24:' Episode 22, 5-6 a.m.
Snore. I never thought I'd say that say after watching the second-to-last episode in a season of "24," but it's true. Last night's episode was awash with unoriginality, to the point that a Jack-Tony face-off was only mildly thrilling. Eyeballs should have been hanging out of sockets! Jaws should have been dragging on the floor! Tongues should have exhausted themselves with wagging! Instead, I got up to move the laundry into the dryer.
In a way, "24's" charm has always been the unpredictability of its predictability. In nearly every episode, we can usually count on a tangled, twisty knot of seven or eight of the 10 following elements:
1. A terrorist plot
2. Torture
3. Finding/following up on a lead
4. Terse reminder of the time issue (Dammit!)
5. Petty, time-wasting office politics
6. Family/relationship drama
7. A betrayal of trust
8. Last-minute scramble to subvert said terrorist plot
9. Stay/elimination of the threat
10. Vengeance
The problem with season seven has been its unwillingness tohttp://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2009/01/27/on-the-seventh-day/ push the limits of the show's recurring themes, so we end up feeling like we've seen it all before (because we have). Olivia's proven to be conniving and self-interested, but she's no Sherry Palmer. Renee's a capable wing(wo)man, but Audrey Raines was sharper and more complex. President Taylor's righteous and moral, but she's got nothing on David Palmer. Bio-weapons are scary as hell, but the threat had greater hold the first time, during season three.
While it had its highlights (Bill's kamikaze move to save the president; Tony's murder of Larry Moss and betrayal of Jack; Hodges pummeling a coworker's face with a brandy decanter), Day 7 will certainly go down as one of, if not THE, least memorable seasons of "24." But in anticipation of next week's two-hour, Kim-Tony-Jack-centric season finale and a bigger and better Day 8, I'm compiling a list of the top 10 all-time most memorable Bauer hour moments. Leave your suggestions here and check back Thursday for the list.
(Photo by Kelsey McNeal/FOX)