24: Live Another Day

[JasonEvans]

I was allowed to see the first 2 hours of the new 24 and wanted to give you all a quick report...

It has been 4 years, but it feels like nothing has changed. The show, the characters, the storyline, the style of direction/editing... it all feels exactly the same as the 24 we all watched for 8 previous seasons on Fox. I am not sure if this is a good or bad thing. I like that it is as I recall, but I don't like that they aren't trying anything new. I do think limiting this edition to 12 hours of action is probably a good idea as it will keep the pace moving faster than past seasons. It also probably means we won't have as many (any??) annoying side plots that slow things down and make us roll our eyes (Kim vs. the cougar!!!).

The new season starts out pretty good and has some at least mildly clever twists. There is a good mix of old, familiar characters and new ones. There is a new CIA operative, Kate, who is already winding her way into my heart as a female version of Jack. I really like her and think this could be a great character for the series to build upon. Chloe whiles a lot less and has a new Goth look that actually makes her seem kinda cool. And, SPECIAL STAR WARS BONUS, John Boyega (future Jedi) plays a role in the pilot and it seems he will be a somewhat meaningful character for at least a few episodes. This is a good chance for folks who did not see him in Attack The Block to get to know him a bit before he becomes one of the biggest stars in the universe. Side note -- what must that be like, getting the call from Disney/Lucasfilm telling you that you are going to be a star of the new Star Wars? Talk about a life-changing moment!!

As for Jack, he is back in a great way, kicking butt and taking names as he always has. It takes something like 30 minutes for him to utter his first words this season because he is busy just scowling at everyone and everything. That is sooooo Jack. The action scenes are not too long, but come with enough frequency that they really keep the pace moving.

The plot is fine, though it so far seems to be focused on an assassination attempt on the President... ummm, been there, done that (like half a dozen times). I would have hoped the 24 writers could come up with something new. But, it is possible that this is all a smoke screen for a different storyline that will develop, which would be fine with me.

Anyway, if you are a 24 fan, it is worth checking out. Have fun and be sure to check http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/ at 10pm ET tonight for my full (lengthy) recap of the episode. Post a comment or two there top encourage my editors to let me continue recapping this thing

-Jason "I bet Fox does another one of these next year... if the awful The Following can have a life an a 10-ep event series, surely Jack Bauer can too!" Evans

[pfrduke]

There is a new CIA operative, Kate, who is already winding her way into my heart as a female version of Jack. I really like her and think this could be a great character for the series to build upon.

Played by Yvonne Strahovski, whom everyone should remember (well, ok, whom I remember) fondly from 5 stellar seasons as Sarah Walker in Chuck. More Sarah Walker is always a good thing. If only they could have found a way to get Adam Baldwin involved...

[mkirsh]

Played by Yvonne Strahovski, whom everyone should remember (well, ok, whom I remember) fondly from 5 stellar seasons as Sarah Walker in Chuck. More Sarah Walker is always a good thing. If only they could have found a way to get Adam Baldwin involved...

I guess she only plays badass CIA operatives. Chuck was a very under-rated and fun show, thought I would have voted for Jeffster cameo instead of Casey

[greybeard]

Thanks. Great piece.

[PensDevil]

P... If only they could have found a way to get Adam Baldwin involved...

Casey/Jane/Animal Mother (take your pick of scowling, grunting Adam Baldwin characters) in a stare-down with Jack could possibly fill half of an episode.

[JasonEvans]

If you want to read my full recap of the episode, complete with mucho Star Wars references, click here.

if we could somehow arrange for future-Jedi Boyega to say: “These aren’t the drones you’re looking for,” then it would be truly awesome. #StarWarsReferences

-Jason "did anyone watch the show and want to talk about it?" Evans

[pfrduke]

Jason "did anyone watch the show and want to talk about it?" Evans

I watched. Not much to talk about - it was tonally identical to prior seasons of 24, the laws of temporal reality were bent in ridiculous ways (most significantly in connection with the drone strike and resulting investigation, which appears to have concluded in roughly 12 minutes), and it's likely that at least 3 of the government employees we've seen on screen to date will be involved in some form of shady conspiracy (my money's on Tate Donovan as one). But it's as good of an escapist hour (2 last night) of television as it ever was and the tighter season ought to make for more straightforward momentum and fewer puppetmaster behind the puppetmaster plot shenanigans.

[Reisen]

We watched the first hour last night, and will watch the second on DVR tonight. A couple of thoughts:

- We eventually burned out during the original run, so didn't see the last couple of seasons.

- That said, while I agree that last night's episode did not depart from the series' traditions, it did at least feel nostalgic and fun again. There's probably some argument with not fixing what isn't broken.

- My wife and I hate the Chloe character, so that part was a downer.

- That said, I like that they got big names (Bratt, Strahovski, Donovan), and those characters could be interesting.

- This season should make for decent guilty-pleasure viewing.

[A-Tex Devil]

Well at least Strahovski is changing it up a bit. After Chuck, Dexter and now Louie, I was expecting her to pop back up at the Frasier reunion. But seriously though,
I like the actress.

[Newton_14]

I was allowed to see the first 2 hours of the new 24 and wanted to give you all a quick report...

