Sunday, January 14, 2007
"I don't know how to do this anymore." 6am-8am
And THAT, my friends, is how you premiere a new season. God how I've missed the nail-biting and cringing. How I've missed that damn CTU ringtone. My daughter was making fun of me quite a bit so I'm glad I could amuse her with my shouts of abuse and exasperation as YET AGAIN no one trusts Jack. What does the man have to freaking do to get some trust around here? Sheesh!
Anyway, my heart's still pounding. I guess we all asked the question during this journey with Jack - Just how much can one man take. I think this year we're about to find out.
So here we go with the first hour:
There was a lot to take in relatively quickly of course so here's what we find out right away: For the past 11 weeks there have been terrorist attacks on US soil. Wayne Palmer is now the President (What? This isn't a monarchy! Says my sister when she found that out.) Milo is back and seems to be somewhat of an asshole which is a shame. Wonder what happaned to his earrings. Morris is now working at CTU (Chloe's ex-hubby, now they're back together and he seems to be quite randy which I think is nice.)
Wayne and Karen were actually in the Oval Office in DC. Multiple locations this year. Woot :)
Buchanan and Curtis are at an airport in L.A. because Wayne negotiated with the Chinese for Jack's return. The person they believe is responsible for these attacks is a man named Assad. The only way they can take out Assad is by working with another man named Fayed who contacted them and told them he would give them Assad's location in exchange for Jack.
Back in 1999, Jack captured and tortured this guy Fayed's brother. He was killed by Jack and now Fayed wants some payback.
And so Jack is led off the plane. He looks shaky, almost scared. Hand is scarred. Beardy Jack is just... wrong. We learn now that Jack never broke his silence in China. In fact, Jack hasn't spoken a single word in two years. His first word in the hangar: "Audrey?" then, "My daughter?" - Bill tells him they don't know he's out. Jack asks Bill to keep it that way. He is then filled in on the details. He is then told that he's being asked to sacrifice himself. Jack takes the news stoically. he's then led to an area to change his clothes and it's here that we see the extent of the damage done to Jack in the 20 months he's been imprisoned. There are scars all over his body. Whip marks. Knife scars (Did anyone else notice the absence of Kiefer's arm tats here?) and his poor hand... it looks like it's been stuck in a vat of acid. *shudder*
After Jack cleans himself up, he's taken to drop point immediately. As Bill cuffs him to a grate to wait for Fayed, they have a small amount of time for a sort of heart to heart. Bill obviously feels awful about what Jack is being asked to do. Jack tells Bill that the only thing that kept him alive in China is he didn't want to die for nothing. Jack says that by doing this - going along with the exchange, he can die for something, "My way."
Back in DC, the first snivelly dude of the season is Tom, Palmer's Security advisor maybe? Don't like him. He's too gung ho and tries to second guess the President on setting up detention facilities in several major cities. Palmer did not give the OK for that.
In another part of L.A., tensions are running high because of the attacks and a family watches as a muslim man is arrested by the FBI - the Muslim guy's son, Ahmed, was left behind and nearly beaten by ignorant neighbour. But another neighbour goes over after his son, Scott, sort of shames him into it. He stops the fight and invites Ahmed to his home for safety. Apparently this was a bad idea.
Ahmed is actually working with Fayed who is the Actual Mastermind behind attacks. But Fayed just wanted to get to Jack and torture the poor boy. While Fayed is ramming things into Jack, he tells him (like every stupid evil guy who ever existed) that he's the Big Bad (Sorry, Buffy fan here), not the Assad guy the government is after.
Assad was actually trying to stop Fayed. So when Fayed calls CTU to give them the location of Assad, Jack overhears and memorizes the location. Then the Ahmed kid calls Fayed to tell him that FBI took his daddy away. While he's taking the call out of the room, Jack vampires the lackey (Anyone else flashback to Lost Boys? Just me then?) guarding him and got away. Yay!!!
And so we end with Jack hiding in a drain-type area while Fayed discovers the escape and heads off int he wrong direction. This is after we learn that the Ahmed kid is supposed to deliver a package to him. Back at CTU, Chloe cries in Morris' arms because she thinks Jack is dead.
Tick boom baby. The hour went so quickly! I, for one, was just shocked at Jack's condition. Amazed but not surprised that he never cracked, but surely he can't be far off from the edge now. We start to see some cracks in the next hour...
7am-8am:
So Jack escaped, found the nearest pimpmobile and contacted CTU with the info about Fayed. They didn't believe him. of course they didn't believe him. Why should they trust the word of the man who sacrificed himself WITHOUT QUESTION after enduring 20 months of abuse and torture at the hands of the Chinese. He was put through to Wayne who also decided not to trust Jack's advice under pressure from Karen and weaselboy NSA guy, Tom. He refuses to stop the airstrike against Assad.
