24 Recap: “11:00 – 12:00am”

Title: 11:00 – 12:00am
Original Airdate: 4/16/07
GMMR Recapper: LaLa

So, what was my under-whelming feeling after watching this episode? Here we go again. Yes, after last week’s kick-ass episode, where so many things happened that you wanted to see happen but didn’t dare hope would happen, this episode felt like a stale repeat of so many things that you’ve seen happen a million times before and hoped not to see happen anymore. Like Jack having to go rogue and do something completely irrational and illegal – and of course, he only has one hour to do it. Like Jack calling Chloe covertly, and guilt tripping her with the old “Chloe, just do it” line to do something that would seriously jeopardize her job (and of course, he gives her nothing in return for her troubles). Like Wayne Palmer collapsing into a coma, thus allowing Demon Daniels to take permanent control of the White House and immediately make bad choices. Like Audrey Raines. Like Jack hurting good people and risking innocent lives and international security (namely with Russia and China) just in order to save annoying Audrey’s life.
Sigh. I know 24 is trying to build Audrey up as Jack’s great love, and I know that she stupidly risked her life in order to find Jack in China, but seriously… is Audrey really worth all of this? I mean, let’s think about this – let’s examine Jack and Audrey’s relationship.

Season 4: Jack and Audrey are having a love affair during her separation from her British husband. Then said husband inexplicably shows up on a big terrorist attack day and wants to get back together with her. Much torturing of said husband ensues because Jack doesn’t trust him. Then Audrey, after nagging and yelling foul things at Jack, decides to leave Jack and go back to her husband. Then her husband dies because Jack forces the only doctor at CTU (I guess they were short on money…) to save the terrorist’s life instead of Audrey’s husband. Finally, at the end of the day/season, Audrey bitterly tells off Jack, and says she never wants to see him again. Then Jack fakes his death and goes into hiding, which makes Audrey inexplicably upset.

Season 5: Jack hasn’t seen Audrey in almost 2 years, and has been living with a nice woman and her son. But when he is reunited with Audrey after stopping a bunch of terrorists, he drops the nice woman to go back to Audrey, who has strangely decided she wants to be with Jack again. During the rest of the day, Audrey is at least helpful to Jack and mostly doesn’t nag him – but of course, he has to compromise national security and let the terrorists get away several times in order to save her. Then at the end of the day/season, Jack gets kidnapped by the Chinese and thus goes missing for 2 years.

So really, in the past, oh, 4 years, Jack and Audrey have spent very little time together. They don’t actually have much of a relationship. And so I ask you dear readers – all 5 of you – is Audrey really worth all this???

Personally, I don’t think so. I think the producers should have just let her stay dead. And I also think they should have ended the show last week, and just renamed this season “16” since that is how many hours it took to defeat the terrorists. Sorry, but I really think that this show is running out of gas and having a really hard time sustaining the story for 24 hours. Honestly, as sad as this may sound, I’m really thinking that this season should be its last on TV. However, I do still love me some Jack Bauer. So here’s hoping then that the show does in fact end its run on TV sooner rather than later, because then we can finally get that 2 hour big-screen movie they’ve been promising. Now THAT would be awesome.

LaLa is a writer who currently resides in LaLa Land, aka Los Angeles. LaLa also likes to sing. LaLa also knows some lawyers in a law office. LaLa is also prone to making bad jokes, like this one. And of course, LaLa also loves her some quality television shows with quality actors on them, like House… and The Office… and 24… and, well, pretty much any smartly written show that doesn’t include a fat guy with a hot skinny wife or the words “two and a half men” in the title.

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