I have to admit, I came close to not watching 24 Monday night. As I’ve previously mentioned, I typically don’t get to watch my Monday night programming until after 11:00, which means I have to do a double header of 24 and Heroes, and then write this column, meaning I don’t get to bed until at least 1:00 in the morning. And that’s after a long day of work. And then I have to face ANOTHER long day of work.
With Heroes focusing on HRG, one of the greatest characters on television – and with Heroes on tape, I could watch it in the comfort of my bedroom (opposed to the TiVo in the dark, cold basement) – the NBC series was going to get the nod. But, alas, I decided to watch both tonight, and I’m thrilled that I did.
The last few episodes of 24 have been (very entertaining) filler episodes. I think it’s fair to say that this episode concluded the first Act of the season. And they did so with a bang, and many teases and swerves. We learned that the mole’s girlfriend is also a mole. Dubako has been captured, and his list retrieved.
While seeing somber, sour puss, whiny Walker could backfire, I think it worked in this episode. Quite simply, her emotional response to all that has happened thus far has allowed us to really recognize how dehumanized Jack has become. Honestly, sit back and take a look at Jack now, and compare his overall mentality to that of the first season. When we first met Jack Bauer, he was that guy who would try to save every single innocent person that came his way. Now he sees the world the same way the government views him, as we learned in season six. Everybody is an acceptable loss in the grand scheme of things. It’s terrible, yes. But acceptable nonetheless. And while this may come across as a criticism, I actually think it’s a believable evolution to his character. I’m also enjoying how intensely volatile their relationship has degraded to.
Even though I somewhat criticized it last week, I’m really happy that they’ve found a way to integrate Bill into the story. I just love his character, especially how he constantly carries himself with grace and dignity. No matter how severe the situation, he always speaks in this calm, respectful manner. What’s that expression? You get more bees with honey than vinegar? In a lot of ways he’s the anti-Jack: He finds a way to get what he wants without having to resort to violence. He just charms them.
To me, the absolute highlight of the episode was the perfectly shot scene with Jack and Tony. As I noted at the beginning of the season, these two have developed such a complex, complicated relationship. They undoubtedly care about each other, and I daresay that – when push comes to shove – Tony is still one of the few people Jack truly trusts. Yet, throughout their careers, they’ve both had to do unspeakable things and make impossible decisions. While they may not always agree with each other, I think it’s fair to say that they’re perhaps the only two people who understand what the other has gone through.
But anyway, the scene was phenomenal, and like I said, just loved the way it was shot. One of them was always blurred, and they very rarely ever made eye contact with each other. And despite the fact that this was two best friends and long-time colleagues discussion an imminent terrorist attack, there was this distinct sense of conflict between them. I also thought it was perfect that they were both clad in black clothing. It was a simple yet effective way of illustrated the dark path both of them have gone through. The final scene, with Tony affectionately placing his hand on Jack’s shoulder, was a nice allusion to their final moment together after Jack had faked his death.
I was skeptical about the idea of bringing Tony back (or at least their “the clock wasn’t silent!” justification), but I’m really thrilled he is. And I’m genuinely curious to see how they’re going to conclude his arc. Will he be killed? If so, will he make amends and redeem what he had done? If he survives, will he actually turn himself in? There are a lot of question marks here. And I mean that in a good way.
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.
