Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Killin' Time With 24

24: 6:00A.M.-7:00A.M.,7:00A.M.-8:00A.M.
Season 7, Episode 23&24

Welcome to "Killin' Time With 24." A weekly morning-after 24 discussion hosted by your faithful That's A Wrap! editors, Billy and Jim.

Every Tuesday morning we get together to discuss the previous evening's episode of 24. What we liked, disliked and where we would like to see the series go while avoiding any real work. It's like a virtual coffee break.

Sit back and let us do the complaining for you.




(22:03:21) Jim: hey
(22:03:22) Billy: Wow. Uh. Wow.
(22:03:51) Billy: The first wow was for the good, and the second wow was for the awful

(22:04:39) Jim: Nick and I were warring down to the final seconds if Jack was going to live or die.
(22:04:55) Jim: I was the correct one, obviously

(22:05:02) Jim: because I rule.

(22:05:06) Billy: It certainly wasn't on par with Jack walking Incredible Hulk-style into the sunset, but it was...well, pretty dramatically moving. And yeah, I was questioning whether Jack would pull through.
(22:05:13) Jim: As did Renee's final scene
(22:05:36) Billy: I KNEW he would, but credit goes to the producers for making me question it.
(22:06:09) Billy: Let's get one thing straight first: Kim Bauer OWNED the 23rd episode.

(22:06:47) Billy: That episode was almost a complete wash except for damned near everything with Kim...I was frankly stunned.

(22:07:10) Billy: I especially loved the look Renee gave Kim when she started talking computers.

(22:07:45) Jim: Indeed, Elisha Cuthbert rose to the occassion like never before. Well, the key was not having Kim waiting there waiting with the cure when Jack arrived at the hospital - and the scene with the... what's the name for a Muslim priest?
(22:08:02) Billy: I don't know his name.
(22:08:12) Billy: But I fucking LOVED that scene

(22:08:34) Jim: Indeed... considering how many members of his faith Jack has aced over the years
(22:09:02) Billy: It was so goddamn moving, especially when taken in conjunction with Jack's earlier scene with Renee when he explained his motivation.
(22:09:33) Jim: the Jack-Renee "What should I do?" scene was Jack's highlight of all the pre-hospital scenes
(22:10:02) Billy: For the first time in almost a decade I believed that the Jack Bauer from season One was the same guy we were watching this season
(22:10:07) Jim: Keifer actually went to a place at the end there... he's been doing this so long, I just didn't think he could surprise me anymore.
(22:11:06) Billy: If you stop and think about it for a moment, how DOES the most straight-laced dude in CTU end up where Jack is now.
(22:11:32) Jim: the Presidential stuff and Olivia stuff was just painful to get through and distracting us from a pretty impressive conclusion.
(22:11:33) Billy: He only got pick by Walsh to head the Palmer case because he was the cleanest CTU agent.
(22:11:46) Jim: Excluding those scenes we were golden with everything post-Tony.
(22:12:03) Billy: The white house shit was deadly painful
(22:12:17) Billy: Thankfully Pierce didn't go down.

(22:12:55) Billy: But that last scene with Canin and the Prez just went on TOO long...I kept looking at the clock hoping to get back to Jack and the Imam.

(22:13:11) Jim: Tony on the other hand... just utterly bad. His motivations were so tacked on and unbelievable (in revisiting the Logan affair). And its like Bernard agreed and went the Voight-scene chewing rout.
(22:13:49) Billy: I dunno...I bought it more this way than him just going evil because of Michelle being dyed.
(22:14:45) Jim: ?Michelle being dyed? - that's the point I think the whole text conversation adventure went too far down the gramatical sliding scale. I suppose we're lucky this is our last episode.
(22:14:52) Billy: I particularly loved how the scene where Jack and Renee stop Tony from killing whatshisface bad guy completely paralleled the final moments of season one.
(22:15:26) Billy: It's sort of an inside joke from the 24 fox message boards

(22:15:58) Billy: back in season one after Teri died some illiterate motherfucker asked if "Teri was dyed"

(22:16:54) Billy: It lived in infamy for years, and yes, I am (or was, rather, since I have not been to the boards since I swore off spoilers a few years back) a huge 24 geek...

(22:17:08) Jim: indeed.
(22:17:57) Jim: I know we mentioned it before, but I can't get over Elisha Cuthbert practically stealing the show... only Renee might have been more consistently impressive

(22:19:16) Billy: I know, I totally threw that up on my twitter in the middle of the show: What kind of topsy turvy world do we live in where Kim Bauer is the best part of a 24 season finale??
(22:20:07) Jim: At least we're in the alternate reality without the zombies
(22:20:25) Jim: I suppose that's a plus... although I can't promise we aren't... haven't been outside yet

(22:20:40) Billy: So, I guess the big question now is: Good enough to buy on Blu-Ray?
(22:21:16) Jim: I think it's possible... especially when considering only $10 more than DVD... (22:21:35) Jim: your thoughts on releasing a season dvd set the day after the finale?
(22:21:37) Billy: I know, right. Can't beat the price.
(22:21:42) Billy: I don't like it.

