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#1 2010-02-08 09:14:04

Steveb
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Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Episode 8x06 discussion

Firstly, the title is a bit of a lie, as I'm going to be discussing episode 5 here as well. I watched them at the same time thanks to Sky's very unusual scheduling choice, which I assume is a contractual thing tha now puts us in blighty on the same line as the US, I think...

Anyway, to the episodes. I'll be honest, I was very very bored. The good old 24 pitfall of it taking too long for nothing to happen was very much in play. And I don't really understand why. There was no need for most of the long drawn out scenes of people waiting for the next thing to happen. Various characters were irrelevant- Hastings, Cole, The entire Presidential team, Chloe and to a lesser extent Jack. It was all about Renee, and actually her story was quite interesting- and thanks to the excellent casting of Callum Keith Rennie it was worth watching. Sadly, the point of 24 is that multiple storylines run concurrently and we are kept involved with all of them, not, well we've got one good story and we can just put in a load of filler to tidy up the rest of it.

I did also like the two brothers storyline, although it seems a tad irrelevant. I don't really know why I liked it, possibly because it was a little unusual and as such intrigued me. I presume with the way the story ended that we're building to the son turning against the father. Well, if they stick to the time-checks we've got another 3is hours before the nuclear rods are going to be moved so that gives a good while for them to get more narked with each other.

The Starbuck story is possibly my biggest irritance at present. I want it to tie in to something, but I don't think it will. Instead it's going to end up with the bloody annoying Arlo blackmailing/ reporting/ getting involved in way that doesn't matter. It serves no purpose whatsoever, and is a waste of Katee Sackhoff as an actress. If the 24 production team are for some reason reading this, please pay attention: STOP IT! IT ISN'T BIG, IT ISN'T CLEVER AND WE EXPECT, AND FRANKLY DESERVE BETTER! WE HAVE OFFERED CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN THIS SHOW FOR 9 YEARS SO STOP FOBBING US OFF WITH THS UNDER-DEVELOPED, IRRELEVANT SHIT!

I'm not going to say anymore I think that sums up my current feeling well enough.


"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 2010-02-09 07:34:55

hardy24
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From: London
Registered: 2007-02-28
Posts: 981
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Re: Episode 8x06 discussion

Again, I didn't watch these episodes in ideal circumstances thanks to stupid sky player. But that possibly masked just how disjointed these episodes where.

Basically I find myself very much liking individual element, individual characters and individual moments, and the amount I liked in these episodes was much more than in previous episodes, it's just the way it's all been strung together. The moving parts look so disparate that they feel like different episodes, different shows even.

The main plot is strong, and I have no problem with how slow it's developing, it feels like a proper slow burn story, and not simply stalling. But the stuff around the edges is very distracting. Not necessarily bad, but moves you into a different "world".

More thoughts later, but these episodes do very much feel like it's a-plot by this writer, b-plot by another and c-plot by another, and the script needs a going over by a decent script editor. Everything feels like a good first draft. Steve, would you agree?


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#3 2010-02-09 21:23:26

J_A
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From: CTU Zurich
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 1,436
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Re: Episode 8x06 discussion

dan, i totally agree with your last two paragraphs. aside from renee & jack's story, which is really good and interesting, all of the other stuff just feels like fillers to me. stalling - like that hold-up in season 4 that jack staged at the gas station - cause "hey guys we gotta fill 24 hours of storyline"

to me, this season does prove that 24 has run out of time.

unfortunately, so have I this evening but I will try to come back and put down some more elaborate thoughts, maybe. I might have to read a plot summary somewhere before I can do so.

nighty night
J_A


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 2010-02-10 11:36:04

Steveb
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Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Re: Episode 8x06 discussion

Dan I think you're right. It feels like they've not actually sat around the writer's table and checked everything is working. I have rewatchd these episodes and whilst my incandescent rage has diminished a lot compared to my last post, I still feel short-changed.

It almost feels like they've written particular signposts and event episodes for the season but haven't concerned themselves with maintaining a great deal of energy or tension in between.


"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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#5 2010-02-10 17:09:00

hardy24
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From: London
Registered: 2007-02-28
Posts: 981
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Re: Episode 8x06 discussion

To be honest steve I was a little surprised at the level of feeling you showed earlier. To be clear, I don't think anything in episodes 5 or 6 was bad, my frustration comes from the feeling that clearly with a bit of work, episodes 5 and 6 (and to a lesser extent 3 and 4) could have been great, up there with the best.

I'm gonna start a thread for suggestions as to just what we would have done different.


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

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#6 2010-02-11 14:35:29

Steveb
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Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Re: Episode 8x06 discussion

I just think that we're already a quarter of the way into the season and there's nothing yet that shows me it's worth investing in the other 75%. Season six at least had a decent beginning even if the rest of it fell flat. I'm all for the slow burn and decent build but I resent unnecessary sub-plotting and poor characterisation.

To put in a different way, if this was the show's first season I don't think it would be getting picked up for a whole run. The spark is gone.


"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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#7 2010-02-11 18:16:44

J_A
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From: CTU Zurich
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 1,436
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Re: Episode 8x06 discussion

yep, I couldn't agree more. it just feels like, "Oh, man, we have to do this all over again..."
sad but true. too sad that it's the final season. S7 REALLY should have been the last.
fox is once again doing what we'd known it would but hoped it wouldn't. squeezing a good show until it falls flat on its nose and just runs dry, just for the sake of $$$s.

I seriously didn't want to be talking about the show's last season like this. I was really hoping it'd end on a high note. And if S8 had never happened, that would have been the case. well...


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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#8 2010-02-12 19:51:08

hardy24
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From: London
Registered: 2007-02-28
Posts: 981
Website

Re: Episode 8x06 discussion

Guys is this really a reaction to episode 5 and 6? or a delayed reaction to 1- 4. I ask because while I agree with you generally I thought 5 and 6 a lot stronger than 1 through 4.

I really must start that alternate s8 thread, because I am kind of thinking of 1 & 2 as the s8 "prequel" and 3 - 6 as the opening four.

Anyway, I really need to watch some of these episodes again to rejudge. Unfortunately because i'm watching on sky player that makes rewatching tough, and until i'm more invested I don't think it's worth buying off itunes.


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

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#9 2010-02-14 01:53:42

Steveb
Moderator
Registered: 2007-03-07
Posts: 319

Re: Episode 8x06 discussion

I thought 3 (aside from the Jack and the policeman plot) was good and four was the best episode of this season. 5 and 6 had good moments, but annoyed me because it was so slow. Whilst 1-3 werent' the snappiest episodes ever they were at least building to something. And 4 was the reacion to that and thus carried itself.


"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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