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+
Showing posts with label Carlos Bernard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carlos Bernard. Show all posts
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Rewind: 24 S5
A typical response to a complaint about any TV show is that "you're looking too much into this. Just sit back and enjoy it." Usually, I think that's a bunch of bullshit. That's usually code for "I have no actual legitimate counterpoint to your complaints, but I like this show so you should too." If you thinking about a show destroys that show, the show probably isn't that good.
On the other hand, that's absolutely the case with 24. Thinking about the show doesn't destroy the show, but it makes it less fun. 24 has really one purpose: pack as much action and edge-of-your seat moments as possible into 24 hours of television. The trick is to somehow manage that while creating a competent story that doesn't fall apart, making sure there are characters you would hate to see die, and making sure the "personal" moments don't feel cheap.
The fifth season has two things that the rest of the seasons I've seen don't have: a story that is mostly plausible within the confines of what 24 has defined as plausible every step of the way and zero awful plotlines. Somehow, none of the episodes feel like stalling for time. And there's definitely no "Kim getting attacked by a cougar" in this season.
This season has probably the best acting of any season. 24 has never been a show with particularly great acting. That changes this season. The standout of the season is Gregory Itzin, playing Charles Logan. I'm not sure anybody else could play a president who could seem so much like a weasel one minute and terrifying the next. He also plays desperate beggar so well it's almost painful to watch.
Kim Raver is also terrific as Audrey Raines. If I'm being honest, Mary Lynn Rajskub has never impressed me as an actress even if I like her character, but she definitely nails the scene where she watches Edgar Stiles die. Similarly, Louis Lombardo makes us care about a character who is basically just exposition throughout his screentime.
The fifth season could also be called: "Who's guest starring in this episode?" Because seemingly all the supporting characters get played by either good or recognizable actors. Sean Astin, Peter Weller, Connie Britton (who is severely underused), Kate Mara, C. Thomas Howell (Ponyboy), Henry Ian Cusick (AKA Desmond from Lost), Ray Wise (whose name might not ring a bell, but the guy is in everything), and Mark Sheppard. Good guest stars help elevate the writing, which is somewhat necessary in a show like 24 which is not too great at developing characters.
If there's one glaring thing that left me with a bad taste, it's that early Charles Logan and later Charles Logan don't quite make logical sense. I can't think of a conceivable reason that Logan and Cummings aren't both in on the plan. Logan's shock at Cummings' plans - and if I re-watched maybe Mike Novick was in the room whenever this was happening - doesn't make sense to me. Why doesn't Cummings know Logan's in on the plan? Either way, it's a small thing and it doesn't really matter to me anyway since I was already spoiled on Logan being a traitor.
Every list that I've search has the fifth season as the greatest season of 24. To be honest, not all that much is different from other seasons. It still relies on some of the same narrative tricks (detrimental family member leading to downfall, villain somehow escapes to further the plot of the show TWICE, etc.) and it's attempts at making us care about the characters' personal lives remain futile. The personal lives almost completely depend upon the actor so thank god that Itzin and Jean Smart are so good in their roles or the presidential marriage would have been a drag.
But this just goes to show what tight plotting, good acting, and constant action can do for a season. There's no repetitive storyline, no plot point seems irrelevant or annoying, and each episode seems important. Also, the show was willing to kill off major characters. They've killed off President Palmer, Michelle Dressler, Edgar Stiles, and Tony Almeida but not really. (I'm already spoiled that he comes back.) So I have to agree with every list on the internet that the fifth season is the best.
Grade - A
Playlist
1. "Sober" - Childish Gambino
2. "10538 Overture" - Electric Light Orchestra
3. "Autumn Sweater" - Yo La Tengo
4. "Feel Right" - Mark Ronson feat. Mystikal
5. "Green Fields" - The Brothers Four
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Rewind: 24 S3
The third season of 24 is remarkably methodical. There's not really much spectacular about it, but there's also not really anything terrible about it. They have interesting storylines that tended to go a few episodes too long, but there's not any easily identifiable plot holes or stinkers. There was exactly one episode that ratcheted the tension enough to make my skin crawl, but the rest was mildly enjoyable television.
