Cracks of gunfire, the beat of rolling drums and nuclear explosions in my living room can only mean that Jack is back. If Jerry Bruckheimer produced “Die Hard,” he’d end up with the show “24.” Each hour is a violent, stylishly directed guilty pleasure that never backs down. Every week, Jack Bauer and counter terrorists somehow avert imminent terrorist attacks – at any cost. Jack will shoot an innocent woman, torture his own brother, or bite out a guard’s throat at the drop of a hat to get the job done.
The show grabs you like a cheap date and is so addictive it should come with a prescription. This could be a problem, because no matter what you do, you should never, ever, take “24” too seriously.
“24” touches on some very sensitive issues with the sort of false sensitivity Fox thrives on.
From Jack’s black-prison-style tortures to internment camps for Islamic Americans, the show deals with very poignant problems in American society with as much subtlety as Bruce Campbell performing an appendectomy with a chainsaw.
Each prefabricated character runs the wheel of their stereotype for most of the show, no matter how black the plot of “24” or how close it hits to home. Either a change in plot, or an impromptu speech by the president to his advisors, leaves us feeling assuaged of all remorse – and certainly never responsible for the things in the world of “24” that reflect our own.
In Jack Bauer’s America, our enemies have infiltrated every level of our society. A mushroom cloud over Valencia justifies all actions by the state to keep us safe, the Constitution be damned. Without the will of Jack Bauer to keep us safe, the terrorists surely would have already won.
That is a dangerous, scary line of thinking for anyone to take seriously.
But wait. What WMDs? What terror attacks? Jack Bauer’s America has had two black presidents who actually listen to their intelligence advisors. The government instantly responds to massive national catastrophes with enough manpower. The show may seem realistic and gritty, but it’s not an honest evaluation of America for better or ill. Like a funhouse mirror, the show’s warped reflection of America is funny more than it is tragic.
“24” is best taken with a big grain of salt – and maybe a shot of tequila. Despite its Monday night time slot, the “24” drinking game remains popular and the Internet is full of Chuck Norris-style jokes like, “If Jack Bauer’s gun jams, it’s because he wants to beat you with it.” Beneath the cheap veneer of hot-button issues, “24” still stays true to being a guy’s action TV show – and should be given the same gravity as an episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
Somewhere next Monday, someone will be taking “24” too seriously. Once Jack’s done defusing a suitcase bomb, we’ll have him stop by to change their minds -they’re ruining the fun for the rest of us.