The Mall Threat

I must say, that I liked this week much better than last week -- especially watching Jack deal with the ethical dilemma inside the mall.

I also like how Audrey seemed to make a harsh criticism of theoretical utilitarian philosophy!

But Dick says this episode was slow compared to last week.

What do you think?

Canisters Schmanisters!

Now we had the fake-out at the airport to cover for the canisters, but is that really the plot? Nerve gas?

Surely the nerve gas situation is also the cover for a third or fourth layer of devilment from the main terrorist guy who uses his cell phone a lot.

So let's leave speculations in this strand's comments!

I'm wondering what other manuscript inconsistencies President Palmer's brother will find, or are they just going to write him off the show?

I remember last season, when bitchy lady running CTU with the crazy kid had her kid slash her wrists. Edgar noticed an INCONSISTENCY in the coverage of the doctors, but it was just a red herring...

Is that what they did to the brother, or will he discover something?

Logan!

After last night's show, I am just left wondering at the profound ineptitude of media-pandering President Manilow.

His character perfectly embodies all that makes me angry about stupid people!

At the end of the day, will he really still be the President? Surely he needs to have a break-down, or a comprehensive ass-whooping!

More Republican Conspiracies

I just found this on Wikipedia:

Season 5

* Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is scheduled to make a cameo appearance in the episode scheduled to be broadcast February 6, 2006. According to USA Today, McCain will have a non-speaking role as an unidentified bureaucrat who delivers a file folder to Audrey Raines, the character portrayed by Kim Raver. [5]

More evidence of 24 as Republican propoganda for supporting a government takeover of basic rights to fight "terror"?

JackTracker!

So we all remember when the Google Satellite images were released. Everyone started looking at the view of their rooftops from outerspace. A royal waste of time, but cool anyway.

Yesterday, I'm on the phone with Steve, and he forces me to download Google Earth. What an even more fabulous waste of life!

Now, I can have the whole Earth satellite mapped on my desktop. I can type an address, and the earth will spin around and zoom me into any location. For no reason whatsoever, I spent some actual breathing moments looking at Bagdad, Paris, Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles, and my house.

But now, absolutely superb wastes of passing seconds on God's Earth have merged with 24!

Meet JackTracker!

What is JackTracker, you ask? Just think Google Earth Satellite interfacing mixed with key locations from each Season of 24, complete with screen shots from the program and commentary on if the location exists.

Awesome...

Jack's Ethics at In These Times

In These Times has an interesting cover story this week about the ethics of 24. I thought I'd comment on this paragraph:

It is here that we encounter the series' fundamental ideological lie: In spite of this thoroughly ruthless attitude of self-instrumentalization, the CTU agents, especially Jack, remain "warm human beings," caught in the usual emotional dilemmas of "normal" people. They love their wives and children, they suffer jealousy--but at a moment's notice they are ready to sacrifice their loved ones for their mission. They are something like the psychological equivalent of decaffeinated coffee, doing all the horrible things the situation necessitates, yet without paying the subjective price for it.

Jack has never been willing to sacrifice his loved ones at a moment's notice for the mission. In fact, much of the series has been Jack trying to figure out how to protect his loved ones will still carrying out the mission.

Too bad the writer doesn't actually watch the show. He makes some interesting points, but they are not based on a familiarity with the program, it seems.

The Hobbit

OK... I can now remember that the Hobbit's name is "Lyn," but I can't remember the last name. But despite the blogosphere hating him when he first showed, I maintain that this is a new kind character addicted to protocol -- one who knows what's what in terms of Jack.

He got Jack cleared, and when Jack said he didn't work for CTU, and that he would personally get that guy out of the White House, Hobbit didn't freak out or something. More points to him.

When Jack was about to get a pair of surgical scissors in the face, I was expecting Tony to wake up for a short show of ass kicking. I mean, dude got shot in the neck in season three and was out on the beat a few hours later.

It really is too bad about Michelle. There were not many characters like here on TV: smart, sexy, and able to kick ass -- all at the same time!

Nothing like DOD girlfriend from last season. (God, I can't ever remember names!) She was really hurt by redhead's line: "I just accepted Jack for who he was."

Just found this at Google Video

Stupid 24 Stuff

OK... We can't really post again until Monday (and BTW, Cyberspace, this coming week will mark the proper launch of this blog -- so watch out!), but in the meanwhile here are some 24 related tidbits:

*The 24 Clock

I've never downloaded it, since it looks pretty stupid -- but I like knowing it exists.

I just learned that Jack Bauer is the voice-over for the new Intel-inside-Mac commerical.

Now, though I admittedly don't know Jack about computer processing chips, I am nonetheless bothered (for reasons I can't even figure out) that Macs will have the "Intel inside."

First, there'd better never be one of those stupid stickers on a Mac.

But does this move make Macs more likely to inherit any of the viruses I always hear about plaguing the PC world?

Maybe the 24 writers were in on this move: they edit the show on a Mac, the good guys in the show all use Macs, but they are always talking about getting the latest "intel."