Blow by Blow Review: "24" March 28th, 2005

Isn't it funny how there is usually a crescendo/peak to the season of a show and then it begins to tail off to wrap into a build up for the next season, yet "24" has made nothing but continual strides upwards topping every episode prior to the one that you just watched? It's clearly more proof positive that you need to get your ass in front of the tube on Monday nites and tune to Fox to visually collect the feast that is "24".

Let's get to this week's edition:

Blow by Blow Review: "24" March 28th, 2005

-- Edgar as the Funnel? Michelle says that they're going to funnel everything thru Edgar: Why is that? Doesn't the history of CTU over the last three years indicate that when one person has been the "funnel" that bad things happen?

-- Excellence of Character Introduction: Something that is really unexpected and unfolding wonderfully is the character of "The Pilot" as we've referred to him over the last couple of episodes. I am extremely happy with both the filler and the initial "lack" of detail that has been provided for this character in out story and I look forward to seeing where the actions of this character take us.

-- Michelle's Newfound Respect for Tony: Just about everyone makes mistakes and it's great to see that even someone that was so badly "wronged" as Michelle can understand that people can change and that in this case, Tony really is a good man. It is great to see that the writers have really considered making their relationship more than one-dimensional here a season aftere their marriage ended.

-- Tony the Wonder Interpreter: Those of you that check the news often in regard to foreign affairs should be aware that there is a lack of interpreters in general available to help protect the United States against the forces that would make us have continual bad days. Something to note: Tony notes in this episode that he he recently checked the traffic logs of not only CTU, but Interpol, the FBI and the NSA. While I'm certain that he might have been able to "check in" with the sources of the review of the traffic, I don't understand how Tony could have possibly reviewed all the potential traffic that may be available - it's just not physically possible for one dude to do what he claims.

-- Distraction = Attraction? I am amazed that no one else in the entire structure of CTU puts the pieces of the puzzle together to get that the attention to Behrooz is just simply a diversion to splinter the attention of CTU. With all the people that they have working on this case wouldn't it seem likely that even one person would say "maybe it's just a cover to help waste time and misdirect our attention?" No one comes up with that.

-- "Thanks for calling CTU: This is Edgar: How May I Direct Your Call?" With all of the work that has been piled on Edgar. With all of the life events that he has been subjected to -- after Michelle's reinstatement of Cloe because Edgar's being overwhelmed/poor performance, why on Earth is Edgar now functioning as the switchboard operator at CTU?

-- "Just Give Me the Password": Chloe contacts Edgar on the dreaded "Videophone" and wants the password that he is using to access the main server at Division. Wouldn't it bee prudent if each user into the system had their own username and password to help prevent errant attempts into the system? I'm just a cog in the machine at my workplace and this is how we do it and we're not defending any nation from terrorists with a real zeal to destroy our way of life: Why isn't the Divisional computer in charge of securing our nation using at least the same type of system that my workplace uses?

-- Chloe the Inappropriate Conqueror: While Chloe has been asked into an impossible situation at CTU, she, like Sarah, claims that she gets what she wants or she "walks." Hey, there's the secured/guarded door hit you in the ass, lady. While they again would be even more short handed, surely they could give her duties to Edgar who is only taking care of organizational communications and switchboard operating. :)

-- Curtis Gets the Secure Dumbass Award: Curtis, in the middle of the floor no less in an audible voice, gives Chloe "the password for Division." What is the liklihood of there being one master password for the system that everyone uses? Other than him announcing it in the middle of the room this just seems like it would totally a bonehead play.

-- The Worst Kind of Telemarketer: Edgar the Wonder Operator fields the phone call from Marwan and the rest of the calls. Again, with all the things that Edgar has on his plate and mind, is this the best person to be handling the call at this point?

-- The Dreaded Televised "Exchange": Apparently, neither the CTU Team or the Terrorist Team take the time to watch prime time television: EXCHANGES NEVER GO THE WAY YOU WANT THEM TO. If you know of one that has ever turned out please feel free to post it in the comments section because off the top of my memory for every television show I can remember, it never works.

-- Speed-dial Heaven: I think CTU and it's players now currently hold the award for the most programmed auto-1-key speed-dials in the history of entertainment. Do any of you have speed-deails set up even on your cell phone much less your workstation phone? I don't.

