24, Season 5

[sarae]

Good point. Nathanson will turn out to be the big villain, perhaps leading to a larger villain in the last little bit, such as the first season sported. Anyways, I think this season may not be so gung-ho as the past, but it certainly has some suspenseful elements to it.

Every season I wonder what they can do next - and what they can't do, because it's been done. There's only so far they can take the "huge threat to the city/state/nation" concept; as my dad put it, "what will they do next, have aliens attacking L.A.?"

The Slate article that was linked earlier in this thread touched on that idea:

Well, at the end of Season 4, we collectively said that we couldn't just keep up coming up with bigger and bigger terrorist threats. The goal instead was to come up with bigger dramatic events that could be spawned by terrorist threats. So, our approach to Season 5 was one of making it more complex and more complicated narratively. We tried to downsize the enormity of the threat without downsizing the impact of the event. The stories are just as, or even more, interesting because of that complexity, even if the terrorist threats have been slightly downsized. As the series progresses, you'll see that over a particular arc of three to four episodes, lots of people could suddenly find themselves at risk. It just may not be the several million that we imperiled last year. Let's face it, from a dramatic point of view, a threat that endangers a bunch of people that we really care about is just as compelling as one that imperils lots and lots of people.

(Here's the link again.)

I, for one, am finding this season really interesting so far. I like the new characters (the First Lady, Lynn aka Rudy) and I love how Aaron (Pierce?) is finally getting more of a role than just saying "yes sir" after he's been on every single season. It's also cool to watch the reactions people have to seeing Jack for the first time.

One question I have - my tape's audio was a bit spotty during Jack's last conversation with the president, after Cummings had been carted off. I caught that Jack had asked to stay at the complex until they found the nerve gas, but what else were the stipulations? Did Jack offer to go back into hiding, or what? That part was a bit unclear on my tape, and well, it's kind of an important thing to know! Then again, since the nerve gas is missing, Jack will be in action for awhile more.

 

[noel4r]

I think it's a good season so far. Too bad I can't watch them one after another like I did the first 3 seasons (Netflix).

 

[dallasuo]

One question I have - my tape's audio was a bit spotty during Jack's last conversation with the president, after Cummings had been carted off. I caught that Jack had asked to stay at the complex until they found the nerve gas, but what else were the stipulations? Did Jack offer to go back into hiding, or what? That part was a bit unclear on my tape, and well, it's kind of an important thing to know! Then again, since the nerve gas is missing, Jack will be in action for awhile more.

Yes, Jack said that he would disappear again, after the situation was resolved.

 

[MacNut]

I heard a tidbit that episode 9 will be a big episode and will reveal the main plot. Without giving anything away we haven't seen the true villain yet. Opps did I give away to much.

 

[mgargan1]

I heard a tidbit that episode 9 will be a big episode and will reveal the main plot. Without giving anything away we haven't seen the true villain yet. Opps did I give away to much.

you can do an IMDB search to see who will be in the next episodes.

 

[MacNut]

So Jack is in another dilemma what does he do.

 

[atszyman]

So the guy that was reprogramming the chips. He was Patrick Bauchau correct? I can't seem to find him listed in the credits anywhere but I recognize him from Carnivale, and my wife recognized him from Alias.

If that's not him they have cast his doppleganger.

 

[rickvanr]

So the guy that was reprogramming the chips. He was Patrick Bauchau correct? I can't seem to find him listed in the credits anywhere but I recognize him from Carnivale, and my wife recognized him from Alias.

If that's not him they have cast his doppleganger.

Yep, that's him. I recognized him from House, and Alias.

Pretty solid episode tonight, it's left me with lots of ideas about possible turns later on in the season.

 

[MacNut]

Yep, that's him. I recognized him from House, and Alias.

Pretty solid episode tonight, it's left me with lots of ideas about possible turns later on in the season.

Ok a little off topic but is that the official end of Arrested Development or the Fox finale?

 

[rickvanr]

Ok a little off topic but is that the official end of Arrested Development or the Fox finale?

I don't think it's officially the end, but it's 99% likely it will be. At least that's what I've gathered from the article I read in the paper this weekend.

"It's a sad day for fans of quality television"

 

[killuminati]

I guess macrumors has lost it's 24 fans. It's already 4 hours sinced it aired on the east coast and only 3 people have commented on it. I remember last year the thread was huge, and I loved reading some of the interesting ideas people had.

I thought this episode was pretty good but it's just so goddamn repetitive. "ok i'll tell you where he is if you get a signed yadayada to let me go." 5 seconds later that person is dead. Jack "damnit he was our only lead!".

 

[MacNut]

So Rudy has a sister, and I wonder what the 15 year old girl knows.

 

[Dandaman]

I thought this episode was pretty good but it's just so goddamn repetitive. "ok i'll tell you where he is if you get a signed yadayada to let me go." 5 seconds later that person is dead. Jack "damnit he was our only lead!".

seriously. I had flashbacks of the end of season 3. That was way too predictable.

it'll be interesting to see how this thing with "rudy" ends up coming into the storyline.

daniel

 

[ebow]

it'll be interesting to see how this thing with "rudy" ends up coming into the storyline.

Did his sister's mugger-buddy steal his ID / access card? I wonder if we'll end up with junkies sneaking around CTU stealing stuff, just to add some pointless chaos to the plot... Okay, so maybe that doesn't make much sense, but they made a point of showing that guy grabbing a card along with the cash. If the mugger is connected to the terrorists, I'll be really annoyed.

