"24" Just TV or Reflection of the Times
OK, unless you've been in a hole since 2001, you know about the show "24".
This show is about Jack Bauer, part of the US Counter Terrorist Unit, part of Homeland Security. Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland, is an agent with a ton of baggage, problems every day, and one hour to solve part of a day. Each season is 24 episodes and each day is about 1 hour of what happens. Sounds simple, and interesting right? Riiiiiight.
"24" has dealt with terrorists from all over the world. The first season had Eastern Europeans and Serb bad guys. Season two, had Colombians wanting to gas the world, and The third season was Arabs. This year starts with Arab terrorists also.
24 shows how an agent may have to severely interrogate a terrorist to get info to prevent loss of life. It poses the question: If you were Jack Bauer and you know about a bomb or gas weapon, and you knew a terrorist had the info and would not talk, how far would you go to interrogate them and get the info in time to save lives? That question has since been posed, since after September 11, 2001. No Jack Bauer to prevent the loss of 3,000 lives. Or maybe there were and his direct superiors went into ostrich mode.
Recently, 24 came under fire for having a family of Arabs living in LA. They seem normal, dad on a cell phone and wearing henley shirts, mom making tea and desserts, and the son wearing a Walkman and going on the internet. All seems normal? Nooooooooo.
Why not? Well, mom, dad, and the son are all trained for terrorism. They are the perfect moles. They act apolitical, nice, and whatnot when neighbors are over. However, when doors are closed there are phones and computer chatter on bombing trains and plotting attacks on Downtown LA and on planes. The Mole Family is also not shy on killing pestering neighbors. This past week the son was dating an American girl and she had followed Junior to where dad's terrorist friends were holding the Secretary of Defense, hostage. American girl was called by the mother of the son and invited for tea and snacks. The girl is poisoned before junior can get her out. Mom proves to be a murderess. Dad was out killing other folks. Not an American family.
Arab groups complain that this perpetuates a myth that every Middle Easterner is a terrorist about to be activated like the Manchurian Candidate. That is not the case. Many may wonder when finding cells being busted in Oregon, Florida, Albany NY and possibly other areas that the media has not gotten to. The majority of Arabs are trying to be good, but have yet to fully J'Accuse the bad ones. Same problem in Iraq. Jewish groups and conservative political theorist David Pipes agrees with 24 and the dangers of sleep cells. It is just TV, but it could happen if we are not careful.
Also, there is portrayal of problems in bureaucracy and with the leaders. The President, new one, is portrayed neutral, but has to communicate with dozens of agencies within one sitting. The President must communicate with his cabinet and the new head of the cTU, Erin Driscoll. Driscoll is leary of many of her personnel and especially wild card Jack Bauer. Bauer had been a drug addict due to having to take a deep cover op so intense, he had to be a drug dealer in love with his product and ready to help the terrorists. Driscoll is also familiar with Jack's interrogation methods which include punching, kicking, and firing off guns. The methods work. This also shows how torn the government is to keep the public safe, but skirting the methods of torture that we think only our enemies did. Abu Ghraib is alluded to many times. The government is showed as flawed and imperfect, but the main and sometimes only line of defense for the citizens of the United States.
"24" also alludes to consequences of terrorism and missing info or not being able to catch everything. In the season premiere, Secretary of Defense Heller- William Devane, is abducted with his daughter in a motorcade ambush. Heller and his daughter are to be executed by 2 pm, Pacific Time and will be broadcast on the Internet. This is deliberately done to mirror the horror of the hostages that were beheaded by Al Zarqawi in Iraq. Jack Bauer is supposed to stop the executions. If not, then the Secretary is part of the list of murdered at the hands of terrorists.
All in all, "24" is some innovative and interesting action, but tries to be steeped in some sort of reality, minus Jack's daughter and family being abducted or in trouble EVERY hour, episode. "24" is an interesting take on the War on Terror, here at home. It also poses questions on myths and rumors on what goes on behind the scenes and what the media is not allowed to cover.
