Obsidian Potency 3.0
24 runs out of time.
posted Monday, 16 March 2009
The Rob posted a very comprehensive weblog entry on why he has given up on Season 7 of 24 -- and on the show as a whole -- at the 11th-episode mark. I completely agree with his analysis, though I could not put it into words as effectively as he does.
My favorite seasons of the show were Season 1 (my all-time favorite and the one most true to the 24-hour format), Season 3 (many twists and turns, as well as some shockingly emotional moments) and Season 5 (President Evil). I wasn't a fan of Season 2 (too much Elisha Cuthbert -- the low point was when the show depicted her getting chased by a cougar as a dramatic moment) or Season 4 (the main villain who kept implausibly escaping from CTU dragnets for more than half the season, and the season where torture became a lot less ambiguous and a lot more acceptable to the central characters).
After watching almost every single episode of every other season, I gave up on Season 6 with 2-3 episodes remaining and gave up on Season 7 about 5 episodes in. The formula just got too repetitive and stale. I was still riveted as I watched each episode, because that's how the show is written -- to keep you riveted. But once each episode was over, I realized I had gained nothing from the experience of watching it. I felt dirty, like someone had cheaply manipulated me into feeling tense and caring what happened -- but only in the moment. When each episode ended, I didn't have the feeling that I couldn't wait for the next one anymore. I no longer cared what happened to any of the characters or in the general plot. It just didn't matter.
Thus, the clock has finally run out on 24. Kiefer Sutherland said at the beginning of the show's run that the show couldn't last for more than a few seasons, because it would be absurd to expect a character like Jack Bauer to survive so many harrowing days and still be able to function. He was right...but more about the show as a whole than any individual characters on it.
My favorite seasons of the show were Season 1 (my all-time favorite and the one most true to the 24-hour format), Season 3 (many twists and turns, as well as some shockingly emotional moments) and Season 5 (President Evil). I wasn't a fan of Season 2 (too much Elisha Cuthbert -- the low point was when the show depicted her getting chased by a cougar as a dramatic moment) or Season 4 (the main villain who kept implausibly escaping from CTU dragnets for more than half the season, and the season where torture became a lot less ambiguous and a lot more acceptable to the central characters).
After watching almost every single episode of every other season, I gave up on Season 6 with 2-3 episodes remaining and gave up on Season 7 about 5 episodes in. The formula just got too repetitive and stale. I was still riveted as I watched each episode, because that's how the show is written -- to keep you riveted. But once each episode was over, I realized I had gained nothing from the experience of watching it. I felt dirty, like someone had cheaply manipulated me into feeling tense and caring what happened -- but only in the moment. When each episode ended, I didn't have the feeling that I couldn't wait for the next one anymore. I no longer cared what happened to any of the characters or in the general plot. It just didn't matter.
Thus, the clock has finally run out on 24. Kiefer Sutherland said at the beginning of the show's run that the show couldn't last for more than a few seasons, because it would be absurd to expect a character like Jack Bauer to survive so many harrowing days and still be able to function. He was right...but more about the show as a whole than any individual characters on it.
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