Forget "Redemption," Jack's back for real this time!
24 "Day 7: 8:00am-10am"
JACK BAUER IS BACK AND THE CLOCK STARTS TICKING ON THE ALL-NEW 2-NIGHT, 4-HOUR "24" SEASON PREMIERE EVENT SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, ON FOX
Season Seven picks up in the months following 24: REDEMPTION after Jack Bauer sacrificed his freedom for the safety of innocent children in Africa. As the ongoing international crisis intensifies, the new day is set in Washington, D.C., where Bauer is on trial, CTU is disbanded and new president Allison Taylor leads the country through a day of unthinkable circumstances. Jack's morning takes a shocking a turn when the nation's security is breached and it's discovered that former colleague Tony Almeida has been resurrected and is responsible for the terrifying threat. Although CTU is no longer, computer whiz Chloe O'Brian and former CTU chief Bill Buchanan return along with FBI Agents Renee Walker, Larry Moss, Janis Gold and Sean Hillinger to begin an astonishing, nail-biting day in the "DAY 7: 8:00 AM-9:00 AM / 9:00 AM-10:00 AM" episode of 24 for the special 2-night, 4-hour premiere event airing Sunday, Jan. 11 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Cast: Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer; Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O'Brian; James Morrison as Bill Buchanan; Janeane Garofalo as Janis Gold; Cherry Jones as President Allison Taylor; Carlos Bernard as Tony Almeida; Annie Wersching as Renee Walker; Colm Feore as Henry Taylor; Bob Gunton as Ethan Kanin; Rhys Coiro as Sean Hillinger; Jeffrey Nordling as Larry Moss
This message has been edited. Last edited by: tornall863,
24 (Series; Fox, Sun. Jan. 11, 8 p.m.) By BRIAN LOWRY
After a subpar "day" followed by a strike-fueled hiatus, "24" gets solidly back to basics -- if by "basics" that means high-tech terrorist threats, shadowy government conspiracies, steely (and demographically historic) presidents facing terrible moral quandaries, the welcome return of familiar faces, and even rumination on the ethics of torture. Jack Bauer has already suffered aplenty for our sins, but the hero born coincidentally in Sept. 11's wake will improbably survive the Bush administration -- and if this level of quality can persist, perhaps well beyond.
That "if" about sustaining quality is no small disclaimer, of course, given the show's tendency to start like gangbusters, drift into the spring and rally (or in the case of "Day Six," not) down the home stretch. Again sandwiched into two nights to tantalize the playoff-football crowd, the first four hours begin with former Counter-Terrorism Unit agent Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) addressing a Senate subcommittee, with CTU disbanded and the new Commander in Chief (Cherry Jones) contemplating military action against a ruthless African dictator.
Soon, however, a terrible threat affecting airline travel arises, drawing Jack back into an operation that appears to involve old pal Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), who has made a Lazarus-like recovery. This puts Jack into contact with an FBI agent (credibly played by Annie Wersching) who, despite her commitment to follow the rules, must now deal with the same kind of tough ticking-clock choices Bauer tackled in the past.
As if to acknowledge the show's status as a political Rorschach test, these episodes reflect ambivalence about the depths to which the government should go in the battle to thwart terrorism, with Jack first offering a full-throated defense of torture and later suggesting the debate over what's permissible -- carried out in secret -- should be brought into the light of day.
Politics aside, the series still mostly works as a thriller -- impeccably produced by its veteran technical crew. The problem has been maintaining the edge-of-your-seat momentum without drifting into inane flourishes somewhere around hours eight through 15, which remains a legitimate Day Seven concern.
The series also might telegraph some of this year's twists simply by virtue of its casting, including a few supporting players who are likely more than they appear, based strictly on their talent or, in one case, a history of playing memorable heavies. Even so, there are several kick-ass moments during the first two nights, highlighted by what amounts to a nerd battle of wits that's almost like two sorcerers locked in combat.
For those still smarting from Day Six's Shakespearean excesses, "24" seems to be back on track -- and, paired with "House," might even enjoy something that approximates a ratings lead-in when it finally goes up against a "Heroes" franchise whose powers are seriously diminished.
Whatever its flaws, this edition of "24" features smart, crisp and densely woven storytelling whose subplots look to be on a well-orchestrated collision course.
TV Review: 24 By Ray Richmond, January 07, 2009 06:00 ET
Bottom Line: Welcome back, Jack, and don't you go away no more.
