24 LIVEs ANOTHER DAY

Article first published 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY Review on Seat42F.

Jack is back. This week brings the revival of the popular series 24, four years after it went off the air, in a twelve-episode miniseries, 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY. Set in London, Jack Bauer (Keifer Sutherland) emerges from hiding to stop a threat on the president’s life, as only Jack can.

WARNING: The following contains some spoilers, but does not ruin any big twists, concentrating mainly on things revealed in the first thirty minutes or in already-released press. Please read this article in real-time.

Anticipation is high for the adrenaline-fueled show, and I have to admit, watching the two-hour premiere is a bit like getting a fix of an excellent drug, or so I imagine, not being a drug user myself. That’s because 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY releases the same endorphins and chemicals in your brain that 24 always has, scratching an itch in a spot that no other television program quite reaches.

Right from the start, it’s the same show. Keifer’s voiceover of the “events occur in real time” line and the ticking clock are there. While some installments will skip hours, this day being only half the number of episodes as previous ones but still covering a full twenty-four hour period, the premiere is from 11 AM until 1 PM, providing an unbroken starting point. And while CTU is gone, the CIA office featured and the people that staff it seem exactly like CTU, tonally and stylistically. I’m still waiting to hear if the phones share the iconic ring tone.

The opening act is intense, just as it should be. An American CIA office led by Steve Navarro (Benjamin Bratt, Private Practice) closes in on a suspect. It will come as no surprise to those who remember 24’s series finale that said wanted man is Jack, hiding among the homeless. He’s a high value target and Steve is ecstatic to get him, or as ecstatic as Steve probably gets, being a pretty mild person, emotionally speaking.

Quick to catch the attention of viewers is new player Kate Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski, Chuck). In the process of being forced out of her job because of something her husband did, Kate is the new Jack of this CIA branch, smart and wanting to make up for past wrongs. She is the only one that figures out what Jack is up to, and she butts heads with her would-be replacement, Erik Ritter (Gbenga Akinnagbe, The Wire), much to Steve’s dismay. Plus, there’s a tech guy, Jordan (Giles Matthey, True Blood), who likes Kate, but also doesn’t want to lose his job. Here is our familiar, messy dynamic.

Jack is brought into the CIA, but as soon as the president’s office is notified, Chief of Staff Mark Boudreau (Tate Donovan, Damages) orders that Jack be handed over to a special squad that is more versed in torture. Mark has a personal stake in the matter at hand, being married to Jack’s former love, Audrey Raines (Kim Raver), now released from the mental hospital. Mark is also serving under Audrey’s father, President James Heller (William Devane), who is losing his mental abilities. But what is Mark’s plan for Jack? Is Mark a good guy protecting his family or a bad guy manipulating vulnerable people?

It’s gratifying to have Heller and Audrey back on 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY. Audrey is a loose end for Jack, someone he hurt and who suffers a lot. 24 likes to bring recurring players onto the scene over and over again until they die, so admittedly, their re-appearance could spell danger for them. But considering Jack’s history here, Heller and Audrey are ripe for exploration.

It’s also a nifty way to tie in the POTUS, whose office has almost always been a part of 24. Sure, 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY could have staffed the place with a bunch of newbies, but there are enough fresh characters already, and the pacing doesn’t have time to introduce all new people in every aspect. On these two, we can just jump back in.

Jack is beset by many personal concerns. His return is for a mission, of course, but who he cares about hangs so heavily on these first two hours, promising pathos. Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) does figure prominently in this premiere, though for the sake of preserving some mystery, I won’t reveal how she plays a role, other than to say she currently works for an Anonymous-esque hacker organization.

The politics of 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY feel a bit more liberal than past seasons, which have skewed conservative. In the opening, the morality of killing people with drones and whether it’s OK to release classified government documents is debated. The writers may ultimately come down on the protectionist side of things, of which Jack has always played a part, but by casting people Jack respects on the other side of the debate, and I’m talking about more than just Chloe here, it is sure to make Jack and the audience at least consider their stances.

To be honest, the London setting isn’t much used yet. We meet Prime Minister Alastair Davies (Stephen Fry, QI), who will likely figure into the political proceedings, and the initial villain, Margot Al-Harazi (Michelle Fairley, Game of Thrones) seems British, but that’s it, the flavor of the city barely glimpsed. One wonders if moving the production overseas is important or a gimmick, as the answer is not made clear in the premiere.