Jack, exasperated, puts in the memorized coordinates and gets to the safehouse first and convinces Assad, in that special way has of convincing people, to get the hell out of dodge. He and Assad escape with the mole who betrayed Assad just before the safehouse is blown up.
They break into a house to hide from the agents looking for Assad (after they realized he wasn't all blown up.) Jack and Assad believe that the mole has info on how to locate Assad so Jack tries to torture the lackey. He stabs him in the shoulder area and stares hard into the man's eyes. He demands to know where Fayed is. He thinks the lackey has told them everything and stops. "I can see it in his eyes."
But Assad grabs a knife, jams it into the guys' knee and gets more info. Jack is visibly shaken. He's gun shy. He's endured so much. Assad kills Lackey and tells Jack they need to get going. Jack says in an unsteady voice, "I don't know how to do this anymore." Assad says "You'll remember." Jack looks like he doesn't want to remember.
I think Jack's going to have a death wish this season. We may have crossed Jack's breaking point. Maybe. Jury's still out.
A new face appears - Sandra Palmer - Wayne's sis. Laywer for Islamic Alliance thingie. FBI keeps trying to gain access to their personnel records, but she fights it. They come back with a warrant and she deletes their files. FBI arrests her and her bf, the head of the alliance. I'm not sure where this plot is going but it will be interesting to watch I think. Maybe it was more to demonstrate the further loss of our rights because of fear and that's all the further it goes. We'll see.
Meanwhile, Ahmed returns to his home to retrieve Fayed's package. As he's getting it, ignorant neighbour comes over to beat him up. Ahmed shoots him. Neighbour's son, Scott comes to help him with the ignorant, now dead, neighbour and finds the body. Ahmed tells Scott not to call 911. We leave this storyline for tonight to catch up with Jack and Assad.
They are scoping out the location given to them by the lackey. Assad soon spots a suicide bomber and his handler making their way onto the subway. They follow. Assad is all for following the handler back to Fayed but of course Jack cannot allow the bomber to carry out his attack. So Assad and Jack split up - Jack follows the bomber, Assad follows the handler.
They board the train and Jack slowly makes his way toward the bomber. He tries to remain casual but is stopped by a ticket taker (They scan tickets on the subway? All I could think of was the, "No ticket" scene from Indiana Jones.) He tells the ticket guy what's going on and asks him to please act normal.
Of course, he doesn't and gives the game away by being all twitchy. Before the bomber can press the detonator button, Jack attacks. They fight, passengers scream, and just before the guy can press the button, Jack does a nifty jump-up-grab-a-bar-and-kicks the bomber out the back door. The bomb goes off but the train is left in tact and Jack... Jack saves lives again.
We leave tonight's premiere with the very lovely "I told you so" moment when a call is intercepted from the bomber's handler to Fayed and everyone from Palmer down to CTU discovers that Jack was frikkin right all along. I might have actually yelled, 'Ha!' at the TV.
And so I will go to bed in a little while. I need to wait for the adrenaline rush to die down a bit. Way to go guys, this season is off to a brilliant start. What'd you guys think?
Anyway, my heart's still pounding. I guess we all asked the question during this journey with Jack - Just how much can one man take. I think this year we're about to find out.
So here we go with the first hour:
There was a lot to take in relatively quickly of course so here's what we find out right away: For the past 11 weeks there have been terrorist attacks on US soil. Wayne Palmer is now the President (What? This isn't a monarchy! Says my sister when she found that out.) Milo is back and seems to be somewhat of an asshole which is a shame. Wonder what happaned to his earrings. Morris is now working at CTU (Chloe's ex-hubby, now they're back together and he seems to be quite randy which I think is nice.)
Wayne and Karen were actually in the Oval Office in DC. Multiple locations this year. Woot :)
Buchanan and Curtis are at an airport in L.A. because Wayne negotiated with the Chinese for Jack's return. The person they believe is responsible for these attacks is a man named Assad. The only way they can take out Assad is by working with another man named Fayed who contacted them and told them he would give them Assad's location in exchange for Jack.
Back in 1999, Jack captured and tortured this guy Fayed's brother. He was killed by Jack and now Fayed wants some payback.
