6 pm
The first thing I learned during the opening credits tonight was that the cop-impersonating bad guy, Mike Farmer, is really named Davros. I also learned that Hassan Chop’s brother’s name is Farhad. I think a good nickname for him is simply Farthead.
So the first hour starts with Davros forcing his police partner to call in and switch shifts with him. Then he kills them. We all saw that coming.
Then we cut to a leather-clad Jack Bauer strutting the means streets of New York. It quickly gets very reminiscent of the opening sequence of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Jack walks by some locals shooting some b-ball who don’t appreciate him wandering around their turf and start making trouble in the neighborhood. One guy gets in Jack’s face, so Jack calmly flashes his gun. Then he asks them if they have seen his suspect and offers a hundred bucks for any info. One of the guys tells him the guy is across the street in one of the houses. Jack thanks them and says “Yo Holmes, smell ya later.”
And this Fresh Prince reference has inspired me to start referring to Freddie Prince as the Fresh Prince on this blog.
Jack discovers the bodies of cop and wife that Davros killed in the house and cautiously enters, but Davros is gone. However, he spots a couple of cops circling the house. He gets the jump on the cop in the backyard and tries to explain the situation, but the other cop sneaks up and zaps him with a tazer. Jack collapses into a convulsing pile of goo. I was hoping he might yell “Don’t taze me, Bro!” But this is Jack Bauer, and he doesn’t call people “Bro”.
Jack wakes up tied to a chair in the basement. For a second, I thought we might have a Zed-like situation, like in Pulp Fiction, but that’s not the case. It’s more like Reservoir Dogs. All that was missing was “Stuck in the Middle with You.” The big, bad cop wants to punish Jack because he thinks he’s a cop killer, and the good cop is too timid to stop him.
Meanwhile back at CTU, Chloe is worried about Jack, who has not checked in. But Hasting has bigger fish to fry. He’s trying to get Meredith Reed to spill the beans about the assassination attempt while his team decrypts her laptop. Meredith is not the type to kiss and tell, and doesn’t want to admit to her affair with Hassan Chop, but when they find her key to his place, she has no other choice. So Hastings has to call Hassan and awkwardly ask him if he’s been getting jiggy with Miss Reed. Farthead urges him to deny it, but Hassan can’t betray his beloved mistress. I guess his heart is as big as his hair.
Farthead calls Davros and tells him the bad news, but they decide to move ahead with the plan anyway. When the laptop is decrypted, CTU discover schematics of the UN and a plot to bomb the building. They quickly move to evacuate the building, despite Chloe’s warnings that they may be playing into the killer’s hands.
While all of this is happening, Kevin, the redneck that has been stalking Dana, shows up at CTU. You’d think the Counter Terrorism Unit would be a hard to find, as would the home addresses of their employees. But Kevin finds both CTU and Dana’s address without a hitch. He must have used the advanced search feature on Google. Dana slips off her engagement ring and meets him out in the parking lot, where he goes practically goes Ike Turner on her. He obviously has something on her, so she gives him her keys and lets him crash at her apartment for the night. Besides the verbal abuse, I’m willing to bet he also made a bunch of long distance phone calls and ordered a bunch of pay-per-view porn at her place. That bastard.
Back in the basement, after taking a small beating, Jack manages to free himself and overpower the bad cop. Good cop steps in and finally corroborates Jack’s story with the authorities and they also figure out which cop is the assassin. When Jack gets word from Chloe about the bomb threat, the good cop gives him both a ride to the UN and his Jack Sack back.
CTU gets in touch with the Fresh Prince, but it’s too late to stop the evacuation. Hassan’s limo is already heading out to the street, where it will run over a bomb hidden in a manhole. Jack tells the Fresh Prince to stop that limo at all costs, so Fresh channels his inner Buffy, puts the pedal to the metal. He heroically drives his car in front of Hassan’s limo and takes the brunt of the explosion.
Did the Fresh Prince Survive? Will Davros get away? Will Farthead be discovered? Did the car crash muss up Hassan’s hair? We’ll find out in a few minutes, when the next hour begins.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
24- Season 8.2 5pm: The Bronx is Up and The Bauer is Down - Part 2
Welcome back for a new season of 24. Scroll down for the recap of the first hour and then comeback and read this one.
5 pm
The second hour of the premiere has Jack and Cole heading back to CTU, where they have discovered that someone has been hacking into the UN security computers. The evidence all points to Meredith Reed, the reporter that has just gained access to President Hassan. I realize we need a nickname for Hassan, and “Slumdog” is just too obvious, so I am going to go with the Bugs Bunny reference and call him Hassan Chop. (See http://www.hassanchop.com/)
While CTU scrambles to find Miss Reed with facial recognition software, Chloe points out that the trail to this suspect was a little too obvious. But CTU Director “Bubba” Hastings does not want to hear it. While his agents swarm and capture Reed at the UN, he gets Chloe out of the way by sending her to debrief Jack. Jack sees merit to the photos Chloe finds of a suspicious character coming and going from Reed’s apartment right around the time her laptop would have been tampered with. But to her surprise, Jack wants nothing to do with the case. Kim is on her way to pick him and he just wants to get on with his life. That’s when Chloe calls him out on all the favors she’s done for him in the past. It’s awesome. How many times has she risked her job and broken the law to help him? But still, Jack says no.
