Hello all of you 24 fanatics. Joel back again with a weekly review of 24: Live Another Day. I watched the premiere of 24:LAD last night between 8 and 10 and I can say, I was very pleased by what I saw. The hours were 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. I will discuss some points I noticed as well as potential spoilers for later in the season.
First, It was great seeing President Heller and Audrey back on the screen. You can see Audrey and tell she’s not the same person we saw in seasons 4 and 5 and more of a better person that we saw in season 6. She still seems kind of hesitant in her actions whereas in Seasons 4 and 5, she was very decisive. It will be interesting once the inevitable confrontation between Jack and Audrey. President Heller blamed Jack for Audrey’s catatonic state so I’m pretty sure It won’t be a pleasant meeting. We learned a bombshell that President Heller was coming down with Alzheimer’s disease which, unfortunately, I think was a foreshadowing of Heller’s untimely demise. During 24’s history, the one thing we’ve never had is the assassination of a sitting United States President. President Keeler ended up living during Season 4 and David Palmer was no longer President when he was killed in Season 5. I think Margot’s quest for revenge may end up in the death of President Heller, with the help of a few traitors of course.
I read an interview with Kiefer Sutherland where he hinted that there’s a multilayered conspiracy as far as traitors go. I predicted before the season started that Heller’s Chief of Staff, Mark Bourdreau seems a little off to be. He has the look of someone who isn’t who he says he is. It reminds me of Walt Cummings in Season 5. I’m sure he has good intentions for Audrey, but I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. Also when he told the other government employee that HE spent 3 years by Audrey’s side and that HE brought her back after her catatonic state. It came off as very condescending. Something just doesn’t feel right about it. Margot is going to need SOMEONE close to Heller to turn if she’s going to carry out her mission. I shudder to think of the alternative being Audrey but I wouldn’t rule it out.
Erik Ritter seems to be a cocky, amped up version of Chase Edmunds. He’s basically waiting to take Kate Morgan’s job when she clears out and he seems to be getting impatient. That could lead to conflict later on which could result in Ritter’s turn to the darkside after feeling disrespected by CIA Chief Steve Navarro.
Speaking of Steve Navarro.. I watched Benjamin Bratt for years on Law and Order. He’s a good actor and does well in his portrayal of a Bill Buchannan like leader. Will he make it til season’s end? No telling.. There’s bound to be some sort of tragedy. From what I’ve seen so far, he seems very straight forward and assertive.
Kate Morgan. She is by far my favorite new character thus far. It seems thus far that 24 is portaying Her as the CIA’s Jack Bauer and Giles Matthey appears to be their Chloe O Brian who breaks protocol to help Kate. Kate seems very instinctive and has Jack like tendencies such as overtaking the guard, locking herself in the room with Jack, and finding out Jack’s true intentions. I think she will play a pivotal role in aiding Jack later on in the season because I believe her and Giles are going to be the only ones who believe that Jack is there to stop an attack as in one of the sneak peek clips you can hear Giles ask Agent Navarro “Is it possible that Jack really is here to stop an attack?” So if this really is Kiefer’s swan song, they maybe setting up Kate to take the reigns if 24 extends beyond this season.
Then there’s Jack Bauer and Chloe O Brian. You could tell, like Kate said, it was a little too easy to capture Jack. He didn’t stay off the grid for 4 years by being careless. He wanted to get caught so he could get Chloe out of Special Activity’s division. Jack has been a fugitive for 4 years and he’s there to stop an attack on President Heller, despite their final confrontation in Season 6. I see him being in touch more with his human side this season but it was tough seeing Chloe tortured knowing everything she did for her country but it just shows you the dramatic effect 24 has. It was also revealed by Mary Lynn that Her and Adrian Cross maybe romantically involved which suggests Her and Morris are no longer together after the death of her son. Adrian rescued her when she was vulnerable so the 4 years since she helped Jack have been especially rough for Chloe. It will be interesting to see how the potential relationship between Adrian and Chloe expands as the season goes on. Seeing Mark Bourdreau suggest that Jack going on trial wouldn’t be best for the country is eerily reminiscent of Walt Cummings suggesting to President Logan that Bauer would sell out the government if he went on trial and to turn him over to the Chinese only this time Mark wants him turned over to the Russians for his actions at the end of Season 8. It will be interesting to see what role, if any, that the Russians will play as the season goes on.
Well that is my review for 24:Live Another Day Episodes 1 and 2. I am still holding out hope for the return of Tony Almeida. Especially if this is Jack’s final season. As I sign off I leave you with my favorite line from the 24 premiere.
“You know who I am. Trigger an alarm and I’ll blow your head off”
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E-Mail: joelwood25@gmail.com