"24": The truth hurts...

If there was a theme to last night’s “24,” it was this…

The truth hurts.

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night's episode of "24."

Just ask Vice President Daniels, who had to face the fact that Lisa was sleeping with another man. I was a little surprised that such a proud man would spill his personal secrets so quickly, but the show was trying to make him a more likeable guy—trying being the operative word. If they succeeded at all it was because of the brilliance of Peter MacNicol (Tom) reacting to the news (The chewing on his folder was classic!)…

And what about Lisa, who had to face the fact that she had been tricked into committing treason. But I think I’d rather take on a firing squad than a scorned Noah Daniels…

Chloe and Morris had to face the truth that their relationship is over, but I think that was more painful for us than them. Chloe sobbing like a baby? Do the writers even watch this show?...

Then there was Nadia, who became the latest in a long line of CTU officials who finally saw the light (i.e. realized Jack is always right). But it took the one-two punch of Doyle and Milo to do it. Doyle, who had already seen the light when he allowed Cheng to escape with the component, decided to help Jack protect Audrey from the psychiatrist (J.C. McKenzie, yet another illustrious “Murder One” alum). And then Milo delivered the crushing blow by telling Nadia that if she’d just let Jack talk to Audrey she could have avoided the entire mess she had created…

But what about Audrey? I was starting to get the feeling that this was another case of wasting a familiar character just for the sake of bringing them back (the Logans, anyone?). Granted, Jack and Audrey got a terrific scene and Kim Raver was brilliant as the catatonic Audrey, but it all felt so forced…

And then, the hammer fell, as Jack had to face his painful truth…

“You’re cursed, Jack,” Audrey’s father told him. “Everything you touch—one way or another—ends up dead.” It was a classic “24” scene that made your stomach churn as you saw both the anger and realization in Jack’s eyes.

Yes, the truth hurts. But the most painful truth was the one that I discovered—that my beloved “24” is in real trouble.

The critics have been telling me that all year, but I continued to defend it. I believed that the show was just falling back into its familiar pattern and that it would turn things around for this last batch of episodes.

I truly believed that last night too until the moment the truth slapped me right across the face—the moment Rena Sofer appeared in the previews, signaling the return of Marilyn Bauer (If everything Jack touches dies, I hope he puts his hands all over her.).

Do the writers even have a clue what’s going on anymore?

The truth hurts…

"24": I'm torn...

I was torn over much of last night’s “24.” Some of the hardest stuff to take was some of the most believable. And one of the most infuriating scenes was actually a relief…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episode of “24.”

The dead meat smell around Bill and Karen had become almost nauseating this year and the hammer finally fell last night. But it appears—for now—that it’s only their relationship that appears dead as Karen fired Bill to save her own hide. I almost would’ve rather seen him die than for him to leave like that, so I’m really hoping that we haven’t seen the last of him. I’m hoping that he still has his phone and he’ll hear Jack’s heartfelt voice mail and he’ll feel guilty and find a way to help Jack…

But as much as I hated to see Bill go, I have to say it was completely believable. “It’s just politics,” he told Nadia as security came to get him (What? No more red shirts?). When bad things happen, people look for someone to blame. Bill was the perfect scapegoat, even though he followed procedure in releasing Fayed. Karen had resigned earlier in the day to protect Bill, but feeling her position was now more important than ever (and after a pep talk from Tom), she chose to sacrifice his career over hers. I actually applauded when Bill hung up on her, both for Bill and James Morrison, who has been completely wasted this season…

Speaking of people who have been completely wasted, Mary Lynn Rajskub got to rise to the occasion last night as Chloe and Morris finally had it out and Chloe finally admitted that she couldn’t get over Morris helping the terrorists. It was a wonderful scene and provided that Chloe humor we’ve been missing all year. The look on Morris’ face when he realized he wouldn’t get his transfer was also priceless. But I was a little bothered by the line “The day I get jealous is the day I kill myself.” This is “24” after all…

And since this is “24,” I would appreciate a little less hanky-panky between Acting President Daniels and Lisa, his chief of staff. For some reason, that whole scene came off as creepy for me, especially when Daniels called himself “a dirty old man.” But because I really like Kari Matchett, I was again torn by these developments. I have to believe that this story is serving some greater purpose, especially since the previews show Lisa getting hot and heavy with some other guy…

I also have to believe that Nadia being named Acting Director of CTU is also going to serve some purpose as well because I’m not really seeing it now. I know that she’ll probably make a mess out of things, but is that all? And how was Division okay with Bill picking her since they were concerned about her being a Muslim just 10 or so hours ago?

But the real mess of the show is in the form of Doyle. I was kind of hoping that he would shoot Audrey to keep the exchange from happening so that Jack would have an excuse to kill him. I still can’t believe people actually think that Doyle could replace Jack. Did you see the way he manhandled that civilian when he took his car? Jack would have at least apologized.
And when Doyle screwed everything up by starting the firefight and letting Cheng get the component, I wanted to yell, “Doyle, you moron! Let Jack take care of it!” But then I remembered that Jack’s way of taking care of it was to blow himself up and I definitely don’t want that…

As I said, I was torn…

Which leads me to Audrey. I’m not even sure what to say about her because I’m not really sure what the show is up to. My second favorite Canadian, RT, had pointed out to me that there was something else wrong with her besides just trauma, and it looks like she’s totally right. But what it is, I have no idea. And how that ties in with everything I have no idea…

And where the show is going from here? I have no idea…

I sure hope the writers do…

"24": Say it ain't so...

Warning: This post contains details about last night’s episode of “24.”

Last night’s “24” started out like old times, with Jack convincing Chloe to help him do something against the rules. It was nice to see after her complete lack of airtime in recent weeks.

But then the show threw in a twist. Chloe sold Jack out. I didn’t know who I was madder at—Chloe for actually going through with it (Thanks to the writers for not actually making us see it.) or Morris for making her. Either way, it proved one thing. Chloe loves Morris more than she loves Jack.