Meanwhile, Hassan Chop and Madame President continue their negotiations. We learn that Hassan has had an affair with Reed, because he’s been living in a loveless marriage that is only still intact for show. Perhaps we should be calling Hassan “Bubba” instead of Hastings, because this sounds a lot like another President I know.
Reed is taken back to CTU and hooked up to their fancy equipment… like what seems to be an electronic bible that can tell if you are lying when you place your hand on it. And when they question her, they can in fact tell that she is lying. Unfortunately, she is lying about her affair, not a plot to kill Hassan Chop.
While all this is happening, also learn that while Dana Walsh is not what she seems. While she may appear to be a fancy, CTU agent with lots of gadgets, she’s still just Jenny from the Block. She gets a call from Kevin, some redneck, ex-con who knows her real identity and also has some kind of dirt on her. My guess is that this is the set-up for a blackmail scenario that will inevitably cause Dana to betray CTU.
Kim comes to CTU to pick up Jack, who thanks to CTUs open layout, has overheard Cole confronting Hastings about not sending enough agents to the roof. When Jack sees Kim, he finds out that she has talked to Chloe and she also does not want him to leave. She convinces Jack to stay, but she also wisely heads for the airport. God knows if she sticks around she’ll end up as a hostage or stuck in a bear trap, fending off mountain lions. So Jack heads back into CTU. As he passes through the threshold the background music switches from soft and emotional to the heroic Jack Bauer theme. It’s 5:37 and Jackie Boy is officially back in the game.
Naturally, the first thing Jack and Chloe do is break the rules. Chloe hacks into the drone computer system to see if she can get additional pictures from Reed’s apartment. They are able to zoom in on the suspect’s taxi cab and Jack now has a trail to follow. So naturally, Chloe helps him break into the armory so he can fill the Jack Sack with an arsenal. But Arlo discovers Chloe’s handiwork and Jack is busted by Hastings and Cole.
Across town, the bad guy shows up at a young couple’s apartment. The woman calls him Mike Farmer, and it turns out that he is a cop on security detail at the UN. The apartment is his partner’s. He asks his partner if he will switch shifts with him. When his partner refuses because of a prior commitment for his kid, Farrmer drops his fake American accent and pulls a gun. He ties up and shoots the wife in the leg, forcing his partner to call and switch shifts with him. Now he has access to Hassan Chop.
Back in the armory, Hastings is about to have Jack taken into custody when Jack plays the “P” card. He says that if Hastings doesn’t let him go, he’ll tell his pal, the President, about how Hastings did not send enough agents to the rooftop rendezvous. Hastings relents and let’s Jack fill his sack and go investigate his suspect. Cole, observing the entire exchange, is visibly aroused and now obviously has a man-crush on Jack.
Over at the UN, the talks continue. Hassan Chop’s brother, who has never been happy with all of the compromises being made in the negotiations, gets a phone call. It’s Mike Farmer. OMG, Hassan’s brother is helping the bad guy. He is the inside man.
Tonight, we’ll see if Farmer can get to Hassan. And another old friend returns. This one is cute as a button, tough as nails and looks a little like Lindsay Lohan.
See you in a little while.
----
Questions? Comments? Feedback? Want to get on the email alert list? Drop me a line at jack@backinjack.com or post a comment below.
5 pm
The second hour of the premiere has Jack and Cole heading back to CTU, where they have discovered that someone has been hacking into the UN security computers. The evidence all points to Meredith Reed, the reporter that has just gained access to President Hassan. I realize we need a nickname for Hassan, and “Slumdog” is just too obvious, so I am going to go with the Bugs Bunny reference and call him Hassan Chop. (See http://www.hassanchop.com/)
While CTU scrambles to find Miss Reed with facial recognition software, Chloe points out that the trail to this suspect was a little too obvious. But CTU Director “Bubba” Hastings does not want to hear it. While his agents swarm and capture Reed at the UN, he gets Chloe out of the way by sending her to debrief Jack. Jack sees merit to the photos Chloe finds of a suspicious character coming and going from Reed’s apartment right around the time her laptop would have been tampered with. But to her surprise, Jack wants nothing to do with the case. Kim is on her way to pick him and he just wants to get on with his life. That’s when Chloe calls him out on all the favors she’s done for him in the past. It’s awesome. How many times has she risked her job and broken the law to help him? But still, Jack says no.
Meanwhile, Hassan Chop and Madame President continue their negotiations. We learn that Hassan has had an affair with Reed, because he’s been living in a loveless marriage that is only still intact for show. Perhaps we should be calling Hassan “Bubba” instead of Hastings, because this sounds a lot like another President I know.
Reed is taken back to CTU and hooked up to their fancy equipment… like what seems to be an electronic bible that can tell if you are lying when you place your hand on it. And when they question her, they can in fact tell that she is lying. Unfortunately, she is lying about her affair, not a plot to kill Hassan Chop.
While all this is happening, also learn that while Dana Walsh is not what she seems. While she may appear to be a fancy, CTU agent with lots of gadgets, she’s still just Jenny from the Block. She gets a call from Kevin, some redneck, ex-con who knows her real identity and also has some kind of dirt on her. My guess is that this is the set-up for a blackmail scenario that will inevitably cause Dana to betray CTU.
