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#1 2007-06-20 12:38:12

Steveb
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Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Season Six Analysis (spoilers)

I've pretty much completed watching season six now, and having heard many reports slating it as "the worst season ever" or "the end of the show" and other such hyperbole-based rhetoric I have to disagree. Yes, it does have its fault and yes the writers are guilty of repeating plotlines from previous seasons, but my question would be this, how can they not?

They are after all, only seven original plot lines and everything else is a variation of that, after six seasons of high tension action there was only so much that could be done before inevitably they covered the same things again. This in itself is not a problem, if said plotlines are done better than previously- or at least done well. Now in part they have been, the invasion of the consulate, being a good example. However, at the same time the rehash of the 25th amendment story was rushed and ineffective, with a cheap twist thrown in to, one can only assume, try to make it seem different. In this, and other moments like it the writers have failed because rather than building on their previous successes, they have tried to pretend they are not there.

The problem then is not that the show has lost its way, but rather that the writers are scared of being seen to insult our intelligence, and in realising this, ironically that is what they have done.

That's focussing on the negative though, and I'm a fervent believer in focussing on the positives of which there are many. The global focus of the series has been well thought through. The idea that America is fighting a war of their own making has been a looming thread in the background of at least the last two seasons (which nicely fits my trilogies theory wink) and has been made increasingly prevelant this year as those in charge find themselves unable to do anything except watch and pray. This is a marvellous acheivement for the show, as it could easily have become a case that escalating things beyond control become too great a task to rein in which I don't think it has been, because crucially, they have kept the personal and emotional side of things- seen probably most crucially through Jack's reactions to Audrey and his family at the various stages of the day. Jack has become human again, something he hasn't really been since Teri died and for long time viewers that is a good pay-off.

Another nicely played act is the reintroduction of characters. All those who have been brought back have been done so without it seeming forced. Ok, the Logan/ Martha thing was a tad shoehorned but again this is inevitable and at least the characters had been developed from last season to this.

Overall, as I said, it is very obvious this season had its flaws. It's possibly a case of trying to do too much in 24 hours, but I would say that it is still at its best compelling, inventive and thrilling and at its worst it is still significantly better than what most other shows can come up with.


"The water is unpalatable, to improve the taste we added Whiskey. By diligent effort I learned to like it." Winston Churchill

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#2 2007-06-20 16:03:58

hardy24
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From: London
Registered: 2007-02-28
Posts: 981
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Re: Season Six Analysis (spoilers)

I've been thinking about your triliogy idea recently steve (although you'll have to forgive me as i'd forgotten it was yours), and I think really the ending of 6 really has a lot of similarities with the ending of 3. Not to go into all the details, but Jacks final scenes (in 6) for me served the same purpose as the scene where he broke down in his car at the end of 3, albeit the incarnation in 6 is I believe a more definitive version, more conclusive - for lack of a better term.


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#3 2007-06-20 16:15:37

J_A
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From: CTU Zurich
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 1,436
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Re: Season Six Analysis (spoilers)

yeah I agree with that dan. it kinda corroborated the trilogy theory for me as well smile


tony.jpg

"Yeah, I didn't wanna believe Tony Almeida was a terrorist either, but at some point we just have to deal with the facts. Not with what we want to believe is true."

You need to start living in the real world! Because every second you help the government you're spittin' on Teri's grave!

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#4 2007-06-20 21:34:44

smitten
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Registered: 2007-04-12
Posts: 169

Re: Season Six Analysis (spoilers)

Steveb wrote:

The problem then is not that the show has lost its way, but rather that the writers are scared of being seen to insult our intelligence, and in realising this, ironically that is what they have done.

.

Well, I'm not sure what you mean by this, but I agree with pretty much everything you say. I think the thing is, the bigger the show gets, the longer it runs, the harder it is to do anything original, and the easier it is to criticise the show. Lets hope you're right about the trilogies, and series seven is genuinely fresh. They can't keep setting off nukes in the vicinity of LA, or we'll end up with no-one but pockets of mutants wandering around the Mojave desert.