Say it ain’t so, Chloe…

But my anger quickly diminished, because without Chloe’s betrayal we would have never gotten the best scene of the season—and maybe one of the all-time best in show history.

Running out of options to save the woman he loves—the woman who risked everything to save him—Jack turned to the one person he thought could help him, President Wayne Palmer. If it had been anyone else, Wayne would have simply said no. But this was Jack Bauer, the man who had once saved his brother’s life and had brought his brother’s killer to justice. This was the man who just a few hours ago had agreed to sacrifice himself for the good of the country. Even though we had seen it in the previews, the words out of Jack’s mouth still had all the weight in the world. “Mr. President, you owe me.”

I can’t tell you how proud I am of D.B. Woodside for turning this thing around. With the best actor on TV on the other end of the phone, D.B. cranked up his performance to match, making the scene nothing short of stunning. And when Wayne realized that Jack was talking about sacrificing himself to save Audrey, his reaction was beautiful—or at least what I could see of it through the tears that were forming in my eyes.

Yeah, it was that good.

One of the other reasons I was so moved by the Jack-Wayne scene was that I knew this was going to be D.B.’s swan song. Major kudos to the writers for giving him a chance to say goodbye properly and to show everyone what a good actor he really is. Of course, that only made it harder when Wayne hit the floor on national TV after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage.

Say it ain’t so, Wayne…

And as expected, VP Daniels wanted nothing to do with Jack’s mission to save Audrey. It made sense since the mission was crazy and could possibly lead to World War III, but I was still a little dismayed that Bill didn’t even try to fight it. How many times has he seen Jack pull off the impossible?

Say it ain’t so, Bill…

There have been a lot of rumors this year that Jack will die at the end of the season and be replaced by Doyle (Ricky Schroeder). I hope last night’s episode put all of that to rest seeing as how Doyle is dumber than a rock. Did he really think that Jack wouldn’t know something was wrong? And I loved that Jack threatened Doyle by reminding him—and us—that he had killed Curtis (Seems like a lifetime ago now, doesn’t it?). I had to laugh when Doyle told Jack he couldn’t fight the White House. He’s kidding right?...

A Jack that plays by the rules? The day that’s so, will be the day “24” comes to an end…

"24": "Now we're gonna have some fun"

“Now we’re gonna have some fun,” Jack told Fayed on last night’s “24” as they prepared to take Fayed to Burke, the master of chemical torture.

But considering last night’s episode, Jack might as well have been talking to all of us watching…

In all honesty, I’ve been doubting my sanity lately. After Robert Bianco’s scathing review last week and Matt Roush’s call for big changes this week, I’ve been thinking that maybe my love for “24” has been clouding my judgment about the show.

But then last night’s episode proved that Roush, Bianco and every other critic in America that has been trashing “24” this season are the ones that should be taking a second look at themselves. You’d think that after five and a half seasons they would know not to count this one out just yet…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episode of “24.”

The tone of the show was set from the very beginning as President Palmer continued his nuclear strike against Fayed’s homeland. Those first 10 minutes were “24” at its finest as my heart raced as the General continued to countdown the minutes until detonation. The show got a lot of flack for this 180 degree turn of events, so I hope all of those people are eating crow this morning as the strike turned out to be a complete ruse to get the country to cooperate.

And I know that all of the magazines who trashed him are not going to print new articles about how good he is now, but I would love nothing more as D.B. Woodside was sensational last night. The truth is he’s much better as a tough guy than he is as the diplomat. And I heartily applaud the show for giving him a chance to redeem himself. As Wayne told Tom, “I’m not David and I never will be. But I’m starting to learn that who I am is not so bad.” Yes, indeed, Mr. President. Yes, indeed.

It’s funny that I’ve been complaining all season about the lack of Jack, and when we finally get an episode with plenty of Jack, I wanted to see more of Wayne…

I am SO going to cry when he dies…

And how about that final confrontation between Jack and Fayed? Clearly the show had been saving up on its violent scenes, because that was one of the most intense fights I have ever seen on the show (In fact, Adoni Maropis, who plays Fayed, had to go to the hospital during filming.). But it was awesome.

I loved Doyle's reaction as he saw all of Fayed's men that Jack singlehandedly killed. He's clearly new...

As my second favorite Canadian, RT, so astutely pointed out to me, the entire episode felt like a season finale. The racing to stop the major threat, the touchy-feeliness of some of the scenes after the crisis was averted—all are the hallmarks of a “24” season finale. But even though there are still six episodes left, this was for all intents and purposes a finale—a finale to the Fayed-nuclear bombs story, as the show clearly has other fish to fry now…

Which leads me to last night’s twist. To no one’s surprise, Audrey is alive. And again, to no one’s surprise, the Chinese are involved—although I still gasped at the site of Cheng.

Now I should tell you right here that I have never liked Audrey much (or any of Jack’s love interests, for that matter). My opinion is that Jack can sleep with anyone he wants to on his own time; but during the 24 hours he’s on our time, I just want to see him kick butt and save the world.

However, that being said, I am THRILLED that Audrey is back. Why? Because Jack is going to move heaven and earth to get her back, no matter what the cost…

Now we’re gonna have some fun…

The Low Self-Esteem of the "Lost" Creators

Some of my classmates in high school had a saying: “People who make fun have low self-esteem.”

Granted, they just said it to make fun, but the sentiment is still true. People often tear others down to make themselves look better…

Which would explain why the executive producers of “Lost,” Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, feel the need to attack other shows…

It started with the Winter Press Tour. Lindelof and Cuse were clearly stung by the critics’ and audience’s reactions to the first batch of “Lost” episodes. The fans were angry because much of the cast was MIA while the show focused on the Others. And after posing a ton of questions in the season finale, by the time “Lost” took its break, none of them—or any others—had been answered.

In the meantime, while “Lost” was off the air, another serial had become the new “it” drama. And “Heroes” didn’t wait to answer questions, moving at a breakneck pace that fans loved—and wanted a little more of on “Lost.”