Kim comes to CTU to pick up Jack, who thanks to CTUs open layout, has overheard Cole confronting Hastings about not sending enough agents to the roof. When Jack sees Kim, he finds out that she has talked to Chloe and she also does not want him to leave. She convinces Jack to stay, but she also wisely heads for the airport. God knows if she sticks around she’ll end up as a hostage or stuck in a bear trap, fending off mountain lions. So Jack heads back into CTU. As he passes through the threshold the background music switches from soft and emotional to the heroic Jack Bauer theme. It’s 5:37 and Jackie Boy is officially back in the game.
Naturally, the first thing Jack and Chloe do is break the rules. Chloe hacks into the drone computer system to see if she can get additional pictures from Reed’s apartment. They are able to zoom in on the suspect’s taxi cab and Jack now has a trail to follow. So naturally, Chloe helps him break into the armory so he can fill the Jack Sack with an arsenal. But Arlo discovers Chloe’s handiwork and Jack is busted by Hastings and Cole.
Across town, the bad guy shows up at a young couple’s apartment. The woman calls him Mike Farmer, and it turns out that he is a cop on security detail at the UN. The apartment is his partner’s. He asks his partner if he will switch shifts with him. When his partner refuses because of a prior commitment for his kid, Farrmer drops his fake American accent and pulls a gun. He ties up and shoots the wife in the leg, forcing his partner to call and switch shifts with him. Now he has access to Hassan Chop.
Back in the armory, Hastings is about to have Jack taken into custody when Jack plays the “P” card. He says that if Hastings doesn’t let him go, he’ll tell his pal, the President, about how Hastings did not send enough agents to the rooftop rendezvous. Hastings relents and let’s Jack fill his sack and go investigate his suspect. Cole, observing the entire exchange, is visibly aroused and now obviously has a man-crush on Jack.
Over at the UN, the talks continue. Hassan Chop’s brother, who has never been happy with all of the compromises being made in the negotiations, gets a phone call. It’s Mike Farmer. OMG, Hassan’s brother is helping the bad guy. He is the inside man.
Tonight, we’ll see if Farmer can get to Hassan. And another old friend returns. This one is cute as a button, tough as nails and looks a little like Lindsay Lohan.
See you in a little while.
----
Questions? Comments? Feedback? Want to get on the email alert list? Drop me a line at jack@backinjack.com or post a comment below.
24- Season 8.1 4pm: The Bronx is Up and The Bauer is Down - Part 1
Welcome back to a new season of 24. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get going. I’m going to split up the two hours of the premiere so I can get to bed at a decent hour.
4 pm
Start spreading the news… Jack Bauer is back, and he’s in the Big Apple.
When last we saw Jack, he was on his deathbed. He was finally at peace with himself and had gone into an induced coma, awaiting death’s sweet embrace. But Kim Bauer was not ready to lose her father and submits to a dangerous stem cell procedure that could possibly save him.
Danger? Fiddlesticks.
She’s a Bauer; Danger is her middle name, baby.
We pick up sometime later. Jack has moved from the deathbed to the couch, where he is enjoying an afternoon with his granddaughter, Teri. He has fully recovered from the disease and is contemplating a move to LA with his daughter Kim and her husband Stephen. I’m guessing the move to California is Stephen’s idea, because he looks an awful lot like Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and probably gets a lot of grief living in New York.
Before we go any further, I want to remind you people of something. It’s the most basic rule of watching 24; don’t get too attached to any character. It’s just not worth it. They will burn you. Remember, any one of them could be a mole, a sleeper cell or some other kind of covert bad guy. On the other hand, some of the people that may seem bad may really be good…. like a double agent, or maybe even a triple or quadruple agent. But most of all don’t get attached because anyone can die at any moment.
A perfect example is the very first character we meet tonight, Victor. Don’t get too attached. Victor is played by the guy who was Aceveda on The Shield. So this guy is going from Vic Mackey to Jack Bauer. (If you know The Shield, you know that is like going from the frying pan to the fire, except besides boiling oil, the frying pan was also full of corrupt cops, evil gangbangers and compromising cell phone pictures.) When we meet Victor, he is dressed like Little Red Riding Hood and being tailed by some assassins. He manages to escape, but not before he is shot in the shoulder. He makes his way to Jack Bauer’s place and we learn that he is an old CTU informant. As usual, he wants to trade protection and immunity for information about an impending assassination attempt on Omar Hassan, the President of the fictional Muslim nation of Kamistan and the owner of one impressive head of hair. Hassan is played by the Indian Regis Philbin guy from Slumdog Millionaire. But in this case, he’s the one who’s gonna need a lifeline. Hassan is in town for peace talks with our old pal, Madame President.
Yep, Allison Taylor’s run as President is still going, even though her marriage is not. I guess turning in her murderous daughter was too much for the First Hubby. Either that or maybe she just doesn’t put out anymore. But her old pal Nathan is still by her side. With Nathan it’s “‘til death do the part.” Unfortunately that might happen sooner rather than later. During a break in the negotiations we see Nathan popping pills and we learn that he is dying. This being 24, he can expect him at death’s door before the end of the day. Perhaps he’ll be sacrificing himself at some point. Just a hunch.
