I’ve been a fan of 24 since it launched. It’s never failed
to deliver a season of 24 hours (minus commercials) of riveting television that
leaves you breathless. So you know where my butt will be for the next 10 Monday
nights: on the couch in front of my TV set for the half-season. I wonder:
should we now call it 12?
Writers and TV producers like formulas that work. Even 24 follows a formula: only Jack Bauer can save the world, but he has to defeat not only the bad guys, but the authorities, too. Even though he has saved the world eight times in a row, even after proving he's a good guy each time, even after showing the doubters that they were wrong eight freakin' times, the authorities just want to lock him away.
There are other pattens I have noticed, too, after watching eight seasons of Jack Bauer saving America
and the world. Based only on the experience and my gut feelings,
I boldly make some predictions about the coming season.
Who will turn out to be a traitor:
Steve Navarro,
the man in charge of the CIA branch in London, played by Benjamin Bratt. What
tipped me off: when he orders super-agent Kate Morgan to leave the field
facility immediately, instead of waiting out the term of her job, and says “I
really am trying to help you.” Help you stay alive when this place blows, he
means.
Mark Boudreau, President
Heller’s Chief of Staff, because he’s in the most potentially damaging position
for a traitor to be. Plus, he’s married to Jack’s long-time love, Audrey, TV’s
most annoying returning character. Can she not close her lips?
Who will turn on Jack:
Chloe, of course.
Who has more reason to?
Who will turn out to be the indispensable, unforeseen hero:
Chris Tanner, the drone pilot. He won’t be just a victim,
because he has too many skills, he’s too smart and he’s determined to set
things right.
Who will die:
Erik Ritter, the
guy who wants Kate Morgan’s job and taunted the handcuffed Jack Bauer. He
thinks he’s better than he is, and he’s determined to prove himself. He’s just
going to get in front of a bullet, but not before causing a lot of damage to
his own side.
Jordan Reed:
Chloe’s boy Chloe. He’s too nice.
President Heller:
He’s dealing with incipient Alzheimer’s, his health isn’t perfect, he takes a
bunch of pills and he’s heroic. He’ll do something that gets him killed around
episode 9.
Mark Boudreau:
Because we all hate him.
I didn’t catch his name and cannot find it online, but he’s Jack’s driver and assistant gunman in
London. He has Friend of Jack Bauer Syndrome. It’s fatal.
Half of Chloe’s goth
hacker group. Because Jack was once in the same room with them, thus infecting them with the same ailment that will kill the Jack's driver.
About three dozen
British and American police officers and soldiers. Because that’s just what
happens when Jack Bauer’s in town.
Those are my predictions. Now let’s see how accurate
I was in 10 weeks.
Love it, love it, Scott!!! I am sure you're right about all of them. My husband thinks Audrey will die and Jack will go berserk trying to avenge her death, but I don't, I think they are going to have a happy ending together. Fabulous post - and please use the hashtag #JackIsBack when you tweet it, so that all our fellow addicts can see it! :)
ReplyDeleteps - watching all the series again in quick succession, we noticed other patterns. Around ep 3/4 Jack is public enemy no 1. By ep 7/8 he's redeemed himself by sorting the first plot of the evil ones - THEN he discovers it goes further, and by ep 15/16 he's been through the whole cycle again, and become a hero by solving phase 2.... which is when we go into the much darker phase 3, and discover what is really going on - by which time Jack is pretty much on his own.....
ReplyDeleteThere are so many patterns in this show. Unlike so many other shows, 24 hasn't wrung all the life out of its own formula yet. I don't think Audrey will die. She shares the immunity to Friend of Jack Bauer Syndrome with Jack's daughter, Kim. Jack's wife, and Tony, Michelle, Curtis, Bill, David Palmer ... so many others did not have that immunity.
ReplyDeleteI think Chloe's the only other one, isn't she - I wish they'd saved dear Bill, though!
ReplyDeleteFantastic post, Scott!
ReplyDeleteI've just seen episode 3 and I absolutely loathe Kate Morgan but I suspect she will end up helping Jack. The Al-Harazi family are like a nest of vipers and I think they are all in danger from psycho Margot (I'm very upset that she's from Yorkshire!!!). Surely creepy Adrian, the modern day Fagin, has to die. If Chloe turns on Jack I don't think I'll ever recover. I'm still reeling from the news about poor Maurice and Prescot. I like those little hackers, I think we should see more of them and it could be like 24 meets Scooby Doo.