So at the press tour, Cuse finally had the chance to respond to the criticism. He could’ve just explained that those first episodes were not meant to be separate from the rest and that the hiatus hurt the flow. He could’ve just said that everything would make sense later. He did say those things, but he chose to add one other comment. He chose to say that the resolution of the “Save the cheerleader, save the world” story on “Heroes” didn’t live up to all the hype.

I remember thinking when I read this, “At least they tried, pal.” But Cuse and Lindelof were not done yet…

Last week, the duo was stung by the reaction to the Paolo-Nikki episode. Fans hated these characters from the very beginning because they saw them as taking away from the characters they loved. So last week, the show solved the problem by eliminating them from the canvas.

But did Damon Lindelof simply say that they were respecting the fans’ wishes? Did he just admit they had made a mistake with these characters? No.

Instead, Lindelof took a shot at another show, telling “TV Guide”: “The easiest thing would’ve been to forget they ever happened, like the cougar on ‘24.’ But that’s not ‘Lost.’”

Forget that it ever happened? Not even last year’s five Emmys have made people forget the worst moment in “24” history…

For those of you who don’t know what Lindelof is referring to, in season two, Kim Bauer was running through the woods trying to get to safety from the nuclear bomb that was in Los Angeles, when she began being pursued by a cougar. Running away from it, she got her foot caught in a trap. A mountain man (played by Kevin Dillon of “Entourage”) rescued her and took her to his cabin, where he tried to get her to stay with him.

As my second favorite Canadian, RT, said, what did they want? For the cougar to have its own spin-off?

“24” has abandoned many storylines in its five and a half seasons, but unfortunately, the cougar was not one of them. So why would Lindelof bring up such a bad comparison?

Remember what I said about tearing down others to make yourself look better. What better way for Lindelof to do that than by bringing up the reigning Emmy winner’s worst moment?

The sad thing is that of all the shows the people from “Lost” should not attack it’s “24,” because without “24” there would be no “Lost.” Up until the success of “24,” no network would touch a serial drama like “Lost.” It’s almost as if they’re biting the hand that fed them.

I have always respected “Lost” for listening to the fans. I just wish they would come out and admit their shortcomings instead of attacking others. Or better yet, I wish they would just concentrate on their own show instead of worrying about everyone else’s…

Maybe they need a boost of self-esteem…

"24": Taking a stand...

In yesterday’s “USA Today,” there was a scathing review of “24” by Robert Bianco who said that this season was shaping up to be the show’s worst day ever. His major argument was that we’ve seen so much of this stuff before—especially the Vice-Presidential coup storyline.

So I wonder if he was as surprised as I was when the storyline we’ve all seen before took a turn no one saw coming…

Once again, Jack took a backseat to the action in the White House as Vice President Daniels made his case to the Cabinet to remove the newly awake President Wayne Palmer. Meanwhile, Wayne was getting shots of adrenaline to literally stand up to the VP and reclaim his Presidency. He eventually defeated the VP, but not without some secret help from Tom Lennox, who had decided that Daniels was not what was best for the country.

“TV Guide” had said not to miss the last few minutes and apparently the promos were touting an ending you wouldn’t see coming, so I tried to figure out what was going to happen as Karen and Tom decided to bury the hatchet. Then, Tom received a phone call and dashed out of the room with a desperate “President Palmer!”

I was sure that Wayne had passed out or died, leaving VP Daniels to continue his nuclear strike. But Wayne was very much awake, and ordering the strike to continue himself. Peter MacNicol was brilliant as he conveyed Tom’s horror that the strike he had worked so hard to avert by defeating Daniels was going to happen anyway.

Now, before you all start telling me how stupid and unrealistic that is, let’s take a closer look. How would you feel if you had to stand by and listen to someone tell all of your closest friends and advisers how weak you are? What if you had to listen to months (maybe even years) of people telling you that you’re not as strong as your brother? Wouldn’t you finally say enough is enough and take some kind of action?

Granted, launching a nuclear attack on another country is probably not the best way to take a stand, but for me it’s completely believable. Plus, it’s important to note that it didn’t just come out of nowhere. Wayne had been studying the attack plan for much of the episode and his cryptic comment to Bill at CTU when Bill couldn’t give him a time estimate on breaking Fayed (“That’s exactly what I wanted to know.”) should’ve given us a clue. He knew then what he was going to do…

The best part of this twist is that it shuts up all of those TV critics (including me) who said that Wayne was too much of a wimp. D.B. Woodside, who took so much heat early in the season (again, including from me) was outstanding last night and I can’t wait to see what he does next—especially since we probably will have to say goodbye to Wayne before the season ends…

So what about Jack? Clearly the new no torture policy is in effect as he didn’t even touch Gredenko (BOO HISS!). I really don’t like Gredenko as a villain, so I hope that his final scene last night was indeed his last. But how cool was it that they met on a pier with the amusement park in the background? I know it wasn’t the same one, but tell me you didn’t feel a little “Lost Boys” vibe for the second time this season…

But the thing I can’t get out of my mind is that final preview scene. You know, the one where Jack takes a bullet and lies motionless as Doyle calls out to him? I’d tell you my initial reaction, but I’m afraid it’s unprintable…

Are the writers just toying with us? Yes, but that doesn’t mean I like it.

In fact, I think the new and improved Wayne Palmer should have a little talk with them…

"South Park" takes on "24"...

I’ve never been a “South Park” fan, but tonight’s episode was absolutely hilarious.

Who knew that Cartman would make such a convincing Jack Bauer?...

Yes, that’s right. “South Park” took on “24” tonight complete with the authentic ticking clock sounds and the actual CTU phone sound (Funny that the cell phones had the same sound).

Granted, the idea of a nuclear device hidden in a certain area of Hilary Clinton’s anatomy was more than a little disturbing, but the rest of the parody was pitch perfect. Even non-“24” fans could appreciate Cartman “whispering loudly for dramatic effect” and the crazy uses of the clock. And when the power went off? Classic.

