24 Fan Columnist: Jack's Five Most Memorable Foes

'24' Fan Columnist: Jack's Five Most Memorable Foes
Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Beth Kostecki
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

(Image courtesy of Fox)

Jack Bauer once made the poignant observation that his biggest regret is that the world even needs people like him. Those of us who love 24, though, wouldn't have it any other way. Here in ascending order is my list of the five most memorable baddies who have made Jack possible.

5. Philip Bauer (James Cromwell), Day Six

Jack's battles have often had a personal stake, but having his father on the other side added a layer of irony. The senior Bauer was invested in his family legacy enough to kidnap his grandson, yet icy enough to order the death of son and cohort Graem (Paul McCrane), who suffered from a terminal case of Second-Best Sibling Syndrome.

4. Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight), Day Seven

In a controversial season where Tony Almeida played for the other team, Hodges was the personification of the cool, urbane mastermind, making it all the more shocking when he hurled his protege Doug Knowles (Chris Mulkey) off a balcony in a fit of rage. Reverting quickly to character, he used his handkerchief and a glass of water to work on those pesky blood stains.

3. Christopher Henderson (Peter Weller), Day Five

Yes, my longstanding crush on Peter Weller makes this pick a little emotional. But there's no denying Weller's skill in bringing the chilly efficiency of RoboCop to a character on the opposite side of the law. The fact that he had been Jack's mentor made no difference to either man as they pursued their mutually exclusive agendas.

2. President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin), Days Five, Six and Eight

He's not the strongest nor most evil foe Jack's faced, but he's the most complex, with his character brought to life by the incomparable Gregory Itzin. Could anyone else have made Logan so ruthless, vain, cowardly, and pathetic all at the same time? When a bearded, introspective Logan made a cameo in Day Six it appeared he had repented, but he came roaring back to form in Day Eight. When it comes to characters you love to hate, Logan is top of the list.

Which brings us to ...

1. Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke), Days One, Two and Three.

The original. Accept no substitutes.

Anyone who should or shouldn't be on this list? I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Source: BuddyTV

24 Preview: Jack Bauer Goes On and On and On...EP21

'24' Preview: Jack Bauer Goes On and On and On...EP21
Monday, May 10, 2010 Henrik Batallones Staff Writer, BuddyTV

The question after last week's 24: what's stopping Jack Bauer now? He's already killed Dana despite getting the evidence, and it seems he's hell-bent on following the trail, possibly all the way to Moscow.

And now the competition is getting tougher: there's President Taylor, who's virtually bowing down to President Logan, and then there's the new CTU head they've installed, who's just in there to save certain people's behinds rather than save the day.

Not that he hasn't done this before, but considering events of the past few weeks--not being able to save President Hassan, and then Renee's death, all in two hours' time--I bet this is going to go the extra mile. Jack has snapped, and snapped hard.

24 continues counting down to its finale tonight, with not that many clues as to what we'd expect. The official synopsis merely hints at an unexpected lead, one that Jack will find on his journey to uncover the conspiracy. I guess that's how Meredith Reed comes back into the picture. Yes, her, the journalist having an affair with President Hassan... surely she knows something, right? Not that she wants him dead (although it's a possibility you can't discount) but being a journalist with such close ties you're bound to hear something.

What I'm more interested in is this: where will this trail lead? I bet with the season (and the series) winding down, there's gotta be a couple big surprises left to pop out.24 returns tonight from 9pm on Fox.

Source: BuddyTV

24 Preview: EP 18: This is The Moment When Jack Bauer Snaps, Right?

'24' Preview: This Is The Moment When Jack Bauer Snaps, Right?
Monday, April 19, 2010 24 EP 18 9am - 10am

Henrik Batallones
Staff Writer, BuddyTV

I was surprised to see two silent clocks in a row, but I'm more worried about Jack. He took President Hassan's murder hard. His method of dealing: having sex with Renee. Minutes later, she was shot by a sniper and dead on the operating table. After everything he's done to avert (unsuccessfully, at the moment) this crisis, he's gotta snap, right?

Elsewhere, President Taylor isn't happy to wheel President Logan in. Yes, he's this slimy dude who made things complicated a few seasons back, and now he's trying to get back on track by making the Russians agree with the peace treaty--the very treaty they're trying to subvert. A part of me thinks President Logan's serious with this, but considering his deep connections to Moscow, you can't help but think he's involved in all this, too. But hey, you don't hatch two really evil plans in your lifetime, right?

To make up for all that stress, Chloe is interim head of CTU! I never thought I'd see the day.

24 has only seven hours left, and things aren't showing any signs of slowing down. With President Logan back on the negotiating table, President Taylor will be deeply conflicted, perhaps overriding the fact that this was all Ethan's suggestion. And as Jack heads to the CTU, he's seeking revenge.

Who would've thought that his earlier detached involvement would lead to him not just having both feet in the pond, but all of him, drowning to get out? Maybe tonight's the night when Jack really snaps.

24 returns tonight from 9pm on Fox.

Source: Buddy TV

24 Preview: Will The Extremists Get The Upper Hand?

'24' Preview: Will The Extremists Get The Upper Hand?

Monday, April 05, 2010

Henrik Batallones
Staff Writer, BuddyTV

Who among you saw the possibility of President Hassan holding a gun coming?

For me, who was introduced to Anil Kapoor only through Slumdog Millionaire, I definitely did not.

But his dirtier (for lack of a better term) involvement in last week's 24 sets things up perfectly: there is absolutely nobody you can trust at the moment. At the very least, not your colleagues--Tarin helping the terrorists, Dana acting as a mole within the CTU, even Rob Weiss chickening out and arranging to give Hassan up! And as things get messier than anticipated, with a nuclear device in play and everybody having a stake in it, where else do you go?

Tonight's 24 is two hours long, and as the sun rises--it's six in the morning, and finally, some sunlight!--trusted confidantes turn into enemies of the state. I'll guess Weiss and General Brucker's involvement in the attempts to turn Hassan over to the terrorists will be revealed, especially with Ethan Kanin's life on the line. I'm also guessing (and the promos also suggest this) that Dana's links with the enemy will be revealed. I wonder what Cole will say about this?

And tonight's episode promises that it's just the beginning of all these betrayals. Who else could be working with the enemy? Someone within the Hassan family? Someone critical within the government? Maybe Renee?

But as President Hassan makes a shocking decision (guess: he'll turn himself over to the terrorists) I don't think all of this will matter. 24 runs for two hours tonight and kicks off from 8pm on Fox. With ten more hours remaining, it will definitely go down the wire.

Source: BuddyTV