10:59:57 10:59:58 10:59:59 11:00:00

[coalescent]

If you watch 24, you know that foreknowledge is the kiss of death. That's why I seriously considered not writing anything - putting temptation in people's way is somewhat unkind. I've got to say something, though. Just please, for the love of god, don't read it unless you've already seen the episode.

(If you're not watching this show, then what's your excuse?)

Spoilers - episode-ruining spoilers - for 24 season two, episode fifteen follow. That's 10pm to 11pm.

I called it. I called it.

Not the detonation. But as soon as Jack told Kim about the bomb, way back in the early afternoon, I knew where I wanted the story to go: I wanted the news to get out. I wanted the bomb dealt with by midnight, and then I wanted the consequences of that in full-on technicolour. That's why they started the day at 8am, I argued; it's easier to film civil unrest at night.

And that's what we're going to get. Or at least, that's part of what we're going to get. The bomb has gone off. The president is flying to LA in an attempt to calm the populace.

Where the hell do things go from here?

If there's a worry, actually, that's it. The great, great strength of 24 is its focus. There's always one eye on the bigger picture; you never get lost, because the plot is always clearly directed. Now, however, there's a risk that things could become a little too diffuse. There's no clear bad guy right now, no clear objective to fulfill.

But so far this season, 24 has disappointed me exactly once, when it turned out that Jack hadn't had that kid killed. Of course I understand why the writers did it that way, but it was still irksome. That one instance aside, however, the show has been downright brutal with its plot development. So I don't care that Jack survived, and I don't care that the detonation was in the desert. The bomb went off.

This isn't a clean show. Things are complex, and ambiguous, and downright messy at times. And I can't help thinking that they're about to get a whole lot messier, and that it's going to be a whole lot of fun.

Comments

[greengolux.livejournal.com]

If there's a worry, actually, that's it. The great, great strength of 24 is its focus. There's always one eye on the bigger picture; you never get lost, because the plot is always clearly directed. Now, however, there's a risk that things could become a little too diffuse. There's no clear bad guy right now, no clear objective to fulfill.

That is a worry at this point, but I'd just like to point out that the same could have been said about a certain point in Season 1, and that turned out OK. In the first season there's a brief moment when the attempt on Palmer's life has been foiled, in which things start to seem like they're coming to a conclusion and it's not clear where they can take things next, since the immediate focus of the first however-many episodes has now been resolved. But things don't stop there, the camera pulls back, the scene widens, and there's more there to focus on.

I hope this is what they'll do now with Season 2. Some things in the 10.00pm - 11.00pm episode could have been setting up the next focus. But whatever happens, I'm hooked.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

brief moment when the attempt on Palmer's life has been foiled

I take your point - and I don't really think things are going to fall apart; they wouldn't set off the bomb if they didn't have bigger things planned for the finale - but this comparison doesn't really track, for a couple of reasons.

First up, the assassination attempt is the climax of the first eight hours for a reason: that's how far they plotted initially, because they didn't think they'd make a full season. After that, they were winging it.

Secondly, even in that instance, there were plot threads hanging. Gaines was still at large, and he had Kim and Teri captive. This time around, there really isn't anything obvious. Are there bad guys at large? Sayed Ali, Marie Warner, Lady McPalmer - they've all been dealt with.

And the temptation to write 'someone set us up the bomb' in that post was overwhelming. :)

[tizzle-b.livejournal.com]

Finally seen the episode after I should've seen it on Sunday night....

Firstly, it was always going to be Mason who ended up 'landing' the plane. Never any doubt from the minute they said they were going to fly it that it'd be him.

Also I never once expected the kid to have been shot. If they were going to have the kid shot it would've been full on - perhaps it'd be a bit much to show on TV but from the second that the chair was kicked over, he was going to be alive - as that's going to screw with Ali more.

But anyway, Mason's gone and he has been immense this season.

I'm not too sure how the rest of the season'll pan out but there's 9 hours left and it is going to be very interesting how this 'civil unrest' goes.

[mattia.livejournal.com]

Right, I've finally gotten around to watching this ep, and I don't care how old this entry is, I'm replying anyway. So HA.

First of all: How much does S2 kick ass? It kicks so much ass it's not even funny any more. I mean, my scepticism about this show having enough life for a second season has gone right out the window. Whammo.

As for calling it: to me, it was clear about 6-8 episodes ago that they were going to find the bomb and deal with it very soon. I was hoping to god that they would let the thing blow up (although in LA? That just was never going to happen), and they did it. They fucking did it. The balls. I'm curious about where they take it from here, but I gotta say, I'm intruged as hell.

For me, there are a couple of 'open' issues to be dealt with; I don't know that we can realistically deal with the backers within the next 8 hours we've got left, but we've got one rogue paramilitary fool on the loose, chaos in the streets, and god knows what kind of people who've been in on the whole deal. And since the series is rumored to have been picked up for a 3rd season, I'm guessing we may get some setup towards that. Also, Nina. They can whack her right back in jail for killing their suspect with a credit card, lame-ass deal or not. That, and several other crimes. Wonder if we'll even see her again.

Issues: Jack not killing the kid: I saw that coming. Miles off. It was that little bit too dark, and very brutal, even for Jack. What with his history. That he survived was a little bit of a dramatic dissapointment, but we've got Kim's (who, no doubt, won't find out about her dad's survival for aaaaages since she's a daft bint and stuck in the middle of nowhere. At least she's not getting kidnapped all the time.) emotional reaction to play with.

24's got balls; with S2 we've seen an increase in pacing, a tighter plot (S1 was..unbalanced, because of the 'we don't know if we're being picked up for a second season' thing), insane amounts of action and dollops of morally dubious choices and situations. It *rocks*

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

How much does S2 kick ass?

An improbably large amount, that's how much.

to me, it was clear about 6-8 episodes ago that they were going to find the bomb and deal with it very soon.

To me, it was clear that that was how it should go, but I wasn't entirely confident that they would do it rather than, say, adding a few more plot twists.

And since the series is rumored to have been picked up for a 3rd season

Seasons three through eight, I heard. Although that may just be Sutherland.

They fucking did it

They detonated a nuclear bomb! On US network TV!

I get a happy every time I say that. :-)

Re:

[mattia.livejournal.com]

They detonated a nuclear bomb! On US network TV!

I get a happy every time I say that. :-)

You realise that sounds just a little bit sick and wrong, right?

;o)

I share the feeling, though. 100%. They're writing it very well, pragmatically, I'd say. Ironically it's perhaps because of the non-PC atmosphere in the US at the moment that they can get away with writing a show as complex and hard-hitting as this.