Tag: fox

24: 11am-12pm recap

In case you can’t guess, there be SPOILERS here.

We began this week with Mrs. Hassan speaking to the American people and publicly thanking President Taylor for all she has done to help her husband. I tried not to gag on this as much as she would if she knew what Taylor was keeping from her about her husband’s death. Speaking of questionable things done by President Taylor… while Mrs. Hassan is giving her speech, Dana Walsh is being tortured for information as to where she is keeping the evidence against the Russians – even though she claims she was lying before and there is no evidence. And Jack is still working against the President’s orders – only now he has Cole working with him. They do their super stealth thing and attempt to break Dana free from her interrogation. First scene of the night comes here:

Interrogator: You won’t take the shot. It’s too risky. I’ll kill her before — “
*bang bang, you’re dead*

Then there is the beginnings of an epic gunfight scene and the clock starts ticking to signal the quarter hour.

We come back to Chloe finding out that Jack is really not in custody and he has Dana. Meanwhile, Jack tries to convince Dana that if she gives up the files she has on the Russians then he will let her go. She is not buying this, but eventually gives them what they want after Jack shows he is better at forced confessions than our government is. Flip back to the press conference and President Taylor finding out Jack took Dana from the safe house where she was being tortured, I mean, held. (Anyone else see the irony here in torturing someone at a “safe” house?) Taylor and Logan plan to send Logan’s aide Jason Pillar into CTU to oversee the manhunt for Bauer.

The clock strikes halftime and returns to the Russians discussing the Dana situation with Logan. This includes conspiring to kill Bauer by pooling their resources – CTU finds him and the Russians take him out. Yes, the Russian and American governments are planning the assassination of an American citizen – you heard it hear first, folks. While this is going on, Jack goes with Cole and Dana to the bank where the evidence apparently is. Next line of the night:

Dana: You’re hurting me.
Cole: You’ll live.
*walks to bank manager*
Me: What do you mean another commercial?!

OK, I’m fine now. Just had to get over questionable placement of commercial break. I’m better now.

Moving right along… Chloe is being all “in charge” over at CTU and continues tracking down Bauer & Co. Just then, Jason arrives to ruin all hopes of world domination Chloe may have had. Oh wait, sorry, that’s Logan that wants to take over the world. Regardless, Jason tells Chloe that he is now in charge of the search while she will remain in charge of the rest of the unit. Words are shared, Chloe is snippy, but in the end Jason stays put. Switch back to the bank and Dana flashing her most charming “I-am-not-a-killer” smile to the bank manager. He scurries off to get what they came for. While they wait, Dana offers to give Cole the “truth” about how she got involved with the Russians. She gives some sob story about being a kid who needed a fresh start and the Russians provided that. We are meant to feel sorry for her but it doesn’t really work – for Cole or the audience. Mere seconds later our judgment is proven right, as the safe deposit box is a trap that explodes in Cole’s face… literally. It also contains a gun which means Dana is now armed & dangerous. She calls 9-1-1 and tells them about Jack’s location in a mock scared voice that makes me want to punch her. They give me another commercial break to compose myself before we move on…

We come back to CTU, and the search is still on. Chloe is obviously not happy about the new change in command, but follows orders like the good little worker bee she has become. They find Jack and with that Operation: Assassinate-the-only-one-who-is-NOT-crazy begins. People who are crazy: the cops who think they are actually going to come out on top in a fight with Jack Bauer. Oh, silly police officers. And once again Jack is running around the streets of New York trying not to get caught while simultaneously going after Dana Walsh. (Having a shoot-out on a crowded street – not your best move, Jack. The move with the jacket to make her use the last of her bullets – much smarter.) Finally, Dana is forced to lay her cards down on the table for Jack to see. Then he shoots her a couple of times and we pretend to be shocked and/or cry over it.

Aaaaaand we’re done.

No, really. That was the end. Next week we’ll see what Jack does now that he has his evidence (assuming what Dana gave him was the real deal). So make sure to tune in for another exciting episode of 24. Remember, every second counts…

Torchwood Update

A quick update on the American Torchwood that Russell Davies was working on with Fox. BBC Worldwide issued this statement:

BBC Worldwide Productions and the FOX Broadcasting Company have mutually agreed not to progress together with a 13-episode serialized ‘Torchwood’ format. We are currently in discussion with several interested networks.

