[The following is part one of an email conversation between Jesse and Jim with our thoughts about the midseason shows.  This part is exclusively about 24 season 7 and has spoilers, so if you haven't watched yet, don't read yet.]

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From: Jesse
To: Jim
Subject: The following e-mail takes place between 8:00 am and 9:00 am

I want to start this conversation with two quick thoughts:

1) I didn't realize it in the fall, but the networks were apparently holding all the shows I really wanted to watch until midseason. But we're going to have to get to them later, because:

2) "24" is back, baby! It is back!

Correct me if I am wrong, but you and I have not always seen eye to eye on this show. I am, without a doubt, the bigger fan. I watched from day one, despite the horrible, horrible ad campaign (cue the Limp Bizkit: IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS). You were more reluctant, and have recoiled at some of the more ridiculous moments. I, on the other hand, relish the ridiculousness. The phrase "jump the shark" has become one of the more obnoxious memes surrounding the TV biz, but it is uniquely applicable to this show. If 24 doesn't "jump the shark" 8 or 9 times a season it almost feels like a disappointment. If Jack Bauer actually jumped over a shark tank with a motorcycle in pursuit of terrorists, would we even flinch?
This show has always been a reflection of its times. The premiere episode, which featured a terrorist blowing up an airplane, hit the airwaves less than a month after Nine-Eleven(tm). The writers of this show are political conservatives, and Jack Bauer is a Republican superhero. But don't take my word for it. Here is what Republican presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo said during a primary debate this spring:

"You say that nuclear devices have gone off in the United States, more are planned, and we're wondering about whether waterboarding would be a bad thing to do? I'm looking for Jack Bauer at that time!"

The effectiveness (and ubiquity) of torture in the 24 universe became more and more uncomfortable to watch as the reports of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay started to surface. In the news today (January 14th), we have this from Susan Crawford, the person who is in charge of deciding which Guantanamo detainees are to stand trial: "We tortured [alleged 20th hijacker Mohammed al] Qahtani." Rather than being the quickest way to get information in a crisis, torture may result in this man being set free without a trial.

But all politics aside, the last season of 24 committed the only truly unforgiveable TV sin: it got boring. Mind numbingly boring. Jack was still a riveting character, and Kiefer was still great, but it seemed like they were going out of their way to cut down on his screen time. I would give examples, but (a) I don't want to bore people, and (b) they were so boring I actually can barely remember them.

So what changed?

Despite the way that 24 has been a reflection of our times, it has also stood apart from them. With the second scene of the season premiere, that changed. Bauer is sitting in front of a subcommittee of the United States Senate, answering some tough questions on his past behavior. Imagine those critics who have called out 24 for its widespread use of torture in the past as the subcommittee, and Jack Bauer as the writers. Here is, basically, what the writers had to say for themselves: "we do not apologize for anything and, oh, by the way, fuck you." I'm one of the people they are saying fuck you to, and I still loved it. I guess I'm just a sucker for a really well staged fuck you.

Since that opening salvo, the writers have set up a dynamic for this season that I am thoroughly enjoying. Here's a reference I'm sure you and everybody who reads this site will get: remember that episode of Buffy when Xander gets split into, basically, the good Xander and the evil Xander? That's what happened to 24 this season. The FBI is the "good" CTU, complete with a good Jack Bauer (sassy redhead Renee Walker), a good Chloe (Janis Gold, played by a frump-tastic Janeane Garofalo), and a good Bill Buchanan (Larry Moss). Chloe, Tony Almeda (the evil Jack Bauer), and Bill are the shadow CTU, with Jack caught in the middle. Watch as Jack brings the good CTU closer to the dark side, and the shadow CTU back into the light.

Thematic bullshit aside, 24 is back on my must-see list for exactly one reason: it is entertaining and fun again. Jack and Tony breaking out of FBI headquarters was one of the most exciting, tense sequences in the history of the show. Did you catch the split screen frump-off between Chloe and Janis as they fought for control of the FBI security system, hacker-style? I almost pooped myself with delighted laughter.

So Jim: I've run off at the mouth about 24 for nearly 800 words without actually getting your opinion about it. Did you love it? Hate it? And, subsequently: do you think I'm an idiot?

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From: Jim
To: Jesse
Subject: Here we go --

Yup, it's back.

(That's three words, not 800, but I think I said the same thing. And I used a contraction, so I'm not Data.)

