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I watched the two-night/four-hour '24' season premier, and while it's still entertaining escapism, I have a few issues so far. While "24" by its nature strains credulity, I have found this season especially hard to swallow, particularly the scene when Jack Bauer busts Tony Almeda out of FBI headquarters. I mean, Almeda is a top suspect -- and the only lead -- in a major international terrorism case that  puts the nation's air traffic control system, water supply, and electrical grid at risk and that is being used to coax the President to call off a military invasion aimed at stopping genocide in an African nation. The idea that a single guard would be securing Almeda, was too distractingly absurd, and I wish they could have found a more clever way to pull off the escape.

Also, it's getting to the point where Jack Bauer's actions are even more difficult than ever to justify in terms of preventing terrorism. Working on the same team as the terrorists to break into a State Department safe house
and kidnap a foreign leader is just too far adrift from what the audience can be expected to accept of Bauer, even knowing it's just television.

View all comments (6) | Leave a comment

MALM| 1.14.09 @ 3:07PM

We are living in the era of Magical Thinking. It pervades everything I guess. And keep in mind, nothing is too absurd. Al Gore winning a Nobel, 36k, two seater electric cars being the answer for Detroit, A treasury secretary who does not pay his taxes, walls of separation going up in time of war and terror, sanctuary cities, a catholic church demanding open borders for a new flock with a mindless propensity to have children, making frivolous lawsuits against business an even bigger epidemic in a serious recession, Al Franken''''''''''''''''''''''I can KEEP going on,and you are in a snit over WHAT ???? A lack of realism in a tv show ???????????????????? IT IS OVER !

Real American| 1.14.09 @ 4:56PM

It is entirely plausible that the government would act incompetently. In fact, that's the default setting of government.

jim| 1.14.09 @ 7:04PM

a double agent is absurd? not that it happens everyday, but it does happen. everywhere - US, Soviet Union, Russia, even Iran, where former top general defected to US a couple of years back. think that was protest over ahmadinjad? or, the result of a long ago plant? certainly plausible, even if not knowable.

sidnee| 12.12.09 @ 11:41AM

jack wills
ugg new arrivals

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More Blog Posts by Philip Klein

http://spectator.org/blog/2009/01/14/24-reax-spoilers-warning
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