If it sounds like I'm complaining about this season, I'm not. Generally speaking, I'm the type of viewer who would tend to HATE 24 if I find a certain plot point implausible or repetitive - usually because that means it would go on for at least a few episodes. So if a season of 24 can make me feel ambivalent - not loving a season, but not really finding anything wrong with it - it's not the worst thing.
That said, I wasn't that invested in many of the storylines. The majority of the president's actions had a "been there, done that" feel. The debate setting for a second election was a smart choice although that ended after just five episodes. It was interesting to see President Palmer forced to acquiesce to a terrorist's demands. Sherry Palmer was a breath of a fresh air when she first appeared. (At which point she become quickly annoying) And... that's about it. Anything involving Anne was a drag because I did not care about Anne, and it was even worse that they broke up out of nowhere after all that trouble. I don't really have any strong feelings one way or the other about Wayne Palmer, except I guess at least his character is consistent.
I will say this: the threat is solid. The Salazars as villains are exactly like this season - serviceable, but nothing special. However a deadly virus that can theoretically kill nearly everyone? Yeah that's terrifying. I can't remember which specific episodes it is, but one of the episodes where Michelle is trying to contain the virus in the hotel is by far the best episode of this season. (For what it's worth, my best guess is the 17th episode)
And while Stephen Saunders is ok, making the president do orders against his will is extremely effective. Saunders' death was stupid, although at least foreshadowed. It certainly gave the sense that 24 episodes is far too many for a show like this. And Michelle not dying from the disease is kind of a cop-out, but at least understandable given that the writers are clearly not afraid of killing off major characters.
Speaking of which, the death of Ryan Chappelle is pretty astounding. It's not so much that he died but how he died. I think his actions from finding out about his death to the death were extremely well-written (although make note that I have zero idea how someone facing imminent death would react). Jack killing Nina was awesome - and I believe him killing her came at a detriment to the country if I remember correctly. Gael's death was also surprisingly touching considering half the episodes he was in, he was supposed to be a traitor.
The fact that the traitorous actions of Jack Bauer and Gael were all planned from the get-go is somewhat implausible, although it certainly does a lot to justify some rather outlandish actions and their potential consequences. Also, the threat certainly warrants their secretive behavior. I was all set to put Gael being a traitor as a negative, if only because he extremely conveniently happens to have an office completely separated from everyone else. (Unfortunately, I am not a big fan of the traitors in CTU which I'm pretty sure happens frequently enough that I will definitely have a problem with it in the future)
I have forgotten to talk about two major characters at all, which is Chase and Kim. Chase is another character that's simply ok. I didn't hate him. I'm not to sorry to find out he won't be returning for another season though. The romance between him and Kim took up far too much time - it really doesn't help that I knew neither character would return in the 4th season. One positive thing about that relationship is Jacks' reaction to it - hilarious and eventually touching. (And Jack's willingness to pull the trigger on Chase was not surprising, but still effective)
Bare with me a little longer as I talk about more plot somehow. 24 has more plot in one season than most shows do in entire series. At least that's what it seems like when you try to write about it all. Anyway, Jack's heroin withdrawal is a very good choice - making an invincible character need to deal with a weakness is always a strong idea. Predictably, it sort of peters out, but it would sort of be hard to watch 24 episodes of him sweating and nearly puking so I can't complain. I can however complain about the stupid tacked-on romance between Jack and Claudia, Hector's girlfriend. (In fact, Hector and Claudia doesn't work either)
This season justifies what will happen in the fourth season: a revamped cast. As much as I love President Palmer, there's only so much drama you can squeeze of his idealized persona. A new president will certainly give the show some much needed life in my opinion. (And really allow me to talk about new things because I'm grasping for topics beyond plot here.)
Overall, this appears to be your median 24 season. Everything is really solid. It does dishearten me a bit that I didn't love a median 24 season if only because it's clear this will never be one of my favorite shows. I think the best way to judge a 24 season is how much I want to watch the next episode upon finishing an episode: and I never really had that strong of an urge.
