After 8 seasons--or days, depending on your devotion to the 24 measure of time--24 is no more, at least on the small screen. Jack Bauer left television with a decided whimper last night, in an unsatisfying finale to what was, at times, the best action/adventure show to ever grace the broadcast waves.
My ultimate "dream" ending (chronicled here) didn't happen, and I'm very happy to say that. The writers and producers at least had the guts to stick their guns (pun intended) and carry through what was the second worst (but not by much) season of the show, "outshined" only by the horrible season 6.
With this final story arc, the show's staff pretty much decimated any audience feeling for Jack Bauer, who became a living, breathing terminator in the final episodes, stopped only by Chloe O'Brian. There was one touching moment at the end involving the two of them, but otherwise this 2-hour finale had Jack skulking around like an erstwhile Lee Harvey Oswald, albeit attempting to assassinate a very bad president. It was a minor slap in the face to the legion of devoted fans who hung on every episode of every season, good and bad, only to be "rewarded" with a wimpish ending.
I'm sorry to see Jack go, but it was time. It's unfortunate that they ended season 7 with a cliffhanger, one that was all but ignored with the start of this final season. Last year's story arc featuring homegrown right-wing terrorists--plus the introduction of FBI agent Renee Walker and the return of Tony Almeida--was a great one, and it would have been the perfect one to go out on. But it wasn't to be.
24 ended like being at a funeral, one where you see a loved one laying in the coffin and your final memory--the one that haunts you forever--is how bad he looks. I'm not even sure I'm interested in a 24 movie at this point. The TV series writers ultimately had no respect for Jack Bauer. Why should I?
I thought the Jack-as-Terminator stuff was pretty cool, but it did seem like Jack was really going nuts over a woman he'd hardly known. (Really, he spent maybe 30 hours with her total, and slept with her once.)
I think we were supposed to be worried for Jack, even as he did all that awful stuff... And I was. The guy totally lost it. But you sort of had to justify it to yourself, it was dramatic but his grief seemed out of proportion.
I kept thinking that the whole thing would've played a lot better if it had been Kim who was killed. Then I think the audience would've followed Jack anywhere, no matter what he did. Chloe would be another candidate. I can see Jack going over the edge if he lost either of them... But maybe they wanted to keep those characters alive for the movie.
Posted by: Greg Stacy | May 25, 2010 at 12:05 PM