24 – Episode 7-8 Review

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I’ve always liked President Obama, but the guy’s speech came THIS CLOSE to cutting off the final seconds of this week’s episode of 24. That would not have gotten him off on the right foot, I tell you what.

At the beginning of this season I noted how 24 has a habit of creating interesting inner conflicts (Jack as a drug addict, Jack hesitant to torture people, etc.) only to disregard them within a few episodes and having the characters revert back to their former selves. I fear that that’s beginning to happen now. As noted on Scott Keith’s blog, the powers that be promised us a complex view of the practice of torture. But so far, every single time a character has tortured somebody, or threatened to do so, it’s wielded enormously successful results. Where’s the conflict in that? Sure, Agent Walker was immensely remorseful when she was forced to threaten an innocent woman and her 11 month old son, made only worse when it became known that this woman’s husband had been killed, but that act also resulted in the apparent rescue of the first gentlemen. It also took away any leverage the bad guys could use to prevent the assault. The ends most certainly justified the means, I’d say.

That observation aside, this was a pretty stellar episode of 24. President Taylor showed she has strength and can think rationally, without seeming cold or callous. It was also fantastic seeing Bill back into his element.

I think one of the highlights of the episode for me, though, was the scene at the reflecting pool. Specifically, when Moss and Jack were arguing with Walker about the prospect of threatening to torture the double agent’s wife and son. In an interesting twist, Jack was the proverbial devil on Walker’s shoulder, while Moss was the angel. Disregarding whether the ends justified the means, Jack was telling her to do something awful, while Moss was reminding her that we’re better than this. Jack isn’t usually portrayed in such an explicitly negative way. Not that that’s a complaint. While I don’t think we’re supposed to root for Moss, it is nice to have that “moral center.” It’s especially refreshing that this center is a flawed character, as well. Anyway, the scene was especially highlighted by the obvious sexual tension between these three, as well.

Speaking of Walker, I’m glad that they showed her so distraught about what she had just done, because she was just a bit TOO good at threatening that woman.

Oh yeah, and I hope Moss’ cop friend is a close one, because this guy’s got to “keep quiet” a dead body, a massive car accident, and several cars racing through traffic (sometimes the wrong way down a one way street). Anything else? Moss is gonna owe that guy a solid.

Matt Basilo has been writing for Inside Pulse since April 2005, providing his insight into popular television shows such as Lost, Heroes, Prison Break, and Smallville. You can visit his blog at A Case of the Blog.

Matt Basilo has been writing for Inside Pulse since April 2005, providing his insight into various popular television shows. Be sure to visit his blog at [a case of the blog] and follow him on Twitter.