And so it returns, at last. God may have rested on the seventh day, but Jack Bauer will receive no such luxury.
Then again, one could make the point that he already got his time off for bad behavior, though the hiatus was unplanned. The seventh season of "24" took a year-plus to get here as a consequence of the WGA strike. A two-hour appetite-whetter entitled "24: Redemption," labeled a prequel, aired in November. But in the main, the show has been gone since May 2007.
And considering the jump-the-shark/nuke-the-fridge pronouncements that accompanied Season 6, the clamor for the "24" return has been notably absent.
The good news is that the now customary two-night, four-hour kickoff finds the series returning to its heart-in-your-throat best, replete with old villains, intricate conspiracies, moral quandaries and political intrigue. What easily could have devolved into self-parody has again become a riveting thriller that hits the ground sprinting. Of course, that also was the case at the beginning of the sixth season, and it didn't last, so we'll have to see if "24" can avoid the dreaded March and April qualitative blues this time around.
Things kick off with former Counter Terrorism Unit badass Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) in court, his beloved CTU having been disbanded; now he's forced to answer for his excesses before a Senate subcommittee. He sits there essentially justifying his torture techniques. But it won't be long before Bauer is pressed back into service.
A scientist has been kidnapped, and the nation's air travel is suddenly under siege (sound familiar?). Moreover, the threat is emanating from his longtime pal Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), thought to be in the ground but, well, this is "24," where the difference between life and death is measured in minutes. Pretty soon, Jack is having to play more or less by the rules with an FBI agent (Annie Wersching) while the president (Cherry Jones) faces off with a Mugabe-like African dictator.
Through the first four hours, the twists and turns and squirms fly around with the usual swiftness as the clock ominously ticks ever forward. One of these days, you've got to figure that poor Jack will wind up spending all 24 hours in therapy. I mean, how is this guy able to still function at all? Fortunately for the audience, the show on which he struggles to save the republic is back on track after a season of misdirection followed by a year away.
But as the series is called "24" rather than "4," it's next week when the real creative challenge begins.
For a TV season urgently in need of a kick in the pants, that's great news. 24's spy-for-a-day Jack is back, a bit wary but not weary — and still more than ready to save the world (and his network) from any and every threat.
Yet that "same" does carry a caveat. 24 is a thriller, elongated and switchbacked to fill 24 episodes, some more successfully than others, and it walks a silk-thread tightrope of plausibility. The series gets off to a terrific start in its first two two-hour episodes, but it started well last season, too, before plunging into a miasma of family soap and stupidity. Don't let your hopes get ahead of you.
Some things have, of course, changed. There's a new threat, built around one of those James Bond-type devices that can break into any super-secret computer. And there's a new president, so capably played by Broadway icon Cherry Jones that she may garner credit when a woman actually occupies the office.
With a new administration in place, Jack has adopted a more-in-tune-with-the-times attitude toward his work. He still believes the ends justify the means, but now he thinks we have a right to know about the means. FIND MORE STORIES IN: Washington | Illinois | Los Angeles | Broadway | Tony | Grey | Kiefer Sutherland | Chloe | Cherry Jones | Mary Lynn Rajskub | Bauer | Carlos Bernard | Janis Gold | Renee Walker
CTU having misbehaved itself out of existence, the computer threat is being handled by an FBI team led by Larry Moss (Jeffrey Nordling) and Renee Walker (Annie Wersching), who could turn out to be an excellent by-the-books counter to Jack's mad dashes. The FBI even has its own Chloe in Janis Gold (Janeane Garofalo), who promises to be every bit as abrasively amusing.
Switching agencies gets us out of Los Angeles and into Washington, which is a nice change of visual pace. A few old friends, however, have made the trip, including Chloe (the invaluable Mary Lynn Rajskub) and Bill (James Morrison, looking grizzled and great). And as you've probably already heard, Carlos Bernard's formerly dead Tony is back, as well — though not, at least, as a Grey's ghost.
His revival makes no sense, but it's the type of fast-moving logical leap the show can survive, something you can accept and then move on. The ones that give 24 problems, and that it desperately needs to avoid this year, are those that compound as they go along — like, say, setting off a nuclear bomb in L.A. and then having no one much notice.
Even in these better episodes, typical problems remain. The show has grown too reliant on moles and overly complicated government insider conspiracies. (The writers might want to study the current Illinois scandal, which is a far more common model of pristine simplicity.) And it would be nice if Jack were wrong now and then and, even more, if someone else were allowed to be right.