Jack calls CTU and tells them about Victor’s news and they agree to send a chopper to a nearby police precinct to pick them up. This is where we get to meet the new clowns at CTU: NY and also see their new digs. The new CTU office has a CSI: Miami look to it, while maintaining the trademark windows and stairways that we all have grown to love. There’s also some cool Get Smart-like sliding doors and plenty of new technology. And having trouble keeping up with this new technology is one familiar, scowling face, our girl Chloe. She’s working under the new, hot CTU computer chick, Dana Walsh. Dana is played by Katie Sackhoff, who was also the new, hot Starbuck on BattleStar Galactica. It was a big night on Fox for Galactica alumni, because Tricia Helfer, the hot, blonde Cylon, was on Human Target just before 24.
Dana is engaged to Cole Ortiz, played by Freddie Prince Jr., who is the latest hot shot CTU agent in the tradition of Chase and Rickey Schroeder. There’s also a geek named Arlo, who runs the flying drones that fly around Manhattan. Arlo also uses the drones to spy on sunbathing chicks and is caught gawking at Dana’s rack at one point. This makes him the most realistic guy in 24 history. We also meet the new head of CTU, Brian Hastings, who is played by Bubba from Forrest Gump.
Dana is a bit more knowledgeable than Chloe about the new CTU software and is also a much more formidable rival than Agent Garofalo from last year. She’s smart, attractive, and confident and she outranks Chloe. Chloe does even attempt to hide the chip on her shoulder. She also has problems with Hastings, who is not confident in her Chloe’s abilities and even less thrilled with her attitude. There are also signs of budget problems and downsizing at CTU. We learn that Morris was laid off and that CTU is running lean. When you hear the word “lean” at your job, you know it’s time to revise your resume. Unfortunately, this means that CTU does not send enough men to pick up Jack and Victor.
When Jack and Victor head out for the rendezvous, another long lost character makes an appearance. Yep… the Jack Sack is back. And like the way the Batmobile evolves with each new Batman movie, this Jack Sack has a new look too. This time it’s a swanky leather courier bag; possibly Coach or Gucci. It seems Mr. Bauer has been spending some time uptown, or maybe it’s a knock-off he bought from a guy on a corner.
Anyway, the bad guys are monitoring the emergency frequencies and find Jack while he’s attempting to clean Victor’s wound in an alley with the cloth from a dirty mattress. (That’s sanitary, right?) He must have cut the tag off the mattress, because someone spots him and calls the cops. Jack and Victor flee from the bad guys after a shoot out that kills a couple of cops. Jack runs out of bullets, and the bad guys seem to have them cornered in a stairwell. But this is Jack Bauer, and he don’t need no stinking bullets. He takes a page out of The Shining and chops down the bad guys with a fire ax.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Sorry. Combined references to The Shining and Jack Bauer can do that to me.
Jack and Victor make it to the roof, and meet an understaffed Freddie Prince… I mean Ortiz. Just as Jack has convinced Ortiz that he does not need to go back to CTU, a missile flies in and takes out the chopper. Everyone except Jack and Cole die. With his dying breath, Victor tells Jack that there is an insider involved in the assassination plot. To this I would expect Jack to say “No sh*t, Sherlock.” After all, this is 24. When is there not an insider involved?
And who might this insider be? It just might be Meredith Reed, a perky, blonde reporter who has been denied entry into the UN but is able to call Hassan directly and have him grant her access for an interview, despite the reservations of his brother… who looks a lot like Jason Schwartzman, the guy from Funny People, Bored to Death and I Heart Huckabees. It is clear Hassan has the hots for Reed, even though he is married. Maybe they should call him Tiger Hassan.
The hour ends with Miss Reed gaining access to the UN from Hassan. Is she on her way to do an interview, make sweet love or to kill him? The episode is over, but the two hour premiere is just getting started.
Scroll up for the recap of hour two.
---
Questions? Comments? Feedback? Want to get on the email alert list? Drop me a line at jack@backinjack.com or post a comment below.
4 pm
Start spreading the news… Jack Bauer is back, and he’s in the Big Apple.
When last we saw Jack, he was on his deathbed. He was finally at peace with himself and had gone into an induced coma, awaiting death’s sweet embrace. But Kim Bauer was not ready to lose her father and submits to a dangerous stem cell procedure that could possibly save him.
Danger? Fiddlesticks.
She’s a Bauer; Danger is her middle name, baby.
We pick up sometime later. Jack has moved from the deathbed to the couch, where he is enjoying an afternoon with his granddaughter, Teri. He has fully recovered from the disease and is contemplating a move to LA with his daughter Kim and her husband Stephen. I’m guessing the move to California is Stephen’s idea, because he looks an awful lot like Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and probably gets a lot of grief living in New York.
Before we go any further, I want to remind you people of something. It’s the most basic rule of watching 24; don’t get too attached to any character. It’s just not worth it. They will burn you. Remember, any one of them could be a mole, a sleeper cell or some other kind of covert bad guy. On the other hand, some of the people that may seem bad may really be good…. like a double agent, or maybe even a triple or quadruple agent. But most of all don’t get attached because anyone can die at any moment.