And so Jack is led off the plane. He looks shaky, almost scared. Hand is scarred. Beardy Jack is just... wrong. We learn now that Jack never broke his silence in China. In fact, Jack hasn't spoken a single word in two years. His first word in the hangar: "Audrey?" then, "My daughter?" - Bill tells him they don't know he's out. Jack asks Bill to keep it that way. He is then filled in on the details. He is then told that he's being asked to sacrifice himself. Jack takes the news stoically. he's then led to an area to change his clothes and it's here that we see the extent of the damage done to Jack in the 20 months he's been imprisoned. There are scars all over his body. Whip marks. Knife scars (Did anyone else notice the absence of Kiefer's arm tats here?) and his poor hand... it looks like it's been stuck in a vat of acid. *shudder*
After Jack cleans himself up, he's taken to drop point immediately. As Bill cuffs him to a grate to wait for Fayed, they have a small amount of time for a sort of heart to heart. Bill obviously feels awful about what Jack is being asked to do. Jack tells Bill that the only thing that kept him alive in China is he didn't want to die for nothing. Jack says that by doing this - going along with the exchange, he can die for something, "My way."
Back in DC, the first snivelly dude of the season is Tom, Palmer's Security advisor maybe? Don't like him. He's too gung ho and tries to second guess the President on setting up detention facilities in several major cities. Palmer did not give the OK for that.
In another part of L.A., tensions are running high because of the attacks and a family watches as a muslim man is arrested by the FBI - the Muslim guy's son, Ahmed, was left behind and nearly beaten by ignorant neighbour. But another neighbour goes over after his son, Scott, sort of shames him into it. He stops the fight and invites Ahmed to his home for safety. Apparently this was a bad idea.
Ahmed is actually working with Fayed who is the Actual Mastermind behind attacks. But Fayed just wanted to get to Jack and torture the poor boy. While Fayed is ramming things into Jack, he tells him (like every stupid evil guy who ever existed) that he's the Big Bad (Sorry, Buffy fan here), not the Assad guy the government is after.
Assad was actually trying to stop Fayed. So when Fayed calls CTU to give them the location of Assad, Jack overhears and memorizes the location. Then the Ahmed kid calls Fayed to tell him that FBI took his daddy away. While he's taking the call out of the room, Jack vampires the lackey (Anyone else flashback to Lost Boys? Just me then?) guarding him and got away. Yay!!!
And so we end with Jack hiding in a drain-type area while Fayed discovers the escape and heads off int he wrong direction. This is after we learn that the Ahmed kid is supposed to deliver a package to him. Back at CTU, Chloe cries in Morris' arms because she thinks Jack is dead.
Tick boom baby. The hour went so quickly! I, for one, was just shocked at Jack's condition. Amazed but not surprised that he never cracked, but surely he can't be far off from the edge now. We start to see some cracks in the next hour...
7am-8am:
So Jack escaped, found the nearest pimpmobile and contacted CTU with the info about Fayed. They didn't believe him. of course they didn't believe him. Why should they trust the word of the man who sacrificed himself WITHOUT QUESTION after enduring 20 months of abuse and torture at the hands of the Chinese. He was put through to Wayne who also decided not to trust Jack's advice under pressure from Karen and weaselboy NSA guy, Tom. He refuses to stop the airstrike against Assad.
Jack, exasperated, puts in the memorized coordinates and gets to the safehouse first and convinces Assad, in that special way has of convincing people, to get the hell out of dodge. He and Assad escape with the mole who betrayed Assad just before the safehouse is blown up.
They break into a house to hide from the agents looking for Assad (after they realized he wasn't all blown up.) Jack and Assad believe that the mole has info on how to locate Assad so Jack tries to torture the lackey. He stabs him in the shoulder area and stares hard into the man's eyes. He demands to know where Fayed is. He thinks the lackey has told them everything and stops. "I can see it in his eyes."
But Assad grabs a knife, jams it into the guys' knee and gets more info. Jack is visibly shaken. He's gun shy. He's endured so much. Assad kills Lackey and tells Jack they need to get going. Jack says in an unsteady voice, "I don't know how to do this anymore." Assad says "You'll remember." Jack looks like he doesn't want to remember.
I think Jack's going to have a death wish this season. We may have crossed Jack's breaking point. Maybe. Jury's still out.
A new face appears - Sandra Palmer - Wayne's sis. Laywer for Islamic Alliance thingie. FBI keeps trying to gain access to their personnel records, but she fights it. They come back with a warrant and she deletes their files. FBI arrests her and her bf, the head of the alliance. I'm not sure where this plot is going but it will be interesting to watch I think. Maybe it was more to demonstrate the further loss of our rights because of fear and that's all the further it goes. We'll see.