Plus, Kyle made a great Chloe…

“South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said they studied “24” to create this episode and it really showed. We’ll have to wait and see if “The Simpsons” “24” parody in May turns out as good…

You can see this one for yourself tomorrow night at 10 on Comedy Central…

"24": Unrealism Rocks!

Tomorrow, Ken Tucker (“Entertainment Weekly”) and many other TV critics are going to say that tonight’s big “24” twist was one of the most unrealistic things the show has ever done. And I would have to agree with them…

But man, did it rock!

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about tonight’s episode of “24.”

I was all ready to mourn the loss of President Wayne Palmer during tonight’s episode, so when we heard that the Victory was told to stand down instead of fire the nuclear weapon because President Palmer gave the order, I was ecstatic. But when we saw a fully functioning President Palmer sitting up in the bed arguing with the Vice President, I actually yelled out loud, “Woo hoo!”

And yes, as I said, the thought of a man with severe brain swelling that had just spent the last few hours in a drug induced coma being that coherent is completely unrealistic, but I don’t care. I LOVED it! And I love the writers for doing it…

Besides, I never thought it looked like President Palmer was that close to the bomb anyway…

Now I haven’t stopped loving Powers Boothe as the VP, I just really wasn’t ready for Wayne to die—especially with all the bad reviews that D.B. Woodside got as Wayne. I hope that he took some of them to heart and makes the critics eat their words now. He got off to a great start tonight…

The episode actually had several moments worthy of yelling out loud for. I was SO relieved when Brady, the autistic man who helped Jack get Gredenko, survived. Even Jack was sure he was a goner, so that was nice of the show to let him live. And it was nice to see Jack get a chance to show his sensitive side as he worked with Brady. I thought Brady’s brother gave up Gredenko a little quickly, but then we’re in that cutting back the torture mode now…

And even though it was a bit of a repeat of the Tony-Michelle moment in season two, the Milo-Nadia kiss was pretty good—although I didn’t like the giant pause before he actually kissed her. There are nuclear bombs on the loose, Milo. Just make your move already! I loved when Nadia told him that he made his apology. Yeah, I’m thinking his tongue did that for him…

And for heaven’s sake, would someone please tell us what Doyle did in Denver? They’re throwing us a lot of curve balls with that story and I’m still not quite sure what to think…

And Ricky still needs a haircut…

But maybe the most important thing I could say about this episode is that not once did I have to yell at my TV, “Where’s Jack?!” After disappearing for huge chunks of most of this season’s episodes, Jack was with us all the way tonight. And it’s not a coincidence that this episode was one of the best of the season so far…

Even if it was a tad unrealistic…

Tonight's "24" Shocker: An Episode That Worked

Thanks to the description in “TV Guide” and spoilers I had read months ago, I knew what was going to happen on tonight’s “24”…

In fact, I had already formulated what I was going to write in my mind and it was going to be scathing…

But you won’t read it here, because even though I was right about what happened, the show managed to make it work.

In fact, the whole episode worked. And believe me, I’m as surprised as anyone…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about tonight’s episode of “24.”

When I saw both Regina King (Sandra) and Rena Sofer (Marilyn) in the credits, I was sure this episode was going to be a bad one. But the drama at the White House and the drama at CTU were actually good—even if they were a bit repetitive.

The mole scenario at CTU does get dragged out every season, but it was a welcome event tonight, maybe because it made things feel like they were back to normal—especially since I don’t think this one is over. Why did Chloe point out that Nadia was using Milo’s ID? Was it to remind us? Hmmm?

I was upset that Morris’ drinking got brought up again, until I saw why. Chloe’s scene was brilliant. As Morris said, “You’ve got to love this place.” And could it be that Milo was looking for someone else to cast doubt on? Hmmm?

As for the White House story, yes, this one is reminiscent of season two with the Vice President staging a coup against President David Palmer. But that Vice President wasn’t a total psycho. And as much as I love Alan Dale, he’s no Powers Boothe. Plus, the return of Jayne Atkinson brought back that needed punch we got in the beginning of the season when Karen and Tom argued non-stop. Because Peter MacNicol (Tom) is returning to “Numb3rs” before the end of the season, I know his time is short. But I am loving every minute in the meantime.

And this whole thing about reviving President Palmer? I know it doesn’t make much sense, but it does make for good TV…

For me, however, the best scene of the night actually involved Marilyn. Thinking she had an opening, Marilyn finally made her move to kiss Jack, but Jack—God love him—turned his head. “I guess I was wrong,” she said. Yes you were, you little tramp!

Which leads us to the scene I had been dreading. And it didn’t make it any easier that the news came from Marilyn’s lips: Audrey is dead.

Now, I know that there are some of you out there who are hopping mad that Audrey didn’t get an onscreen death, and I planned to be one of you, but the scene where Jack discovered her death was so good, I was willing to overlook it. The pain and anger in his eyes as he hung up Chloe’s phone and demanded answers was beautiful.
But before you go Jack Bauer on me for not being upset, let me ask a question. Why did the show mention Audrey now? Why didn’t they just wait until the end of the season? Could it be that Audrey’s death will play a role later? I’m just speculating here, of course, but I can’t believe the show would do this to us without a reason. And I have a sneaking suspicion that Papa Bauer has something to do with it…

And if I’m wrong, I’ll just get mad later. For now, it’s enough to see Jack back to his old self as he fights for Audrey’s death to not be in vain…

There were some problems with the episode, number one of which was that we got zero mention of Logan. But since that story was pretty stupid anyway, I’m willing to move on if they are. And I still can’t get behind Ricky Schroeder. Maybe it’s because it’s Ricky Schroeder or maybe it’s that silly bowl he calls a haircut. Or maybe it’s just because I don’t like anyone doing Jack’s job and getting more screen time while doing it.

And if we have to give screen time to someone else, couldn’t we give it to Buchanan? It was nice to see him break up Milo and Doyle, but he needs more to do than that, kids…

It’s now after 11 as I type this paragraph. It’s taken me this long to write this post partly because I was watching “CSI: Miami” and partly because I’m still in shock. I was ready to blast the writers, the producers, the prop guys—anyone I could for ruining my show.
But I’m happy to say that didn’t happen.