 

[jefhatfield]

So Rudy has a sister, and I wonder what the 15 year old girl knows.

here's the twist, 24 style, imho

rudy's sister and druggie boyfriend will get kidnapped and the bad guys get leverage over rudy and ctu...or the rudy's sister and druggie boyfriend kidnap kim bauer and complicate things...or they all get kidnapped by the bad guys

jack, or course, is due to get kidnapped again

all this while the clock ticks away and the bad guys get the cannisters in place with the timers set to go off in a few hours

so everybody has to get unkidnapped, jack has to break a few direct orders to save the 15 year old slave girl, and with seconds left, he has to dismantle the chemical warfare cannisters

president logan will be so overjoyed he makes jack his personal go to man the way palmer did...logan will improve his character and by the end of the season, he will grow a spine and be a stand up president

end of season 5

 

[killuminati]

here's the twist, 24 style, imho

I sure hope not. I miss the days when 24 had good plot twists, not this predictable corny repetetive stuff they have now. I guess this could be a spoiler if you haven't seen earlier season: I remember.... in season 1 when you find out that the person that Terry is riding in the car with isn't Alan York. Now that was a good twist. Because you look back and find clues that would make it seem so obvious once you knew, but I had no idea it was coming.

Uhh, I think I will just have to go back and watch all my old DVDs.

 

[emw]

I thought this episode was pretty good but it's just so goddamn repetitive.

Yeah, as soon as Jack closed the door on that girl, I predicted one of two things - she'd kill herself and the guy would refuse to cooperate, or she'd off him. Big surprise there.

It's interesting that she apparently lifted Jack's weapon without him realizing it, though.

 

[jdechko]

seriously. I had flashbacks of the end of season 3. That was way too predictable.

It happens a lot around Jack, though.

Anyway, part of the reason that it is so predictable is that we've been taught to "expect the unexpected" and all of the plot twists. I called Chloe's boyfriend as the insider (didn't expect it to be a "training exercise"). But I agree that the show needs some new ideas pretty fast.

I really liked seasons 1-3. They were fresh.

Seasons 2-5 (up to this point) have all been the same. It's like a Mad Lib.

Name of a Terrorist Group: (TG)
Country: (CTRY)
Weapon of Mass Destruction: (WMD)
Name of person working at CTU: (Mole)


=====Story======

(TG) from the country (CTRY) have stolen (WMD). Jack Bauer must work to find (WMD) and neutralize it before (TG) can use it against the United States. But there's a twist, (Mole), an agent at CTU, is actually working for (TG). Jack realizes that there's a mole and takes care of that threat. Jack finds the (WMD) in the first 8-10 hours and neutralizes the threat. Spends the next 4 hours trying to eliminate all of the members of (TG). The remaining time is spent trying to convince the US Government that (CTRY) had no direct involvement.

Throw in some sub-plots that serve no purpose other than filler and you've got season 6.

I'd like to be wrong. I'd like to be totally shocked the way I was when I found out that Nina was the mole in season 1 (sorry to those of you who haven't seen seasons 1-3.) I still have hope that they can add some really good plot twists to this season.

 

[jdechko]

30 Random Facts About Jack Bauer.

Oh my god that was halarious!

 

[baummer]

Interesting that she apparently lifted Jack's weapon without him realizing it, though.

Hmm...no I don't think it was Jack's weapon. She wasn't close enough to him to lift it without him knowing it. Remember, the guy was armed when Jack stormed in, so I'm sure he had a gun in the room that she knew about, and she grabbed it, and well the rest is history. I am surprised the team didn't search the premises for weapons and whatnot.

 

[rickvanr]

I'd like to be wrong. I'd like to be totally shocked the way I was when I found out that Nina was the mole in season 1 (sorry to those of you who haven't seen seasons 1-3.) I still have hope that they can add some really good plot twists to this season.

The thing is, they can't. Season one was fresh, and you assumed that all were good. Unless they take a cast member thats been good for the 10 years the show has occupied and then flip them there isn't going to be that 'wow factor', and a new cast member being a mole is too predictable.

 

[jdechko]

The thing is, they can't. Season one was fresh, and you assumed that all were good. Unless they take a cast member thats been good for the 10 years the show has occupied and then flip them there isn't going to be that 'wow factor', and a new cast member being a mole is too predictable.

Yeah, that's true with the characters. There are also people inside the government, though, that could be in there. For instance: Walt Cumming... we all knew he was an a** after last season, but I didn't expect him to be involved the way he was. And really, I was thinking more about the overall plot of the season.

 

[emw]

Hmm...no I don't think it was Jack's weapon. She wasn't close enough to him to lift it without him knowing it. Remember, the guy was armed when Jack stormed in, so I'm sure he had a gun in the room that she knew about, and she grabbed it, and well the rest is history. I am surprised the team didn't search the premises for weapons and whatnot.

Ah, perhaps. You mean the gun he had in his hands when Jack came in? I thought that was taken care of. Apparently not. Surely there wasn't another weapon, or she would have killed the guy long ago.

 

[jefhatfield]

Ah, perhaps. You mean the gun he had in his hands when Jack came in? I thought that was taken care of. Apparently not. Surely there wasn't another weapon, or she would have killed the guy long ago.

the gun looked like a .357 highly concealable/lightweight baretta, lapd and delta force style, who were jack's previous employers before ctu

it was probably jack's gun because he was so distracted trying to find a way to save the teenage girl

we all don't know what happened before the girl took the shots but the old man probably had it coming and now jack and ctu have lost their shoe in into the terrorist camp

 

[yankeefan24]

Did his sister's mugger-buddy steal his ID / access card? I wonder if we'll end up with junkies sneaking around CTU stealing stuff, just to add some pointless chaos to the plot... Okay, so maybe that doesn't make much sense, but they made a point of showing that guy grabbing a card along with the cash. If the mugger is connected to the terrorists, I'll be really annoyed.

i think he might have taken cash and his credit card. i doubt anyone could get through CTU security without help on the inside. And to get in you would need ID.