A perfect example is the very first character we meet tonight, Victor. Don’t get too attached. Victor is played by the guy who was Aceveda on The Shield. So this guy is going from Vic Mackey to Jack Bauer. (If you know The Shield, you know that is like going from the frying pan to the fire, except besides boiling oil, the frying pan was also full of corrupt cops, evil gangbangers and compromising cell phone pictures.) When we meet Victor, he is dressed like Little Red Riding Hood and being tailed by some assassins. He manages to escape, but not before he is shot in the shoulder. He makes his way to Jack Bauer’s place and we learn that he is an old CTU informant. As usual, he wants to trade protection and immunity for information about an impending assassination attempt on Omar Hassan, the President of the fictional Muslim nation of Kamistan and the owner of one impressive head of hair. Hassan is played by the Indian Regis Philbin guy from Slumdog Millionaire. But in this case, he’s the one who’s gonna need a lifeline. Hassan is in town for peace talks with our old pal, Madame President.
Yep, Allison Taylor’s run as President is still going, even though her marriage is not. I guess turning in her murderous daughter was too much for the First Hubby. Either that or maybe she just doesn’t put out anymore. But her old pal Nathan is still by her side. With Nathan it’s “‘til death do the part.” Unfortunately that might happen sooner rather than later. During a break in the negotiations we see Nathan popping pills and we learn that he is dying. This being 24, he can expect him at death’s door before the end of the day. Perhaps he’ll be sacrificing himself at some point. Just a hunch.
Jack calls CTU and tells them about Victor’s news and they agree to send a chopper to a nearby police precinct to pick them up. This is where we get to meet the new clowns at CTU: NY and also see their new digs. The new CTU office has a CSI: Miami look to it, while maintaining the trademark windows and stairways that we all have grown to love. There’s also some cool Get Smart-like sliding doors and plenty of new technology. And having trouble keeping up with this new technology is one familiar, scowling face, our girl Chloe. She’s working under the new, hot CTU computer chick, Dana Walsh. Dana is played by Katie Sackhoff, who was also the new, hot Starbuck on BattleStar Galactica. It was a big night on Fox for Galactica alumni, because Tricia Helfer, the hot, blonde Cylon, was on Human Target just before 24.
Dana is engaged to Cole Ortiz, played by Freddie Prince Jr., who is the latest hot shot CTU agent in the tradition of Chase and Rickey Schroeder. There’s also a geek named Arlo, who runs the flying drones that fly around Manhattan. Arlo also uses the drones to spy on sunbathing chicks and is caught gawking at Dana’s rack at one point. This makes him the most realistic guy in 24 history. We also meet the new head of CTU, Brian Hastings, who is played by Bubba from Forrest Gump.
Dana is a bit more knowledgeable than Chloe about the new CTU software and is also a much more formidable rival than Agent Garofalo from last year. She’s smart, attractive, and confident and she outranks Chloe. Chloe does even attempt to hide the chip on her shoulder. She also has problems with Hastings, who is not confident in her Chloe’s abilities and even less thrilled with her attitude. There are also signs of budget problems and downsizing at CTU. We learn that Morris was laid off and that CTU is running lean. When you hear the word “lean” at your job, you know it’s time to revise your resume. Unfortunately, this means that CTU does not send enough men to pick up Jack and Victor.
When Jack and Victor head out for the rendezvous, another long lost character makes an appearance. Yep… the Jack Sack is back. And like the way the Batmobile evolves with each new Batman movie, this Jack Sack has a new look too. This time it’s a swanky leather courier bag; possibly Coach or Gucci. It seems Mr. Bauer has been spending some time uptown, or maybe it’s a knock-off he bought from a guy on a corner.
Anyway, the bad guys are monitoring the emergency frequencies and find Jack while he’s attempting to clean Victor’s wound in an alley with the cloth from a dirty mattress. (That’s sanitary, right?) He must have cut the tag off the mattress, because someone spots him and calls the cops. Jack and Victor flee from the bad guys after a shoot out that kills a couple of cops. Jack runs out of bullets, and the bad guys seem to have them cornered in a stairwell. But this is Jack Bauer, and he don’t need no stinking bullets. He takes a page out of The Shining and chops down the bad guys with a fire ax.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Sorry. Combined references to The Shining and Jack Bauer can do that to me.
Jack and Victor make it to the roof, and meet an understaffed Freddie Prince… I mean Ortiz. Just as Jack has convinced Ortiz that he does not need to go back to CTU, a missile flies in and takes out the chopper. Everyone except Jack and Cole die. With his dying breath, Victor tells Jack that there is an insider involved in the assassination plot. To this I would expect Jack to say “No sh*t, Sherlock.” After all, this is 24. When is there not an insider involved?
And who might this insider be? It just might be Meredith Reed, a perky, blonde reporter who has been denied entry into the UN but is able to call Hassan directly and have him grant her access for an interview, despite the reservations of his brother… who looks a lot like Jason Schwartzman, the guy from Funny People, Bored to Death and I Heart Huckabees. It is clear Hassan has the hots for Reed, even though he is married. Maybe they should call him Tiger Hassan.
The hour ends with Miss Reed gaining access to the UN from Hassan. Is she on her way to do an interview, make sweet love or to kill him? The episode is over, but the two hour premiere is just getting started.
Scroll up for the recap of hour two.
---
Questions? Comments? Feedback? Want to get on the email alert list? Drop me a line at jack@backinjack.com or post a comment below.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Jack in the Saddle Again
Welcome back.
