The Psyche of Jack.....Finally.....

I've been waiting all year for the main focus of "24" to be the psyche of Jack.

Go back to 6:01am....it's a broken, bruised, scarred Jack (both physically and emotionally, and psychologically), coming back from China in a "trade".

Jack immediately gives us his mantra that helped him survive in China. As bad as the reason was for Jack to return (to be killed), Jack said he'd rather die for something rather than nothing.

Then it didn't happen and we launched into another typical day in the life of "24" and Jack. Didn't take but a few minutes for him to lose all the hair!

But, finally last night, 23:58 later, we come full circle, back to the mind of Jack. Consider this...

--returns to the U.S. as a martyr-to-be
--doesn't happen, he begins to do what, well Jack does...
--has to kill Curtis to keep Assad alive
--witnesses a nuclear detonation
--almost gives it up
--rescues strangers from a helicopter (remember that??)
--discovers his brother was behind the plot regarding David Palmer, et al
--briefly feels responsible for the death of his brother
--...who was actually killed by their dad
--having to deal with Dad in the first place, then get double crossed (inevitably)
--having Marilyn come back into the picture, seeing she's still got the hots for him, on top of having to deal with all the other dysfunctional family crap.
--gets a number to call and it's Logan of all people
--spends time in the air with Logan, in a much different way than season five
--tracks and tracks nukes....
--BTW, how are the firefighters in the city where the drone was damaged while landing?
--eliminates Fayed (say hi to your brother for me!)
--hears Marilyn tell him Audrey's dead
--gets a call and hears Audrey's voice
--sees Audrey in a sad state of affairs, thanks to, of course, the Chinese.
--begs to help her. Gets to, once.
--Then Dad says stay away..."everyone who touch, Jack, ends up dead".
--in custody, out, in custody, out.....
--Three on three wrestling at CTU with surprise tag team members Nadia and Morris.
--don't forget he had the circuitry and the Chinese toast until, *gasp*, CTU screwed it up.
--off to find Josh.
--realizes Dad has a "platform".
--gets Josh, tells off Dad ("you're getting off easy")
--rides the wave of the copter, then drops into the waves
--lashes at Heller
--tells Audrey he must go
--stares down at the sea, the beach and the rocks

Wouldn't YOU BE AT A CROSSROADS, TOO???

So.....

He's out of China. He's out of CTU. Officially, he's unemployed! His Audrey, who he lost, then thought she was dead, then found out of her search to find him, then to see her numb, then to fight for her only to have to let her go. Curtis--gone. Graem--thankfully gone. Dad--supposedly gone. Finds out his family is pretty much deplorable.

Wonder what's next.....

Buchanan arguably had the line of the night. To Nadia, when she went into "we gotta find Jack" mode one too many times. "Let him go."

And, we all should do the same for several months, and look forward to all the possibilities that exist for next season.

I hope, and I pray, somehow, Tom Lennox is there. As I saw on another blog tonight, he is easily the MVP of Season Six. Great character, tremendous acting.

Long live "24"!! And, have a better day than Jack, okay?

Hours Three and Four: 8am to 10am

Well.....so far, at :18 after the hour...

1) This Palmer will negotiate with terrorists.
2) This Palmer has little sense and no backbone.
3) Jack had to get at least SOME exercise during his China excursion, though his driving skills are certainly rusty.
4) Wifey reminds me each season a "family" in typical America gets involved.

Oh, and brilliant the plan of Jack to create the fender-bender. But Assad won't make it to 9am.

8:21am---meanwhile, at Palmdale, the Gap Band is singing "Party Train" as the buses come to pick up the terrorists, ah, freedom fighters, for their field trip.

THOUGHT OUT OF NOWHERE: Why doesn't it ever rain?

8:23am---Curtis adds to fuel in Jack's mind about "can he do this anymore?" He's changed. Really changed. Jealous? Yep.

8:25am---didn't they teach "expendable teenager" not to go after terrorists with dirty dishes in middle school?

THOUGHT OUT OF NOWHERE II: For those of you who want "non-stop action", this may not top Season Five.

