One sixth of 24 is...

I haven't seen 24 since I watched the first season in a bum-numbing DVD weekend back when everyone was into it. Enjoyed it, but not enough to keep up with it on commercial TV every week.

Was actually a little surprised to see that the show was still running (yep, ain't as up to date as I should probably be), as the terrorist plot devices they use seemed limited to 3 or 4 seasons (nuclear weapon, chemical weapon, biological weapon, nasty allergy weapon), but a little web analysis suggested that Season 5 was fantastic, especially the opening, so I decided to commit the GW and myself to the 4 hour lead-in to Season 6.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but not yet convinced I can make another 20 episode/hour commitment with commercials. Took a little while to get into it's stride, and they kind of telegraphed the fact that the bomb would go off (suitcase bombs: you can blow one up, and still have room left for plot!), but their is some kind of masochistic pleasure in watching Jack constantly in the physical and emotional wringer.

But, in keeping with the PC-using bad guys of the show, here's my list of demand in order to guarantee my continued co-operation:

• The country needs a new President
  The thing that killed the first episode for me was the setup. A bunch of suicide bombings, and already the President was bargaining with terrorists - well bargaining may be over-stating it, lets call it "succumbing immediately". Seems to go against all common sense and previous presidential quotes.
  Since then, this President has chosen to deal again (loading the prisoners on the plane), and ignored Jacks advice (on Fayed). The guy is 0 for 3.
  
  
• Jack must get a new team to back him up.
  So far, Jack's most reliable ally has been an ex-terrorist. The President has ignored him and sold him up the river, and his CTU mate chose to execute the order that involved handing Jack to his torturers (where's the donated suicide pill?), but then decided to ignore a Presidential decree (and Jack's advice) to leave Assad unharmed.
  
  But with a batting average that makes the President look like Babe Ruth (or Don Bradman, to keep my sporting metaphors closer to my heritage ), the CTU Attack Squad, or whatever you call the nameless SWAT-looking guys in kevlar, are becoming the very definition of royally incompetent. While the terrorists run rings around the White House and CTU with planning, intel, and good help, the CTU StrikeForce managed to screw up the attack on the storage unit, shoot Ahmed (the guy they were told to take non-lethally), and then botch the attack on the warehouse resulting a nuclear detonation. All that in only one evening!
  
  The only plus in all this is that they were vapourised, hopefully reducing the number of screw-ups they can participate in next week.
  
  
• My personal plea to any CTU gunmen, crooked Sergeant, terrorist hencman, kid with knife... someone... anyone kill Chloe. Annoying character, annoying actor, and are they wanly trying to make her out as a sex symbol? ("You all dated me, but you have to get over it, the country needs you!"). *Gack!*

Let the 20 hour countdown re-commence!