Grade - B
Playlist
1. "Ancient Audio" - Cyne
2. "I Wanna Get Better" - Bleachers
3. "I Wanna Go" - Summer Heart
4. "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" - Michael Jackson
5. "Hip Hop is Dead" - Nas
If it sounds like I'm complaining about this season, I'm not. Generally speaking, I'm the type of viewer who would tend to HATE 24 if I find a certain plot point implausible or repetitive - usually because that means it would go on for at least a few episodes. So if a season of 24 can make me feel ambivalent - not loving a season, but not really finding anything wrong with it - it's not the worst thing.
That said, I wasn't that invested in many of the storylines. The majority of the president's actions had a "been there, done that" feel. The debate setting for a second election was a smart choice although that ended after just five episodes. It was interesting to see President Palmer forced to acquiesce to a terrorist's demands. Sherry Palmer was a breath of a fresh air when she first appeared. (At which point she become quickly annoying) And... that's about it. Anything involving Anne was a drag because I did not care about Anne, and it was even worse that they broke up out of nowhere after all that trouble. I don't really have any strong feelings one way or the other about Wayne Palmer, except I guess at least his character is consistent.
I will say this: the threat is solid. The Salazars as villains are exactly like this season - serviceable, but nothing special. However a deadly virus that can theoretically kill nearly everyone? Yeah that's terrifying. I can't remember which specific episodes it is, but one of the episodes where Michelle is trying to contain the virus in the hotel is by far the best episode of this season. (For what it's worth, my best guess is the 17th episode)
And while Stephen Saunders is ok, making the president do orders against his will is extremely effective. Saunders' death was stupid, although at least foreshadowed. It certainly gave the sense that 24 episodes is far too many for a show like this. And Michelle not dying from the disease is kind of a cop-out, but at least understandable given that the writers are clearly not afraid of killing off major characters.
Speaking of which, the death of Ryan Chappelle is pretty astounding. It's not so much that he died but how he died. I think his actions from finding out about his death to the death were extremely well-written (although make note that I have zero idea how someone facing imminent death would react). Jack killing Nina was awesome - and I believe him killing her came at a detriment to the country if I remember correctly. Gael's death was also surprisingly touching considering half the episodes he was in, he was supposed to be a traitor.
The fact that the traitorous actions of Jack Bauer and Gael were all planned from the get-go is somewhat implausible, although it certainly does a lot to justify some rather outlandish actions and their potential consequences. Also, the threat certainly warrants their secretive behavior. I was all set to put Gael being a traitor as a negative, if only because he extremely conveniently happens to have an office completely separated from everyone else. (Unfortunately, I am not a big fan of the traitors in CTU which I'm pretty sure happens frequently enough that I will definitely have a problem with it in the future)
I have forgotten to talk about two major characters at all, which is Chase and Kim. Chase is another character that's simply ok. I didn't hate him. I'm not to sorry to find out he won't be returning for another season though. The romance between him and Kim took up far too much time - it really doesn't help that I knew neither character would return in the 4th season. One positive thing about that relationship is Jacks' reaction to it - hilarious and eventually touching. (And Jack's willingness to pull the trigger on Chase was not surprising, but still effective)
Bare with me a little longer as I talk about more plot somehow. 24 has more plot in one season than most shows do in entire series. At least that's what it seems like when you try to write about it all. Anyway, Jack's heroin withdrawal is a very good choice - making an invincible character need to deal with a weakness is always a strong idea. Predictably, it sort of peters out, but it would sort of be hard to watch 24 episodes of him sweating and nearly puking so I can't complain. I can however complain about the stupid tacked-on romance between Jack and Claudia, Hector's girlfriend. (In fact, Hector and Claudia doesn't work either)
This season justifies what will happen in the fourth season: a revamped cast. As much as I love President Palmer, there's only so much drama you can squeeze of his idealized persona. A new president will certainly give the show some much needed life in my opinion. (And really allow me to talk about new things because I'm grasping for topics beyond plot here.)
