24 Blow by Blow: Season 5 - Episode 10 - 4pm-5pm

We're only 10 episodes into the season and already I am riveted to my seat waiting to see what will happen next. Not only do we have a great episode here, but we've got a prelude to a 2-hour extravaganza NEXT week! I can't wait.

I also wanted to announce that a friend of mine and I have intiated an online Internet Talk Show dedicated to - you guessed it! Talking about "24!" Be sure to check out the details at the Mothershow's website, The LunchTime Gab, located at www.lunchtimegab.com All kinds of details, news, views and opportunities to participate await.

With that, let's get to this weeks 24 Blow By Blow!

24 Blow by Blow: Season 5 - Episode 10 - 4pm-5pm

-- Love to Hate Factory: I just don't have the words to describe the inherent genius of "24" as a "love to hate factory", the likes of which we've rarely seen. If you run down the listing of the characters in place, you either love them or love to hate them and I can't remember a show in recent times that has brought that to me in as many instances so quickly with a cast. More on tha as we go along in this episode.

-- Hour for Motorcade to Get to Airport: Having never been to LA, is it realistic for a Presidental Motorcade (regardless of whether or not the President is present) to take an entire hour to get to the airport? Would any of our listeners/readers chime in on that one?

-- Will the Motorcade Be Recalled? The Answer is...: We don't know yet! Another genius hallmark of this series is the ability to lead people into a (almost sometimes rediculous but entertaining) tension-filled situation, which has you leaning, forward, and forward and just as you're about to get the goods, they turn the wheel! Love it! Realistic building of tension is never a problem on this show and I appreciate the time and pacing that the writers take in almost every episode of this show.

-- When In Doubt -- Head to the Server Room! It's time to participate in the dark and brooding goodness of the Server Room! This season, the Server Room has been the source of much turmoil. Shootings, stabbings, attempted murder and more! Wouldn't Lynn be watching these three a lot more closely at this point? How we have avoided the "No, I'm going to the bathroom" joke at this point is beyond me, but the fast-paced technoschpeak is entertaining as ever. I need to bottle Chloe's "your so incredibly more stupid than I am" stare - what a piece of on-screen gold!

-- Lynn Clearly Eeeking into the Abyss: Samwise has finally taken a turn toward the incredible. While over the last several years I've had stress on the job, I can't even imagine something like this occuring in a workplace. Are any of you experiencing stress at the level that Lynn dishes it out? I sure hope not!

-- Omicron Background, and Jack's Recruiter Revealed! I love backstory inserted into current storytelling in just about any incarnation. Spy novels, movies of all kinds and here, "24" doesn't disappoint either. We learn some quick and dirty information about the mysterious Omicron company, but more importantly we get some dish on Jack from WAY back when he was recruited. Folks, I smell bad blood and it smells HEAVENLY.

-- Identification-Schi-dentifiation: Audrey and company are able to set up the "John Barrie" identity into the main database that Omicron will be accessing to verify "Jack is who he is", but I wonder to myself: any of the Top Secret or authorized access buuldings that I've ever been in have REQUIRED me to have an actual valid piece of identification on hand in order for me to enter - without question. Jack is able to tell this dude who he is, give his thumbprint and walk into the joint. A bit strange, but it's just a device to get him into the same room with...

-- PETER WELLER RULES! Yet another genius piece of casting, Mr. Peter "ROBOCOP" Weller makes an appearance as Jack's mystical and apparently misjudged recruiter from way back. I have always liked Peter Weller, not only from Robocop, but from Buckaroo Banzai, and a host of appearances on television including STAR TREK, The Law series and more. In this role, Peter is able to showcase his talents as the proverbial fisherman, reeling us in until the net can be sprung! A masterpiece! He is totally underated and will clearly make a stellar addition to the cast - until he DIES that is!

-- Jack's On-Screen Tsunami Scream! A new and exciting segment on the 2GuysTalking: 24 show I referenced above is one called: Jack's On-Screen Tsunami Scream! Jack ALWAYS screams about something and this episode is no exception. This week we find him shattering the sound barriet with the line: "11 people died in the mall!!!!" Did you think another one made the same impression? What was it? Click the link above to tell us about it or to talk about Jack's "Outside Voice" obsession.

-- Expanding Edgar: I know that I've mentioned this in previous blogs, but I believe that Edgar is getting even larger than he was when he started this season! One of the local now Ex-St. Louis Cardinals named "Ray King" was whom I called "Kuato" in homage to the character in the Schwarzenegger romp "Total Recall" with the giant hump in his stomach that was actually a little psychic pseudo child. Ray has NOTHING on Edgar, in fact it looks as though Ray King and Kuato BOTH may be under Edgar's shirt. Time to get some esteem counciling into CTU as well as perhaps the addition of some fresh fruit, vegetables and food coaches into the CTU Cafeteria.

