andy2002 said:
It's the most unapologetically right-wing show on TV and yet it's also rather exciting. I wonder how many people Jack will get to torture in the new series? I'm betting lots, unless those pesky do-gooders from "Amnesty Global" turn up again!
Hehe...
Did you notice something about the torture scenes in S4?
*SPOILER ALERT*
Scene 1 - Jack shoots obvious bad guy in the leg and then points gun at his head. Clear cut not feeling bad here cos he's a baddie who's holding out on information that could save people blah blah
Scene 2 - SecDef's son get's some treatment...morally more iffy since you don't know, altho he's such a whiny little twat there's a part of you thinking 'not that fussed' - and later it's revealed that he DOES have something to do with it, showing both the valueless nature of torture as an interrogation method.
Scene 3 - CTU chick framed and tortured, viewer reaction 'OMG, they're torturing an innocent' who you KNOW is innocent and has been framed.
Scene 4 - Jack torturing Paul. Paul is linked to Bad Guy BUT is also Audrey's estranged husband...should he be doing it? Is he completely motivated by National Interest in this? WHY does the silly woman stay and watch?
The first three especially throw the morality question over the use of torture in the face of the needs of the many if there is a clear and present danger to a mass of human life, but also show up it's ineffectiveness and the 'What if' factor of overwhelming evidence pointing toward a suspect who is actually completely innocent - and indeed, a patriot (altho one who is suceptible to the bribe of a promotion and more money not to squeal).
Then take the Chinese Embassy operation - clearly a demonstration that such desparate action can go horribly wrong (this was the equiv of the Sherry storyline in S3 where she gets shot - a cover op that goes completely wrong)
And before anyone says anything about 'Well it shows the Chinese in a bad light cos they lie about who killed the consulate (it was friendly fire), do you thnk that they, or any other government would behave in any other way?
24 is 'right wing' in the sense that it takes a US-centric narrative, but all the main bad characters in each season have been level headed and not portrayed as lunatics - Myrwhan (or whomever), the ex-Spec forces guy in 3, all of them are portrayed not-unsympathetically. If anything, S4 shows up the fundamentalism on BOTH sides - Jack's almost 'Terminator'-like approach is mirrored perfectly in those he fights, posing it's own questions.
Or you can simply take it as being a paen to the right wingers.