So it's finally here; season eight of 24 starts tonight.
Just a little housekeeping before we get started....
As you may know, this blog started on my old web site, Back in Jack, then I moved it to this Blogger site because it's MUCH easier to manage.
Well, I finally fixed the old URL so it points here, so now you can find me at www.backinjack.com. And www.backinjack.blogspot.com also still works.
I'll be back later after football and the big two hour premiere.
Viva L'Almeida!
So it's finally here; season eight of 24 starts tonight.
Just a little housekeeping before we get started....
As you may know, this blog started on my old web site, Back in Jack, then I moved it to this Blogger site because it's MUCH easier to manage.
Well, I finally fixed the old URL so it points here, so now you can find me at www.backinjack.com. And www.backinjack.blogspot.com also still works.
I'll be back later after football and the big two hour premiere.
Viva L'Almeida!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The Power of Love
Hi Folks, I thought the best way to end the year, or maybe start the new one, was with this image of two sisters reunited thanks to the power of love and friendship.
As you may have read here and elsewhere, my friend Keri Cahill has been trying to adopt a Russian girl named Anya, who is the sister of Keri's adopted daughter Nastia. Long story short, Anya's visa was denied in the 11th hour and we have been fighting ever since to get her a student visa. (You can learn more at our web site: http://bringanyahome.org/)
In the meantime, we have raised enough money through a grassroots effort to send Keri and Nastia over to Russia for a short reunion with Anya. As you can see from the picture, the girls are quite happy to see each other.
So thank you to everyone who has helped the effort in any way, and please keep up the work in 2010.
Happy New Year.
PS- 24 starts in a couple of weeks. Woo hoo. See you soon.
- Jack
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Top Chef Las Vegas: The Finale- V for Victory
Sorry I am so late with comments about the last two weeks of Top Chef. I watched the last two episodes on DVR and have just not been able to sit down and write my blog. I think part of the reason I put it off was that, deep down inside, this season was a little bit lackluster compared to others. Sure, it was a fun ride and I enjoyed it, but I did not connect with this year’s group like I have in past years. The line between good guys and bad guys was very blurred. You wanted to hate Mike Voltaggio for his arrogance, but you had to admire is creativity. Unlike Marcel, who may have been talented, but was still a jerk. Perhaps Mike I. was the Hung of this year, but he still was not as interesting. Jen was cute, and started off as a real firecracker, but her drive and her charm faded as the weeks went on. I liked her, but she was no Casey. The whole season was just not as compelling. But it was still pretty good.
When Jen was eliminated in the second-to-last episode, it was no surprise. I think everyone expected the brothers to make it to the finals. They were both great chefs, and that’s where the ratings are. It’s kind of like those ghost hunting shows. There are things that happen that seem like they could be real paranormal activity, but for the most part, I bet it’s mostly staged. After all, if nothing ever happened, you wouldn’t have a show. All along I felt that behind the scenes they knew the brothers would be in the final episode. And since Kevin was so strong throughout the entire season, it would have been a crime if he didn’t make it too.
So in the finale, as usual, the three chefs have to draw knives and they will be assigned a former contestant as a sous-chef. This is one of those elements of the competition that is really not fair. You come all this way, and on the occasion of the most important meal of your life, you may get pared with a bozo who can screw the whole thing up for you. But, ‘dems the breaks, and if you can’t take the heat, get out of the Top Chef kitchen. Unfortunately, my favorite, Kevin, was the unlucky one, and he gets Preeti and Ash as his partners. Ash is okay, but Preeti is more like a lead weight around Kevin’s neck than a helper. Meanwhile, Bryan gets Ashley and Jen, two people who are perfectly suited for this kind of role. Mike V. gets Eli and Jesse. I have to be honest, I did not even remember Jesse, and I wrote recaps every week about this show. I think, looking back, it’s because she dyed her hair blonde. And I was sad that Big Papi did not make the cut. I love that big lug.
The finalists were surprised when their mothers show up the night before the last event. Again, did the Top Chef people choose the Voltaggio brothers so that they could save on airfare and hotels by just having one mother for the two of them? (Am I over-thinking this?)
Tonight, which is December 16, 2009, they are showing a reunion show and supposedly we will hear which brother the mother was actually rooting for. If she says Bryan, I bet Mike V. throws a mushroom at her. (Or something that looks like a mushroom, but really is some other ingredient. He’s so clever.)
The night before, the chefs prep, and that’s where Preeti plays the iceberg to Kevin’s Titanic. You didn’t think anything could sink this guy, but before you know it, the band is playing on the deck.
During the prep, I had a feeling Bryan was going to win the whole thing. He had a good game plan, was playing to his strengths and seemed poised. Kevin was troubled, but you could not count him out.
When the cooking started, it became a rollercoaster. They had to add a dish inspired by their mothers, for one thing. Kevin seemed to kick butt with that dish. That does not surprise me, since he is a pro at home cookin’. Bryan’s first course was under seasoned. I am guessing that the judges don’t have a salt shaker at their table, because I would think in some cases, it would be better to let the diner add a little salt rather than risk over salting a dish. (For instance, I seasoned a batch of French fries today. I still would give the chef at the sports bar a thumbs-up for the meal.) Mike undercooked a prawn, and I thought that was a bad way to start off. But his fried broccoli seemed pretty cool. (I have never been a fan of the green stuff, and would love to try that.)
