"24" Season 2 [SPOILERS]

[Morrus]

I just finished watching Season 2 of "24" on DVD (a much better way to watch it than on TV, by the way - buy the DVD boxed set and start watching. Don't expect much sleep.)

Anyway, I loved the first series, and I loved the second, too. It was a bit silly in parts (Jack's daughter is a) pointless and b) stupid - she just seems to have another silly little adventure each episode, and it doesn't tie into the main plot at all this time, like it did in the first series).

It has been a while since I watched Season 1, but is Jack a lot more ruthless now? I don't recall him torturing people in the first series, but my memory couild be faulty.

I also found the stuff at the President's end of things a little weird - it was like they were in a vaccuum. They were in this glass and steel coporate office-looking environment and, to be honest, didn't really convince me. It seemed to me that he was ousted far too easily (surely the Presidency isn't that fragile?)

I think that the best performance came from the guy who plays George Mason (that chap with the radiation poisoning). It's reallly odd to watch this on DVD in near-to real time, knowing that when he is told he has X hours to live, the character actually has that exact amount of viewing time left in the show. I knew before the "surprise" that he would be the one piloting the plane with the nuke in it - it was obvious it would have to be him.

Anyway. Fantastic TV show - one of the best. A few of the plot twists are a bit "Yeah, right....", and a couple of others are signalled to obviously in advance (especially once you've seen the first season, you know how the show works - you kind of expect some of the twists. It would have been more surprising to leave them out.)

If you haven't seen it on TV, buy the DVD boxed set. If you watched Seasons 1 and/or 2 on TV, DON'T watch Season 3 on TV. Make sure you buy the DVD set - trust me, the show is twice as good in that format!

 

[Sirius_Black]

It has been a while since I watched Season 1, but is Jack a lot more ruthless now? I don't recall him torturing people in the first series, but my memory couild be faulty.

Considering Jack's loss at the end of Season 1 and his past history with the person who inflicted it, I think his harder edge in Season 2 was very well established. I especially liked how the show puncuated this change in Jack's manner at the end of Ep. 1 in Season 2 with his action towards Goran.

I think that the best performance came from the guy who plays George Mason (that chap with the radiation poisoning).

Agreed. Xander Berkley did an incredible job. I wish Emmy voters had taken him into consideration for a supporting nod.

<Sigh> I can't believe I have to wait until the end of October for Season 3.

 

[Green Knight]

I'm to impatient to wait for it to come out on DVD. Besides, why pay money when you can watch it for free on tv?

Anyway, I loved the first series, and I loved the second, too. It was a bit silly in parts (Jack's daughter is a) pointless and b) stupid - she just seems to have another silly little adventure each episode, and it doesn't tie into the main plot at all this time, like it did in the first series).

Yeah, Kim does get annoying. Hopefully, they'll fix that problem in the next season.

It has been a while since I watched Season 1, but is Jack a lot more ruthless now? I don't recall him torturing people in the first series, but my memory couild be faulty.

Well, in the first season, he DID threaten to torture a guy. He also badly beat up some other guy. Though in the first season, there really weren't a lot of opportunities for him to torture people. Besides, the stakes were a lot higher in the 2nd season then they were in the first. The lives of millions were hanging in the balance, so Jack wasn't about to waste any time.

It seemed to me that he was ousted far too easily (surely the Presidency isn't that fragile?)

Um ... isn't this politics? But no, the President isn't ousted that easily. Though I didn't even give that Amendment a second thought until I saw that ep. Probably just TV taking it to an extreme. Makes it more dramatic if they twist that Amendment to its limits to move the plot along. Besides, the President chooses the cabinet. I doubt he'd pick a cabinet where so many people would be willing to turn on him on a dime like that (Though I'm thinking that the Vice-President was in on the plot. Still convinced of it, even now. Can't wait to see season 3) Think of it like this: How many law firms handle big cases? Most only tend to handle a few in the span of a couple decades, yet TV law firms handle big cases week after week. It's unrealistic, but makes good drama. Same deal.

Anyway, yeah, I liked Mason a lot. I've liked him since the beginning, but I especially liked him towards the end. I was watching my tapes, and I rewatched that scene where he talks to his son. Great stuff.

As for the twists, I didn't much care for the turn it took after the bomb went off (Especially the bad guy. One part I thought was pointless was introducing some woman in one ep, and then he kills her in the same ep. What was the point? And why should I care, considering she was only introduced 5 minutes earlier?), but it was still pretty good, overall, and I loved the ending. As for the bomb ep, itself, that was UTTERLY fantastic! But getting back to the finale, I loved how they brought back that woman from season 1 to poison President Palmer (She was the one from the season 1 pilot, who blew up the plane and jumped out of it).

BTW: Anyone else here use to watch La Femme Nikita? I mention it because in the last couple of eps they had the guy who played Operations from that show. Very cool. I hope he gets a bigger role next season.