Still, if we accept Jack being right — and we do — the credit goes to Kiefer Sutherland, whose commitment to the role and the show seems undiminished. Even when 24 went off the rails, Sutherland somehow kept Jack in balance. And now that his show seems back on track, he's rolling at top form.
Sepinwall on TV: '24' season seven review by Alan Sepinwall/The Star-Ledger Friday January 09, 2009, 5:16 AM
Jack Bauer's back, and he's tired of your whining.
Not counting November's "24: Redemption" TV movie, it's been 19 months since the last episode of "24." In that time, Jack and/or his writers have been reading their press clippings, and the blog posts, and the message board hate, and all the rest - and they're clearly fed up with all the complaints:
Wahhh, too much torture! Wahhh, CTU has no credibility! Wahhh, why is Jack always yelling? Wahhh, why is this all so boring? Wahhh! Torture! Wahhh! Did I mention wahhh?
And so, coming off of the long hiatus (the writers strike, and Fox's desire to have the season air uninterrupted, kept the show off the air all through 2008) and their most heavily panned season to date, Jack and company have returned in a mode of full-on defiance. They've heard your objections, and they're unimpressed.
The season opens with Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) being dragged before a Congressional subcommittee, where guest star Kurtwood Smith gets to stand in for all those critics and fans who wish Jack would cool it with the torture a little.
"Am I above the law?" Jack retorts, trying very hard not to leap over the dais and kill Smith with his own tie-clip. "No, sir. I am more than willing to be judged by the people you claim to represent ... But, please, do not sit there with that smart look on your face and expect me to regret the decisions I have made. Because, sir, the truth is, I don't."
The first two hours of the show's traditional two-night, four-hour season opener continue very much in this vein, as Jack is recruited by the local FBI office to help with an imminent threat. It apparently isn't so imminent that people can't stop to lecture Jack about his psycho behavior, followed by Jack going all Colonel Nathan Jessep on them and reminding them of how his unacceptable behavior has helped to preserve their freedoms. By the end of the fourth hour, he already has one convert among the FBI team, who eagerly locks herself in a hospitalized suspect's room and threatens to cut off his oxygen supply if he doesn't answer the Jack's No. 1 question: "Who do you work for?"
Now, this column isn't the appropriate forum for a debate on the ethics and efficacy of torture. My objection to that gag is that, like so much of "24," it's a device that long passed the point of diminishing returns. They've done it all before, and better, and their refusal to change course even a little is as much about creative myopia as it is about any political ideology.
The dismantling of CTU and shift from LA to Washington, turned out to be merely cosmetic changes, with the FBI office and its staff - including new regulars Janeane Garofalo, Rhys Coiro (Billy Walsh from "Entourage"), Jeffrey Nordling and Annie Wersching - turning out to be just as full of moles, backstabbers and isolated rooms where the moles can kill anyone foolish enough to enter alone.
Similarly, the new White House crew is different only in the gender of the president, Allison Taylor. Played by Broadway vet Cherry Jones, Taylor proves herself to be just as poor a judge of character when it comes to hiring a staff - and, possibly, when picking a spouse - as David Palmer and her other predecessors.
And because there are so many loud and angry defenses of the show's usual modus operandi, the producers only call attention to all the strings they have to pull to get their characters to behave in all the familiar ways. Roger Ebert likes to write about the Idiot Plot, where the plot only works if every character in it acts like an idiot. "24" features a modified version of that - think of it as Bauer's Corollary - where the producers construct the plot in such a way that the characters really have no choice but to act like idiots - or, for that matter, torturers.
Of course, the First Gentleman is going to try to leave the White House without his Secret Service detail once you see all the people trying to keep tabs on him. Of course, Jack's FBI handler will have no choice but to take Jack off his leash once it becomes clear there's a traitor in the office and nobody can be trusted. Of course, Jack has to try to strangle someone if it means stopping an impending gas attack. Of course, Kim Bauer is going to go with the crazy mountain man if he'll get her away from the cougar.
Under the circumstances created by the "24" writers, it makes perfect sense for the characters to make the same mistakes, over and over and over again, because the story never leaves them another option. But it's still stupid behavior, and the more the characters argue the logic behind their decisions, the more obvious the stupidity - and the plot mechanics that led to it - becomes.
The new season has a few moments, mostly involving the return from the dead of Jack's old CTU colleague Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), who now seems to be working for the bad guys. But all the attempts by Jack and his writers to justify every past decision often brings the action to a crawl.
