TWENTY TWENTY TWENTY FOUR HOURS TO GO...: We already knew that Fox's "24" was one of the more ingenious concepts in the history of television. But after tonight's episode, I think we can safely say that it's simply the best show on TV that's not on HBO. (But then, as the ever-present self-congratulatory ads remind, HBO isn't TV, it's HBO).
"24" would be worth all the praise it gets based purely on its setup- 24 one-hour episodes, each told in real time. But then there's the suspense, and the surprises, and dramatic tension, and the clock that's always ticking... This season, we've got the even more tense scenario of a nuclear bomb that could go off at any time, on top of presidential palace intrigue, in addition to the nice touch of a character who knows he has less than a day to live. Usually when a character on a network drama talks about "tonight" or "tomorrow" that's a reference to the next scene. Not on "24."
Tonight, in the last episode before a three-week pre-sweeps break, we were treated to one minor surprise and one huge one- and for "24," that's par for the course. And most amazingly of all, these twists don't come across as contrived, but rather as just another part of the puzzle. After the latest episode's final surprise, I simultaneously heard my roommate and downstairs neighbor scream "holy shit!"- last time that happened was the moment Ralphie Cifaretto's head was pulled out of the tub.
If you haven't watched "24" yet, now's a great time to start. After all, it's only 6:00 PM- there's 14 more hours left.