Farewell to '24': A few links
A few good retrospectives on the many days of Jack Bauer.
Jack Bauer has a brotherly moment on "24."
"Lost" said goodbye last night, and tonight we get a series finale double-feature, with "24" at 8 and "Law & Order" at 10. I'll have an essay on "L&O" up and ready in a few hours, but I've been struggling to find the time to write something on "24." Given how long it's been since I felt passionately about the show, that's probably for the best, as nobody needs to read the same list of complaints again at the end.
Instead, let me point you to two treatises on the show, one written by my current partner, the other produced by my former partner. (Unlike Jack Bauer, my partners have a pretty good mortality rate.) The first is Fienberg's "24" entry from his terrific Best of the Decade series from last December.
The second comes from my old Star-Ledger colleague Mat Zoller Seitz, who has spent the last couple of years cranking out a series of insightful and/or amusing video essays on movies and TV. (Here's one of the sillier ones, in which Matt and Sarah Bunting examine "The Ties of Zodiac.") Matt and Aaron Aradillas cooked up a five-part series of video essays on "24," starting with their look at the show's origins in the context of the TV of the Aughts.
So go read and/or watch, and feel free to share your (spoiler-free) expectations for tonight. With a movie in the works, Jack can't die, but is everybody else fair game?
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Login or create a HitFix account Login Signupbhietanen
May 24, 2010 at 12:43PM EST Reply to CommentFor how bad the season was at the 16 episode mark, it has been old school kick ass 24 the last 8. Omar's farewell episode kicked off this great stretch when the stereotypical ending of Jack and Renee saving the day shockingly failed.
Charles Logan is one of the best (if not the best) supporting character in this shows history and his and Jack's final showdown has been great TV.
While 24 and Lost have both had their low points (Lost S2-Late S3 and Lost S6 and early S8) they have been great thrill rides. While I'm sad both shows are over they are going out the way they should. On all cylinders. Hopefully 24's finale can live up to Lost's fantastic finale last night. RIP
kalbi1377 I wholeheartedly concur with bhietanen. My expectations were low but 24 really kicked up a notch in the latter part of this season. That being said, I thought the series finale was a little lackluster given what has happened leading up to it.
May 26, 2010 at 6:30PM ESTJustin
May 24, 2010 at 12:51PM EST Reply to CommentReally looking forward to the finale. This season started quite weak, but it has redeemed itself in a big way....especially with the return of Charles Logan.
May 24, 2010 at 1:07PM EST Reply to CommentJack can't die ... unless the movie is a prequel!
KronicFatigue
May 24, 2010 at 1:08PM EST Reply to CommentEach and every week, I yell at the TV when watching 24. Last week was "Why didn't he make copies of that computer file!?!?!?" But despite the slew of plot-holes, I continued to watch. Not sure if I continued to enjoy the show (after the first two seasons), but I continued to watch. Not sure if that says more about show, or me.
Ryan
May 24, 2010 at 1:35PM EST Reply to CommentExcited about tonight. If Lost is the supermodel everyone fawns over in my show love triangle, 24 is the flawed girl-next-door that isn't talked about as much that was my first and real true love.
MatthewL
May 24, 2010 at 3:25PM EST Reply to CommentCorrect me if I'm wrong, but Agent Pierce hasn't been in this season at all, has he? So my main hope is that he'll make one last reappearance - because we can't have a season of 24 without Agent Pierce.
May 24, 2010 at 3:39PM EST Reply to CommentWhomever narrated the Seitz/Aradillas piece is a master! Ahem.
Maura
May 24, 2010 at 3:45PM EST Reply to CommentI'm going in prepared to be disappointed by the finale. That way I might be pleasantly surprised.
Man, I am going to miss this show. I've been a devoted fan since day 1, episode 1. I never cared how good or bad the show was, because I was there for Jack.
Out of respect, I think the name "Jack" should be retired for any future fictional male television character. :o)
Maura
May 24, 2010 at 3:45PM EST Reply to CommentI'm going in prepared to be disappointed by the finale. That way I might be pleasantly surprised.
Man, I am going to miss this show. I've been a devoted fan since day 1, episode 1. I never cared how good or bad the show was, because I was there for Jack.
Out of respect, I think the name "Jack" should be retired for any future fictional male television character. :o)
May 24, 2010 at 7:27PM ESTBilliam
May 24, 2010 at 3:59PM EST Reply to CommentWith all the lines that Jack has crossed in the last few episodes, I'm also wondering if all the movie talk is a trick and they really are planning to kill Jack at the end. At the very least, Jack will have to end up in jail for capital offenses, right?
yyz
May 24, 2010 at 6:34PM EST Reply to CommentWhere "Lost" left many, many questions unanswered and left much interpretation up to the viewer, the ending of "24" will, I believe, be brutally definitive and will leave very few questions. Basically, if you had anything at all to do with this season's conspiracy, it is highly likely that Jack Bauer is going to send you to your death, probably in a most violent and painful way. And unlike the Losties, there will be no happy reunions in a multi-denominational church for any of the soon-to-be deceased conspirators.
And this will be a very good thing. :)
Maura I know I wouldn't have minded a sideways universe in which Bill and Tony were still alive.
May 25, 2010 at 1:10PM EST