I recently watched the movie Taken, and it made me realize what I’ve been missing in 24 this season. In Taken, Liam Neeson plays Bryan Mills, a guy whose daughter is kidnapped while on a trip to Europe, with the intention of being sold into slavery.
Mills, a former spy, goes all Jack Bauer to get his daughter back, tracking down the bad guys and making them pay — sometimes with their lives. Only this was the Jack Bauer of the early seasons of 24, a vulnerable guy when it comes to his family, but one who takes no prisoners and will do whatever it takes to make things right.
OK, so isn’t that what Jack Bauer still does? Well, sort of. In last night’s finale, Jack was dragged into a makeshift warehouse lab and his spinal fluid tapped by terrorists to retrieve the only known source of a bioweapon pathogen. Oh sure, even in this state, Jack managed to overpower the bad guys, get away and everything turned out fine in the end.
It was classic Jack Bauer, him leaping off the lab table after having a spinal procedure done — which I’m sure would have put any of the rest of us out for days — and whipping the bad guys’ collective asses. He did the same thing somewhere in the previous six seasons — was tortured, injected with something nasty, and then managed to spring back into action for the rest of the season.
It made me realize that’s the Jack Bauer I’ve been missing all season. I get that the 24 writers want us to see Jack as a vulnerable human who continues to do his job even though he’s sickly and messed up. But I don’t like seeing Jack sickly and messed up. I like seeing him healthy and kicking ass at the top of his game, not struggling to stay upright while he’s kicking ass. I sure hope they bring that Jack back next season.
Anyone else feel this way?
Clacked by Jane Boursaw 
on May 19, 2009 @ 15:00 EST5EDT
I felt the same but on the other hand think it was time to shove it down some people’s throats that you can’t always rescue the 15 people on the Bus and compromise all your country stands doing so.
I liked it that we didn’t see whether there was torture at the end in the interrogation room – they left it open. This way it was still the best season of 24 for me in at least four years.
I am a firm believer in the laws and beliefs the US constitution stands for. I grew up being told that what was before 1945 was wrong, that we as a nation were wrong and at fault and what we got instead from the US, the UK and France was better. I heavily criticized the US in the past. I couldn’t understand that you threw it all away because you were scared and negated everything your country managed to get to when it comes to civil rights.
I enjoyed watching 24 nevertheless. I loved the action. And if you look at it now this was the first time the show in itself reflected on the 7 past years and while I’m not religious I found the praying scene at the end, where Jack asks for forgiveness, gratifying in a way. This season we saw that Jack still sees the big picture. This season we saw what it all can come to when you totally loose it. Just put yourself into Tony’s shoes. What if, and go with me here for a second, what if we would have seen the whole day from Tony’s perspective. What if we were led to believe that all HE did was necessary. What’s the difference between 250 people on two planes and the 1000 or 10.000 people Tony was willing to risk to get to the head honcho? Why was he now more wrong than all the times Jack made these decisions?
I loved this season of 24 simply for this ability to reflect. This was a great season. We can go back to the “Mission Impossible” action next season for sure but this was redemption in so many ways for almost everyone on the show it was great.
I don’t know. I still remember the BA ‘Jack Bauer Slide’ when he rescued the First Husband. I think it would be nice to see Jack Bauer actually start the season actually in charge, and not have to work himself back into the scheme of things.
Yeah I want Jack to kick ass in Season Eight too from start to finish. This was nice but it’s enough. We get it – he has a conscience but please Mr. Bauer kick some royal butt, whisper-talk so nobody can understand a thing you say and do the slide.
The M-16 studded FBI guys on the chopper were a good finish though. How they pierced that Pickup Truck – badass and reminded me of Terminator 2 :-)