David Palmer for President!

[wumpus]

Well, we finally finished the 18 hour slog through the 24 "hours" of the 24 DVD set. Another poster mentioned this was the best show he'd seen since Band of Brothers. I tend to agree-- it was excellent, and way better than a lot of movies I've seen. Thoroughly entertaining. If you haven't seen the show, do yourself a favor and pick up the DVD set for ~$45.

A few random thoughts. Mild spoilers below, so beware.

1) I loved the unpredictability of the plot. This is key. Audiences HAVE to feel that you will actually drop the hammer on major characters if necessary, not just tease us with potential bad outcomes which miraculously.. never.. happen. For example: the waitress choosing to turn Jack in, the aide stabbing one of the brothers in the heat of the moment, etcetera. The little stuff that says, hey, we're not fucking around. Looooved that.

2) Isn't this show kind of.. mysogynistic? Geez. I want a pre-emptive divorce now. All the main female characters are damn near harpies, or at the very best (Jack's wife) hellaciously annoying. And guess what happens to her?

3) The next time Verizon or Sprint PCS wants ad material, they need look no further than this show. Forty feet underground in a secure metal bunker, and you need to make a cell phone call? No problem! Lost in a remote wilderness in god knows where, Nevada, and getting a little bored? Hey, let's download some new ringtones for our cell phone, and check our voice mail! I'm telling you, this is a cell phone snuff film, people!

4) The real-time gimmick works. Fortunately, it doesn't carry the show, but that's because it doesn't need to: the plot and acting does.

5) I really would vote for David Palmer. Whatta guy. Some of my best friends are black!

[Sparky]

Isn't this show kind of.. mysogynistic?
I tried watching one episode, which seemed to be all about "Hot, Dumb Blondes in Grave Danger". Apparently that's what the rest of the episodes are about, too. How retro - it's like 40's pulp fiction. No thanks.

[hido]

"I tried watching one episode, which seemed to be all about "Hot, Dumb Blondes in Grave Danger". Apparently that's what the rest of the episodes are about, too. How retro - it's like 40's pulp fiction. No thanks."

I'm going to need a hacksaw.

[Anonymous]

How retro - it's like 40's pulp fiction. No thanks.

Kinda like monster movies.

[Sparky]

How retro - it's like 40's pulp fiction. No thanks.

Kinda like monster movies.

Yawn.

(Just unwrapped the Sony "My First Yawn" I got for Xmas!)

[Anonymous]

Faye Wray was the original ""Hot, Dumb Blonde in Grave Danger." Get with it, doll.

[Sparky]

Faye Wray was the original ""Hot, Dumb Blonde in Grave Danger."
Uh, no, that would probably be someone like Lillian Gish. Although I wouldn't call her dumb, she was well known for her weak-but-beautiful blonde victim characters. And if you're only talking about monster movies: Fritz Lang's 1924 film Siegfried featured one of the first giant monsters and a blonde princess in dire need of rescue. Of course, "Blonde In Danger" goes waaay back before movies (the tale Siegfried was based on is old).

I find the HDBIGD a little tired nowadays. But 24 is aimed at men 18-35, not me, and it seems to be a success.

[Chris]

The majority of the women in this show are shown as either manipulative or stupid. Not all, but most. Still, I'm enlightened enough to realize that is not the case and still enjoy the show which is one of the best on television right now.

[Tyjenks]

Isn't this show kind of.. mysogynistic?
I tried watching one episode, which seemed to be all about "Hot, Dumb Blondes in Grave Danger". Apparently that's what the rest of the episodes are about, too. How retro - it's like 40's pulp fiction. No thanks.

wumpus watched all of last season.

Sparky, did you watch an episode from this season or last? Last season was a lot lower on the hot blonde:normal human ratio. This year the ratio is ~6 to 1. Maybe you should try last season instead. I thought it was better as a whole than this season has been. Although, dumb hot blondes are not quite the negative in my book that they are in yours probably. :)

[Sparky]

I think it was early this season? It reminded me of every darn John Pertwee Dr. Who episode where the he says (to Sarah Jane) Stay here! She runs off and gets in trouble. Don't do that! She does that and gets in trouble. "Doctor, I appear to have tumbled down this 2-foot incline, and I can't get up! The tinfoil-wrapped men with buckets on their heads will shoot me with their spray-painted toilet plungers!"

(Guess you'd have to change that to "alYOOminEEum foil" and "loo plunger" or something to be authentic)

[Anonymous]

I was considering this a little more as I was going to sleep-- the writers, whoever they are, definitely have issues with women. But then so did Hitchcock, so they're theoretically in good company.

It's still a very good show, and for what it's worth, my wife enjoyed it too.

-wumpus

[Tyjenks]

This season did start with an "all-blonde" free-for-all. Lots of worried looks, shrieking, and moodiness. (That reminds me of Christmas at my house this year.) It's toned down somewhat. Again, last year was simply excellent. Give it a try, you won't be soooorrrrrryyyyy.


It's still a very good show, and for what it's worth, my wife enjoyed it too.

-wumpus
Ditto. Of course, my wife likes reality TV, too. So she may not be too good a guage. Joe Millionaire -> UGH!

[Jason Becker]

Just finished the last episode(and the short alternate ending). Damn good. I thought the 'Monika Lewinsky' angle they took at the end was a tad cheesy, but overall a great ride. I agree with the producers comments that the "darker" ending was a better fit for the series than the "happy" one they thought of maybe doing at one time.