Now, whether or not I’ll feel that way next week…

Stay Tuned…

"24": I'm Getting Scared...

“Don’t be scared,” Jack Bauer told the Russian woman. “You’ll be okay.”

And she was, amazingly enough. But will the show be?

For the first time all season, I’m not so sure…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about tonight’s “24.”

Sometimes it’s just no fun to be right and tonight was one of those times. I correctly predicted from what I heard of the promo that Martha would kill Charles. But if that’s the promo department’s idea of “the most shocking moment in ‘24’ history,” they haven’t been watching the show very long.

Or maybe they feel like they had to oversell it to make it seem more exciting. Something sure needed to…

It’s not unusual for the show to bring back a beloved character just to kill them, but if Logan is indeed dead, what did he die for? Just so Martha could make a phone call that did absolutely nothing? Was the whole purpose of that to get the raid on the consulate authorized so it didn’t seem like the raid in season four?

And what was even the point of bringing back Martha? Just so she could kill Logan and make that unnecessary phone call?

And why on earth would Jean Smart and Gregory Itzin sign on for this?

And am I the only one that feels a little betrayed? Not by the overblown promos, but by the show itself. The return of the Logans had been heavily anticipated all season, and their reunion was as good as advertised, but it was WAY too short and WAY too pointless.

As you know, I have defended “24” every step of the way this season, but after this, I’ve got to say I’m losing a little heart as well. And it doesn’t help that Jack has been MIA for much of the season.

That’s not to say the show doesn’t still have its good points. Powers Boothe is awesome as Vice-President Daniels and Peter MacNicol is continuing his strong run as Tom Lennox (But now that we’re blaming Assad, couldn’t we bring back Reed?). And the sped up launch of the nukes will amp up the adrenaline.

But waiting around the corner is the conclusion of the Phillip and Marilyn story and no doubt Sandra to whine over her injured brother.

And that doesn’t leave me much hope about where this season is headed.

I’m still with it, mind you, since unlike other critics, I remember that “24” was not always as strong as it was last season; but I’m really hoping they turn things around.

Because I’m getting pretty scared myself…

Pick of the Week: The Biggest Twist in "24" History

There’s a reason why I don’t watch “24” commercials. They give too much away.

I mean, the previews and “TV Guide” reveal enough, why do I need the commercials to spoil my fun too?

The problem is that almost all of the shows I watch are on FOX. So when the commercials come on I’m forced to take drastic measures. I don’t just turn my head or leave the room, I sing so I don’t hear what’s being said either.

But last week during “American Idol,” I was upstairs and the TV was on downstairs. I heard the commercial come on, but because I wasn’t near the TV, I didn’t sing. Big mistake.

I didn’t hear all of what was said, but I did hear the announcer promise us the biggest twist in “24” history.

Now, I know that it’s the job of the network promo department to oversell things. And more often than not, they turn out to be disappointments (Remember that “Lost” promo that promised the answers to three of the show’s biggest questions?). But over the years, FOX has been pretty accurate with their “24” promos—one of the reasons I don’t watch them.

When they told us to not miss the first 10 minutes of last season’s premiere? They were totally right. And every time they told us someone important would die? Right again.

So, I’m actually inclined to believe that Monday’s show is going to deliver a whopper of a shocker. And that’s why “24” is my Pick of the Week.

The other bad thing about “24” promos is that they become more revealing as the show’s airing gets closer. But knowing that didn’t stop me from listening to the promo they aired during today’s NASCAR race—which gave me an idea about what’s going to happen. And if I’m right, it will definitely be a shocker.

“24” airs Monday, March 12th at 9 p.m. on FOX…

Manic Monday: A Night of Interruptions

At about 9:30 tonight, my phone rang. Now, anyone who knows me knows not to call during “24,” so when I saw it was my mother, I figured something was wrong. So I answered the phone—which I never do Mondays between the hour of 9 and 10 p.m.

After realizing that she didn’t call to tell me something bad, I said to her in the nicest way possible, “You do realize what time it is, don’t you?” which was followed by about two minutes of her profusely apologizing (She didn’t realize what time it was.).

Only my mother would feel the need to apologize for calling her daughter. And I love her for that, by the way…

But the biggest interruption was yet to come…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about tonight’s episodes of “24” and “Heroes.”

I don’t know if it was because we got Jack and Logan at the very beginning or the absence of Rena Sofer’s name in the credits, but for me, this episode of “24” was solid from beginning to end.

I was a little concerned about Powers Boothe as the Vice President but he quickly erased all doubts for me with this episode. That southern gruffness is exactly what the show needed. And the wonderful Kari Matchett (“Invasion”) as his chief of staff is a great addition to the cast. Watching the horrified faces of everyone at CTU as Vice President Daniels announced his suspension of some civil liberties showed us that this storyline is about to get interesting. Maybe they should have bombed President Palmer sooner…

But the real heart of this episode was Jack and Logan. Their dynamic is nothing short of spectacular. I didn’t realize just how much Gregory Itzin was missed until tonight. I love how it was Logan that reminded Jack about the perils of taking on a foreign consulate—like he actually cared or something.

And though I hate to see any harm come to Jack, I have to say that this newest stall tactic of Jack being unable to relay information to CTU is a good one. But it’s a good thing he’s the star of the show, because if he wasn’t, he’d be screwed since as we already know, raiding foreign consulates never ends well—especially now with Ricky Schroeder leading the charge.

But maybe the most exciting part of the episode was the previews which showed us that next week we will get the moment we’ve all been waiting for—the return of Aaron Pierce!

