Michael in Nashville

24: Day Six, 11 p.m. – 12 a.m.
I sometimes have to remind myself that it’s best to just turn off my brain and go with the flow when it comes to 24. But then sometimes the show does things that just make me scratch my head and go–huh?

The big one this week was Wayne Palmer calling a press-conference at what would have been after 3 a.m. EST. I can understand he wants to address the American public and tell them the nuclear threat is gone, but who is going to be up to hear this live? And I find it equally debateable the entire White House press corp would be working at that time of night. Of course, you can argue it is a crisis and such but they’re still human and would get tired. Plus I can’t imagine why Wayne wouldn’t wait a few hours until a bigger majority of the country is awake.

I guess he’s just going after that insomniac vote.

That said, there was some good stuff happened this week. Jack calling the “you owe me card” on Wayne was nice, though we knew it was only a matter of time before Jack went rogue. Seeing Chloe help Jack out and break into Morris’s computer for the information was nice.

Jack’s pulling every string imaginable to somehow try and free Audrey was nice, though I doubt we’ll ever see him sacrifice himself. That said, I hope the threat next year isn’t the Chinese having the piece that Jack removed from the suitcase nukes. I think the idea of tying the two days as closely together as has been done with seasons five and six has been more of a negative than a positive to the show. I think next year we need a cleaner slate when we start the threat to civilization as we know it for the seventh day of 24.

Lost: Catch 22
The last Desmond episode was my favorite Lost episode of the season, so naturally I was really looking forward to this one.

And while it was good, it was no where nearly as satisfying as the first one.

Some thoughts on the Desmond storyline. The flashbacks refer to the Biblical story of Abraham, who was called upon by God to sacrfice his son as an act of faith. Abraham did this because of his faith in God and “passed” the “test.”

So, how does this tie into Desmond’s saving Charlie? Is Desmond’s saving Charlie every time from death failing or passing the test? I’m not quite sure, though it’s clear that Desmond believes he’s failing the test. The question is, would Charlie have possibly saved himself had Desmond not shouted out for him to duck? Are these visions more about Charlie’s salvation that Desmond’s?

It’s an interesting question and a nice way to tie the flashbacks to what’s happening on the island.

Also of interest is the fact that the helicopter seems to jam when it gets close to the island. Is that part of what lead the plane to crash? Is there some kind of jamming field near the island? Or maybe it is out of control now with the hatch’s destruction?

And who is this new woman in the helicopter? I’m assuming she’s with Penny somehow, looking for Desmond. Is Penny somehow aware that Desmond is alive somewhere? We saw last week the news reports that Oceanic 813 had disappeared and wasn’t presumed to have crashed. So, did the pulse serve as some kind of signal to Penny to send out people looking for Desmond? And is her father somehow tied into Desmond’s exile to the island?

I think the new girl is tied to Penny somehow. I think the clue is the novel was translated into Portuguese and we’ve heard some of the people who work for Penny talking Portuguese. Also, why have the picture of the two together if not tied to Penny somehow

Meanwhile, back at camp, the whole love square of Sawyer/Kate/Jack/Juliet continues to…well, honestly take up valuable screen time from other more interesting stories. It’s like we’ve been exiled to middle school here with this plotline.

I thought maybe we’d have some challenge to Jack’s perception as the leader by Sawyer when Sawyer walked up….instead it was let’s play ping-pong and fill in details on what Kate slept with me. Ugh, please…make it stop.

I think it’s that that storyline that really drug down the episode from being really and truly great.

Lost: Expose
I have to wonder if this episode was written in some way to quiet the very vocal fans who have complained long and hard all season about the sudden appearance of Nikki and Paulo. Or maybe the writers felt that it worked well last year, giving us an episode that examined the backstory of characters we’d only just met. But the reason that worked was because it was the Tailies and there was a reasonable explanation for why we’d not seen them before now.

Not so much with Nikki and Paulo, who showed up with no explanation and then we got this looking back at the backstory with these two inserted. In a way, it was almost like the old clips episodes on most 70s TV shows where everyone sat around, talking about the good old days and we saw clips of classic episodes. Of course, we live in a more sophisticated time now and can digitally insert the new characters into the classic scenes.

Creatively, I liked what they were trying to do here. The thing is I don’t think the overall execution was as successful as the producers were hoping for.

Maybe I was just a bit tired when I saw the episode, but it took me a while for the connection between what Artz was telling Nikki and what she did to Paulo. It was a bit chilling to think that Nikki and Paulo were buried alive, the castaways effectively killing them both. It was an intersting, unneerving twist that reminded me of an old episode of the “Suspense” radio show I heard years ago that unnerved the tar out of me. Basic plot is guy has a condition where he looks dead but isn’t. Something happens, he loses his medical bracelet and gets to almost being autopsied before someone realizes he’s alive and stops it. It’s a pretty intense episode (at least it was when I was much younger) and it worked well because we could hear our heroes internal dialogue as he begged and pleaded for someone to notice he’s still alive. I have to imagine deep down inside that Nikki and Paulo were yelling at the top of their lungs. Not that it did any good.

