3-09-2009 @ 10:48AM
Bill said...
Just in case you were wondering. 24 isn't a documentary. I'm a little surprised at Eludium-Q36. I know from his previous posts that he is a big Lost fan. Do you criticize Lost for not being realistic, Eludium?
And Adam, have you ever watched 24 before? This isn't the first time that it has pushed the realistic boundaries. Let's face it, if there really was a Jack Bauer, do you think he'd be getting tormented and persecuted every time he turned around? No. He'd be a hero for how many lives he has saved, yet every season someone is after him for his "tactics".
Yes, 24 does stretch the imagination at times. But come on, this is fiction. It's entertainment.
3-03-2009 @ 11:24AM
Mack Swift said...
Totally digging this season from top to bottom, and last night's 2 hours were no exception.
Anyone notice the look on Jack's face at the very, very end when he was staring at Juma? It's the "I'm gonna break you in two." look.
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3-03-2009 @ 11:24AM
Adam said...
Hey, What a great season so far, did anyone notice that Agent Holvis or something, the leader of the Secret Serivice agents that rushed the White House to get the prez, he looked very familiar. I know he played a random in the latest season of prison break, but I knew Id seen him, so I went back to the first season and by lord he was in it, Season 1 Ep 9, he was one of the lead agents interrogating Bauer after he had gotten caught at the Power Station or something......so trippy.. hehehe i know im lame for pickng that up, hahaha :)
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3-03-2009 @ 12:07PM
ac said...
Where the hell were the marines in the White House? Really no one has an automatic weapon to protect the president? There is over the top and then there is nuking a fridge as it jumps over shark turning a donkey wheel like tonight had.
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3-03-2009 @ 12:07PM
Malfoy Roark said...
One of the best 2 hrs of 24 ever.
Line of the night:
"AND YOU SIR ARE WEAK. I AM WILLING AND ABLE TO LOOK EVIL IN THE EYE AND DEAL WITH IT. " Jack to the Senator
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3-03-2009 @ 3:52PM
Han Solo said...
>At the risk of sounding like an idiot... there has to be another threat,
>right? Nukes? Another disease? How about Ebola? These guys are
>from Africa.
Well, SOMETHING...is on that boat they were talking about. A nuke device or similar would be right about fitting with the whole plot.
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