Oh yeah. Martha Logan will be there too…

Now, about that big interruption I mentioned earlier…

I don’t have a problem with cliffhangers per se, but I think maybe “Heroes” may be taking it a little too far…

I really liked that they didn’t completely erase Claire from HRG’s memory and that he still wanted to find her. But I’d say he’s pretty much a dead man and you know I’m not happy about that. I saw the “she’s not his wife” twist coming, but I didn’t see Eric Roberts being right there to witness it. I told you that guy was trouble…

How cool was the reveal that Nathan and Peter’s mother is not nearly as clueless as we thought? I also liked Ando’s reappearance and Linderman revealing to Nathan that in two years he would be in the White House (although that doesn’t explain why he wanted him dead. Was that Plan B?).

And I could just hear the fans rejoice as Sylar cut Peter’s bangs. I’m guessing Sylar cutting into his brain causes the scar future Hiro referred to.

But the biggest surprise came during the previews. I knew that the show was going into reruns, but April 23rd? Are you even serious? Granted, that’s good news for me since it makes my Mondays MUCH less manic and “24” should enjoy a nice ratings boost, but come on!

Talk about an interruption…

Manic Monday: "That's Disappointing"

When Tom Lennox admitted to his scheming underling Reed Pollock that he had been against Reed all along on last night’s “24,” Reed responded with a curt “That’s disappointing.”

I have to say that pretty much sums up my reaction to the entire night last night.

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s “24” and “Heroes.”

Now, I know what you’re thinking. How could I be disappointed by a night that included both an attempt on the President’s life and answers about the most mysterious character on TV? I don’t know. I just was.

There were some good moments on “24” last night. I loved it when Chloe burst into the men’s room to find out if Morris was drinking (and people say no one ever goes to the bathroom on “24”). And of course, the meeting of Jack and Logan was awesome. I laughed out loud when Logan said he had renewed his faith. I mean, we’re not actually supposed to believe that are we? And maybe Gregory Itzin just brings out the best in everyone because his scene with D.B. Woodside was the best D.B.’s given us all season (Unfortunately, the remainder of D.B.’s scenes were so mumbled, they would have been better left on the cutting room floor.).

The problem was one that has been recurring too much this season—not enough Jack, or in this case, not enough Jack and Logan. If you’re going to bring these two heavyweights together, you need to give them plenty to do.

As for the aforementioned assassination attempt, it was just too anticlimactic for me. The President didn’t seem all that close to the explosion and the conspirators took the coward’s way out and did it during the practice instead of during the actual address—so it lost a little drama. And having a member of the President’s staff tied up in another room because he (or she) opposes a plot against the President has been done before (in season two), but I’m still willing to give it the benefit of the doubt since Chad Lowe is fantastic.

Next week’s previews show Jack getting himself into trouble again with a foreign consulate as he threatens to start breaking fingers. I know that some of you are too squeamish for that kind of thing, but I would rather see Jack eat someone’s entire hand than to see him touch Marilyn the way he did last night. Ewww!!!!...

So since “24” was a little ho-hum, I was pretty jazzed about “Heroes.” But you know what I’m always saying about expectations…

Maybe I was still bummed about “24,” but for me, the whole episode was one big rollercoaster that started going down before it ever got to the top.

Two things are for certain, though. HRG rocks and Jack Coleman gave one of the best performances of the year as he seamlessly (and believably) slipped back and forth between loving father and calculating villain.

There were some nice surprises last night, though. The first of which was that Claude, the invisible man, used to be HRG’s partner. But the biggest one was that Hiro’s father is involved in the organization and appeared to be very high up in it.

The episode also deserves some major kudos for those gorgeous black and white flashbacks. The makeup and hair people did an excellent job at making everyone look younger.

But now we have the questions…Who told the Haitian not to mind wipe Claire? Was it her mother?...Did the Haitian completely erase all of HRG’s memories about his family or just those about Claire?...Why did Eric Roberts shoot Ted? Was he wanting to test Claire’s ability or was he just hoping to do away with everyone?...How did HRG get Matt? Will HRG go back to being a bad guy and partner with him?

And with promises of more answered questions, the revelation of Linderman, AND a “Spider-Man 3” preview, how can “24” possibly compete next week?

Well, Kiefer does look good in a suit…

Stay tuned…

Manic Monday: Someone flies, someone dies and someone returns!

The biggest problem with a Manic Monday is that it can lead to an oversleeping Tuesday. And after last night, let’s face it. I needed the rest…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episodes of “Heroes” and “24.”

Since everything I’ve read says that a major character will die on “Heroes” March 5th, I was sure that the “Someone will fly, someone will die” promos were a bit of a con.

Boy, was I wrong…

First off, let me say that I think it is becoming more and more obvious that the character who will die March 5th is HRG and I’m not happy about that. Yes, his storyline seems to be coming to an end as more and more truth comes out; but I really like him and Jack Coleman is doing a fantastic job playing all of his facets. We should see much more of those facets next week as we get a flashback episode that should provide a few more answers.

But as much as I like HRG, I really hope it’s not Peter who dies, because he is getting really cool with all of those powers. It’s interesting that he was able to absorb all of the powers Sylar has, allowing him to have just about any power he wants.

And speaking of Peter, I was thinking from the moment his beloved Simone appeared on the screen how great it would be if she was the one who died since I find her character completely pointless.

I guess sometimes wishes do come true…

I really should have seen it coming, but I was so wrapped up in the big fight between Peter and Isaac and all of the cool powers that Peter was showing that I totally missed the signs. Seeing her face as she looked down at the blood, grasping Isaac’s key was a true Gasp! moment…

Unfortunately my death wishes didn’t work on “24” as both Milo and Marilyn survived—although I have to admit that Milo redeemed himself with his role in the Morris story. Making Morris a coward, while Milo gets to be the hero, was a great way to go and I’m loving every minute of it. Marilyn, however, is seriously getting on my nerves. We have to get her off this show before the writers decide to do the ridiculous and make Josh Jack’s son. And I think Rena Sofer may be needed on “Heroes” soon…

There’s no doubt that Peter MacNicol (Tom) is needed back on “Numbers,” and it looked for a moment like he might get back there sooner than we thought as Reed worked to keep Tom from stopping the Presidential assassination plot (That’s right, I said it.). Since they did something very similar in season two, I really should have seen that moment coming, but I was still surprised. Again, I love D.B. Woodside, but I am totally loving this story, as Jack will be powerless to stop the death of another President Palmer.

