24

I was a huge fan of the show 24. One of the biggest. I couldn't wait for the show each week and the hours of talk with friends following the latest cliffhanger. Yet, after 3 seasons I began to detect something very foul. It was the stinch of the worst thing you can have on a television show. The scent of repetition. The show began to repeat itself, its storylines, its characters and it's plot twists. I bitched through season 4 and finally swore off the show in season 5. Now, after all of this time the critics and fans are finally beginning to see what was so clear to me years ago. Why did it take so long?
The following is from TV Guide.


Question: As a devoted fan of 24 since it premiered, I have been sadly watching it quickly become a shadow of its former self. If this season has shown us anything, it's that there are few scenarios left for the show that haven't been done before. (Coup against the president? Jack invading an embassy? Check and check. Even Wayne Palmer's adrenaline-fueled missile launch is a repeat of Teri's amnesia from Season 1.) About the only thing that was new and potentially interesting was the introduction of Jack's family, but even that story line fizzled out. To top it all off, Kiefer Sutherland has had so little screen time these past few episodes that one can barely register that he's gone through two years of torture, the killing of Curtis, the treason of his family and the (presumed) death of his beloved Audrey. It certainly isn't registering in Jack's face or actions; he's more than ever a stock, emotionless action figure in each of his now-fleeting appearances. Nevertheless, I'm not going to give up on the show just yet, even if this season is beyond salvaging. I'll keep watching to see if the show can set up next season in a satisfying way, and the only way I can see that happening is if it reboots itself almost entirely. No L.A., no CTU... hell, even no Chloe if it means the show will stop repeating itself. What do you think?— Andrew W.

Matt Roush: I've come to that conclusion myself over the last few weeks, especially after they dropped the Logans so abruptly — and just when Martha, Aaron Pierce and the ill-fated Charles had begun to pique my interest again. So irritating to have Jean Smart back for only one episode. As Simon recently said about Sanjaya: "Incredible." And not in a good way. I've been reading a lot of gripes about 24 in my mailbag, but this one tied it all together as well as any. I agree that on the evidence of this season, it's hard to imagine the show recovering unless it sends Jack out as a lone wolf, or at least minus all of the current trappings that are either dragging him down this season or reducing his screen time, which has been the newest major complaint.

Here's an e-mail from Mark H. that made me laugh: "Remember when Kiefer Sutherland used to be on 24? I remember him portraying an extremely interesting character, one whose decisions and actions would leave your heart pounding every week. Do you know what happened to him? Is there a chance the producers would ever bring him back? If they could also bring back another character named Chloe, who provided terrific comic relief, I think that would really help the show as well. What do you think?"

Mark, I think you're funny enough to write for Prison Break. But seriously, I miss them, too.

Bottom line: A change of scenery, a change of personnel, something, anything to rouse 24 from the dead-end torpor it has found itself in this season. If next season is just more of Jack and Co. running around Los Angeles and letting conspirators slip through their fingers, it won't be enough.