24 "Day 8: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m." Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

The following takes place between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.


http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f241/Bordo316/Jack_Bauer_S8.jpg24: Season Eight
"Day 8: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m."
Monday, April 26, 2010 @ 9 p.m. ET/8 CT on FOX
PRESIDENT TAYLOR PRESSES ON WITH THE PEACE AGREEMENT AND JACK BAUER TAKES MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS IN AN ALL-NEW "24" MONDAY, APRIL 26, ON FOX

Michael Madsen ("Reservoir Dogs") and D.B. Sweeny ("Eight Men Out") Guest Star

With only six hours left, the clock races toward the series finale as President Allison Taylor faces impossible choices and much to the dismay of CTU, she enlists a private security firm to complete a sensitive task led by Mark Bledsoe (guest star D.B. Sweeny). Meanwhile, Jack calls in a favor to his old friend Rick Vickers (guest star Michael Madsen) before he embarks upon a crucial mission of his own.

Day 8: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=267123)

FOX.com/24 (http://www.fox.com/24/)

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In the past, there has been little interest in discussing the previews of the next week, so that thread has been discontinued. If there is such interest, I can start a new thread, otherwise comments about the preview must be kept in spoiler boxes. If you don't know how to make one, please go here (http://forums.toonzone.net/faq.php?s=&do=search&q=spoiler+box&match=all&titlesonly=0), or don't post about them.

[SirLemming]

So, in my estimation this was certainly not as good as last week's episode. But they're still running with a strong plot here. I'm not sure why they found it necessary to have Taylor change her mind about the treaty and then change it back, instead of just being like "Hmm, I wonder if Ethan's right" and then "Okay, Logan helped me solidify my original position". But it's a relatively small gripe.

One thing that I definitively liked in the episode was the final scene, with all the split-screen stuff juxtaposed against Taylor's speech. There was tons of subtext there. Not only was she being partially dishonest with her own words, but they showed a facial expression from just about every character (as well as shots of Dana being tortured) and in every one of those shots you could see something different about how that character related to the impending treaty. I really liked that.

[The Penguin]

For a second I thought President Taylor might actually change her mind. I liked the times Ethan called her "Allison." Even though he normally stand on the formality, it made it more personal with Ethan trying to get through to his good friend rather than Secretary of State Kanin advising the President of the United States on the best course of action. Allison Taylor seemed like she was "better" than what we saw from Daniels and Logan especially, but as this kept getting messier, she's not really any better than them. And I'm not even sure that Noah Daniels would have had the stomach for this.

Seeing Mark Bledsoe and his men actually water-boarding Dana was notable to me with last season dealing with torture and the odd arguments sometimes made on talking head shows that somehow the popularity of 24 gives any insight into how anyone feels about the practice.

Michael Madsen is a terrific grizzled "old friend" and Jack meeting up with Rick Vickers to get supplies for his op was kind of cool. I won't expect to see him again, but it was a cool cameo if that's what it is.

I was really surprised when it seemed Chloe would actually help Jack with her new position, but I guess Jack knows her better than I do, as he was expecting a trap the whole time. I'll be interested to see what he and Cole do next. They certainly can't offer Dana immunity.

I don't want casting spoilers anymore than most of the rest of the 24 posters do, but I'm rather upset that as the clock ticks down, this is looking to be the only season without Glenn Morshower as Aaron Pierce. It seems like they could have found a way without just shoehorning him in. Unless Jack or Ethan reach out to him for help, I don't see how he shows up at this point.


One thing that I definitively liked in the episode was the final scene, with all the split-screen stuff juxtaposed against Taylor's speech. There was tons of subtext there. Not only was she being partially dishonest with her own words, but they showed a facial expression from just about every character (as well as shots of Dana being tortured) and in every one of those shots you could see something different about how that character related to the impending treaty. I really liked that.Agreed, that final scene was really solid.

[Temple Fugate]

Not a standout episode, but a solid one. It makes sense that Cole would go along with Jack, considering the person we've come to know him to be. I also like how Chloe did her job and tried to take Jack out of play. It's very in-character of her, and the way she went about fooling Jack shows just how well she knows him after all they've been through. (She only got one-upped by Jack because he's just a little better at playing metaphorical chess.)

I've got to say I'm very conflicted about the choices that Jack and Taylor are making. Four episodes ago, I applauded her for not giving into the terrorists and handing over Hassan. That would have meant the deaths of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. However, I condemn Taylor for her decision to have Dana tortured to obtain and suppress the information she has, even though this will mean saving countless lives over the next few years if the peace treaty holds. It really makes me think about how I weigh these types of moral dilemmas. Do human lives mean less to me than ethics and integrity? It's great how, even up to the end, 24 is offering a platform for exploration on divisive issues.

I feel bad about Dalia Hassan being left out of the loop. She definitely needs to know the truth about the events surrounding her country. But of course that would mean the end of the treaty, wouldn't it?

Yeah, the ending split-screen was really great. I like Alison's repetition of "No matter the cost" after Ethan walked away. A great character moment, making it sound like she's trying to convince herself she's doing the right thing.

5 hours remain...

[bigddan11]

What President Taylor is failing to realize is that World Peace won't hold whenever the information comes out. Russia would always deny their involvement, and even if the government didn't officially strike out, they would get local insurgents to strike back and being the never ending cycle of war all over again. I hate to say this, but the UN's current regulation system is the best way to achieve world peace, but it won't be happening anytime soon. There's not enough people that want it, and even if government leaders do want it, they can always be overthrown by the people if the people are desirous enough to do so.

Jack on the other hand is pointing out that not only is he defending the Constitution of the US, but he is saving the countless amounts of people who would go to war for vengeance once the hidden info is discovered.

[Burgundy Ranger]

I, too, was hoping for a Pierce inclusion but agree that it's too late to be anything more than gratuitous.

For a few moments I thought Chloe had remembered the over-riding mantra of All Things 24:

Jack Bauer Is Always Right

and was helping him. But, in being true to the character, even she stops short of where Jack has no problems going.

I think there's one more jaw-dropper left in the season. One more thing that will get crossed off the "Jack would do almost anything in the name of justice, but even he won't do THAT" list.