That said, I didn’t find their backstory all the compelling. Again, with the theme of clips from other episodes, that is what the flashbacks felt like. Oh we’re con people and we’re on a job. And we encounter everyone before they get on the plane and man, wasn’t Shannon a witch with a capital B before she got to the island? Yeah, been there, done that and got the t-shirt.

It was fun to see most of the main cast feature in an episode, I will give them that.

On the better side of things, Sun finds out that Charlie and Sawyer were behind her kidnapping. Now that was interesting though I managed to see a preview at some point during the week that ruined that twist. I did like her comment that she wasn’t going to tell Jin because they’d have to dig another grave. The violation of trust and the betrayal she must feel should be interesting to see how it plays out. It was also nice to know there might be some further consequences to this and I have a strange feeling Jin is going to find out…and then it’s not going to be pretty.

This episode was pretty uneven. It was no where nearly as compelling as the last two, but it wasn’t necessarily that bad. It was just sort of there and while it did have an interesting revelation or two in the final act, I’m not sure it was the most solid episode we’ve had all year. But if we can return to form next week, this minor hiccup will be forgiven.

And at least we’ve got rid of Nikki and Paulo…unless one of them comes digging up out of the sand like some kind of crazy island zombie.

24: Day Six, 8 – 9 p.m.
If you’re president of the United States, you have the best medical staff on the planet. Witness here where Wayne Palmer goes from being in cardiac arrest and not ten minutes later is up, around and mentally alert enough to find out Daniels is nuking the unnamed country and to put a stop to it. That is some seriously great health care right there.

And before you go telling me that it’s standard procedure for time to mean nothing on 24, but only service the necessities of the plot, I must remind you that, yes, I know that. It’s just sometimes when the show slaps you with such a moment that strains credulity so that I have to point it out.

I don’t quite get why Daniels is being portrayed as such the war-monger. I’d love to find out a bit more about his agenda and why he feels so strongly about it. I suspect that we’re going to find out he’s in on the plot, though at this point I’m not sure. Maybe someone else is pulling the strings on him. The thing is, I am not sure the writing staff knows quite where this is going either.

Which leads me to wonder–can this day of 24 be pulled out of the tailspin it’s in? It was getting better but the past two weeks have settled back into 57 minutes of just OK with three compelling minutes at the end, leading up to the cliffhanger.

But I have to say this–everything going on over at the White House was far more interesting than anything going on at CTU.

Can we just flash the word “foreshadowing” on the screen in neon any time anyone mentions Denver? I swear, it feels like every conversation about that goes like this..

Person 1: Do you remeber Denver.
Preson 2: Yes, something huge happened there.
Person 1: It sure was huge.
Person 2: Yes, yes it was.

OK, I exaggerate a bit…but not much. At this point, I get it–something happened in Denver. But it’s maybe time to start hinting at more than just that something happened there.

Of course, it’s not like Mike Doyle is coming off as all that great or interesting a character. This week he hides evidence that exonerates Nadia (boy howdy, that was fast)….only it was revealed he was making sure. And I don’t quite get why his buddy was trying to set him up. I mean, other than to have Milo and Mike almost come to blows about how Nadia was treated.

Speaking of which, did anyone else find the Milo kisses Nadia scene disturbing? I think it was the way she was kind of saying he stood no chance and the way he grabbed her, pulled her to him and almost forced the kiss on her. I don’t know, but while I think the intention was to make Milo looked rugged and manly, to me it came across asa bit creepy and that the next scene will be Nadia filling out the sexual harrasment forms. (In real time, no less…it will totally rock and Jack will have to shout a lot).

And that brings me to Jack Bauer, the hero of our show who can do anything–including getting an autistic kid to help trap Gredenko. I will give the show credit–I expected the kid to blow the CTU cover and have Gredenko escape again. At least we didn’t go there.

That said, watching Jack walk in and say to Gredenko, “You know who I am and what I will do” was totally awesome and completely Jack Bauer. Of course, it assumes that we forget that earlier today Jack was doubting his own Jack Bauerness…..but there you go.

I think I’m going to have to start adopting the stance I take with Smallville for this show–just stop worrying about it and just go along for the ride. Thing is, I can do that when the ride is great as it was last year. When it’s not the rollercoaster that we’ve come to expect from the past five years, it is that much more glaring. Of course, I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that the odd number years of 24 are great, while the even numbered ones aren’t quite as good. Sort of like a reverse of the Star Trek movies…

Lost: The Man from Tallahassee
I have to admit I was a bit worried about this week’s episode of Lost. After three years of hints and wondering, at long last we’d find out just how John Locke ended up in a wheelchair before he came to the island.

