Thanks to those pesky writers going on strike, it’s been a long wait to see Jack Bauer back on the box. Fortunately both he and 24 weren’t firing blanks, although a very subdued beginning to this feature-length special had us yearning for the familiar sound of the CTU ringtone and gunfire.
This was a much more human, caring Jack Bauer on show, sacrificing his freedom to save African children and shedding a few tears when his old pal Carl (Robert Carlyle) blows up. He quite probably even moisturises these days, which explains why he used to stomp around screaming “WHERE’S THE BALM DAMN IT!” every few minutes.
Those expecting Bauer to come swinging into the jungle, Tarzan-style, and torture an entire army of rebel Senegalese soldiers with just a toothpick would undoubtedly have been let down by the lack of action perpetrated by the gun-toting legend. The events taking place Stateside, with a new White House occupant being inaugurated in the midst of a shady conspiracy, also slowed down the pace – but the rewards may yet be reaped in future episodes.
Redemption functions best as a vehicle for bridging the gap between the patchy last season and next year’s long-awaited Day Seven. It introduces new characters that are sure to play an intriguing part in future proceedings, like Jon Voight’s creepy businessman and Cherry Jones’s President Elect Allison Taylor.
Let’s just hope that the 24 writers tone down all the political preaching evident here, with lots of digs aimed at the United Nations and their unwillingness to take action. The show works best as pure, crowdpleasing escapism and not a party political broadcast by the Let’s Kick Some Ass Party.
Still, there were enough standout scenes towards the end of Redemption to remind us just why we love 24. The sheer human drama of Jack and a brainwashed child pointing guns at each other is extremely tense and moving, with strong echoes of the movie Blood Diamond. Similarly, the final moment of a rescued child touching his saviour’s shoulder on the helicopter is incredibly touching.
Mission accomplished for 24, as everything has fallen nicely into place for Day Seven. We can’t wait to find out what awaits Jack as he faces trial for his past actions, plus there’s the return of Tony Almeida from the dead to look forward to...