One comment I read on another forum, and I think is very true, is that season 6 suffered because Jack has (almost) no friends left, having killed them off in previous seasons. Sob.

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#5 2007-06-20 22:02:16

Steveb
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Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Re: Season Six Analysis (spoilers)

Smitten what I meant by that was that, the writers know that we (as long time viewers) are able to predict a lot of the twists now and are familiar with the storylines. So in order for it not to seem as if they are rehashing everything they try and make it bigger and bolder than before, but this ultimately fails because as such things get over complicated, we are left feeling cheated by the end result.


"The water is unpalatable, to improve the taste we added Whiskey. By diligent effort I learned to like it." Winston Churchill

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#6 2007-06-20 22:42:29

J_A
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From: CTU Zurich
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 1,436
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Re: Season Six Analysis (spoilers)

smitten wrote:

One comment I read on another forum, and I think is very true, is that season 6 suffered because Jack has (almost) no friends left, having killed them off in previous seasons. Sob.

I'll sign that. whereas this gives them the possibility to go away from ctu and be independent of things tehy've done in the past, still, I doubt that kiefer alone - as great and emmy-award-worthy as he is - can carry the show alone. they need people like tony there, and there's no-one who can be that for jack. not anymore. not with that history.


tony.jpg

"Yeah, I didn't wanna believe Tony Almeida was a terrorist either, but at some point we just have to deal with the facts. Not with what we want to believe is true."

You need to start living in the real world! Because every second you help the government you're spittin' on Teri's grave!

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#7 2007-06-21 08:55:38

smitten
Member
Registered: 2007-04-12
Posts: 169

Re: Season Six Analysis (spoilers)

Steveb wrote:

Smitten what I meant by that was that, the writers know that we (as long time viewers) are able to predict a lot of the twists now and are familiar with the storylines. So in order for it not to seem as if they are rehashing everything they try and make it bigger and bolder than before, but this ultimately fails because as such things get over complicated, we are left feeling cheated by the end result.

Ahh! Yes, there is a bit of that. And one thing I am noticing more now, rewatching from season 1, was how well they filled out the characters then. It was just little details, like the way Gaines clicks his fingers when he's frustrated, that made him real and scary. They've lost that, somehow, in trying to up the stakes with every nuke.

But as you say, still b***** good TV, and I was thoroughly glued to season 6. Roll on 7! smile

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#8 2007-06-21 17:59:56

J_A
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From: CTU Zurich
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 1,436
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Re: Season Six Analysis (spoilers)

yeah you're right. as they tried to squeeze in more into storylines, the characters have sadly become more 2dimensional.


tony.jpg

"Yeah, I didn't wanna believe Tony Almeida was a terrorist either, but at some point we just have to deal with the facts. Not with what we want to believe is true."

You need to start living in the real world! Because every second you help the government you're spittin' on Teri's grave!

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#9 2007-07-11 01:35:46

hardy24
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From: London
Registered: 2007-02-28
Posts: 981
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Re: Season Six Analysis (spoilers)

Thought i'd point it out to you Steve that the "trilogy" theory has now made it on to wikipedias 24 entry. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_%28TV_series%29#First_Trilogy:_Seasons_1_-_3)


put your hands in your pockets looked away : andsmiled.com : blog

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#10 2007-07-11 07:21:41

J_A
Administrator
From: CTU Zurich
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 1,436
Website

Re: Season Six Analysis (spoilers)

that's interesting, dan. I see the trilogy theory can be applied to more than just s1-3 and s4-6. you know, that makes me think though, wouldn't it make sense to have 9 instead of 8 seasons? or will they count the movie as part of the trilogy, then it would be 9 instances of 24. funny, all these years and I've never looked up 24 on wikipedia lol! i did look up Carlos / Tony but never thought of 24.


tony.jpg

"Yeah, I didn't wanna believe Tony Almeida was a terrorist either, but at some point we just have to deal with the facts. Not with what we want to believe is true."

You need to start living in the real world! Because every second you help the government you're spittin' on Teri's grave!

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