24 Day 7 [Spoilers]

[Pelranius]

It looks like things peaked too soon. Dubaku holding Mr. Taylor and other members of the First Family hostage doesn't seem very threatening. And why the fuck does Ike need a girlfriend as well? This is becoming quite a tiresome cliche with 24 villains. Can we please leave their personal lives out of the season for once?

And where's Hodges and Candyman?

[Anarchist Bunny]

24 for a while has been trying to up the ante from previous seasons. Season 1 was great because Jack Bauer wasn't saving the #######'s of American lives. The next two seasons there was one threat with other plots tied arround it. Unfortunately in those to seasons they went Nuclear and Biological. Hard to one up, so they went with Marwon the infinitely overly prepared terrorist who had a baby CIP device for nuclear reactors then made off with a nuke. The next season seemed to shake that off a little and went back to the season 2 and 3 formula only this time chemical, but still had to squeeze that second threat there at the end(for some stupid weapon) with the terrorist making off with a Russian sub full of ballistic weapons on the fly. Season six was more of the same with nuclear UAVs followed by the magic anti-russian weaponry chip.

So its no surprise 7 episodes in the first plot was foiled. Hell, they may even go for a third this season. I was honestly expecting Dubaku to shrug off loosing the CIP module and heading over to his facility where his second unspeakable and utterly impossible weapon against the American people was waiting.

Anyway my problems with this episode:
Didn't Jack say there were six guys in the room with Dubaku? Maybe I miscounted but they go in there and kill something like 18. Maybe I missed the scene where the grunts come back from their smoke break when they hear gunfire.

The human bomb just screams Braga too me for some reason. Evil, yes, but utterly retarded when they could of just tied him to a chair and but the bomb over the door frame and killed them all.

God the 24 curse of no manual overrides strikes again with the chemical plant. Why is pressure even building up there? And worse case scenario can't someone go smack what ever is pumping to tanks with a wrench til it stops. Or shut off the power gird in that area. Or if the CIP module is preventing that, drive a truck into the powerline poles. For fucks sakes C02 fire extinguishers have an automatic analog pressure release valve! And manual safety pressure release valves dump it in the most dangerous way possible?

[Pelranius]

I got the impression that Dubaku and Nichol's minions were just taking cover for many of the shots, but I'm probably wrong on that count.

Don't like the way Tony looked in the last few minutes. He looks unnecessarily guilty. And if those things he's done are so horrible, then why has he chosen to have a crisis of conscience right now?

[Gaidin]

Don't like the way Tony looked in the last few minutes. He looks unnecessarily guilty. And if those things he's done are so horrible, then why has he chosen to have a crisis of conscience right now?

Straw to break the camel's back is my theory, if that makes sense. The act he couldn't do kinda brings back his old self?

[Pelranius]

Now I like Henry, but somehow I'm now rooting for Dubaku to shoot him ASAP so we can move on to another storyline.

I think that Kanin is in on the take.

[Peptuck]

I still am suspicious of Tony. Though now that Emerson is apparently dead, I can't figure out who he's working for.

I still think that Philip Bauer is out there somewhere, for the record.

We never did see Philip die, nor the rest of the Bluetooth Gang, for that matter. They easily controlled the US under Logan's administration, who's to say this tinpot African dictator isn't being played by a third party in the US?

He probably is. Remember in Redemption, he was getting funded and supplied by whoever those corrupt executives were, the same guys who killed Taylor's son and her son's friend. I'd bet dollars to yen that they're behind the corrupt Secret Service guys and the other conspirators in the government.

That said, I want to see more of General Juma himself. He only appeared for a bit in the movie.

[Jack Bauer]

I'm just waiting for Jon Voight to return for the second half of the season.

[Pelranius]

Maybe Lord Croft and Candyman show up sooner than that. Dubaku being the only present villain is a bit ridiculous, since he seems to be controlling everything. And the Marika moment was a really WTF moment.

I hope the last sixteen episodes are a lot better.

[Pelranius]

Speaking of Dubaku, I was surprised that he didn't freak out and fly into a rage when he saw Bauer on the security cam, since Jack killed his brother back in Redemption. Abu Fayed was pretty pissed off about a similar thing last season. Then I realized that because of the writer's strike, that little nugget of background probably wasn't written in as of filming the seventh episode.

And what sort of terrorist supervillain uses a twenty minute delayed security camera anyways?

[Gaidin]

And what sort of terrorist supervillain uses a twenty minute delayed security camera anyways?

How many cameras does the building have? If I were the terrorists, I'd want access to all of those plus some custom installed ones. Either way...I know I wouldn't be able to watch all of them at once. A lot of the checking of footage would be by going over the past half hour and catching something. As opposed to glancing at the 5-10 cameras that happen to be on the screen at the moment and seeing nothing at the moment(redundant statement on purpose).

[Deathstalker]

What self respecting Secret Service agent sells out to a two-bit thirdworld African dictator? If your going to sell out, sell out to someone decent like the Russians or Chinese.

[Gaidin]

What self respecting Secret Service agent sells out to a two-bit thirdworld African dictator? If your going to sell out, sell out to someone decent like the Russians or Chinese.

Redemption shows the USSS agent that died sold out to Jon Voight. It's a logical step, given there's no reasonable method(that I'm aware of) for dubaku to develop that much trust in a relationship based on betrayal in the span of a few months since Redmeption, that Jon Voight just handed off another agent to him. That's my theory anyway.

[Pelranius]

You'd think that Mr. Hodges would stay in the loop more. Does Dubaku have to do everything himself?