And speaking of Jack, how cool was it when he dragged Marilyn by her throat and then threw her up against the wall?! We had seen Marilyn reveal the truth about Jack’s father in the previews, but the scene still resonated as we saw Jack come to the realization. “How could I have been so stupid?” he asked himself. We were wondering the same thing Jack; but we’re glad you’re with the program now.

Kiefer Sutherland is going to have a difficult time picking an Emmy episode this year. And I have a feeling his best is yet to come…

As to why Phillip let Jack go, I think it was because he knew CTU would have a better time finding Gredenko than he could. Then, when they do, he’ll show back up to take care of business.

And even though “TV Guide” had already spoiled the big surprise at the end of this episode (Enough already, guys!), I still couldn’t contain my glee when I heard the voice of Gregory Itzin on the phone. I can’t wait to see the next confrontation between Jack and Logan. I’m still shaking from the last one…

And as the overly revealing previews tell us, Logan has one thing on his mind—getting his wife back. And that’s when Aaron Pierce will return to kick some you-know-what!

Say what you will about the beginning of this season, but “24” is in full swing now. If I were you, I’d jump on the roller coaster because things are about to turn upside down…

"24": WOO-HOO!!!

There is really only one word I can use to sum up my feelings about last night’s two hours of “24”…

WOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!

By 10 p.m., my heart was racing, my breathing was off and I couldn’t sit still. It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time—but boy, was it a good one. For the first time all season, I had experienced the adrenaline rush of “24.”

It was about time…

All of the problems that had been plaguing the show all season were fixed. The action was amped up, the supporting characters were intriguing, Milo’s life was put in jeopardy, D.B. Woodside finally learned to speak normally, Chloe came out of the background and there was no Sandra Palmer in sight (although I fear she’ll be back). Not even Marilyn and her mysterious kid could derail this one.

So, where to start…

How about with the dynamic duo of Jack and Chloe? Theirs is a complex relationship, and it showed all of its facets last night. First, it was friendship, as Jack tried to keep Chloe calm about Morris. Then it was admiration when Chloe returned to work. The look on Jack’s face when he heard Chloe’s voice over the comm was beautiful. Then, there was annoyance when Chloe told Jack the wrong switches to flip to stop the bomb from detonating. “Are you sure this time?” I know that wasn’t funny, but I laughed. And then, finally, the moment we’d been waiting for—their reunion at CTU. Chloe hadn’t laid eyes on Jack in over 18 months so it deserved to be a great moment, and it was, with Chloe’s special touch. “I’m glad Fayed didn’t kill you this morning.” “Me too,” Jack answered with a rare smile. The music was a tad much, but I think it was just expressing what we’re all thinking—Could we get these two together already?! Okay, I’m probably the only one thinking that…

And speaking of Chloe, how great was she with Morris? He’s been a bit of an annoyance for me this season, so I really liked the whole twist of him helping the terrorists. I thought they would threaten Chloe, but him being a “coward” was a much better way to go. I think Jack summed it up best for all of us when he incredulously asked, “You gave them something that actually worked?” And for Chloe to have to deal with the man she loves possibly being responsible for the deaths of thousands is a master stroke. Mary Lynn Rajskub was fantastic and I hope she marked this one for the Emmy reel—though I’m sure there’s more to come.

Now, one could argue that Phillip, Jack’s dad, is becoming a little too sinister; but I wouldn’t be that one. I would have never guessed that he would tell anyone that he killed Graem—least of all Graem’s wife— or that he would threaten Josh, but it works for me. And as the overly revealing previews tell us, Jack will actually learn the truth about his father next week—a lot faster than I would’ve guessed. But hey, anything that speeds up Marilyn’s departure is fine with me.

Even the White House storyline was riveting as D.B. Woodside dropped his Shakespearean speeches and actually started speaking normally again. But the heart of this story is without a doubt Chad Lowe, who was born to play this part.

I was concerned that the show was going to repeat itself with an overthrow of the president like in season two (my least favorite season, by the way); but it appears the show is headed toward something much more sinister. Something I dare not put in writing in case this blog is being monitored by the real Secret Service…

And as much as I love D.B. Woodside, I’ve got to say, if I’m right, it will be REALLY cool…

WOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Manic Monday: "Some family..."

[Warning: This post contains details of last night’s episodes of “Heroes” and “24.”]

I had so convinced myself that Linderman was Claire’s father on “Heroes,” I never saw any other possibilities—even though a close examination of the previews would have told me. So, I couldn’t help but gasp at the big reveal that Nathan is Claire’s father.

The strength of “Heroes” has always been its ability to connect all of the characters and this one is a great twist. Peter obviously felt some kind of connection with Claire, and now we understand why.

But my favorite part of this somewhat slow episode was the continuing evolution of H.R.G., who I think is becoming one of the most fascinating characters on TV. Yes, he appears to be a bad guy; but he clearly has nothing but love for his family, as he’ll do whatever it takes to protect them—even steal their memories.

As Claire and her mother would say, “some family.”

But that phrase could also apply to the Bauer family on “24”…

One of the biggest complaints about “24” this season is that Jack returned to his old self too quickly. In the first four hours, he was a shell of a man who could no longer use his old torturous methods to get the job done. But by the end of hour five, he was smothering Graem with a plastic bag. It just didn’t work for some people.

I hope those people were watching last night as the shattered Jack returned in full force. How great were those torture scenes? Jack knew he had to do whatever was necessary to get the truth out of Graem, but it was still his brother. The old Jack would probably have done it without a second thought, but this new broken Jack couldn’t bear it as he held his brother to get him through the pain—all the while still screaming at him to tell the truth. Yes, Jack had already tortured him, but Jack was able to contain the pain Graem felt. He couldn’t stop it this time.

