I watch 24 in a way I don't watch other shows. I'm never going to think it's a great show so my expectations are simply that it be entertaining. For it to be entertaining, it needs to keep the show moving, limit filler, and avoid unbearable storylines. In that sense, season seven was an undeniable success in my eyes.
Most 24 seasons feel basically the same to me. So I'm curious at what makes the seasons that I didn't like (2 and 6; and to a lesser extent, season 3) different from the ones I did like (every other season). I think the answer lies in the show simply having as few clear space-filling plotlines as possible and when they do have a clear space-filling plotline, keep it short and entertaining. I hated season 2 because literally every Kim scene was completely pointless, which meant 24 episodes of clear space-filling plots. Season 3 was simply repetitive. I was bored of the show by the end. And Season 6 was terrible in every way as clearly all the writers just forgot how to make the show any good.
Season 7 doesn't fall trap to this. Sure, you have a few plots that clearly are there just to fill space, which is really all of the presidential stuff. More specifically though, I didn't really care if Henry Taylor found his son's killer. But it was short and entertaining at times. I didn't care about Olivia wanting John Hodges dead and later on, whether she was caught. Actually that kind of sucked, but it was still only a plot for about five episodes. (Sprague Grayden, who plays Olivia, is actually quite terrible in this season. I don't remember her being bad in Sons of Anarchy, but she is awful here. And I was kind of excited to see her in this!)
Now, this season is different because it actually analyzes Jack's actions and looks at torture. Now granted, the show ultimately ended up pro-torture most of the time, mostly because 24 is a television drama which presents hypothetical situations that don't happen in real life. And because everyone he tortures is definitely guilty and never gives him false info. (Last point on this: Torture is ineffective and obviously inhumane)
Anyway, Jack has never looked like more of an asshole than he does here and it actually seems like the writers did this on purpose. It actually gives weight to the things he's done, which the show usually brushes off as nothing. It culminates in the final scene where Jack confesses to Muhtadi Gohar about the things he has done. He knows he's not a good person. (which he isn't - I'm sorry you can't be a good person with the things he's done, for the good of the country or not)
Interestingly enough, the mirror of Jack is Tony Almeida, whose motives are more bent on revenge than Jack, but ultimately similar. He goes undercover to kill the man responsible for killing Michelle and many more people for years. He does despicable things. He does it for revenge. But in his mind he had rationalized it as things he needed to do for justice. How does that sound different than Jack? Jack is just on the edge of being a bad guy, something Tony has crossed, but it's really easy to imagine Jack following him sometime.
Lastly, his protege of sorts, Renee Walker - previously a cop who followed the rules - ends up following in his footsteps. Obviously, she didn't completely fall victim to Jack Bauer, but she did need a push. She was willing to get his advice even though that probably was a bad idea (you know in real world logic, not Jack Bauer is a superhero 24 logic). By the end of the season, 24 ended on a surprisingly dour note as she clearly intends to torture Will Patton's character. (He doesn't get much screentime, but he's so effectively smarmy that you it's hard to blame her)
Then there's Senator Blaine Mayer, played by the awesome Kurtwood Smith. Initially presented as a person just out to get Bauer, he turns out to be extremely sincere in his intentions. He and Bauer reach an argument to do this right and... he gets killed. That was one of the darkest moments of the show. In hindsight, I should have expected it because Bauer going through files and legally catching the bad guys just isn't that interesting. (It could be in theory in the right hands, but the writers definitely aren't good enough for that to work at all). However, it surprised the hell out of me and devastated me.
So while this season went through the usual beats (nothing really original was written except for the torture conversation), the Jack Bauer and Tony stories REALLY worked. The presidential stuff didn't at all. President Allison Taylor basically exists to be dumbfounded and to get expositional info thrown at her (and the audience). But I have a higher tolerance for this when it is new characters. Season 8 could be rough. As awesome as President Palmer was, I was bored by his predictable character by Season 3. Allison Taylor isn't really a character yet, much as Cherry Jones tries. (She's like a less interesting President Palmer who doesn't know anything)
Other Notes
- I think this is Kiefer Sutherland's most impressive season, acting-wise. His scene at the end of the season in the hospital when he breaks down crying saying "You don't the things that I've done" is extremely impressive acting.
- How could I forget Bill Buchanan, who has an appropriately patriotic death, and never did sacrifice his values, refusing to torture someone when Jack wanted him to do it
Grade - B+
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