Sorry if this sounds mean but I was actually glad to hear this. Fox seemed like a poor choice of network to host this show for a number of reasons. I think Davies would be much better off working with another network. My suggestion: ABC.

Think about it. ABC needs a show to replace Lost, which is ending this season. Plus you have the added bonus of John Barrowman already working on the network because of Desperate Housewives. And yes, Barrowman has confirmed that he will be involved in the new Torchwood series. Not only that, he says that Davies has scripts written already and the show will pick up where Children of Earth left off. More good news for Torchwood fans everywhere.

All my fears of how an Americanized Torchwood could fail are slowly being lifted. Hopefully Davies finds a good network that will do the show justice and not worry about stupid things like the sexuality of a certain character we all love. (Another reason ABC is good: Desperate has a gay couple that currently has a really good story going for them. Proof that the network won’t be afraid to work with what is apparently still a sensitive subject).

What does everyone else think about this news, or the series in general? Are you glad to see Fox removed from the process? Based on comments I saw from when it was first announced I would guess the answer to that last question to be a firm “yes”.

Torchwood: American Edition

After reading today’s title article, I felt the need to share a brief analysis of the anticipated American Torchwood and what I believe will make or break the success of said show.

I first became a fan of Doctor Who and Torchwood back in December, when I finally decided to spend my vacation checking out what all the hype I had heard about both series was about. When I first heard that there would be an American version of the show, my immediate reaction was… fear.

Well, maybe fear is a little strong. Concern might fit better. Worry that an Americanized version would be a poorly made and watered down mess compared to the original that stole my heart from the first episode and dragged it through the ringer through series 3. (No spoilers will appear in this post, in case some of you aren’t completely up-to-date on your Torchwood watching).

So, yeah, I was concerned. Concerned that they would strip down the elements that, in my opinion, made the show great, until there was nothing left but a few mere scraps. Sadly, American television seems to be under the belief that its viewers don’t want to watch anything that is controversial. Or maybe they are afraid of the few people who will take offense to something. Either way, I find this silly. If someone doesn’t like it then they don’t have to watch. And if enough people are open-minded enough to accept the show and its characters for what they are then the networks can have what they want (namely ratings and money) while the viewers get an exceptional show that makes them think.

Now comes my challenge to the networks. I would imagine that Fox sees Torchwood as a potentially huge cash cow for them. It has grown in popularity recently, mostly due to the crossover it shares with Doctor Who. And who can you thank for that? Why David Tennant and Russell T. Davies, of course. David gave them his good looks and talent which, paired with Davies’ superb writing, made the show a huge hit. It was a big enough explosion to help the show find its way overseas. Now Fox wants to take advantage of this while it can, which I don’t blame it for. My only fear is that it fails to see the elements that make the show what it is, and ultimately end up suffocating it.

What elements am I talking about? Well, the writing is a huge part of it. Davies pen is razor sharp, and his stories have an edginess that should not be touched. The man pays great attention to detail. He also isn’t afraid to write a story that his audience might be disgusted by, believing that their loyalty is strong enough that they will not turn away. The success of Children of Earth proves he is right in his beliefs. If you’ve already seen it, then you know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t, then what the hell are you waiting for?!

Go watch.

Right now.

I’ll wait.

Finished?

Good stuff, I know.

Right, moving on then. (But still, no spoilers. Promise.)

Now the issue at hand: controversy. More specifically our opposition to it here. The networks have shown that they may be ready to introduce the token gay character on their shows, but they will not risk making them the lead. And heaven forbid they also be a hero. Because our heroes have to follow a certain mold, and mostly that means being this tough, straight, man. (OK, more women are starting to play the hero too, but the ratio is in no way equal).

So this is my letter to Fox (and anyone else who cares to listen):

Dear Network,

Please do not assume that Americans don’t want to see the same kind of show that the UK has been giving its audience for years now. You may not think we can or want to handle it, but who knows? We might surprise you. Give Russell and everyone else involved a chance to do their thing without any interference. Trust that they know what they are doing. If you do, your faith will likely be rewarded.

I usually try to stay objective in my writing, but this speech has been slowly building for some time now. I only hope the networks dare to prove me wrong and show me that they have more faith in their viewers than I think they do. Here’s hoping.