 

[Welverin]

(Jack's daughter is a) pointless and b) stupid - she just seems to have another silly little adventure each episode, and it doesn't tie into the main plot at all this time, like it did in the first series).

Ah, Kim, how everyone loathes her. Tony Kornheiser ranted about her quite a bit. Even though I think she did end up having some significance towards the end (in her relationship to Jack), I still can't help but wonder if she would be one the show if she was good looking.

It has been a while since I watched Season 1, but is Jack a lot more ruthless now? I don't recall him torturing people in the first series, but my memory couild be faulty.

I don't think so, I just believe there were more instances for him to show that ruthlessness. Also as GK said time was against him with a lot of lives hanging in the balance.

I'd say it's a lack of moral relativism on his part (none of the 'but that will make us as bad as them crap'), they're the bad guys and he'll do what ever is necessary to them to protect his country. He's also capable of making hard choices and sacrifices for the greater good.

I also found the stuff at the President's end of things a little weird - it was like they were in a vaccuum. They were in this glass and steel coporate office-looking environment and, to be honest, didn't really convince me.

I never questioned it and for an emergency situation like that I bought it. Having an out of the way hideout for important government officials is a good idea, and a real world fact.

It seemed to me that he was ousted far too easily (surely the Presidency isn't that fragile?)

God I hope not. I'd hope it's just a bit of fiction made up for the show or an overstatement/misunderstanding of something that does exist (similar to the FEMA bit in the X-files movie).

I think that the best performance came from the guy who plays George Mason (that chap with the radiation poisoning).

I have to agree with you on this. I really disliked him season one and the beginning of season two, but he really turned things around further in.

Anyway. Fantastic TV show - one of the best.

Best one the last couple of years in my opinion.

If you haven't seen it on TV, buy the DVD boxed set. If you watched Seasons 1 and/or 2 on TV, DON'T watch Season 3 on TV. Make sure you buy the DVD set - trust me, the show is twice as good in that format!

INSANITY! Wait until this time next year or later to see it? I think not! It's bad enough waiting a week or more between episodes, I'll be damned before I wait any longer than that to see it.

As for the bomb ep, itself, that was UTTERLY fantastic!

I absolutely refused to believe they would actually have it go off. After all who would have a nuke go off in an ongoing series, especially in the middle of the season? The middle of the season part is what really got my no way radar going.

[B}But getting back to the finale, I loved how they brought back that woman from season 1 to poison President Palmer (She was the one from the season 1 pilot, who blew up the plane and jumped out of it).[/B]

I didn't catch that, bad memory combined with the time between and it's no surprise.

 

[Green Knight]

Who's Tony Kornheiser?

INSANITY! Wait until this time next year or later to see it? I think not! It's bad enough waiting a week or more between episodes, I'll be damned before I wait any longer than that to see it.

Yeah, right? I go into heart palpatations at the end of every episode. A week is just TO long a wait. Then there's the fact that, at the time, I had a really crappy cable connection, and didn't get a good picture on FOX. So every week, I had to go grab a little tv and take it into my room, because it had an antenna, so I could watch 24 without getting snow or having the sound blink out on me.

I didn't catch that, bad memory combined with the time between and it's no surprise.

I didn't catch it at first, either. It wasn't until later that I found out it was one and the same girl.

 

[Welverin]

Who's Tony Kornheiser?

one of the hosts of PTI. This past season every Wednesday he would talk about 24 on his radio show, which is a sports talk show on ESPN Radio.

Tony Kornheiser -- sportswriter, radio host, syndicated columnist, Washington Post humorist and author -- began his career at Newsday in New York followed by a stint at the New York Times. He has been with the Washington Post since 1979, as a sports columnist there since 1984, and in 1990, began writing a regular column in the Washington Posts Sunday Style section. He joined ESPN Radio in November 1997 as host of the Tony Kornheiser Show, which premiered Jan. 5, 1998.

 

[fett527]

I'll just throw in that I love 24. Great show.

Kim Bauer needs to meet a glorious and highly explosive death or I may not make it through next season. The animal trap thing took me over the edge I think.

 

[Harp]

Kim Bauer needs to meet a glorious and highly explosive death or I may not make it through next season. The animal trap thing took me over the edge I think.

My near-breaking point was right about then, too. She'd gotten lost in the woods and I muttered something about, "Well, with any luck she'll get eaten by a mountain lion." You know, absurd and ironic muttering. Within minutes, they trotted out the threatening feline. Oh, the agony.

 

[Welverin]

Well I read that season three is supposed tobe a few years after two and that Kim is working at CTU with Jack, if that's true it would be damn hard for to not be useful for something other than filler.

 

[Artimoff]

Kim was there to show the reaction of the american people, how they handle the threat of nuclear anillation. I really thought her good-bye to jack showed that she could act and wasn't just a pretty face with nice boobs.

GEORGE MASON LIVES!!!