Feb 25, 2010

TV Review: 24 - SEASON EIGHT - '12 a.m. to 1 a.m.'

The series continues to try and get its feet after suffering a bitter and boring Russian winter
Grade:
B
Stars: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Anne Wersching, Freddie Prinze Jr., Cherry Jones,


In the annals of 24, Hastings (Mykelti Williamson) is likely one of the worst directors of the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU).
Yeah, I realize that the season is still ongoing and we have a slew of episodes left, but up until this point he’s proved himself to be an irresponsible, slimy, untrusting moron that not only doesn’t have a nose for the truth or justice but is willing to be played as a pawn to whoever might feel necessary to play him.
Bill Buchanan – hands down the best CTU director – he is not.
And once again in “12 a.m. to 1 a.m.” he was used to frame Renee (Annie Wersching) as the fall girl for the debacle involving the Russians. Instead of just taking the bullet himself, he let President Taylor’s (Cherry Jones) staff member Weiss manipulate him into the deal even if it went against everything he knew was just. Then when Ortiz (Freddie Prinze Jr.) goes off to get his girlfriend Dana (Katee Sackoff) in the most ludicrous storyline (more on that later), he was more than willing to send some fresh-off-the-boat kid to lead a squad in hostile territory. This doesn’t even go into the fact he just now realized that Dana was off doing extra circular activities after she’s been away, well, most of the freaking night?

Speaking of the Russians, thank the Gods we are past the Russian winter that has locked down 24 for the past few episodes. It put a monkey wrench in what was up until that point a pretty decent season of the show. Now, it seems to be fighting to get back on track and quickly. Jon Cassar why did you have to leave?
Anyway, with the Russians behind us and the poorly used Josef (David Anders) supposedly dead after the Arab buyers, of course, set him up and stole the uranium fuel rods, the search continues for said fuel rods before they can either be transported out of the country or worse used on our soil.
And, yes, much like I predicted last week, the goal of Farhad Hassan (Akbar Kurtha), brother of president Omar Hassan (Anil Kapoor), to take over his country using the rods went out the window as soon as they got their grubby hands on the rods. Instead, they plan on attacking the U.S. in order to make us fear them and show their strength.
This doesn’t sit well with Farhad because that’s not what he signed up and he fears the reprisal that the U.S. will bring on his country. So he does the most logical thing, calls CTU and asks for help. Huh? This is the dude they have been tracking and he now calls them? Seems like he’d call dear old brother first or someone else from his own country. But whatever, it works as it gives CTU a new goal.
Luckily, Jack (Kiefer Sutherland), after attacking CTU agents to rescue Renee from prosecution, cons Hastings into volunteering to bring Farhad back in exchange for Renee’s freedom.
Meanwhile, the dumbest storyline in the history of 24 continues as Dana follows her ex and his psycho friend in order to get out of her predicament by killing them. That makes sense. No wait, no it doesn't. Instead of talking to your friends inside a government justice organization, resort to murder instead.
However, before she can do this, Ortiz gets there and threatens them to leave her alone. This doesn’t sit well with the psycho who knifes Dana’s ex and tries to kill Ortiz. Doesn’t work and Ortiz turns the tables. Of course, Dana had to confess all she had done before this happens. Had she done this right away then none of this would have happened and you knew she would have to tell someone at some point. Dumb and dumber. Who wrote this subplot? It just keeps getting worse. Plus, she wore heels to a murder? Who does that?