Watching the premiere was like a flashback to what 24 once was. You nailed Day 6 on the head: boring, convoluted, and absurd -- but not the convoluted absurdity that was Jack Bauer versus Robocop or the Salazar brothers or Chase's baby. Nope, just bad. And Redemption? Not that Redemptive. Joe Buck said it best during one of those awful forced NFL commentator promos during the Eagles game the other week: "Robert Carylsle is in it."

Yes, that's right. That's what he could muster. The guy from The Full Monty, Trainspotting, and one of the worst Bond movies ever is costarring. Great.

But hey, Redemption was exposition. I love that. They get the exposition out of the way in a semi-blerg TV movie and jump right into Senate hearings, Evil Tony Almeida Zombies, kidnappings, hotwirings, FBI agents, and my TV-girlfriend Chloe O'Brien with the 4-hour TV season premiere. (Which, coincidentally, is completely necessary for this show to work. It's the best thing they ever did to keep it going. That and Peter Weller.)

As for our eyes seeing eye to eye, no, we haven't. I loved the Salazar brothers, you didn't. I hated the lazy "torture first!" schtick of the William Devane/Behrooooooooooooooz season, you didn't. I hated the gimmicky overuse of split screen so much that I didn't watch the first season (still haven't, despite my Swing Vote choice, Dennis Hopper, being the big bad guy... but I will watch it if/when Fox gets around to releasing it on Blu-ray), you were into all that Limp Bizkitness. (An aside, Fox's advertising has turned me off to starting to watch at least two awesome shows -- 24 and House. Fox, get a clue. "You're risking a patient's life!" and "It's just ONE OF THOSE DAYS" do not make me want to watch your shows.)

My issue with the torture season is that, contrary to the belief of the Bush administration, torture is not the most effective way to get information -- it certainly wasn't in the cases you cited. Torture someone and they will tell you anything to make it stop -- regardless of veracity. But we're not talking about Season 4 here... and it's been too long since I've seen it to point out specifics to back my argument.

I was happy to see the testimony open up this season. Yes, there was a message from the writers: "We're not sorry about what we wrote. We stand behind it." All well and good. But during Jack's brief stint as an FBI consultant, they told us something else: "Things are going to be different now. We're not going back to the torture crutch." Jack has street cred; all he has to do is threaten to torture a guy, and that's enough to get him talking. It's like the Tarkin Doctrine. Yes, you have to blow up Alderaan, but after that, you don't need to blow up any planets. You rule through the fear of force, rather than force itself. Just like how George Bush ruled through the fear of terror, rather than terror itself -- "Nope, you can't take pictures of that bridge. TERRORISTS, you know." It's a bunch of bullshit. Terrorists know how to use Google. They don't need to go out and take a photograph.

Anyhoo, that was a bit divergent. I loved Jeannine Garafalo's performance as Mary Lynn Rajskub. She was a less cute, less frumpy version of Chloe. (Because, God knows, nobody is as frumpy-hot as Chloe. Nobody.) And the other parallel roles are accurate.

This is reading like a love-fest for the premiere. There must have been things I didn't like about it, right? Well, yes there were. It boiled down to the threats. It's like we're getting the 24-version of Die Hard 2: Die Harder and Live Free or Die Hard. Seriously. They picked the worst two Die Hard movies and lifted stuff from them left and right.

Evil Zombie Almeida is taking over air traffic control and screwing around with planes (ala Die Hard 2: Die Harder). Oh, and they have a device that will let them hack into the national computer grid and shut the power down, the airplanes down, and screw with the water supply. Did someone call Justin Long, Kevin Smith, and Timothy Oliphant to let them know about this? (If you don't get that reference, it's to Live Free or Die Hard. Take my word for it. DON'T under any circumstances go out and rent the movie to see for yourself.)

Oh, and I miss Peter McNichol. His facial expressions were priceless. I wish they could work him back into the plot. And I'm kind of bored with the was it murder/was it suicide crap with the First Husband already. I remember that they set that up in Redemption (no?), and I'm sure it will tie in somehow with the OBVIOUSLY EVIL CHIEF OF STAFF (the dude with the gray hair who looks like he should be out hunting deer), but geez Louise.

On the other hand, I can forgive all this, because there was no blerg in the first four hours of Jack's one-of-those-days. And Chloe... oh Chloe, Chloe Chloe... you wouldn't believe how happy I was when she appeared on screen for the first time. It's like I had my awesomely sexy yet frumpy TV girlfriend back.