Synopsis: 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY
Set and shot in London, the suspenseful event series once again will follow the exploits of heroic agent JACK BAUER (Keifer Sutherland), as he attempts to thwart an unthinkable terrorist attack that could change the world forever. Retaining the real-time, nail-biting, fast-paced format with split screens and interweaving storylines, the highly-anticipated series also stars Mary Lynn Rajskub (Firewall), Kim Raver (Revolution) and William Devane (The Dark Knight Rises) reprising their original roles. Newcomers to the drama series include Yvonne Strahovski (Dexter), Giles Matthey (Jobs), Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Wire), Michael Wincott (The Crow) and Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe Award winner Judy Davis (Life with Judy Garland).
Yes, Bauer has returned. Due to popular demand/Fox needing to fill the schedule, the long running real-time series has been revived. A fan of the original series, I gorged on the majority of the Season 1 DVD box set in one sitting then ventured on a night out and, fueled by the antics of Bauer, beer and vodka/redbull, proceeded to have some kind of mental break thinking I was a CTU agent.
I stayed with 24 until somewhere around Season 6 or 7 when the sheer predictability outweighed the excitement of the show. Now back for a 12 part mini-series set in London, how will Bauer cope without free soda refills? Does James Bond turn up? Does the availability of free healthcare lead him to take even greater risks? And most importantly, where the hell will he get hold of a gun? Lets jump in and find out.
Perhaps having the Queen in the background here would really have made it clear this season was set in the UK. We last saw Jack fleeing the US after uncovering a conspiracy involving Russia, killing a few of their diplomats (to save ‘Mericuh) and shouldering all the blame. Picking up 4 years later, he has evaded capture until now. A CIA office based in London tracks him down and manages to (suspiciously easily) capture him. His imprisonment coincides with the visit of President James Heller (William Devane) to the UK, with his daughter Audrey (who Jack used to bang) to meet with the Prime Minister and discuss a treaty over the opening of a new American military base. As a side story, his former associate Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) has gone “Full Snowden” AND “Full Salander”, by using her hacking abilities to disseminate classified information while sporting a new Goth look. Apparently she no longer approves of her Government’s methods and is currently being ‘interrogated’ in a cell at the same compound where Bauer is taken. Coincidence? Fuck no. There is a larger story at play. As the first hour unfolds it seems there is a lot of international discord over the US’ use of drone warfare (oooh topical), including a Drone hijacking/malfunction. China is showing off its big boats in some cocksure display and the President himself is pulling a Jed Bartlett/Ronald Reagan and has some health/memory issues. The scene is set for a clusterfuck that requires Jack to save the day.
24. Real-time. 12 episodes. Whut? Well, the show retains its real-time structure but each episode shows portions of the day, so 12 episodes represent the 24 hrs. Hopefully this means it is no longer necessary to fill in gaps of time without plot with ridiculous things like cougars chasing Kim Bauer (although fingers crossed Ms. Cuthbert pops up, still in mourning for Happy Endings btw). Overall, it’s pretty familiar. The new CTU… I mean CIA headquarters, look like they usually do (more so after getting blown up, another tradition, although I didn’t hear the old ringtone. There’s a plucky agent (Strahovski) who believes there is more going on than people suspect, there’s mention of traitors, possible ‘mole’ suspects (there will be a mole, oh yes, there WILL be a mole) and some shadowy figure (its only Catelyn Stark) who is orchestrating things but will likely turn out to be one big bad before a bigger bad is unveiled later in the season.
Kiefer Sutherland, fresh from hamming it up in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii, settles right back into the role he fucking owned for so long. Predictable or not, Bauer is a great character and Sutherland’s performance mostly ranges from whispering to shouting, but it works. His return is like a comfy pair of slippers that kick some serious ass and gives zero fucks about what they need to do to save the President. Really violent, exciting, comfy slippers.
Setting the season in London could freshen up the show, however the first two episodes do not really draw on the new locale or locals enough to see. What will be interesting is how the show works today and whether the writers have moved with the times. A show like Homeland more closely reflect the intricacies and difficulties of foreign policy these days. The relevance of 24 was greater during the Bush administration, addressing issues of extreme interrogation and ruthless methods in the name of national security. In many ways, Jack Bauer is a relic akin to James Bond in these days of greater diplomacy. Tackling a current, divisive topic in drone warfare is a good choice to force a reflection on his relevance and usefulness. When 24 first aired it was bold and exciting, a clever spin on the TV format using long, American TV seasons to its advantage. Its issues came, from a critical standpoint anyway, after it settled into the formulaic arcs I just touched on. It was taken off the air due to costs not justifying the still decent ratings, so there is a fear showrunners are approaching this outing with an “if it aint broke…” attitude. They have the money and the built-in audience to push the show in new and unexpected directions. But nothing in these first two episodes suggests they will. I hope the rest of the season shows otherwise.
Random Observations:
- Jack’s satchel — confirmed!
- British stereotype abuse — shockingly, none
- “DAMMIT!” count — 2
- “BLOODY HELL” count — 1
- STEPHEN FRY — THIS SHOW WINS BECAUSE STEPHEN FRY!
- Time until first scene in a pub — 1hr 56min (Too long for anyone in the UK)
- Hot assassin Mandy sightings — sadly none
Two hours in and 24 in the UK is pretty much the same as 24 in the USA, if a little dirtier. So far it touches on the established formula of seasons past and is executed in the same, polished manner. I guess time will tell (pun intended) whether they take any detours from how things have unfolded previously or utilize the different setting to any decent effect. It’s pretty easy to use a Brit as a villain, hell every movie does it these days. But to truly throw Jack into an environment he doesn’t really understand could produce some interesting moments. If the showrunners have the balls that Bauer does, it could make for a great season. But I doubt they do. Still, at least there’s Stephen Fry.
BONUS Jack Bauer video.