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January 10, 2005
24: the cruel mistress returns +
Last night's double header premiere of 24 gives me hope for a strong season of surprises and unreasonably high body counts. Since the show is starting so late in the season, and they still have to fit in a full 24 episodes by mid-May, Fox aired 2 episodes last night and will again tonight, which is a great way to build momentum and get viewers caught up in the story. And it's an especially complex story this year: there are already 3 distinct (though likely related) terrorism story lines to keep track of, and after tonight's episodes, each one looks like it will have taken a few unexpected turns.
As usual, the main strength of the show is Kiefer. He's already unleashed his ferocious interrogation technique on one hapless Turkish guy who is now in possession of one pulverized kneecap, he's broken with protocol, defied the authoritarian new head of CTU who fired him (as we learn as part of the thankfully brief exposition), and has basically gotten right back into running the show in the renegade style we've come to love.
This season also seems to have little to none of the tedious family drama stuff that has been nothing but dead weight in earlier seasons. There will probably be some foolishness about Kiefer's secret relationship with the Secretary of Defense's daughter, but seeing as both the Secretary and the daughter have been kidnapped, and are about to be displayed in a hostage video as bound victims in their underwear surrounded by hooded terrorists holding swords, as we've all become accustomed to seeing on TV, that probably won't be for a while. Also interesting that each season Kiefer's various love interests spend a lot of the show about 2 seconds away from having their heads blown off.
Meanwhile, as part of the Araz terrorist family masquerading as regular Americans, gorgeous and talented actress Shohreh Aghdashloo is a great casting choice. You might have seen her give an amazing performance as the wife of Iranian ex-pat Ben Kingsley in House of Sand and Fog. Much like the Araz's teenage son in 24 being charged with delivering stolen materials to a secret military bunker, the son in House of Sand and Fog also ended up playing a larger role than he should have in that family's drama. I predict some tragedy will also befall the Araz family when their plan starts going wrong, probably involving the teenage son (who seems like he would rather be spending his weekends making out with his infidel girlfriend than helping his parents destroy the American empire.) The scene in which Terrorist Daddy reminds his son that they have spent four difficult years in America hatching their plan suggests that it will all come tumbling down and result in some or all of them getting killed. So Shohreh, if your terrorist plan goes all to hell, and your well-meaning husband tries to give you some toxic sleeping-pill tea, DON'T DRINK IT.
Be sure to tune in again tonight at 8 for two more episodes, in which I think we get to see the Secretary of Defense's pissant psuedo-pacifist patchouli-wad of a son scream in pain with what looks like one of those mind-control helmet things on his head. After all, torture of the innocent is what 24 is all about! -Amy
I can just see the infidel girlfriend's prissy friends being all, "I told you so!" when the hit squads come for her. Keep in mind this is the second ill-fated miscegenistic relationship we've seen in two seasons of 24...David Palmer's kissy relationship with the white lady last year caused ole DP some real trouble.
Another theme: strong fathers. Look at the similar ways in which the Secretary of Defense and Terror Dad (aka Poor Man's Miguel Ferrer) intimidate their sons and "earn" respect by yelling at them and slapping them. Ironically, those two would probably get along if they weren't busy destroying each other.
Maybe they should have a therapy session with Relationship Kiefer, who with all that mushy talk at the beginning of the episode is vastly more in touch with his feelings than Junkie Kiefer was in last year's premiere. Guess those 12-step programs really work! Hopefully Kiefer will stop worrying about his relationship and start worrying about shooting more unarmed terrorists. Did you notice how his relationship ruminations in the car led to his receiving a beat down from that now-dead "new Jack" guy from CTU? In the end it worked out for Kiefer, but he better get his head on straight. (Maybe now that that guy is dead, This Year's Black Guy will be able to take the reins...he seemed like he liked Kiefer more than dead guy did.)
Improvements: the President is a little bland, but an overall upgrade from the weak-spined Palmer, whose time had come. Plus, we have another awfully bold senior figure from the executive branch to rally behind: the Secretary of Defense whose wise cracks to the terrorists seem ill-conceived, given they have his daughter at gun point, but still: any time we get to see William Devane, who played JFK in a mini-series a long time ago, call Kiefer "Jaaack" just like RFK would've, you can't help but hope that Kiefer and Devane will deliver us to a new Camelot. -ADM
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