24 - parallels (1 Viewer)

[MatthewLouwrens]

I was discussing with a friend the parallels between mornings and afternoon in this season of 24. In other words, something that happens in the morning parallels something that happpens 12 hours later. For example;

At 9.35am Mason leaves CTU to try and escape.
At 9.35pm Mason leaves CTU for the last time.

I'll need to check my tape, but I'm pretty sure the two scenes even use the same shot positioning.

At 10.59am the bomb goes off at CTU, and this is followed immediately by Mason being informed he has one day to live.

At 10.59pm the nuclear bomb goes off, and Mason dies.


These cannot be coincidence - they match to the minute. So, I was wondering whether there are any other close similarities running in the story. Please feel free to post any ideas that you have.

Finally, a request. Please use spoiler tags, but identify the relevant times outside of the spoiler tag. That way, readers (especially those like myself in countries that are running behind the USA) can know whether they have seen the relevant episodes and therefore know whether it is safe to read the spoiler.

 

[Tom Rags]

Wow Matt, that is an interesting catch. I'll have to watch out for this when I rewatch the show on DVD this August. It's hard to remember where things happened "to the minute" prior to looking out for this, so I'll have to do it in my eventual second viewing. If this is mere concidence, it is uncanny. If not, it just furthers my opinion that 24 is great television.

And it further proves my theory, as Norm McDonald would say, that
Germans LOVE Kiefer Sutherland


This is also an inside joke to 24 conspiracy theorists

 

[Tom Rags]

Also, it just came to mind that given the many torture scenes of Sayed Ali, Marie Warner, Kate's lawyer, the head of NSA, and Jack

it would be interesting to see if any of those match up in the same way.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

If you think of something and want to check the time, try the episode guide at the official 24 website. It offers sufficient detail to make a good estimate of the relevant time.

 

[Mike Broadman]

I would guess a lot of stuff could be considered "parallel" or coincedental that happens during x.59 in the show, since they always end it with some suspense.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

I would guess a lot of stuff could be considered "parallel" or coincedental that happens during x.59 in the show, since they always end it with some suspense.

 

[GlennH]

Interesting. It could have been done intentionally, but I think I'd have to see some more convincing examples or acknowledgement by the writers before I believe it couldn't be just coincidence.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Matthew, I'm not saying the cliffhanger is the ultimate explanation, I'm just offering the idea that the shows structure, which includes major cliffhangers at the end of the hour as well as minor ones before commercial breaks, forces repetition and similarities between shows.

Maybe they did do parallels on purpose, I don't know.