And it only makes sense that the new Jack’s emotions would turn on a dime. He was anguished about torturing his brother, until Graem confessed to ordering the murders of his friends (Jack stumbling into the chair was priceless.). And when Graem dared tell Jack they were the same, Jack’s rage came out full force as he’d finally had enough. Even the usually quiet Burke had to take action as he felt Jack losing control of the situation. It only made sense that the disapproving look of his father was the only thing that could snap Jack back to reality. And again, I have to believe that only the broken Jack would fall for his father’s lies so easily.

Yes, I admit that I saw it coming, and yes, I admit the whole “how am I doing” reveal was a touch soapy; but the possibilities of this story are so numerous, I don’t care. The fact that Jack will have to take down his father is just SO AWESOME…

“Some family…”

"24": FINALLY!

During an interview with the cast of “24” before the season started, Larry King asked Jayne Atkinson (Karen Hayes) if “24” could survive without Jack Bauer. Atkinson was a little uncomfortable about answering—since Kiefer Sutherland was sitting right next to her—so Kiefer jumped in to answer for her.

“Absolutely,” he said. Then, Kiefer gave his usual argument about how the time format is the star of the show and how it could go on for years without him…

Now you all know how much I love Kiefer, and it’s not like me to so strongly disagree with him, but he’s dead wrong on this one. There is no “24” without Jack.

And there has been no better proof than the first five episodes of this season. Whereas last year the supporting characters kept us engrossed in their story while Jack was not on-screen; this year, they just couldn’t cut it and the show suffered whenever Jack was missing.

But finally, last night, the supporting characters came to play in a big way led by Peter MacNicol’s Tom Lennox, Atkinson’s Karen Hayes and the brilliant addition of Chad Lowe as Reed Pollock.

[Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episode of “24.”]

Extended arguments between characters are not something “24” is known for, but the heated exchange between Karen and Tom that opened the show was a thing of brilliance. Although the whole thing sounds a lot like season two, it’s just different enough—with much more dynamic performances—that I’m still enjoying it.

The supporting characters at CTU came alive as well, as Nadia was handcuffed by Lennox’s policies and Milo (who has been especially annoying) stepped in to help her. The look between the two of them was the most interesting thing those two have done all year (and gives me further evidence that Nadia may be this year's mole).

Even the dreadful Wallid story was solid last night as we discovered that he was risking his life for nothing. I was afraid that story was going to get dragged out way too long, so I’m glad to see I was wrong.

Unfortunately, good things can’t be said about all of the supporting players, though. Regina King’s Sandra Palmer is still incredibly annoying and I have a feeling she’s only going to get worse as we have to listen to her whine about her boyfriend (the aforementioned Wallid) risking his life for nothing. And I was so excited about Wayne (one of my favorite “24” characters of all time) being President, but so far, he’s been a real disappointment. Part of that is in the writing, but a larger part of it is D.B. Woodside’s overdramatic line delivery. It’s a presidential speech, not a Shakespearean monologue, D.B.

And I’m extremely disappointed with the writers’ decision to make Chloe so blah this season. You can’t give her that great look and then not give her something decent to do.

But as I said, there is no “24” without Jack; and he was still gone way too much last night—especially since he was in full-blown snarl mode AND he’s wearing that outfit (I don’t know who the terrorist was that left that shirt and those jeans behind for Jack to put on, but I am so thankful that he did.). Yes, the Graem “I don’t think so” twist was right out of a soap opera, but I am so loving the dynamic between Kiefer and Paul McCrane, that I’m willing to look past it (I know that for most of you McCrane will always be Dr. Romano of “ER,” but for me, he will always be the cop with the best singing voice on “Cop Rock.”). However, if Jack does not find out that it was Graem who got him shipped to China, I’m going to be mad. I’ve got to believe that President Logan figures in there somewhere.

I also liked the dynamic between Kiefer and James Cromwell (Jack’s dad, Phillip). I was initially upset that they did not cast Donald Sutherland, but I’m glad that Donald passed this to his friend. As Kiefer said in “USA Today” yesterday, when he and his dad do work together, it should be a “once in a lifetime” thing and as cool as it may turn out to be, this isn’t it.

There’s no doubt that “24” is doing the slow build this year, but for the first time I feel like it’s actually going somewhere…

FINALLY…

Manic Monday Becomes Family Monday

Three different shows, all with the same theme—family.

[Warning: The remainder of this post discusses details of last night’s episodes of “Prison Break” and “Heroes.”]

Of course, “Prison Break” has always been about family since it’s about two brothers, but last night they threw in the touchy-feely story of Sucre pursuing Maricruz while bonding with a recent widower. Even Haywire got into the family act as we discovered his father was an abusive drunk when he defended a young woman from her own abusive father. It was actually the first time I cared Haywire was even on screen…

Happy family memories were not the order on “24” either as Jack discovered some bad things about his brother and father (more on that in another post)…

Finally (for me, anyway), “Heroes” was all about family as Nathan struggled to help Peter, D.L. tried to be a single dad, Matt started a new chapter with his wife, Claire found her real mom, and Hiro’s father worked to bring him home.

I have to say it was a bit of a disappointment that we all knew that Hiro’s father was coming on the show, because that could have been a classic “Heroes” cliffhanger. Thankfully, the surprise of seeing the flames come out of Claire’s mom’s fingers made up for it. And my theory of Linderman being her father is becoming more and more probable as the Haitian admitted he didn’t know Claire’s dad.

For me, “Heroes” has yet to make a false step, but I have a bad feeling it’s about to seriously tick me off as the previews give us the distinct impression that HRG may be about to die. All of the magazines, websites, etc., tell us that someone that has been with the show from the very beginning will die and now all the signs point to him—especially now that Eric Roberts is joining the cast (and no one does creepy better than him). I think HRG is a fantastic character and Jack Coleman is doing such a wonderful job with him (Hard to believe he was Steven on “Dynasty.”). I know that because of the nature of his character he can’t stay around forever, I was just hoping he’d be around a little longer.

After all, he’s part of my TV family…

Photos courtesy of Gannett News Service