THOUGHT OUT OF NOWHERE III: "24" will be alot better once this road is traveled. I mean, who really IS Jack? If he doesn't know, who does? I know, I know....other than Chloe....

THOUGHT OUT OF NOWHERE IV: I could have married Chloe. She's like my wife, only my wife doesn't snarl, talks more, and gets the cutest look with her nose and eyebrows when she smiles.

COULD SOMEONE PLEASE ELIMINATE AMERICAN IDOL???

Back to work.....

Is it me or is the lady playing Sandra Palmer just bad? She sounds like she's reading cue cards!!

And I thought people were scared to come out of their homes. Why the protesters on the sidewalk chanting? Did they have the signs in mothballs just in case they needed them??

Whoa. Are we seeing a developing undercurrent of a political statement regarding civil liberties during a time of unrest? Maybe the FBI is using the old copy of the former Vice President's martial law plan from some 18-20 months ago.

It's almost 8:42.

Chloe quote: "You mean like I'm doing already?"

PREDICTION: By 9am, Assad is dead, the lead will be, too, and they'll be serving sandwiches in the Palmdale Moving Cafe.

Curtis IS doing his job. But he's not supposed to have the smirk. Hmm......

QUOTE TO REMEMBER: Jack just said, "too risky"???? More doubt.

CORRECTION: Well, there's some action after all. Nice explosion.

WIFE IS RIGHT I: Let them get on the plane, then bomb it. I agree.

QUOTE TO REMEMBER: "Their President gave in to us.", terrorist talking to Fayed, the really, really bad terrorist.

Chicken President, doubting Jack, the real President only available to hawk insurance for another season. WHAT WILL WE DO!!??!!

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Ready to see "wussy neighbor" get tough? Well, that should be enough headbutts to the floor.

THOUGHT OUT OF NOWHERE V: C'mon, there MUST be new technology regarding computers that Jack doesn't know! Computers are revolutionized in 18 months!!

Wow! Quickest appearance by a mole in "24" history!!!!

Assad is alive, and we head for 9am.

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Best commercial of the hour: Tostitos--"Mommy and Daddy Wrestling".

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9am to 10am.

Lesson #1---President Palmer can say "nuclear".

QUOTE TO REMEMBER: "I don't think I'm up to it.", as well as, "I'll do my best."---Jack Bauer

On this day, Jack's best will NOT be enough.

What's Curtis gonna do to go against Jack? "What did the Chinese do to you?", he said to Jack.

Hmmmm......would you trust the last nuke built by the Soviets? Is it gonna work? Quality control? Did they have it in 1990?

Is this the FIRST PAY PHONE used on "24"? Probably not; just wondered.

Well.....Mom dialed 911 after all. "Can't say I blame her", says wifey.


CO-WORKER THOUGHT: She says the White House goes up in flames tonight. We'll see.

AGAIN----I PLEAD WITH YOU-----ELIMINATE AMERICAN IDOL!!! AAAHHHHH!!!

Trust the Ambassador? Let's talk to Jack. Let's talk to Assad. Let's see Curtis' eyes leave his head.

Now the President's sister is going berserk, and here comes goofy hubby, now killer and deliverer of all things nuclear.

Tom Lennox. Hmmm.....Tom Lennox. Remember his brief appearance last season.

Jack now goes after this season's "Beh-roos" (can't remember spelling). He's barely alive.

The address is in Valencia. Hope they pick up some fresh-tasting orange juice!!

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Okay. Rush Limbaugh says the "gosh-I-can't-believe-they-did-that-moment" at the end of this hour is the biggest of the first eight. So, hold on folks.

Well, now we know the Curtis/Assad connection, and Curtis is taking it into his own hands.

Curtis is gone. Jack now breaks. This puts him over the edge.

"I'm done."-----Jack Bauer

THAT ISN'T ALL, FOLKS. THEY WANTED THE WHITE HOUSE TO HAVE THE FEED.

WHY?

That's why.

Nothing more to blog. The last ten minutes said it all.