If there was one mystery on this show that has intrigued me, it’s this one. The revelation that Locke was in a wheelchair before he came to the island was what hooked me on this show, taking it from a good show to a must-see every week until the bitter end. But as time went on and we slowly didn’t find out what put Locke in the wheelchair, I began to worry if the story could ever deliver on the promise.

Well, let me just say–the story did deliver and it even had some good twists along the way.

I really liked the give and take between Locke and Ben. Hearing Ben ask Locke how it felt to to be hurt was a chilling moment. How is Ben able to be so creepy and threatening when he’s so helpless from the surgery and confined to a wheelchair. When Locke admitted it hurt when his back shattered, I was bracing for the worst. I figured there would be some fight with father but I never quite expected it would be an eight story fall. It was an almost Hitchcock-like suspense moment, knowing something bad had to happen to Locke but not quite sure when and how it’d happen. So when it did, it was a take-your-breath-away kind of moment that made you both stare in disbelief and then flinch as we heard Locke hit the ground.

For once, the flashback story informed the events taking place on the island. One thing that is interesting about pre- and post-crash Locke is that how he interacts with con men. He’s been conned by his dad and an attempt by Ben. And you’d think after all of the manipulation he’s experienced, he’d have learned. Not so much. Locke plays right into Ben’s game, giving Ben the best of all worlds–Ben gets to keep Jack, keep his word and not lose face with the Others. I think that was a telling conversation with Ben. His desire to be as strong is interesting. If Ben showed weakness or lost face with the Others, would they overthrow him? Are they all vying for some power postion on the island? Or does Ben have something over each of them that he holds over them besides the submarine off the island?

It opens up some interesting doors for the show now mythology wise. Presumably Locke has destroyed two ways to communicate with the outside world in the past few days…that has to come back to haunt him. He can’t deny it since Sayid, Jack and Kate all know what he did.

Locke has shown an intense desire to stay on the island. I loved the role reversal of Ben and Locke. Ben wants so desparately for the connection with the island that Locke has, while I bet Locke wouldn’t turn down the leadership role Ben has.

And the cliffhanger–wow, that was a jaw-dropper. Yes, I guessed what was going to be behind door number one as soon as Ben offered to show Locke what was inside the black box. But it stil didn’t make the revelation of Locke’s father being on the island any less dramatic, intense and one heck of a cliffhanger for next week. See, that is where they should have ended the fall run of shows…can you imagine the buzz if we’d had to wait three months to find out what happened next?

Meanwhile, it appears Locke has burned a lot of bridges and his fellow castaways know it. So will Locke now be forced to stay with the Others because of retribution the other castaways would give him?

Wow, this show is getting great again….that’s two great episodes in a row.

24: Day Six, 7-8 p.m.
I’ll admit I’ve been sort of wondering how to approach this week’s episode of 24 since the final seconds of this hour ticked down Monday night.

It wasn’t bad, so much as it was “more of the same for those who haven’t had it up to here” (apologies to Bob and Ray).

So, another season, another mole. Excuse me while I’m not shocked or surprised by it. I guess I could be excited that we found out who the mole was fairly quickly, but then again, Nadia is a bit too obvious, don’t you think. But as I think of everyone else in CTU, I’m not sure who else it can be and work from a plot standpoint. I mean, unless it’s Bill and he’s got an implanted evil personality…oh wait, that was Babylon Five.

Meanwhile, it’s a whole lot of very little Bauer this week. Jack finds out Audrey is dead (presumed) and he suddenly drops everything to see the file. Now, I understand it’s a shock for him to find out, but is taking Chloe away from her normal duties to get the file really going to fly?

And Marilyn makes her move, which ends up pretty awkward. Can’t blame the poor girl since just a few hours ago, Jack was inappropriately touching her face and subtlely feeling her up under the pre-text of fitting her with a bulletproof vest. And where’s the kid? Was he off in the other room getting a soda? How weird would it be to see mom busting a move on your uncle when dad’s only been dead a few hours? I think someone is going to need a lot of therapy. Hopefully CTU will pick up some of the bill for that.

Meanwhile, the real drama is taking place at the White House where the vice president has lost it and gone full out war-monger. He seems to be looking for an excuse to nuke someone, much to the horror of the Biscuit and the newly-returned Karen Hayes. “Don’t let your silly logic fool me” he says as he presses the button to nuke the country that shall not be named. And none of the military leaders stand up to him on it. I know our military men and women are trained to fight, but I also know they like to avoid it as much as possible and it’s a last resort.

Are we really at last resort stage yet?

I don’t think so..again, it feels like we’ve warped to day two and are repeating out same mistakes.

I’m betting next week we somehow try to wake Wayne up. I didn’t see the previews so I can’t say for sure. But the way things are unfolding, I bet it that is where we’re headed.

I just wish that after the last two weeks when things were looking up that we’d somehow built on that. It appears that we’ve regressed a bit here and while the White House stuff was good, the rest of it was nothing to write home about.

And did we all suddenly forget about Charles Logan? Not even an update…come on 24, you can do better than that!