Overall, this appears to be your median 24 season. Everything is really solid. It does dishearten me a bit that I didn't love a median 24 season if only because it's clear this will never be one of my favorite shows. I think the best way to judge a 24 season is how much I want to watch the next episode upon finishing an episode: and I never really had that strong of an urge.
Grade - B
Playlist
1. "Ancient Audio" - Cyne
2. "I Wanna Get Better" - Bleachers
3. "I Wanna Go" - Summer Heart
4. "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" - Michael Jackson
5. "Hip Hop is Dead" - Nas
Thursday, December 26, 2013
24: S1 Review
My preconception about 24 was that it was ridiculous, unrealistic, and thrilling. I was pleased to be wrong on just one of those preconceptions. Well, sure it's not completely realistic, but for the most part, it's easy to accept. In a show such as this, the standard is simply "Can you accept what's happening in the context of the show?" For the first season at least, that's a clear yes.
The first season managed to completely satisfy me, but also increase concerns about watching future seasons. It has that air of "Sure it worked this time, but how long can they keep this up?" It also had a bit of repetitiveness that I'm afraid will return. (Namely, Kim getting in trouble again I'm sure is a given). However, that's for future seasons, this post is about the first one.
24 is ridiculously addicting. I held off on watching this show during the school year for fear that it would interfere with my studies. That seems to be a correct assumption. I'm going to make sure I have no serious obligations when I start a season. And thank god that after each season I can simply stop without being compelled to start the new season. (I did have an immediate need to start it, but after that initial resistance, I haven't felt the urge to start watching again.)
Kiefer Sutherland, whose movie career had essentially died, experienced a career renaissance thanks to 24. He certainly played a part in that renaissance as he does a pretty good job with this role. He brings a sense of urgency to the role that matches the script. He has a way of saying something completely ridiculous, but you believe what he is saying is the truth. While we do experience the ridiculous things he says to other characters, it's not hard to buy why all these characters are following him or believing him despite the fact that they don't witness those events.
Similarly, Dennis Haybert plays a convincing president as his demeanor frequently changes from charming to furious to demanding. His attitude seems a little too unrealistic for a politician as he strives to always do the right thing, but it's always fun to see an idealized president since we're never going to get that in real life. (I'm a cynic what can I say?)
The writers are able to obtain an abnormally long string of realistic, tense episodes. I'll admit though that I cringed when Kim was captured the second time. I understand the plot need for it, but that was a bridge too far for me to accept. Also, Teri Bauer's amnesia was a stupid plot device. Amnesia is perhaps the laziest storytelling technique there is. Those are quite literally my only complaints (plot-wise), which is pretty impressive for this type of show.
Before I started, I heard some negative comments about Kim - or at least I'm aware that Kim is not exactly well-liked. Elisha Cuthbert plays her so this was kind of alarming to me. Anyway, she did a few stupid things this season, but nothing I can't forgive for just being a teenager. So far, she's still useful as a character. I also think Cuthbert does a good job so I'm preparing for the writers to ruin this character in future seasons.
I wasn't a huge fan of the twist at the end with Nina being the mole. It was somewhat predictable at a certain point late in the season when she tried to pin it on George Mason. With that said, I stopped paying attention on whether Nina was a mole or not really early on. My impression is that her actions were inconsistent with a mole most of the season, but I couldn't confirm. Meanwhile, Mason's would have been inconsistent (which I was paying attention to) so I was grateful he wasn't the mole which is probably why I wasn't bothered by the twist as much as I may have been. Plus, her being a mole did allow Teri Bauer to get killed, which kind of had to happen. You can't have nobody important die if you want to keep the tension. (Although Richard Walsh's death in episode two surprised the hell out of me.)
The script doesn't allow for a lot of personal stories outside of Jack Bauer so I'll have to give credit to two actors that impressed me. Xander Berkeley as George Mason, a crazy experienced actor with 207 credits on IMDB, was fantastic. He just hits all the right notes as a good boss whose constant brushing off of Teri pleased me. (On the flip side, it wasn't a good sign that she was as annoying as she was with perfectly valid concerns while at CTU. I'm not sure if that's the writing or the actress, but honestly I'm sort of glad I don't have to experience that anymore.)
