The End of 24: Reactions

So it seems the Now-Sour Jack Bauer Hour (also known as 24) is coming to a close. After 8 seasons and 192 hours of tragedy, terrorism, and political torment, rumor has it that Jack will be hanging up his CTU badge and retiring that whisper-scream he loves so much. Or, at least that's what every major news outlet is reporting (including Perez Hilton, IGN, and Variety). And as a long time fan who has stood by Jack's side through the death of his wife, his battles against Nina Myers, his heroin addiction, his conflict with the Chinese government, the assassination of David Palmer, his daddy issues, and his short stint working with the FBI, this information leaves me with very mixed feeling. It is always upsetting when a long running show that has been a mainstay in your DVR rotation falls by the wayside. This is especially true of a show like 24, which arguably revolutionized the prime-time action/drama genre with its real-time format and willingness to deal with hot-button issues like terrorism and torture.

However, in the back of my mind, I know that 24's golden age is well behind us. No matter how much it pains me to admit, the truth of the matter is that the 24 formula has been stale since the end of Season 5, and though Season 7's new setting and fresh cast gave me hope for a rebirth of the show, this season has truly set that beeping yellow clock on snooze. The show's problems are numerous. First of all, some of the scenarios are just ridiculously absurd. For example, recently this season, a terrorist strapped with a suicide bomb infiltrates a hospital in an attempt to murder someone with valuable information about a pending nuclear threat (an airtight plan, clearly). After CTU manages to disable the explosives remotely using radio waves (really?), the terrorist jumps out of a window, plummets three stories, and hits the hard concrete. Of course, he survives that fall, coming away with what appears to only be a sprained ankle (I guess...). Jack follows closely behind, chasing the limping terrorist at full, unhampered speed. However, Jack is not able to catch up to the hobbling villain (oh come on), who manages to conveniently find his way to a decompression chamber (are you serious?), which he locks himself inside of so he can begin rewiring the bomb for detonation by hand (right, because he's an explosives expert). Jack then manages to get the terrorist to surrender and come out of the chamber by threatening to kill his mother (say what?), but when the villain opens the chamber and submits, some other terrorists use the "fail safe" frequency to detonate the bomb remotely (...uh...). And after a conveniently placed digital display ticks down for 60 to zero (you know, because all suicide bombs come with these fancy clocks), the terrorist explodes into a million pieces.

I mean, even the worst action movies don't reach these levels of absurdity, and the ones that do don't taken themselves serious enough for us to really hold major objections. And it seems that is exactly what 24's problem is: it takes itself way too seriously. Perhaps this is a necessary result of the subject matter. Of course, no one would be happy if depictions of terrorism and torture weren't treated with the proper levels of gravity and seriousness. But if this is in fact the case, and we as viewers are supposed to  believe what is happening and respect its seriousness, then the 24 writers need to reevaluate their grip on how things work in the "real world."  There is no remaining semblance of reality, and reality is completely necessary when a show takes itself as seriously as 24 does.

But let's be clear: Jack Bauer is not the problem for me. I have no qualms about watching a near-superhuman character like Jack save the day time after time. But, again, it is how seriously everything is taken that rubs me the wrong way. For example, let's use an analogy to Christopher Chance from FOX's Human Target. Or better yet, let's think to James Bond. When either of these characters pull off a fantastic stunt, they do so with a wink, a smile, and usually some tongue-in-cheek quip. But when Jack manages to escape capture by electrocuting a guy with his bare feet, we get no pause, no moment of "phew, that was a close one," no recognition whatsoever that what just happened was really amazing.

Perhaps being less serious wouldn't be the answer. Maybe the same level of seriousness would work better if the show was more grounded in reality. But as it stands with the most recent seasons, the balance between reality and seriousness is terribly out of whack. And for me, the damage is done. Will I watch the rest of Season 8? Probably. Will I be upset when the show doesn't return next season? Maybe. Do I think the departure of 24 from FOX's lineup is warranted? Definitely.

And with that, I bid farewell to Jack and the CTU crew. We had a good run, and I'll never forget the good times.