It has been 4 years, but it feels like nothing has changed. The show, the characters, the storyline, the style of direction/editing... it all feels exactly the same as the 24 we all watched for 8 previous seasons on Fox. I am not sure if this is a good or bad thing. I like that it is as I recall, but I don't like that they aren't trying anything new. I do think limiting this edition to 12 hours of action is probably a good idea as it will keep the pace moving faster than past seasons. It also probably means we won't have as many (any??) annoying side plots that slow things down and make us roll our eyes (Kim vs. the cougar!!!).

The new season starts out pretty good and has some at least mildly clever twists. There is a good mix of old, familiar characters and new ones. There is a new CIA operative, Kate, who is already winding her way into my heart as a female version of Jack. I really like her and think this could be a great character for the series to build upon. Chloe whiles a lot less and has a new Goth look that actually makes her seem kinda cool. And, SPECIAL STAR WARS BONUS, John Boyega (future Jedi) plays a role in the pilot and it seems he will be a somewhat meaningful character for at least a few episodes. This is a good chance for folks who did not see him in Attack The Block to get to know him a bit before he becomes one of the biggest stars in the universe. Side note -- what must that be like, getting the call from Disney/Lucasfilm telling you that you are going to be a star of the new Star Wars? Talk about a life-changing moment!!

As for Jack, he is back in a great way, kicking butt and taking names as he always has. It takes something like 30 minutes for him to utter his first words this season because he is busy just scowling at everyone and everything. That is sooooo Jack. The action scenes are not too long, but come with enough frequency that they really keep the pace moving.

The plot is fine, though it so far seems to be focused on an assassination attempt on the President... ummm, been there, done that (like half a dozen times). I would have hoped the 24 writers could come up with something new. But, it is possible that this is all a smoke screen for a different storyline that will develop, which would be fine with me.

Anyway, if you are a 24 fan, it is worth checking out. Have fun and be sure to check http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/ at 10pm ET tonight for my full (lengthy) recap of the episode. Post a comment or two there top encourage my editors to let me continue recapping this thing

-Jason "I bet Fox does another one of these next year... if the awful The Following can have a life an a 10-ep event series, surely Jack Bauer can too!" Evans

First, I will fully confess that 24 is my favorite drama/action show of all time and I love me some Jack B. I have the entire series on DVD. Like most shows, 24 did get progressively worse season over season, though I thought Season's 3 and 4 did match Season 1. The last 3 seasons or so were just not that good. Still, I watched anyway. I texted a friend who is a big 24 fan last night at 8:30 and stated 'well, here i sit, glued to the TV watching Jack again and dude has not even spoken a word yet! It's like old times!"

I actually thought the 2 hour debut last night was really good. Jack was Jack, gave us the famous "Damn it!", and one of my favorite parts was when the new agent was walking him down to Special Affairs, and told Jack he was really good 'back in the day", then 5 minutes later Jack kicks the crap out of the guy and his partner while being handcuffed behind his back. Classic.

Like you, I believe the main plot will change from the assasination attempt, to taking over multiple drones for some other major attack. Several good story lines built in last night. The new agent Kate being a rebel and patriot just like Jack, like you mentioned, Audrey's husband wanting Jack murdered for personal reasons, Heller as President and fighting the memory disease, Jack saving Chloe from torture, Chloe and her new team where she is running the show...

I am biased for sure, but I thought it great TV, and felt like the writers hit a solid triple with the start of the 12 hour season. Not sure what it is but that show just has a grip on me. Can't wait to see where all the storylines go, and what the journey will be like.

P.S. One other very small thing that I thought came off well, was Jack's new partner telling him that if Chloe was his friend he should have just asked her to help him; Jack saying she would have said No and he did not have any friends, then later Chloe telling Jack, "I am your friend, so you should have just asked me for my help and I would have helped you, then Jack's facial expression after she says that. Simple, yet meaningful. The relationship that developed between Jack and Chloe over the years was great. In the first few seasons no one would have ever guessed that Chloe would end up being Jack's strongest ally when all the other original characters had fallen by the wayside.

[alteran]

I guess she only plays badass CIA operatives. Chuck was a very under-rated and fun show, thought I would have voted for Jeffster cameo instead of Casey

They'd be ideal in a Jack Bauer Gratuitous Torture Scene.

Either as victims, or, in the case of their music, the actual torturers.

[mkirsh]

Just got around to watching this, and I must say having Jack Bauer back is like running into an old friend.

Showing no signs of rust after the 3+ year layoff, Jack tallied 3 more to the Bauer Count in the first 2 hours. He obviously won't come close to his Ruthian season 6 total of 51 with the shortened series, but seasons 1, 3 and Redemption look to be in reach.

I was also curious to see how the show would adapt to the layoff. Given the success of recent cable shows like Homeland and the Americans, I didn't know if 24 would try to meet that new bar, or just continue with the normal "so bad that it's actually good" 24 that we all know and love. So far it looks they are definetly going with the tried and true 24. I'm all for it and think they should go all in - if they are going to continue to ignore the rules of time/physics/logic/good story telling, I'm really hoping for the return of 24 favorites - bring back Tony Almeida! Michelle Dessler, Aaron Pierce, Morris O'Brian, heck, even bring back Edgar!

[Tom B.]

I'm all for it and think they should go all in - if they are going to continue to ignore the rules of time/physics/logic/good story telling, I'm really hoping for the return of 24 favorites - bring back Tony Almeida! Michelle Dessler, Aaron Pierce, Morris O'Brian, heck, even bring back Edgar!

While they're at it, maybe they'll finally tell us what happened to Behrooz.