Jack is Back!

24: Love Another Day has hit the airwaves four years after 24 ended. A 12 episode “shortened” season of Jack Bauer and his bad-ass-ness. Is it still relevant. Will this shortened season encourage a reawakening of the show? Or is this a one off, a final goodbye from Jack? I guess we shall see.

Everything I am reading avoids the question of another season. They just talk about this being the plot of the failed movie and how it’s great to be back. I truly hope this does well enough that they consider doing more. Jack is a rare kind of hero that you do not see a lot on TV. They came close with Kevin Bacon’s Ryan Hardy in The Following but there isn’t anything patriotic about him. He’s just out to smite evil, with a little revenge thrown in there.

I do think Jack is still very relevant. He has a strong John Wayne feel to him. I think John Wayne would be disgusted by many of the so-called heroes we have on TV today. Jack is no-nonsense and does anything for the sake of his goals. He is still human and lets his anger and/or search for revenge get the best of him at times but in the end, he is a true patriot.

This season has definitely turned things up a notch, with an international location, and better special effects (they now can do some serious damage like blowing up buildings with CGI). The writing is well done – bringing back key elements of past shows while at the same time changing the general setting of the show. Gone is CTU. Gone is the support structure that Jack depended on. Jack is a fugitive as a result of the last season. I had to go back and refresh my memory on that one.

It seemed like the last few seasons of 24, the story was floundering. It was less about the consequences of the last season and more about how the writers can get Jack into worse situations. I think the writing really lacked something towards the end. This new season has hit the ground running and so far, it’s pretty good. At times, it has surprised me but other times, it has fallen into the same ol’ formula that 24 was getting into. Why does there always have to be a mole? That aspect is getting especially old.

The new character Kate Morgan is really kick ass though. A true female version of Jack and a good match for him. Which only means she is more than likely going to die. The previous girl I liked with him was Renee Walker and she ended up dying.

Because the show is only 12 episodes and thus 12 hours, I can tell they are keeping the plot less convoluted. Which is a good thing. Towards the end of its previous run, it seemed like it was stretching to find a way to create plot and more hours. I like where it is going, I like the characters and I have yet to miss an episode. It was one of my favorite shows when it started and I hope that it continues. It is my kind of show.