I'm half expecting Dubaku to drag Philip Bauer out of a box and demand that he work on a new CIP device (or the original, if that bit of debris in the command center was a red herring). The Henry Taylor as hostage plot probably won't last too long, anyways.

Dubaku: Turn it on!

Philip: Screw you.

Dubaku: Turn it on or I shoot your granddaughter *minions drag out Kim with a C4 vest)

Philip: You know that you'll be doing the entire show a favor, right?

Dubaku: *thinks about it* "Turn it on or I shoot your sheep herding pig!" *pulls Babe out of a drawer and holds pistol against head of said pig*

Philip: "All right, all right. But can you still blow up Kim?"

[Gaidin]

I'm sensing an SNL skit after the season's over....or during it for that matter.

[Peptuck]

God the 24 curse of no manual overrides strikes again with the chemical plant. Why is pressure even building up there? And worse case scenario can't someone go smack what ever is pumping to tanks with a wrench til it stops. Or shut off the power gird in that area. Or if the CIP module is preventing that, drive a truck into the powerline poles. For fucks sakes C02 fire extinguishers have an automatic analog pressure release valve! And manual safety pressure release valves dump it in the most dangerous way possible?

This problem screams of Braga even more than the pointless human bomb. Its a completely contrived situation to give the plant manager a heroic sacrifice, which we didn't really need another of. Bruner gets +9000 badass points for willingly walking into a literal deathtrap, but goddamn, that design made no sense.

[Admiral Valdemar]

This problem screams of Braga even more than the pointless human bomb. Its a completely contrived situation to give the plant manager a heroic sacrifice, which we didn't really need another of. Bruner gets +9000 badass points for willingly walking into a literal deathtrap, but goddamn, that design made no sense.

It kind've reminded me of Torchwood with the nuke facility that vents core material into the control room. Uh, right. Well, this wasn't as bad, and even though some things have no such thing as a manual override, the venting into the room you're currently residing is a tad silly. I have no problems with the human bomb, because this is a batshit insane African warlord.

And anyone who expected the CIP device and Dubaku to form even the majority of the season's threat is an idiot or never watched 24 before. Expecting the season to end as you can conclude based on the initial few episodes is futile at best. If you watched Redemption, you'd know what this was leading up to.

I think we can all agree that the one-up-manship went overboard with Marwan in Day 4 and his bazillion contingency plans. Day 5 was far superior, rivalling 2 for the matter.

[Gaidin]

And why the fuck does Ike need a girlfriend as well? This is becoming quite a tiresome cliche with 24 villains. Can we please leave their personal lives out of the season for once?

Well we can't have them leaving ten minutes before Bauer arrives to take care of something personal if we don't give them context do we?

[Pelranius]

All right, so how is pointing a gun at Ms. Vossler and baby Vossler supposed to be make the do it yourself CTU better than the conspiracy of Candyman and Lord Croft?

It might be an anti torture message from the producers, but if it is one, it's rather ham handed.

[Gaidin]

Huh? That was a bluff...a five minute bluff that had no other purpose than to get an address out of the guy. It's really got no other purpose for the plot than that. As far as character development it screws with the FBI agent's heads, but there's nothing major in that scene.

[Glom]

This season got so much better once they jetted the Braga crap. I mean PSV's that can be closed by a hacker. If it can be locked closed, IT'S NOT A FUCKING PSV!

Much better now. Of course, I didn't like the idea of hurting the baby one bit. As a bluff, I can accept it for expediency of the operation, but if they were serious, then that's is so out of order Bauer really needs the chair.

[Gaidin]

As a bluff, I can accept it for expediency of the operation, but if they were serious, then that's is so out of order Bauer really needs the chair.

Bauer's done some screwy shit, but he has his lines. The dialogue of that ep displays it. When he was meeting the special agents, he made clear that the intent was to make the USSS guy think they were going to hurt his family. I'm pretty sure they've shown these lines before, but I can't remember where right now without going over season plots. The agents hated the idea of doing even that much, but went with it. And for never having done that kind of play before, I'm surprised Walker did that well. Granted all she did was kneel over the baby and basically just comfort it. When it stopped crying the mom assumed and went apeshit.

[Pelranius]

Considering the business with Miriam Henderson, I'm not really willing to give Jack too much room for reasonable doubt when it comes to shooting the family of terrorists and assorted henchpersons.

[Gaidin]

Considering the business with Miriam Henderson, I'm not really willing to give Jack too much room for reasonable doubt when it comes to shooting the family of terrorists and assorted henchpersons.

Are you saying he sees adults and children as the same? He did the same bluff with the villain's daughter at the end of season 3.

[Pelranius]

Considering the business with Miriam Henderson, I'm not really willing to give Jack too much room for reasonable doubt when it comes to shooting the family of terrorists and assorted henchpersons.

Are you saying he sees adults and children as the same? He did the same bluff with the villain's daughter at the end of season 3.

I don't think Saunder's daughter would qualify as a child by any reasonable definition. And Ms. Vossler was certainly an adult.

[Gaidin]

I don't think Saunder's daughter would qualify as a child by any reasonable definition. And Ms. Vossler was certainly an adult.

Except the big problem this time is that his actions don't pan out as him being willing to go through with it. From the start the FBI agents believe they're going to make the USSS agent think they're going to do something to his family. They have a hard time with just that. Walker did a Bauer style interrogation a few hours ago, but there's no way you can say she sees these two tactics as legitimately similar. Hell she says it's different and she's not nearly as good a liar as Bauer under these conditions. If Bauer was really willing to go through with it against the guy's family, he sent the wrong person there. Tony could've easily had access to a car, and Bauer could've called him while he and Walker went after the agent.