-- CTU Terror Guru Conference: Not One Naysayer: Again, the point that there are now not just 4 high-end anti-terrorist gurus in a room but 15+, and none of them even consider that the trade may be a bunch of nothing. Amazed, folks, simply amazed.

-- The Mystery Voice Samples: Chloe claims that the just downloaded the voicesample data from McCLennan-Forster and that none of the samples match - how is that? Wasn't there just an EMP blast at McClennan Forster that erased\/scrabled all the data on those systems, making remote connections and data retrieval impossible? How'd she accomplish this?

-- Curtis - The Texas Hold 'Em Master: I have to congratulate Curtis: While his security mind blows, his poker face and attitude to Behrooz is top notch.

-- "Everyone - on this call!" Michelle instructs everyone to listen in to a call to Marwan at one point - again, with the deception and potential security breaches that have been uncovered previously, wouldn't she understand what a security risk this might be? I get that maybe "someone could discern a sound or noise in the background" or possibly "hear something of value" but at this point, doesn't prudence have the front seat? You can always play back the conversation: surely it's being taped.

-- Jack - the Expendible Warrior: Not once, not twice, but three times this episode, we are reminded that Jack is expendible: And folks: I think he is and eventually they will have the series end on a hero note where we suddenly get a taste of just how expendible Jack is. Kudos to the writers for hitting us over the head with this and continuing to avoid the "hero never dies" syndrome that plagues many current television shows.

-- IDs, IDs Everywhere - Except in the TOP SECRET AIRCRAFT HANGAR AND SERVICE DIVISION: I am a lowly web designer/graphics dude at the company that I currently work at and even I have/am required to have a photo ID/work badge on my person at all times. Flash to the hangar holding of the nation's most secure aircraft. Neither the maintenance people, the shift manager, or our anti-hero, "The Pilot" have any identification on their person in any fashion. Having interpreted in many military installations in our area, I can assure you that this is not the case at even the most inane military installation.

-- Incredibly Inappropriate Chloe: Does anyone have a spork that I can kill Chloe with? While I am certain that everyone in every workplace has their foibles and idiosyncracies, I am also certain that Chloe and her admitted inappropriateness wouldn't be tolerated by someone like the "Secretary of Defense's Daughter, much less her coworkers.

-- A Missing Persons Report Filed After Only 2 Hours: Have you ever been gone 2 hours over whatever your scheduled deadline to report back to work/home/wife and had them contact the police because you didn't check-in? If so, then you're ready for the next edition of "I am in an out of control relationship." While there would be calls, even Email or Instant Messages to me, I am certain that noone in my family would have contacted the local police station to check on me or to file a "Missing Persons" report.

-- The Spectrum Continues: One of the wonders of this show is it's ability to use the complete spectrum of interaction to varying degrees to get you to watch. That being said the note in this episode is: Jack being hauled away, shackled, and just behind him and the terrorists that are dragging him away, a faint glimmer of electricity (and hope?) shines with life. We'll get to what that is at the end of the episode this time.

-- Distraction Complete: Time to Kill and They Don't: Ok, the exchange is occuring. If Behrooz is truly expendible, why is it that they don't kill both Marwan and Jack? Wouldn't that make them waste even more time investigating the death(s) and eat up more of CTU's already dipleated resources?

-- Here a Tracker, There a Tracker, Everywhere a Tracker-Tracker: They put a "here it is" Tracker on Behrooz, and one in his scalp: Wouldn't it be prudent to put one that he swallows or something so that it would be harder to just "cut out?"

-- Sniper-ific! CTU can't see the sniper on infra-red satellite imagery, in headlinghts as he rises to his knees on top of a building as a truck full of CTU folk arrives, and can't get the fix of his live cell phone as he speaks in direct contact, for an extended period of time with Marwan. How does that happen?

-- Thank God for Lame Sniper: It's a great thing that the Sniper for Marwan was a lamer: Castle, magically without any assault headgear, rises with a giant-ass assault rifle, and three other tactical guys in full gear! How did this sniper not see these guys arrive? He must be related to Magoo.

-- Technology Everywhere But Not a Drop to Use: They know the place/address of the exchange, they know who/what is arriving and they have the parameters that Marwan has dictated for the event - in all the short-term prep for this, no one thinks to get satellite imagery of the area of the exchange. Why is this?

From the trailers for next episode, things are about to be thrown into overdrive!