Me Geek, You Geek

I can't help but admit that I have been completely underwhelmed by the last three weeks of this seasons "24".  Which doesn't seem right to me given what is at stake this season and the high level of drama that is ensuing.  I thought others may be having this same feeling so I wanted to post.

The title of this post implies I want less kissing.  Not in my life mind you, but in the show.  A show called 24, that is based on the concept of all the events of the entire season taking place within a 24 hour period and a show that is dealing with a lot of nukes, terrorists, killings and torture, should not have passionate kissing in it.  It seems each season I think this, and now as we are in the sixth season, it is driving me nuts.

The most recent episode of 24 (on March 26th) had Milo and Nadia kissing in the halls of CTU.  Now are you telling me that in a life and death situation, when our nation is under attack with 3 nukes and who knows what else, that the federal government officials looking to keep us safe have time to stop and kiss?  They have time, or even thoughts, about their personal lives, about how much they love someone so much suddenly?  It all just seems so anti climactic and honestly, unbelievable.

I know, I know, we are dealing with a show that has nukes going off in the west, Presidents being assassinated, nukes being smuggled in, and just one guy stopping it.  Believability needs to be suspended in order to enjoy (or create) this kind of show.  But bear with me.

It also seems like there has been less Jack these last couple of weeks.  The action has been decreased, or maybe the action is just really predictable.  But for two weeks now the cliffhanger has had to do with the VP.  The VP!  Not Jack being shot, not Jack being captured, not someone being killed, not a nuke going off, but the VP and some lame ass filler of a plot about the VP trying to take over for the POTUS.  We know this won't happen (especially with Palmer's miraculous recovery...one minute he is coding and the next minute he is sitting up and looks all pretty?) so it's just a waste.  Give us more of Jack.  Give us more action.  That's why we watch the show, that's why we buy the DVD's, that's why I am geeky enough to buy a "Jack for President" shirt.  We want action, torture, and stuff blowing up.  Not political drama, especially not drama that seems to poke at current real life situations (a whole other post subject).

So I sat there and thought about why this seems to be less dramatic to me.  And I came to a conclusion.

The writers set the bar so high, they made us so smart as consumers of the show, that it's almost impossible for them to outdo themselves.  This is the sixth time we are lead to think that Jack is in danger.  The sixth time thinking our country is going to blow up.  The sixth time (hell it seems like the 15th time) thinking there is a mole in CTU.  The show has just been too good for too long.  I mean, what else can they do?  Now grant it, having David Palmer assassinated last year, having Jack being taken by the Chinese, all cool, all unexpected.  But this year....I think they are running out of ideas, and I don't fault them.  They have had the best who in TV for five years now.

But let me be critical of myself for a moment.  I mean, listen to me.  I am complaining after three dull weeks.  But already this season there has been a nuke going off in the States, a major character killed off by Jack (Curtis), three nukes in terrorists hands and a presidential assassination attempt and I am still getting bored. 

I tell ya, they are making us too smart of an audience and we are becoming numb to the suspense.  They need to up the ante.

And I won't even begin to talk about "Silver Spoons" Dolan.  Ouch.  The show already has the best gruff, bend the rules, break a suspect's arm, kick ass agent in the biz.  We don't need another one.  And please tell me that Dolan isn't being set up as Jack's replacement....

So here's to next week. Here's to more torture, more death and more stuff blowing up.  Man I hope my mom doesn't read this...

Labels: 24, TV

Posted by Jon on Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at 9:55 AM | Permalink