A lot happens in these two hours, but I’ve said more than enough. Suffice it to say, 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY continues the proud tradition of a great series. If you liked 24, you’ll like this, and if you’ve never seen 24, it seems accessible enough for newbies to jump in at this point. 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY premieres Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

Touch getting "Closer" to what it should be

Article first published as TOUCH Season 2 Premiere Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 87%

FOX’s TOUCH returns this Friday with two new hours. When last we see Martin Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland), he is in California, led there by Jake’s (David Mazouz) number trail. He encounters Lucy Robbins (Maria Bello, who guest starred in last spring’s finale), whose own daughter, Amelia (Saxon Sharbino, I Spit on Your Grave), is kidnapped after touting the same sequence as Jake. Now, teamed up, they must find Amelia and stop the dastardly corporation, Aster Corps, who will use the numbers for evil, rather than good.

TOUCH has undergone a major cast overhaul heading into season two, ditching social worker Clea Hopkins (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), left behind in New York when the Bohms head to the West Coast, and adding four new stars, including Lucy and Amelia. For some shows, a drastic change like this would be startling. However, in TOUCH, it seems a natural part of the growth of the story. The series follows Martin and Jake, and when they move to the opposite end of the country, they will necessarily be surrounded by different people.

It makes sense, too, then, that many of the recurring players of the first season are not in evidence in these initial two hours back. Some, like Randall Meade (Titus Welliver), seem to have already run their course, while others, like the Asian girls, are simply gone. It won’t be too disappointing if many season one players don’t come back, as the story has moved into the next phase, and so, too, must the people in it. However, the pattern is often illustrated as a spiral, so TOUCH may eventually circle back around to them.

I really like the changes TOUCH has made. Whereas season one seemed a little wandering, a little unfocused, playing a bit with mythology, but also presenting a lot of seemingly stand-alone stories, season two tightens up the plot. Now, there is a singular enemy, and all of the various characters in the show are involved in one situation. It helps to focus, and while there are still plenty of coincidences and patterns, they are usually guiding towards something specific.

As the first episode back, “Event Horizon,” begins, Jake narrates, telling viewers that his lack of speech is about to change. He doesn’t utter a word out loud in these two hours, so it seems a little odd to start this way. Does he just mean that he will begin communicating more clearly, though utilizing the tools he already has, or does he mean that he will start talking? Others like him, including Amelia, have no problem with vocalization. Why does Jake stay silent?

The dynamic between Jake and Martin is already being shaken by the inclusion of Lucy with them. Amelia does provide a handy way for Martin’s time to be freed up, leaving his son with Lucy. But she’s not just a babysitter, with the action following her, as well as Martin. I am very curious how things may change even more when they find and rescue Amelia, which seems a foregone conclusion. TOUCH isn’t nearly dark enough to kill a child viewers are made to care about.

TOUCH places Amelia in the most unlikely place. She is staying with someone we think of as a good guy, based on the story laid out in “Event Horizon” and the second part, “Closer.” I won’t spoil where she is, but suffice it to say, it’s unexpected. In keeping with what the show does best, TOUCH sets up some storylines in the first two hours, but only gives viewers a taste of what’s to come, leaving many unanswered questions.

Unanswered questions hover over the other two main characters quite thickly. The first, Calvin Norburg (Lukas Haas, Inception), is the brain behind Aster Corps’ recent activities, but he is feeling bad about what they plan on using his ideas for. He wants to save the world, and finds that hard to do in his current position.

Calvin’s path already begins crossing the rest of the cast quite quickly, being in L.A. at the same time they are. I don’t know if we will join up with them or pursue his own path, but he definitely will not remain outside of the circle. The question is, will he have power to help them? And what insights might he offer into what is going on?

Lastly, TOUCH has added a true face of evil in Guillermo Ortiz (Said Taghmaoui, Lost). Ortiz is traveling the globe, slaughtering people who know about the number sequence. We don’t yet know what his motivation is, though there are hints in his physical appearance, nor do we know what his end game might be. However, it does seem like his negative emotions about what he’s doing, which are present, are not enough to sway him off the course, so he could end up being quite a danger to the protagonists, since he cannot be reasoned with or moved by sympathy.

All in all, TOUCH’s season two ups the ante and makes the latest installments more exciting by shrinking the world in which this tale unfolds. I am curious as to if this is a trend that will continue more and more as the show goes on, spiraling towards an impressive climax. At least, that’s what it appears should happen at this point.

TOUCH airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter.

