Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by rico (A) on January 26, 2008 at 11:15:55

Despite urgings from several friends over the years I have avoided watching this popular TV series for a couple of reasons: I was afraid i'd get hooked and become a slave to it or miss an episode here and there and, more importantly, I just didn't want to watch all those commercials.

But recently some kind soul donated the DVD box sets of the first five seasons and, encouraged by this, the library bought season 6. So I have now watched every episode but the very last one, which is scheduled for later today.

The show is a serial play, supposedly taking pace in real time over a 24 hour period. Not exactly since whenever a commercial break occurs everything is frozen in time for about five minutes or so (maybe to give the characters a bathroom break or to grab something to eat?).

The action takes place on three levels. First there is the Los Angeles
Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) headquarters, where a lot of puerile intramural squabbling is endlessly going on. Someone there is always either "dirty" or suspected of being so. Through the seasons various characters come and go, some are killed off and some just never come back.

Then there are the field operatives led by one Jack Bauer, who like Matt Damon in the "Bourne" films is virtually invincible. Every ten minutes or so there is a gunfight, where Jack usually fights off many bad guys armed with automatic weapons using just his hand gun. Each season and new terror is unleashed upon Los Angeles: nuclear weapons (oh by the way Jack pronounces "nuclear" like President Bush does), nerve gas, a virus, more nukes, etc. My nephew recently commented that after a few years you'd think that the terrorists would know enough not to open their new endeavor in L.A.

Then there is the White House, whose denizens are often at the Presidential retreat conveniently near L. A. There we see intrigues, backbiting, and often a constitutional question or two that needs resolution by the Supreme Court, which can be assembled in a moment's notice even in the wee hours if need be. Presidents are attacked, Air Force One is shot down, a bomb goes off in the Presidential bunker, etc. Various aides prove to be spies now and again.

So this is very clever marketing: The bickering and flirting in the high school-like CTU HQ for the teen agers, the shoot 'em ups for the 18-35 year old male audience, and the political and constitutional intrigue for the rest of us.

Though the commercials are of course deleted the flashing digital clock shows just how egregiously long they were. I calculated that anyone who watched all six series on broadcast or cable sat through 36 hours of commercials. That's one and half days!

But I loved it. Parts are very clever, surprising, and in some cases riveting. The DVDs are the way to go if you're interested.