24: Day 3 - 2/17/04 - Hour 14 (1 Viewer)

[Chucky P]

Maybe she was wearing a bulletproof vest, just like she did in season one.

 

[James T]

Or maybe Jack just missed purposely to scare the crap outta her. I know that would give me that "dead-eye" look Nina gave at the end.

I'm kinda gonna miss Nina, but at the same time glad she's gone. The stories she/Sherry/Kim are all thrown in seem forced by the writers.

 

[Paul_Stachniak]

No you're not. What a lame episode, it was all filler to the end. And to be honest, that last scene just didn't do for me what it should have - because, and I say this all the time. it doesn't feel like 24 to me. Kill her, bring her back, do whatever they want. They've ruined this show for me. And would it kill the production team to over-saturate the show with split-screen. Not just for phone calls, but for everything. Remember how in the first season there would be a camera on the front of Jack, Jack from the side, jack from the top, jack from down the hall, etc. - and all the scene would consist of is him walking down a dark hall. The real time aspect of the show is gone?! Meh, sorry to get all ranty like that. Man, I used to LOVE this show - I just can't believe they let it SUCK this hard.

 

[Mike-M]

Hey Paul,

Could you also explain more in depth why you didn't like how/when Nina died? I'm totally with you on everything you said, but would like to hear someone else's opinion about the whole situation between Jack and Nina (aside from the people who loved it).

 

[Paul_Stachniak]

^ I think it just comes down to the fact that, to me, Nina should have died last season. The major problem I have with the show now is that in a larger context nothing seems to be connecting with anything. We don't really know who hired Mandy to give the virus to Palmer (hey, remember that plot - whatever happened to it eh?). It's been so long since I've been into 24 so a lot of this is escaping me - but there are a lot of loose threads.

Ultimately all the characters have become one note characters to me. Jack is out for revenge, Nina is evil, Clohe is stupid, Chappell is pissed off, Kim is couger fodder, etc. - there isn't a good emotional backbone to the story to help these character evolve or expand. Season 1 was ultimately about family (more specifically what happens when they break apart under different circumstances) - be it the Bauers, the Palmers, or the Drezdens, or even the CTU family. Everyone is happy that Jack finally killed Nina because Jack is out for revenge - and Nina is evil, the two connect in a very primitive way.

But who can forget the power of Jack's response to finding out the lie that Kim was dead at the end of Season 1 - and his rampage on the Drezdens as a result. That emotion wasn't present in that final scene this week. We know Jack should kill Nina because that's the simplest explanation. But then again who excepted Teri to die at the end of Season 1? I think a more interesting ending would be for Jack to shoot Nina in the back paralyzing her from the neck down. Rather then taking her life as she did Teri's - make her suffer for the rest of her life - a reminder for what she did. It might not be as satisfying, but it seems more fitting of Jack's character - who in the end does represent 'the good guy'. If anything, it could have been more interesting then her being caught in a dead end, and jack just shooting her.

(Edit: I should quickly clarify something that might otherwise seem like a contradiction. It might seem like Jack's killing of the Drezden's and his killing of Nina are in the same vain - but I believe that they are very different scenarios. Jack's actions there were a primitive impulse - he went in full guns blaring because he couldn't control his anger at the time. However, I believe Nina is a different case. Their relationship was intimate - after all Jack has an affair with her so there was a love there, and a sense of double cross. Also Jack has had about three years to think things over - one would think his approach to Nina would be very different - I'm not saying he wouldn't have killed her, but might want her to suffer or whatever. All I'm saying is that a lot more exploration could have gone into the suffering of Jack's character.)

Then again this season is so by the book, and primitive I don't except any thought to be put into anything. Which is why the show has lost it's edge, style, and sense of fun.

I hope the above makes sense.

 

[Mike-M]

^^Good post. Also, does anyone else feel like the main purpose for this season--the virus--has been sort of lost among everything else that's going on.

Maybe it's that the President and Co. are more into saving themselves than talking about the threat, or maybe it's the Jack/Nina hangover from a season ago, or the baby plot w/Chase or maybe just the fact that this season isn't as tight as the past couple of seasons...but I find myself having to say, "Oh right, this whole thing is about preventing a virus outbreak in the U.S"