24

One of my goals for my time off was to see some TV shows I've missed over the years. I have never seen 24 or Sopranos (apparently the two best dramas on TV).

Well, I haven't had a chance to see any Sopranos episodes, though I midway through season 4 of Six Feet Under. This past week I've finally gotten around to watching 24.

Over the past few days I saw the entire DVD set of 24 Season 2. And ya know what?

That show sucks.

I like the idea of the show, a day in the life of a counter terrorism unit/agent. That's neat, lets go with that. The problem is that the show is unbelievably frustrating. First of all, Jack Bauer's daughter, Kim, keeps getting herself in these amazing situations"

First she is running from an abusive dad who kid she nannies, then she beats him up and steals his car, then they find her in the car, then they find the wifes body in the car. So they arrest her and her friend, and they try to escape by lighting a fire in the back of the police car. This causes an accident, only she makes it out okay, and she leaves to go to her aunts. Then she gets chased by a cougar and caught in a bear trap. Then she is saved by a nut who lives out in the woods with a bunker. Then he tricks her down to the bunker and traps her there. Somehow she escapes and gets back on the road to hitchike. A creepy guy comes by but she scares him off and shoots his car. Then she gets this guy to let her use the bathroom of his closed convience store. Then there is a robbery, she saves a guy, but then gives the perp her gun for no good reason. Then they hang out in the while the cops come. Then the gun goes off and the owner dies. Then somehow she escapes. The cops learn her story and she is okay. They take her back to the house that she worked at (as a nanny) with only one officer. The crazy dad comes back, kills the officer chases her around the house. Somehow she gets into the attic without making any noise or leaving tracks. The mad dad follows her anyways, she knocks him out, then they both fall through the roof. She lands on him knocking the gun away. Instead of picking up the gun and running far far away, she grabs the gun and phone and runs into the corner to call her dad (even though she knows her dad is working on literally stopping WWIII). The guy starts to wake up, she puts up the gun but doesn't want to shoot, finally Jack orders her to shoot.

So that was the day in the life of a counter-terrorism officer's daughter. It sucked.

Part of the problem is that every show is a cliff-hanger. Nothing ever gets solved, it is really frustrating. Or if one problem gets solved, another three are opened up. Also, for three or four episodes they'll make a big deal about a computer chip or a guy or something. Then after all this time is spent (by the viewer) going after this chip or guy, something happens at the last minute. The chip is broken, the guy freaks and dies. So I just got to watch people work and strain over getting this dude, who dies 30 minutes after you get him. And he doesn't even give you anything.

I wanted to watch all 24 episodes so I could say I watched the whole thing and didn't miss anything. There was a ton of shit I didn't like (everyone seemed gung ho about going to war with three middle eastern countries even when we didn't have proof that of their involvment).

Sorry, maybe I didn't get 24, but I think I did. It's manipultive, it strings the viewer along, and it has improbable plot twists every-God-damned-episode! I'll take The Shield or Rescue Me any day of the week over 24.