The other actor was Carlos Bernard as Tony Almeida. He just has that perfect "Are you kidding me?" reaction to everything going on that was needed on this show. Also, he gets shit done and seems the most sensible of almost any character.
I know 24 eventually declines in quality like most other shows so I want to see if it's a product of writers leaving or losing influence. I'll do this by chronicling who writes most of the episodes in this season. This season, the two creators have a lot of influence and thus that can safely explain the success of the show.
Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, the creators, wrote the pilot and then separated writing responsibilities until the finale. Surnow moved on to writing eight other episodes with Michael Loceff, including the finale, which was a collaboration between four different writers. Cochran wrote two episodes by himself and then teamed with Howard Gordon for four other episodes, including the finale. So the creators collectively were responsible for writing 14 of the 24 episodes. The remaining 10 episodes are given to six writers. There's only one episode given to any of them within the first five episodes and none were given to any of them in the last six episodes. Most of them barely make enough of an appearance in future seasons if at all to draw any conclusion.
There are two exceptions. Chip Johannessen wrote a single episode this season and then wrote a good chunk of Season 8 episodes. The other is Virgil Williams, who wrote three episodes over the next two seasons and then left the show. Overall though, this was basically the creators' show at this point, and their respective writing partners. Any sense of decline could not be seen from any of the other writers and only by less writing by the creators.
On the directors side of the coin, Stephen Hopkins was clearly the favorite among the creators. He directed 12 episodes including both the pilot and the finale. Six other directors worked on this season, all of them receiving two episodes back-to-back. I wonder if Stephen Hopkins is a mainstay across seasons (and the other directors I suppose). It certainly explains the consistent direction (and one could argue anyway that future directors probably watched the show and could copy the direction so it's less important) Hopkins though appears to be the reason 24 was shot in the unique style it was.
Overall, it's kind of hard to believe that this show was made in 2001. It still stands up really well in 2013. I realize that wasn't a long time ago, but this comes before The Wire, Breaking Bad, and only comes after The Sopranos among the greatest shows of all time. While it's a completely different show, it's still very original even in 2013. I can't speak to how future seasons will look, but season one justifies the existence of the seven seasons to follow by itself in my opinion.
Playlist
1. Savagely Attack - CZARFACE ft. Ghostface Killah
2. Domo 23 - Tyler, the Creator
3. The Mother We Share - CHVRCHES
4. Strictly Reserved for You - Charles Bradley
5. The Way - Fastball
The first season managed to completely satisfy me, but also increase concerns about watching future seasons. It has that air of "Sure it worked this time, but how long can they keep this up?" It also had a bit of repetitiveness that I'm afraid will return. (Namely, Kim getting in trouble again I'm sure is a given). However, that's for future seasons, this post is about the first one.
24 is ridiculously addicting. I held off on watching this show during the school year for fear that it would interfere with my studies. That seems to be a correct assumption. I'm going to make sure I have no serious obligations when I start a season. And thank god that after each season I can simply stop without being compelled to start the new season. (I did have an immediate need to start it, but after that initial resistance, I haven't felt the urge to start watching again.)
Kiefer Sutherland, whose movie career had essentially died, experienced a career renaissance thanks to 24. He certainly played a part in that renaissance as he does a pretty good job with this role. He brings a sense of urgency to the role that matches the script. He has a way of saying something completely ridiculous, but you believe what he is saying is the truth. While we do experience the ridiculous things he says to other characters, it's not hard to buy why all these characters are following him or believing him despite the fact that they don't witness those events.
Similarly, Dennis Haybert plays a convincing president as his demeanor frequently changes from charming to furious to demanding. His attitude seems a little too unrealistic for a politician as he strives to always do the right thing, but it's always fun to see an idealized president since we're never going to get that in real life. (I'm a cynic what can I say?)
The writers are able to obtain an abnormally long string of realistic, tense episodes. I'll admit though that I cringed when Kim was captured the second time. I understand the plot need for it, but that was a bridge too far for me to accept. Also, Teri Bauer's amnesia was a stupid plot device. Amnesia is perhaps the laziest storytelling technique there is. Those are quite literally my only complaints (plot-wise), which is pretty impressive for this type of show.