"24" gets 24 out of 24 rating.
This show is about Jack Bauer, part of the US Counter Terrorist Unit, part of Homeland Security. Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland, is an agent with a ton of baggage, problems every day, and one hour to solve part of a day. Each season is 24 episodes and each day is about 1 hour of what happens. Sounds simple, and interesting right? Riiiiiight.
"24" has dealt with terrorists from all over the world. The first season had Eastern Europeans and Serb bad guys. Season two, had Colombians wanting to gas the world, and The third season was Arabs. This year starts with Arab terrorists also.
24 shows how an agent may have to severely interrogate a terrorist to get info to prevent loss of life. It poses the question: If you were Jack Bauer and you know about a bomb or gas weapon, and you knew a terrorist had the info and would not talk, how far would you go to interrogate them and get the info in time to save lives? That question has since been posed, since after September 11, 2001. No Jack Bauer to prevent the loss of 3,000 lives. Or maybe there were and his direct superiors went into ostrich mode.
Recently, 24 came under fire for having a family of Arabs living in LA. They seem normal, dad on a cell phone and wearing henley shirts, mom making tea and desserts, and the son wearing a Walkman and going on the internet. All seems normal? Nooooooooo.
Why not? Well, mom, dad, and the son are all trained for terrorism. They are the perfect moles. They act apolitical, nice, and whatnot when neighbors are over. However, when doors are closed there are phones and computer chatter on bombing trains and plotting attacks on Downtown LA and on planes. The Mole Family is also not shy on killing pestering neighbors. This past week the son was dating an American girl and she had followed Junior to where dad's terrorist friends were holding the Secretary of Defense, hostage. American girl was called by the mother of the son and invited for tea and snacks. The girl is poisoned before junior can get her out. Mom proves to be a murderess. Dad was out killing other folks. Not an American family.
Arab groups complain that this perpetuates a myth that every Middle Easterner is a terrorist about to be activated like the Manchurian Candidate. That is not the case. Many may wonder when finding cells being busted in Oregon, Florida, Albany NY and possibly other areas that the media has not gotten to. The majority of Arabs are trying to be good, but have yet to fully J'Accuse the bad ones. Same problem in Iraq. Jewish groups and conservative political theorist David Pipes agrees with 24 and the dangers of sleep cells. It is just TV, but it could happen if we are not careful.
Also, there is portrayal of problems in bureaucracy and with the leaders. The President, new one, is portrayed neutral, but has to communicate with dozens of agencies within one sitting. The President must communicate with his cabinet and the new head of the cTU, Erin Driscoll. Driscoll is leary of many of her personnel and especially wild card Jack Bauer. Bauer had been a drug addict due to having to take a deep cover op so intense, he had to be a drug dealer in love with his product and ready to help the terrorists. Driscoll is also familiar with Jack's interrogation methods which include punching, kicking, and firing off guns. The methods work. This also shows how torn the government is to keep the public safe, but skirting the methods of torture that we think only our enemies did. Abu Ghraib is alluded to many times. The government is showed as flawed and imperfect, but the main and sometimes only line of defense for the citizens of the United States.
"24" also alludes to consequences of terrorism and missing info or not being able to catch everything. In the season premiere, Secretary of Defense Heller- William Devane, is abducted with his daughter in a motorcade ambush. Heller and his daughter are to be executed by 2 pm, Pacific Time and will be broadcast on the Internet. This is deliberately done to mirror the horror of the hostages that were beheaded by Al Zarqawi in Iraq. Jack Bauer is supposed to stop the executions. If not, then the Secretary is part of the list of murdered at the hands of terrorists.
All in all, "24" is some innovative and interesting action, but tries to be steeped in some sort of reality, minus Jack's daughter and family being abducted or in trouble EVERY hour, episode. "24" is an interesting take on the War on Terror, here at home. It also poses questions on myths and rumors on what goes on behind the scenes and what the media is not allowed to cover.
"24" gets 24 out of 24 rating.
posted by NDwalters @ 1:50 PM
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