Really, the only way the show could more blatantly thumb its nose at its detractors would be if it spent a few episodes with Jack doing everything by the book - and, after the president gets assassinated, Milwaukee gets nuked and California falls into the Pacific as a result, the vice-president begs Jack to start shooting people in the leg in order to fix all of this.
Originally posted by tornall863: And a dissenting opinion from Alan Sepinwall:
Sepinwall on TV: '24' season seven review by Alan Sepinwall/The Star-Ledger Friday January 09, 2009, 5:16 AM
...
The dismantling of CTU and shift from LA to Washington, turned out to be merely cosmetic changes, with the FBI office and its staff ... turning out to be just as full of moles, backstabbers and isolated rooms where the moles can kill anyone foolish enough to enter alone.
You know, I'm hopeful. We may have swapped out CTU for FBI, but if 24: Redemption was any indicator, these guys still have what it takes to pull the show off; one can only assume they learned their lesson from the terrible sixth season.
Bring it, baby!
Posts: 2444 | Location: MA | Registered: June 16, 2005
I have faith that Season 7 of 24 will be great. Season 6 was so low that there was no where to go but up from there. I'm glad to hear that these first 4 episodes are great and just like the critics, I hope 24 keeps up the quality. I feel like they will...I mean, they did scrap plenty of ideas and re-edited the scripts, that should prove they are actually insuring that they only deliver a quality season. Either way, I can't wait for some new 24! Sorry Golden Globes, you will be taped.
Sidenote: Did anyone see Mary Lynn Rajskub on The Tonight Show the other night? She is too funny and I can't wait to see some new Chloe (especially the so-called nerd tech-off b/w her and Janeane Garofalo, haha).
For Your Grammy Consideration: Kanye West for "Heartless" and 808's & Heartbreak Adele for "Hometown Glory" Taylor Swift for "You Belong With Me" & Fearless Maxwell for "Pretty Wings" & BLACKsummer'snight Kings of Leon for "Use Somebody" The Cast of GLEE for "Don't Stop Believin' " Mariah Carey for "Obsessed"
I see Bill Buchanan is back this season...I'm trying to remember...where did we leave off with Jayne Atkinson's character last season?
Grammy FYC: Kanye West, 808s & Heartbreak; Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.; John Legend, Evolver; Paolo Nutini, Sunny Side Up; David Guetta, One Love; Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"; Jordin Sparks, "Battlefield"; Kings Of Leon, "Use Somebody"; Maxwell, "Pretty Wings"
Ahhh...the good ol' days of 24. I really hope they can regain some of that magic this year. Really looking forward to what Cherry Jones brings to the table.
I won't go into ridiculous detail, but I was impressed by tonight's first two hours. Reinvigorated and refreshing throughout, and the new cast, especially Wersching, Jones, and Garafalo, were engaging to say the least. Even having Carlos Bernard, who's return I've been very worried about, did a good job. Can't wait to have Rajskub and Morrison back (and to see where they've wound up), and I'm pumped for the "first big twist of the season" tomorrow night. Assuming they can keep things up all season, it appears 24 is back, baby!
Grade for "8am-9am": A- Grade for "9am-10am": A-
Posts: 2444 | Location: MA | Registered: June 16, 2005
That was absolutely fantastic. The fight b/t Jack and Tony was one for the ages, and Kiefer was spot on when he was begging to know, "What happened to you?" Can't wait to find out the answer to that one.
A- for the first hour. Solid A for the second hour.
I'm so loving the pace and the new characters this season. It's been such a long wait but it is so worth it. I hope that fans give the slower pace a chance and aren't put off by it.
As for me - I couldn't have asked for a better premiere and I understand the next two hours will blow these two away. And that the post writer strike episodes take 24 to a whole new level. Can't wait to see what that means.
God I love me some Jack Bauer and 24 how I missed you. I'm so jazzed right now I can hardly stand waiting till tomorrow.
I watched episode 1 when it leaked on Saturday, but I waited to watch hour 2 tonight, so as not to completely ruin the premiere experience for myself.
I decided to do the same thing for tomorrow night and went ahead and watched hour 3. Waiting to watch hour 4 tomorrow night.
Uhm... HOLY FREAKING CRAP! Episode 3 might just be the best all around episode of 24 since the season 5 finale. It's that good. Big Twist indeed. It should silence all of the shows doubters.