Before I started, I heard some negative comments about Kim - or at least I'm aware that Kim is not exactly well-liked. Elisha Cuthbert plays her so this was kind of alarming to me. Anyway, she did a few stupid things this season, but nothing I can't forgive for just being a teenager. So far, she's still useful as a character. I also think Cuthbert does a good job so I'm preparing for the writers to ruin this character in future seasons.
I wasn't a huge fan of the twist at the end with Nina being the mole. It was somewhat predictable at a certain point late in the season when she tried to pin it on George Mason. With that said, I stopped paying attention on whether Nina was a mole or not really early on. My impression is that her actions were inconsistent with a mole most of the season, but I couldn't confirm. Meanwhile, Mason's would have been inconsistent (which I was paying attention to) so I was grateful he wasn't the mole which is probably why I wasn't bothered by the twist as much as I may have been. Plus, her being a mole did allow Teri Bauer to get killed, which kind of had to happen. You can't have nobody important die if you want to keep the tension. (Although Richard Walsh's death in episode two surprised the hell out of me.)
The script doesn't allow for a lot of personal stories outside of Jack Bauer so I'll have to give credit to two actors that impressed me. Xander Berkeley as George Mason, a crazy experienced actor with 207 credits on IMDB, was fantastic. He just hits all the right notes as a good boss whose constant brushing off of Teri pleased me. (On the flip side, it wasn't a good sign that she was as annoying as she was with perfectly valid concerns while at CTU. I'm not sure if that's the writing or the actress, but honestly I'm sort of glad I don't have to experience that anymore.)
The other actor was Carlos Bernard as Tony Almeida. He just has that perfect "Are you kidding me?" reaction to everything going on that was needed on this show. Also, he gets shit done and seems the most sensible of almost any character.
I know 24 eventually declines in quality like most other shows so I want to see if it's a product of writers leaving or losing influence. I'll do this by chronicling who writes most of the episodes in this season. This season, the two creators have a lot of influence and thus that can safely explain the success of the show.
Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, the creators, wrote the pilot and then separated writing responsibilities until the finale. Surnow moved on to writing eight other episodes with Michael Loceff, including the finale, which was a collaboration between four different writers. Cochran wrote two episodes by himself and then teamed with Howard Gordon for four other episodes, including the finale. So the creators collectively were responsible for writing 14 of the 24 episodes. The remaining 10 episodes are given to six writers. There's only one episode given to any of them within the first five episodes and none were given to any of them in the last six episodes. Most of them barely make enough of an appearance in future seasons if at all to draw any conclusion.
There are two exceptions. Chip Johannessen wrote a single episode this season and then wrote a good chunk of Season 8 episodes. The other is Virgil Williams, who wrote three episodes over the next two seasons and then left the show. Overall though, this was basically the creators' show at this point, and their respective writing partners. Any sense of decline could not be seen from any of the other writers and only by less writing by the creators.
On the directors side of the coin, Stephen Hopkins was clearly the favorite among the creators. He directed 12 episodes including both the pilot and the finale. Six other directors worked on this season, all of them receiving two episodes back-to-back. I wonder if Stephen Hopkins is a mainstay across seasons (and the other directors I suppose). It certainly explains the consistent direction (and one could argue anyway that future directors probably watched the show and could copy the direction so it's less important) Hopkins though appears to be the reason 24 was shot in the unique style it was.
Overall, it's kind of hard to believe that this show was made in 2001. It still stands up really well in 2013. I realize that wasn't a long time ago, but this comes before The Wire, Breaking Bad, and only comes after The Sopranos among the greatest shows of all time. While it's a completely different show, it's still very original even in 2013. I can't speak to how future seasons will look, but season one justifies the existence of the seven seasons to follow by itself in my opinion.
Playlist
1. Savagely Attack - CZARFACE ft. Ghostface Killah
2. Domo 23 - Tyler, the Creator
3. The Mother We Share - CHVRCHES
4. Strictly Reserved for You - Charles Bradley
5. The Way - Fastball
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