Meanwhile, Ahmed returns to his home to retrieve Fayed's package. As he's getting it, ignorant neighbour comes over to beat him up. Ahmed shoots him. Neighbour's son, Scott comes to help him with the ignorant, now dead, neighbour and finds the body. Ahmed tells Scott not to call 911. We leave this storyline for tonight to catch up with Jack and Assad.
They are scoping out the location given to them by the lackey. Assad soon spots a suicide bomber and his handler making their way onto the subway. They follow. Assad is all for following the handler back to Fayed but of course Jack cannot allow the bomber to carry out his attack. So Assad and Jack split up - Jack follows the bomber, Assad follows the handler.
They board the train and Jack slowly makes his way toward the bomber. He tries to remain casual but is stopped by a ticket taker (They scan tickets on the subway? All I could think of was the, "No ticket" scene from Indiana Jones.) He tells the ticket guy what's going on and asks him to please act normal.
Of course, he doesn't and gives the game away by being all twitchy. Before the bomber can press the detonator button, Jack attacks. They fight, passengers scream, and just before the guy can press the button, Jack does a nifty jump-up-grab-a-bar-and-kicks the bomber out the back door. The bomb goes off but the train is left in tact and Jack... Jack saves lives again.
We leave tonight's premiere with the very lovely "I told you so" moment when a call is intercepted from the bomber's handler to Fayed and everyone from Palmer down to CTU discovers that Jack was frikkin right all along. I might have actually yelled, 'Ha!' at the TV.
And so I will go to bed in a little while. I need to wait for the adrenaline rush to die down a bit. Way to go guys, this season is off to a brilliant start. What'd you guys think?
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5 Comments:
It's been a long time but when "24" pt.1 was over I came here first!! Beautiful recap Melia and I too am actually toying with the fact that Jack might have lost his nuts to the Chinese...okay I am over that. Some surprises that left me with my mouth open:
1.LOVE CHLOE'S HAIR!! LOVE CHLOE PULLING THE OLD "WANNA GO THERE??" with what's her name, Nadia? (who kind makes me think she's trying to look like Vanessa Marcil)
2.Bill and Karen???? what the ....??? When did this happen?
3.Jack looked like he was locked in a Chinese prison for 20 months...don't cha think?
4.When he bit the chunk out of that guy's neck...OMG I was like WHOO HOO!! Git-R-Done JB ha ha!
There was a lot of hype with this season's premiere and I really think it delivered! I'm sooooo lovin' me some JACK!
Keep the recaps and your opinions coming, they are great! Eva
OMG, I missed your recaps...
Vampire Jack made me laugh, what was wrong. This scene was hilarious for me. It shouldn't be, but I like this episode anyway, especially thanks to Jack/Kiefer.
Second ep was better.
And I didn't read spoilers on IMDb, but, like Chris, watched leaked DVD-rips. I live in a country, where you have to think a little to watch "24". We don't have FOX...
So I've seen already ep 3 and 4. :> Won't say a word, I promise! >
Do you know if they will show episode 1 and 2 again in its entirety later this week on Fox. I live in the Boston area and the Damn Patriots/chargers game didn't end until about 8:30. I was so freaken torn apart...I didn't know whether to turn over 24 or stay with the pats - who ultimately one 24 to 21! Go Pats! I agree with all Episode 1 and 2 were amazing - its great to have JB back!
I love your summaries - they are very funny.
Couple of complaints on the show - first the show is becoming more and more gross with all the torture. Killing someone with your teeth? Who is ever going to kiss Jack again? Could you?
Second is how implausible the show is right off the bat. It usually becomes unrealistic by Hour 8 or so. For example, negotiating with an unknown terrorist; bombing the house rather than storming the house (his is LA, not Iraq); not believing Jack after he saved the world like three or four times already.
Too many cliches already - self doubting President (why can't we have a sex crazed one like Clinton where he is hitting on an intern while a missle hits the White House); weasle advisor to the President; bad guy tells good the truth just before good guy escapes and of couse good guy will ultimately kill bad guy in Hour 24; whining relative in the middle of a crisis - last season it was the President's wife, now the sister. Why can't they just use the line that I use with my wife, "Honey, sorry but I got to go - it's a very bad day, I have to work overtime and I'll see late tonight."
Ah, how great it is to have Bauer Hour back.
Hmm, where to start. Well, to be honest, I wasn't all that impressed by the first episode. They jumped into things a little quick for my liking this season. And also as Brendan said, there really are a surplus of plot imperfections right off the bat. Jack's super-healing abilities are beginning to give me some doubts.
But... enough bashing. I've been behind Jack from the beginning and I know better than to question him. I think there is plenty of potential for this season and I'm getting the feeling that tonight is gonna be hella awesome.
Love the summaries and opinions. Keep 'em coming :)
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