The second round was a mystery box, in which were ingredients that the chefs had to use. Kevin did pretty well with this one, but Bryan played it safe and once again was under seasoned. Mike V. was the big winner in this round.
The third round was chef’s choice, and Bryan hit a homerun with his venison. Mike V. lost points for a gimmick he did with mushrooms. (See? Mushrooms.) Kevin’s dish was just okay.
This race is getting hard to call. No one is pulling away.
The last course was dessert, and the Voltaggio brothers were much more comfortable with this than Kevin. Seems that a lot of Top Chef wannabe’s have trouble with dessert. Kevin makes a banana dish and plays the “B” card. He uses bacon, practically the equivalent to using PEDs in sports, except bacon is legal. But it can be an unfair advantage. But not this time. Kevin loses points for his dessert. Meanwhile, Mike V. over cooks his little cakes, and I thought he was all done. He undercooked a dish and over cooked a dish. But I really did think his dishes were creative and interesting this time. Bryan does the best with dessert.
So we head into the judges table and I pretty much thought Bryan would win. He was the safest of the three, had less highs, but also less lows. First Padma fakes us all out, including poor Kevin, when she calls his name, only to tell him he’s not Top Chef. That was a cheap shot.
It came down the Voltaggio brothers…. And the winner was little brother, Mike. I have to admit, I was surprised. But his creativity and boldness to lend themselves to the title of Top Chef. I do think Bryan is a better chef, and I think I would rather eat Kevin’s food. But I am always interested in what Mike V. has up his sleeve.
Mike was quite humble after he won, which was nice after all of his cockiness throughout the year. Something tells me you’ll be seeing a lot of Kevin and the Voltaggio brothers in food circles for years to come.
So that’s it for another season of Top Chef. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and thanks for reading my blog. I’ll be starting up on my 24 blog in January, and I will continue to write about other random things as they come to me. So keep an eye on Back-in-Jack, and feel free to leave some comments below.
Bon Appetite.
When Jen was eliminated in the second-to-last episode, it was no surprise. I think everyone expected the brothers to make it to the finals. They were both great chefs, and that’s where the ratings are. It’s kind of like those ghost hunting shows. There are things that happen that seem like they could be real paranormal activity, but for the most part, I bet it’s mostly staged. After all, if nothing ever happened, you wouldn’t have a show. All along I felt that behind the scenes they knew the brothers would be in the final episode. And since Kevin was so strong throughout the entire season, it would have been a crime if he didn’t make it too.
So in the finale, as usual, the three chefs have to draw knives and they will be assigned a former contestant as a sous-chef. This is one of those elements of the competition that is really not fair. You come all this way, and on the occasion of the most important meal of your life, you may get pared with a bozo who can screw the whole thing up for you. But, ‘dems the breaks, and if you can’t take the heat, get out of the Top Chef kitchen. Unfortunately, my favorite, Kevin, was the unlucky one, and he gets Preeti and Ash as his partners. Ash is okay, but Preeti is more like a lead weight around Kevin’s neck than a helper. Meanwhile, Bryan gets Ashley and Jen, two people who are perfectly suited for this kind of role. Mike V. gets Eli and Jesse. I have to be honest, I did not even remember Jesse, and I wrote recaps every week about this show. I think, looking back, it’s because she dyed her hair blonde. And I was sad that Big Papi did not make the cut. I love that big lug.
The finalists were surprised when their mothers show up the night before the last event. Again, did the Top Chef people choose the Voltaggio brothers so that they could save on airfare and hotels by just having one mother for the two of them? (Am I over-thinking this?)
Tonight, which is December 16, 2009, they are showing a reunion show and supposedly we will hear which brother the mother was actually rooting for. If she says Bryan, I bet Mike V. throws a mushroom at her. (Or something that looks like a mushroom, but really is some other ingredient. He’s so clever.)
The night before, the chefs prep, and that’s where Preeti plays the iceberg to Kevin’s Titanic. You didn’t think anything could sink this guy, but before you know it, the band is playing on the deck.
During the prep, I had a feeling Bryan was going to win the whole thing. He had a good game plan, was playing to his strengths and seemed poised. Kevin was troubled, but you could not count him out.
When the cooking started, it became a rollercoaster. They had to add a dish inspired by their mothers, for one thing. Kevin seemed to kick butt with that dish. That does not surprise me, since he is a pro at home cookin’. Bryan’s first course was under seasoned. I am guessing that the judges don’t have a salt shaker at their table, because I would think in some cases, it would be better to let the diner add a little salt rather than risk over salting a dish. (For instance, I seasoned a batch of French fries today. I still would give the chef at the sports bar a thumbs-up for the meal.) Mike undercooked a prawn, and I thought that was a bad way to start off. But his fried broccoli seemed pretty cool. (I have never been a fan of the green stuff, and would love to try that.)
The second round was a mystery box, in which were ingredients that the chefs had to use. Kevin did pretty well with this one, but Bryan played it safe and once again was under seasoned. Mike V. was the big winner in this round.
