PrintAugust 21, 2007
What is going on with "24?" (major update)
Readers of American Thinker probably know of the great affection many of the writers and editors have for the TV show "24." It's plot lines and slam bang action sequences have rivited many of us for years while we cheer on the hero of the show, Jack Bauer.
Alas, it seems that changing times along with age have caught up with the Fox TV drama. Faced with dismal ratings last season, creator Joel Surnow, a self described "right wing nut," has twice revamped this year's series which has delayed shooting until September 10. They have also added a female President to the cast. And just a few months ago, the show announced that it was "going green" by attempting to have a "carbon neutral" footprint on the environment.
That might bode evil enough for the future. But in a shocking move, the show's producers have cast Janeane Garofalo, liberal activist and former talk show host for Air America, as a government investigator for the upcoming series:
Alas, it seems that changing times along with age have caught up with the Fox TV drama. Faced with dismal ratings last season, creator Joel Surnow, a self described "right wing nut," has twice revamped this year's series which has delayed shooting until September 10. They have also added a female President to the cast. And just a few months ago, the show announced that it was "going green" by attempting to have a "carbon neutral" footprint on the environment.
That might bode evil enough for the future. But in a shocking move, the show's producers have cast Janeane Garofalo, liberal activist and former talk show host for Air America, as a government investigator for the upcoming series:
Garofalo will play a government agent who is part of the team investigating the crisis befalling Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and company in the upcoming season.
The casting will be good news for former President Clinton, who revealed earlier this year that he was a fan of the show "even though an uber right-wing guy writes it."
Garofalo is the second major cast addition to the action drama, which is going through a major revamping coming off a lackluster sixth season. Cherry Jones was tapped last month to play the new president.
Details of this year's plot, as always, are nearly impossible to come by. The show's manic desire for secrecy matches that of the CIA at times. Rumors have Jack leaving Los Angeles for the first time, on the run from the government for some unknown reason. Take that with a grain of salt because chances are, the rumor is wrong.
Clearly, the show must do better this year. Series star Keifer Sutherland is in the last year of his contract and may be tiring of the Jack Bauer character who seems to have descended into a personal hell because of his lack of personal attachments and his relentless pursuit of terrorists. The plot lines involving the imminent destruction of the United States have pretty much been used up what with the nation being threatened by nukes, bio terror, chemcial weapons, and nuclear plant meltdowns.
Look for the show to be more of a personal drama involving Jack Bauer and his friends at CTU. And don't be surprised to see Jack himself suffer the fate of almost all the original cast members as the producers kill the show by killing Bauer.
Update: John B. Dwyer writes:
Many of you know that Rick Moran has a long-running plot summary/comment section on 24 at his Rightwingnuthouse blog. Along with numerous faithful viewers, he bemoaned the writing that sometimes left so much to be desired, though he thought that the show was regaining its proper spirit in the final episodes last season. Rick titled his summary of that final episode "The Road To Nowhere," noting in it that the writers had explored about every possible plot direction, stating that "about the only place they haven't gone is inside Jack Bauer."
It now appears that the road 24 will take for season 7 will be paved with a re-cycled rubber/polymer combo (yep, such stuff does exist) and will lead to the show's demise.
Saying that the show is going green is rather an understatement. A recent TV Guide article described how bio-diesel fuels will be used for generators & production vehicles, that the production fleet will use hybrid vehicles, that Kiefer Sutherland & other cast members will tape "green" PSAs & that global warming & related issues will be written into story lines when appropriate. Why don't they just kill off Jack first episode and bring on Algore as the new lead character - the Green Avenger?
And then of course we have openly lesbian actress Cherry Jones as the new president and commander-in-chief. Will she be keeping Jack's onions in a lock-box?
No doubt casting anti-war/Bush activist Janeane Garofalo as an agent "investigating the crisis befalling Jack Bauer & Co." will help add to the show's closeted left-liberal audience. We now know what that crisis might involve - trying to track down bad guys riding bicycles while the solar battery on your cell phone dies. And if Jack, or Algore, do manage to confront the bad guys, it'll be real vs. bio-degradable, enviro-friendly bullets.
The final episode last season left Jack Bauer at the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Knowing something of what's ahead for the upcoming season, maybe he ought to just jump.
