24

Just a few quick thoughts on my favorite show, 24.

It started out very apologetic towards the Muslim=Terrorist thing, but then proceeded to pull no punches that, in fact some Muslims are terrorists. They included a real-world, yet politically charged suicide bomber screaming "Allahu Akbar!" before he blew himself up (don't worry, Jack kicked him out the back of the subway train just as he blew up.) Where have I heard that scream before? Oh, that's right, at Congressman Ellison's victory party.

The mushy parts in the show are ill-timed and cliche, replete with lover's quarrels amid national crises, immature men fighting over Cloe while tracking nuclear terrorists, and overdone, cliche hostage choices (who should be released, the wife, or the son?).

Curtis, who in previous seasons was Jack's faithful and no-nonsense sidekick, this season suddenly turned sensitive, mushy, and questioning orders. Please.

We had some great escape scenes (Jack going vampire on a terrorist), good terror attack recreations, and unnecessary shirt removals. Jack's acting (ok, Kieffer's) is great this season, including emotional crises and crying (yup, Jack Bauer has an emotional side).

The good practical side of the show, is that I hope it will show the many viewers how open and unsecured our American way of life is. Something needs to be done about that, but not the unrealistic corralling of all Muslims, which is what the show is leaning towards. The fact that that incarceration is an option in the show is a political statement in the favor of Muslims saying that this is where America can go if left unchecked. The problem is, America won't go there, much less as an initial response to a wave of domestic terror, as is being done in the show.

Lastly, the show sets off a nuclear bomb in L.A. (click here for a video clip), which is good for the show, because Jack was about to quit before that happened. The technical side of the suitcase nukes was incorrect (suitcase nukes are larger and require more ancillary equipment for detonation), but the concept is valid - terrorists can get a nuke into the US and detonate it.

Stay tuned...