(12:00 P.M. - 1:00 A.M.)
Review/Commentary
Reviewer: J
Well, we've reached a few milestones. For one thing, it's the halfway point of the season. For another, it's February sweeps time. And for another, it's the end of the line for the Salazar brothers. Frankly, it's amazing they ever amassed an "empire" or the financial capital to pay a quarter of a beeeeelion doll-hairs for the spooky, green virus. I mean, being ruthless drug dealers, haven't they ever run into problems before? Haven't they ever had an argument before? Or was all the posturing about how Hector has been running the business while Ramon was in jail meant to cement for us the fact that Hector has never been entrusted with decisions? I suppose it was, but it's hard to swallow the idea that Hector was always Ramon's yes-man. These and other general complains comin' at ya….right now!
So this was the first hour of sweeps month for 24, and they promised us "you won't believe what's going to happen" in the Fox promo. Now, was this going to be a Janet-Jackson's-boob kind of "shock" or your regular, run-of-the-mill, 24 type of shock? Ah, who cares. There weren't really any shockers, but I will say that 24 still knows how to make drastic turns of events. It was the choppiness of the way they happened in this hour that bothered me.
For example, Ramon's sudden turn towards Jack after he obtains what he thinks is the virus. What was the deal there? After working together and evidently trusting Jack, he just decides to say "I don't need you anymore" and "you're the reason my brother is dead" and that's that? Come on. It just didn't fit, in my opinion. But I guess they're just trying to drive home the point that Ramon is a really, really bad guy.
Of course, we did get that point when he shot and killed his brother. His firing into his dying brother lying on the floor was gruesome, and that's clearly why we had the graphic violence disclaimer at the outset. I rewound that shooting several times and I have to say the entire production of it was excellent. Hector's arm is reaching slightly towards his brother, who then shoots him and the arm slowly drops; the sound of the bullet entering Hector with a "squish" can be heard; and Jack's reaction is stellar. His whole body jolts and he jerks his attention away. Meanwhile, Nina doesn't seem to flinch, being the cold-blooded killer that she is. The following silent exchange of glances between Jack and Nina was well-done, too. Yes, they hate each other, but this situation really went above even that. Of course, one might think that among all those henchies, there might be at least a couple who are loyal to Hector and might pull their gun on Ramon, but this is just to show us how powerful he actually is. Ho-hum, we get it.
Speaking of "really bad guys," this Michael Amador is turning out to not only be a snappy dresser, but also a meanie himself. Sadly, the American Delta team is taken out by some fortuitously-placed gunmen along this dirt road in Mexico. Wait, how did they get there? Is Amador that all-knowing that he knew where to place people? Apparently so. And he also was wise enough to destroy his cell phone with his patent-leather Ferragamo, somehow knowing that that was how he was being tracked.
Keeping with his evil ways, he planned to double-cross Nina (or apparently any virus bid winner) by pulling the ol' switcheroo while she wasn't looking. Didn't everyone's grandpa used to do this to us when we were 7? Apparently not Nina's. I guess she's never been to New York and seen one of those "Follow the red card, follow the red card" guys on the side of the street taking your money. Sheesh, Nina, you never take your eyes off the prize. So, basically, had she been allowed to make the deal without a gun to her head courtesy of Jack and the Salazars, she'd be dead from the little bomb. Ah, the irony. Zzzzzz….
Oh, excuse me. I'm awake, I swear. Yes, I'm being a little rough on this hour, but it just didn't grab me by the throat and truly titillate me (second tit/boob reference - ah, I am so chic!). I will admit that I like the Amador character and if there's a way to tie him into "Max" and the other apparent masterminds from the end of Season Two, I will like him even more. They were set to launch a biological attack on America, starting with Palmer's…uh, palm, as it were. So perhaps this is the continuation. All we need is Mandy to seduce someone and the show's loyalists will go into a frenzy.
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