-- Chatter, Chatter - Does It Matter? As per the 9/11 Report, one of the largest circles of failure in the "failure of imagination" was the inability of the US and it's varying agencies to decipher/translate all the chatter that was available from a variety of sources. Yet in the span of 18 minutes, Edgar is able to take some chatter that is thrown to him from an outstanding filter on his system, put several things together, and formulate a credible threat that eventually is the lynchpin for CTU's worst-ever director! Goooooo Expanding Edgar!

-- Section 112!! Mentally unfit! This is yet another piece of what I hope to be American lexicon that I hope begins to infiltrate the ranks of the office-working class. I would LOVE it if someone used this to denote an effort, action or function that was just so incredibly mentally retarded that it can hardly be believed. the usage for things like this could be VAST! Do you have thoughts? How about: "Ah, Jerry, a total 112, yup." Perfect and thank you again to the "24" Writers for providing us with a new standard.

The Factory Churns! Earlier in this segment I referred to the ability of this show to offer a buffet of characters you either love, hate, or love to hate and that fact has never been more valid than when the President and Mike kneel in front of the unlit fireplace in their Presidental getaway and pray for something good to happen with the motorcade/crazy first lady situation. I love Mike Novick. I hate the First Lady, and I Love to Hate President Logan! Who on the cast do you have that fall into these categories? I've love to hear you chime in. Check the Forums at LunchTimeGab for more!

-- Pray With Me Mike...: Uhh, no. Let's not. I'm guessing that when President's Logan's Daddy told him there is a "solution for every problem" that it didn't include getting on your knees, asking others around you to join in and hope that everything just works out. This Mike won't be praying with President Logan, except perhaps to pray that they get Voodoo Witch Doctor to somehow resurrect President Palmer to replace you! Bah!

-- Lynn Has Left the Building: Well, not realy - he's in holding now which is where he really belongs. I had such high hopes for this character and the skills of craft for Sean Astin, but alas: He's been a great sonovabitch now that he's become completely unhinged. What's left for Lynn? Ah ha! They KEYCARD! What do we have to look forward to with that? What do you think?

-- The Dreaded Downtown Corridor: Note to All Future Presidential Motorcade Planners: If there is an area of downtown that every single governmental protection organization can pinpoint as the place "most likely to be used in an attack on a presidential motorcade", maybe that's a bad place to send the Presidential Motorcade? I also see that CTU, the President's Computer Bungalow, and a variety of terrorist screens have a live overhead view of the area. Don't they see the hoarde of angry, hell-bent terrorists getting into place?

-- Mike Novick Rocks! President Logan begins slumpping in his chair in idiocy-induced paralysis when Buchanan tells the President about the motorcade attack. When Buchanan asks if the President heard what he said there is silence. Buchanan across the blue line with a limp-wristed pass from Logan, speeds towards the crease and shoots -- SAVE by Novick! Oh baby! For those missing the incredibly hockey-laden reference, Novick chimes in perfectly to save Logan's bacon yet again. They have really made an all -around great character with Mike Novick and I really do hope that he's not dirty, doesn't get killed and continues to be a beacon in a great show.

-- Secret Service Leave the Bulletproof-protection of the Bulletproof Cars to Engage: While I am not a Secret Service Planner, nor do I understand the intricacies of modern urban battle-engagement with Terrorists, I DO know that the place to be when bullets start a'flyin' is inside the bulletproof confines of one of the Secret Service Motorcade vehicles. Two agents get OUT of the lead car to engage the hostiles at the ambush points and I was completely aghast. I'd like to see what some real-life folks that have done protection detail etc think of the progression of detail here.

-- Humility Is Often Overlooked: As we come to the end of this episode, with Jack discovering a bomb left for him to end his life, we hear from his own mouth: "How could I have been so stupid?" One of the great things that people forget about Jack's character, is that the man is not only the unstoppable, super-interrogator go-to man for people that are in a world of shit - he's also a man. A guy that has heartache, ups, downs and piles of shit that land on his head regularly, and if you ask me - that is the magic of the character Jack Bauer. He is everyman as they often want to be but aren't. Again, more kudos to the writers of the show and the staff that pulls off magic like this so often.

We see that there is MUCH to be garnered next week Monday with a 2-hour episode and I cannot wait! Again, be sure to check out our "2GuysTalking" segment on "24" at www.lunchtimegab.com and see you next week!