Has 24 jumped the clock?

Bee boop…bee boop…bee boop….bee boop.

There was a time when that noise meant it was time to wake the brain for another installment of 24. In its 4+ seasons, 24 has challenged its audience with intricate plots and a dense mythology. When the 5th season began this January I praised the first few episodes as perhaps the best start of a season ever. The show dared to kill off a number of regulars and immediately set us on the familiar Jack against the world path. Four months later I can honestly say that 24 has lost its way. What’s gone wrong?

No Follow Up
Last year 24 ended with a rather humorous shot that reminded many of the old Bill Bixby Hulk show. Jack walked alone as he went out to create a new life for himself. The decision to bring Jack back to CTU right away was probably the first mistake. Having Jack in a soldier of fortune type role could have made for some good early season stuff and then you could have him drawn back in to his old role. Also, ever since Jack came back to CTU in hour 3, his reemergence and the ramifications to the Chinese situation from last year have not been dealt with.

Sloooooooooow Plot Development
Your average 24 episode is made up of people talking, then driving, then shouting, then shooting. The key to keeping this formula fresh is what comes next. This season Jack spent 4 hours chasing the tape recording that proved the President was the big bad of the season. Instead of getting to the end of one chase scene and finding a clue or a plot development like past seasons, this series of chase scenes simply ended with one person getting away only for the chase to continue. At one point you were cheering for the bad guys to just destroy the tape and end it. I think the writing staff must have thought they worked for a show called 16 because the amount of filler this year is monumental.

Enough with CTU
Are you as bored with the intergovernmental politics that run this place as I am? This year we had three attempted takeovers of CTU, one by the Fat Hobbit, one by the terrorists, and one by Homeland Security. While I love the fact that our government is accurately portrayed as incompetent, how many times can CTU themselves be the victim of a terrorist attack? It’s time to cut Jack loose from this bureaucratic bunch. I’ve never understood this “division” that the higher ups refer to, but maybe Jack could work for them or maybe he could take Sydney’s job at APO.

Kim Returns Onscreen
Unless she’s bringing the cougar, I don’t want to see it.

Hurried Finale
I’m taking a few leaps here because I’ve obviously not seen the last 2 hours but after Monday’s show I think we’re in for a rough night. In the 3rd to last hour we were introduced to 3 new plot threads that now must be tied up in the final night. Jack’s still got to stop the terrorists (who’ve gone from chemical to nuclear), catch the President, kill Miles and have time to discover his romantic feelings for Chloe.

I’ll still watch the finale of course, hoping it will renew my faith and maybe even set up storylines for next year that will actually be followed up on. Yet I’m still a little shaky due to the fact that a 24 movie in the pipeline and that brings back memories of when X Files began to decline. Of course Mulder and Scully didn't have a Jack Sack to get them out of tight spots.

Bee boop…bee boop…bee boop….bee boop.