(22:22:06) Billy: It's giving me enough distance to really want to spend the dough on it.
(22:22:15) Billy: even though I liked the finale
(22:22:45) Jim: Yeah... hardcore fans have to justify buying something they JUST saw. And by not releasing it leading up the new season, you're pretty much conceding that your audience will never grow again.
(22:23:43) Billy: Right...or it'll be heavily discounted by xmas.
(22:24:09) Billy: Though I've gotta admit $45 for a BD is quite the impressive pricetag

(22:24:48) Jim: yeah, just a year ago it would have been $55 or $60 on sale.
(22:24:54) Jim: It's a brave new world

(22:25:39) Jim: hopes for next year?

(22:25:49) Billy: Fuck man, I remember picking up season one on DVD for $50 brand new.
(22:25:55) Jim: obviously Jack is back in the lead. where is he? what is he doing?
(22:25:58) Billy: Oh jeez...next year?
(22:26:07) Jim: what better time to speculate?
(22:26:14) Billy: Jack is obviously back.
(22:26:54) Billy: He'll take Tony's "You ran away, Teri would be ashamed" shit to heart and dedicate himself to the Govt again.

(22:27:26) Billy: I hope to see Renee and Jack together....their scenes were just breathtaking.
(22:27:49) Billy: And God help me, I'll probably regret this later...but...more Kim.
(22:28:01) Jim: I see Jack-Renee-Kim back... in some kind of recreated CTU. Maybe Garafalo over Chloe back. As the voice of liberal reason.
(22:28:39) Billy: Being set in NYC, I've gotta hope the crazy terrorist attack angle will be softened.
(22:29:17) Billy: I always hope for a smaller story and keep getting disappointed. If it sucks, the series is done at eight anyways...

(22:30:01) Jim: yeah, still too soon... I'd honestly prefer more of a mystery investigation than a violent action fest. The action scenes stood out so much better when there were only four or five each year... instead of something huge every hour... or 18 out of 24 hours.
(22:31:02) Billy: I'll go out on a limb and say Tony will be back in some capacity.
(22:31:15) Jim: But for all the problems we've ragged on endlessly on these posts... it's been a substantive step back towards decency from last season. Agreed?
(22:31:40) Billy: Oh, for sure. Compared to season six....well, anything is gold.
(22:32:00) Billy: But I've got a question for you. Big question.

(22:32:13) Billy: Do you actually really like 24 anymore?

(22:32:23) Billy: Like, really, really like 24.

(22:32:34) Jim: or do I watch it out of habit as much as anything else?
(22:32:41) Billy: RIGHT!
(22:33:09) Billy: Like, it's not bad, but it's not even the same show I fell in love with back in 2001.

(22:33:32) Jim: It's really sad how close to a "yes" I am. Especially since I still buy every season and the REdemption movie and devote an hour of my life to it every week without interruption. It's one of the VERY few shows I NEVER wait a day to watch.
(22:34:48) Jim: I will go for a very close "No" Season Six crossed into "Yes" but the Redemption and this year at least pulled it back to "Like" I don't see any circumstance where I'll love it again. To quote the man... "I've come too far... too fucking far."
(22:35:39) Billy: I think it got so much good will from me for the spectacular first season and great season two. But it's not the same show anymore.
(22:35:57) Jim: At this point it's like asking me if I don't like my brother anymore.
(22:36:56) Jim: Sometimes I downright loathe the show/my brother, but at the end of every day you still can't distinguish fully the early years.

(22:37:09) Jim: Or in the case of Nick that he gives me money.

(22:37:13) Billy: But I just realized the other day that I don't really love the show anymore. It's not bad, it's not like me watching Heroes out of stubbornness...
(22:37:24) Jim: It's the Ties That Bind to bring Springsteen into the mix
(22:38:01) Jim: no, no, no... it's still worlds better than Heroes... But the days its even my favorite show of the night are long gone

(22:38:28) Billy: there was a time when I considered 24 my favorite show
(22:38:36) Jim: Speaking of which... I gots to get me some HIMYM before bed... any last thoughts on 24 Season 7?
(22:39:14) Billy: Not if it's going to delay me watching How I Met Your Mother!
(22:39:38) Billy: Just a quick one...have we really done 20 of these??

(22:39:41) Billy: Jesus.

(22:39:52) Jim: To wrap up - Better than six, but you made some good points there at the end. In the end I stick by my Midnight Run quote to describe me and this season.
(22:40:20) Billy: Oh and Dr. Becket from Stargate Atlantis gave Jack Bauer a spinal tap...
(22:40:33) Jim: See you again next year... or when we talk tomorrow... whichever comes first.

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