The third round was chef’s choice, and Bryan hit a homerun with his venison. Mike V. lost points for a gimmick he did with mushrooms. (See? Mushrooms.) Kevin’s dish was just okay.
This race is getting hard to call. No one is pulling away.
The last course was dessert, and the Voltaggio brothers were much more comfortable with this than Kevin. Seems that a lot of Top Chef wannabe’s have trouble with dessert. Kevin makes a banana dish and plays the “B” card. He uses bacon, practically the equivalent to using PEDs in sports, except bacon is legal. But it can be an unfair advantage. But not this time. Kevin loses points for his dessert. Meanwhile, Mike V. over cooks his little cakes, and I thought he was all done. He undercooked a dish and over cooked a dish. But I really did think his dishes were creative and interesting this time. Bryan does the best with dessert.
So we head into the judges table and I pretty much thought Bryan would win. He was the safest of the three, had less highs, but also less lows. First Padma fakes us all out, including poor Kevin, when she calls his name, only to tell him he’s not Top Chef. That was a cheap shot.
It came down the Voltaggio brothers…. And the winner was little brother, Mike. I have to admit, I was surprised. But his creativity and boldness to lend themselves to the title of Top Chef. I do think Bryan is a better chef, and I think I would rather eat Kevin’s food. But I am always interested in what Mike V. has up his sleeve.
Mike was quite humble after he won, which was nice after all of his cockiness throughout the year. Something tells me you’ll be seeing a lot of Kevin and the Voltaggio brothers in food circles for years to come.
So that’s it for another season of Top Chef. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and thanks for reading my blog. I’ll be starting up on my 24 blog in January, and I will continue to write about other random things as they come to me. So keep an eye on Back-in-Jack, and feel free to leave some comments below.
Bon Appetite.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Inexhaustibly For Anya - Bring Anya Home
Hi Friends,
I know, I am late getting the lastest Top Chef blog up. It will get here eventually.
I have been busy with a few things, including helping out a good cause. Inexhaustibly For Anya - Bring Anya Home.
Keri Cahill of Massachusetts is attempting to save the life of Anya... a homeless orphan living on the streets of a Siberian Coal Mining town. It all began about 4 years ago when Keri successfully adopted Anya's sister Nastia. After the adoption, Nastia became aware of a sister living in Siberia that she only had faint memories of. It turns out that the two girls were in fact sisters, and separated when they were both lost into the orphanage system.
Anya is currently 18 and no longer eligible for adoption, and has been released from the system to the streets. She is trying so desperately to avoid being swallowed by the sex trade and drugs. With Keri's guidance from the other side of the world, they have been successful so far. As an orphan in Russia, you are not permitted to travel freely, and need government authorization to travel to Moscow. This process took Keri about 3 years. Anya is currently in Moscow and presented herself at the US Embassy fully expecting to get a student visa as she had all the documentation and enrollment forms for Salem State College. Her visa has been denied, largely based on a whim of an Embassy staffer.
We, Keri’s friends, have started a grassroots social media and letter writing campaign, and have gotten both Senator Kerry, and Senator Kirk involved. The process is currently in the works to approach Secretary Clinton through a contact Keri has in Washington.
We drastically need more exposure to this story. We have had television press on both the local ABC affiliate and NECN. The Boston Globe and the Salem Evening News have also done stories. For links and more details you can check http://www.bringanyahome.org/ and our Facebook page "Inexhaustibly For Anya - Bring Anya Home". Our Facebook group has over 2500 followers.
Please check out the web site and help out if you can. You can also follow us on Twitter. @bring_anya_home.
Thanks.
Jack
I know, I am late getting the lastest Top Chef blog up. It will get here eventually.
I have been busy with a few things, including helping out a good cause. Inexhaustibly For Anya - Bring Anya Home.
Keri Cahill of Massachusetts is attempting to save the life of Anya... a homeless orphan living on the streets of a Siberian Coal Mining town. It all began about 4 years ago when Keri successfully adopted Anya's sister Nastia. After the adoption, Nastia became aware of a sister living in Siberia that she only had faint memories of. It turns out that the two girls were in fact sisters, and separated when they were both lost into the orphanage system.
Anya is currently 18 and no longer eligible for adoption, and has been released from the system to the streets. She is trying so desperately to avoid being swallowed by the sex trade and drugs. With Keri's guidance from the other side of the world, they have been successful so far. As an orphan in Russia, you are not permitted to travel freely, and need government authorization to travel to Moscow. This process took Keri about 3 years. Anya is currently in Moscow and presented herself at the US Embassy fully expecting to get a student visa as she had all the documentation and enrollment forms for Salem State College. Her visa has been denied, largely based on a whim of an Embassy staffer.
We, Keri’s friends, have started a grassroots social media and letter writing campaign, and have gotten both Senator Kerry, and Senator Kirk involved. The process is currently in the works to approach Secretary Clinton through a contact Keri has in Washington.
We drastically need more exposure to this story. We have had television press on both the local ABC affiliate and NECN. The Boston Globe and the Salem Evening News have also done stories. For links and more details you can check http://www.bringanyahome.org/ and our Facebook page "Inexhaustibly For Anya - Bring Anya Home". Our Facebook group has over 2500 followers.
Please check out the web site and help out if you can. You can also follow us on Twitter. @bring_anya_home.
Thanks.
Jack
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