Touch now touching on DVD

FOX presented a very strange show last year called Touch, the complete first season of which is now available on  DVD. It is mostly a procedural, with each episode finding Martin Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland, 24) following clues left by his autistic son, Jake (David Mazouz, Amish Grace), who doesn't talk, to help someone in need. But it is also an anthology series, with several plots going on around the world every week, oftentimes connected to one another in unexpected ways. And it is also a mystery, as we don't know why Jake sees the numbers, or who may be trying to stop him from seeing the numbers.

The premise of Touch is that there is a connectedness to the world that can be explained with mathematics. Jake can see this, while almost everyone else cannot. Somehow, it isn't really explained how, these patterns track the movements of people. Jake wants Martin to help preserve the patterns, tying together two pieces of string that may have become disconnected. What happens if he doesn't? Will the entire tapestry fall apart? That seems unlikely. More probable is that Martin can use the pattern to make others' lives better, and that's what Jake wants.

This can all be very confusing, and understandably so. What starts off as a highly intriguing "Pilot," full of magic and wonder, soon settles into a head spinning series. Viewers may want more of the answers, but instead, all we get are small pieces to a puzzle we don't have a finished picture of to guide us. If creator Tim Kring can be trusted, a risk to be sure after the disappointing Heroes, there should be some major payoffs down the road. But for now, little is explained. We just know that life is great, and coincidences are supposedly predetermined, if you know how to see them.

While Jake and Martin are the central characters, a few others play a role in their lives. In season, Jake is placed in a home under the care of social worker Clea Hopkins (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Undercovers, Doctor Who). She slowly starts to see what Martin sees, and is torn between her superiors, who appear to have a hand in preventing anyone from following these numbers, and wanting to help Martin help people. There is also professor Arthur DeWitt (Danny Glover, Lethal Weapon, Brothers & Sisters), who has worked with children like Jake before, and offers his assistance to Martin.

What is going on among these four is definitely the meat of Touch, and the most engaging of the many elements. While other tales may be neat and inspiring, they don't mean as much, since we don't know the characters. Whenever one of them enters into Martin's direct arc, it gives a greater weight to the plot, while those less obviously connected seem less important. Touch is still struggling to find the balance of these elements throughout this freshman run.

In the season finale, the two part "Gyre," the game changes significantly, providing a tangent that should move season two in bigger directions, giving more attention to the mythology and the larger arcs. I won't go into much detail, because I hope you might check out these episodes and see how it plays out for yourself, but "Gyre" opens the door for a notably different second season. Should the series whole-heartedly go with this turn, Touch might become one of the best shows on television. For now, it's just an interesting curiosity, which may or may not pay off down the road.

Whether this happens or not, Touch isn't quite like anything else on television, which when combined with a truly terrific cast, makes it worth watching. The eleven episodes of season one are clearly just an appetizer for what is planned, and if there is a plan, I look forward to a delicious multi-course meal in the coming years.

On this three disc DVD set, there are a handful of special features. The "Pilot" is presented in an extended version, and some deleted scenes are included. Two featurettes, "Touch the World" and "Fate's Equation," get into the mechanics of the series a bit, but do not really provide more understanding than what is contained in the episodes. Like the show, they are interesting, but murky in their significance.

Touch The Complete First Season is available now on DVD.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

24: The Dana Walsh Problem

     After eight years, it has become apparent that Fox’s 24, despite all of the exciting twists, turns, and torture, is a formula show.  It feels fresh every year, but there are certain elements in place.  For instance, we all know that there will be a mole in CTU, the CTU boss will clash heads and not listen to Jack at some point, and Jack will be proven right and save the day, but suffer some personal sacrifice.  The part of the formula, however, that doesn’t work, but keeps popping up, is the whiny CTU agent with some family or personal issue.

      This season that subplot is made worse by the fact that the character is Dana Walsh, who is played by the great Katee Sackhoff.  Fans of Battlestar Galactica, thrilled that Starbucks would be on the action packed series, tuned in excitedly, waiting for Dana to kick some butt.  Instead, she sits in an office and calls her ex-boyfriend, blackmailed and subservient.  It has gone on for a third of the season now, and still has not dissipated.  Surely, Dana will eventually get to do something cool once the whole mess is behind her, but when will that be?  Instead, it’s dragging down the otherwise awesome show.

      Why must 24 even go down this road, time after time?  It’s not like they can’t write better stuff.  They do.  And yet, it keeps coming back.  Perhaps it’s reasoned as a time filler, a way to bring down the adrenaline for a few minutes.  After all, audiences would have a stroke if Jack keeps running and shooting for twenty four hours straight.  But please, please, please remember next season, if there is a next season, to leave the whiny character at home, not in the action, and do not make it Starbuck.