Jan 15 2007
24 Season Premier, 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM Open Thread
LJStrata and I are avid 24 fans and awaited with great anticipation the start of “Day 6”. I find it truly interesting (and very helpful to our society’s current debates) that this season’s threat is terrorists. There are arguments on both sides of every aspect of the ongoing real world debate reflected in the show already. Such as how much freedom to sacrifice, how much profiling to support, etc. What I like about 24 is it poses tough questions where neither side is all right or all wrong – both have some merit and are in total opposition.
Intersting for this season we have the terrorists now here in the US with regular attacks. That is one possible future we face, especially if we lose Iraq to the insurgents. Right now the insurgents are totally occupied trying to eject “The Great Satan” from the land of their caliphate, and its capitol: Ramadi, Iraq. If we let off the pressure America and Europe would be in the middle of the Jihad as it reached our streets.
It is also interesting to see the duality of the terrorists in the characters Assad and Zayed. Can terrorists have a change of heart and try to bring about an end to the killing? We will face that question more than once I suspect. And 24 will, I am sure, give us some things to think about for when we face that decision.
The internal political pressures that surround the question of profiling are also important. I am not sure who the little squirrely guy is who keeps planning for internment – but I know who he is supposed to represent. I think it is clear we cannot ever round up people based on unsubstantiated doubts tied to religion, ethnicity or looks. That is brought home by the irony of the terrorist collaborator’s father being taken, instead of the young terrorist himself. I agree we will need help from everyone living here if we end up battling it out on our streets.
It think it is good to see the debate between assisting law enforcement and fighting it for no real good reason. Of course this is all a preset story line, but it does point out that to participate in helping authorities is not bad or wrong or giving up a right. With that said, we can all see the FBI heading for a disaster in over reacting to someone’s right to privacy. Destroying evidence is a crime and so all of the angles to that part of the story make some sense – though I think this will be the one angle that could be misplayed by the writers.
We shall see. But what is always great about 24 is it makes us think hard about questions and situations which are not clear. Enjoy the discussion, I am looking forward to reading what people thought of the first two hours. Let’s try and be civil in our disagreements though – can we?
My wife and I also are avid watchers. The boyfriend of the Pres. Sister is going to be involved. We haven’t figured out who, on the inside, is going to be aligned with the terrorists. Probably not squirrelly guy. Damn Chloie is good, you think there is even one that good in the real CTU? I agree, no internment, but at the same time with all the terrorists killing all those people, some restrictions on EVERYONE is going to have to happen. Maybe scanners to enter buses and trains. Anyhow, I’m looking forward to tonight. Oh, is Chloie’s boyfriend going to be a traitor. He looks muslim? Ha Ha.
Count me in as another AF (avid fan). 24 is definitely getting darker following real life global events. Maybe this will help open a few more eyes.
It’s interesting that prior to 24‘s premiere last night we were watching History Channel’s docu about the Mafia’s godfathers. They showed film footage of Benito Mussolini’s men torturing people to gain info about the Mafia. They strapped men down and forced them to drink salt water. They hung them up by their ankles and … You get the picture. And the torture worked. Not that Il Duce wanted to end corruption; he was just jealous of the gangsters’ clout. I kept thinking how times have changed, how the liberals hog-tie our every move to do what needs to be done to protect America nd Americans.
Big fan here. Count me as one who was screaming at the tv in the beginning because the President was negotiating with terrorists. And his sister-sheeze! Exactly what I hate about certain political persuasions.
Thank heavens for the Jack Bauer types-I hope we have many in our government, for real.
Did you notice that Jack Bauer and Assad neither had any problems with torture, and they got the info they wanted also. Contrary to these fruitcakes that say torture doesn’t work, they only tell you what you want to hear. Also, remember the Chinese deception, they said Bauer never said one word in two years. Wouldn’t they really have said? “Man, he spilled his guts, we know all we need to know about CTU, or something like that”
I have my eye on the Peter MacNicol character, Thomas Lennox.
I’m waiting to see that he has a direct connection to the terrorists.
But to start with making a deal with terrorists, and then the wrong set of terrorists, would be enough for President Wayne Palmer to fire the bunch of them on the spot.
And why is it that Hamir Al-Assad (Alexander Siddig) looks amazing like Dr. Gaius Baltar (James Callis) of “Battlestar Galactica” ?
Both attended London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
I kept flashing on how Peter MacNichol played a character nicknamed “The Bisquit” on Ally McBeagle :~)
Who was he? don’t recall that character.
And I said it at the time. Why didn’t he fire the whole damn bunch?
oh, he was ‘squirelly guy’ okay, yeah I said above he is the obvious insider to be a terrorist link, so he won’t be.
Neo,
Assad is Dr Bashir from DS-9! My mind is stuffed full of this useless trivia…..
I too am a big watcher. A few things I took away from last night, other then it is so darn exciting, are how difficult it is for a President to make the right decision when all hell is breaking loose, especially when you have ning-nongs giving advice. How important good intel is to every decision in this kind of war, and how important a few really brave souls really are, that’s just for starters.
Has anyone figured out what’s in the package that the young neighbor terrorist has in his possession? How about the polonium trigger for a nuclear bomb? heh.
Was the Ahmoud (the neighbor kid) the son of the Moslem couple a couple of season’s ago? The last we saw of him, he was at CTU with his mother.
Could we get Pres Bush to take over for that Candy Ass?
Watching now…My blood is boiling. I want the ACLU suspended indefinitely or until the WOT is over. We cannot survive with it. America will cease to exist. And I believe there are many live here now that want that to happen.
In New Orleans, twenty years ago, there we young black men dressed in suits and bowties, handing out leaflets about the nation of Islam at many street corners. I said then, something was up. I just didn’t know what.
I am praying for my country….
Suitcase bomb explodes.
All you people who voted democrat or stayed home….THAT is what we are going to get with liberals in power. Fact.
Immigration? I don’t give a damn.
I am so angry.
Can’t believe they killed Curtis. None of the regulars made it to the bomb site.