10:59:57 10:59:58 10:59:59 11:00:00
Mar. 6th, 2003 11:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coalescentIf 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.
(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.
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no subject
Date: 2003-03-11 04:02 pm (UTC)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. :)