Discussion [24] CTU: TF.net Branch -- Declassified 24 Discussion

Now I know a number of you may be under deep cover, so in the interest of national security, I won't ask intelligence agents to reveal themselves.

However, I will post a brief survey for field agents, intelligence analysts, and other essential CTU personnel. Remember, any classified information (e.g. "spoilers") should be carefully redacted from your responses to the survey, if necessary. So here goes....

How and when were you recruited to CTU?

Which "Day" (so far) is your favorite "case study"?

Who is your favorite character, and why?

Do you read/write 24 fanfic?

What are you favorite aspects of the 24 fandom? (E.g. action, interpersonal dramas, all the crazy intrigue, etc.)

For those who write 24 fanfic, what's the most difficult aspect of the fandom for you to write about?

Which character(s) do you most identify with, and why?

Who's the best villain so far?

Do you collect 24-related stuff?

and finally....

As a well-trained agent, do you keep a bug-out bag packed and ready to go?

I'll answer these myself after I've gotten at least one other response. Maybe.

I just thought it was time for die-hard 24 devotees to have their own discussion area.... so we can geek out safely, without annoying anyone else...

 

I watched the show from the premiere. I have the first five Days on DVD, and I read the novels. As for fanfic, there's just the one drabble I did for the Ultimate Challenge, so I didn't have to deal with most of the show's aspects.

 

How and when were you recruited to CTU? I've been watching since a few episodes into season one. I don't remember how I got into it, but I'm pretty sure it was my mother's fault. Got the season one DVD set for Christmas when it came out so then I could see the episodes I had missed, and there I learned the unique beauty of watching several hours of 24 in a row. (I always wanted to try watching all 24 without stopping, but I never could make it through)

Which "Day" (so far) is your favorite "case study"? 1 and 5 are my favorites. I tend to like the odd-numbered seasons for some reason. 3 (and now 7) are high on my list, I found 2 kind of "meh", stopped watching in the middle of 4, and skipped 6 entirely.

Who is your favorite character, and why? Tony Almeida. In the very beginning, it was because he had a Chicago Cubs mug on his desk, and I'm a Cubs fan. Now, it's still because of that but also because I love him bunches as a character. I loved his relationship with Michelle, and I love his friendship with Jack, and I love his loyalty and his deep sense of honor.

Do you read/write 24 fanfic? Why yes. Yes I do. I've got one story posted here ("Everybody Dies"), and an older one posted on that other fanfiction site that ends with .net, plus several stories that I've written but not posted and/or started but not finished.

What are you favorite aspects of the 24 fandom? (E.g. action, interpersonal dramas, all the crazy intrigue, etc.) My favorite aspect, honestly, is that after seven seasons, just hearing the "beep. beep. beep. beep." can still make my heart race.

For those who write 24 fanfic, what's the most difficult aspect of the fandom for you to write about? For me, it's catching the urgency and speed present in the show. I can't write "in real time". I usually don't try. Instead I tend to pick moments, I play inside that characters heads, and I work in the "offscreen years"

Which character(s) do you most identify with, and why? You know, as I was watching the Season 7 premiere, I was amazed at how easily the creators of this show get me to side with Jack, even when I know what he's doing is completely illegal. I was like "come on, let him torture the guy" I was actually angry at the FBI for trying to prevent him from getting things done "the Jack way". I think it's because Jack still tries to do his job to the best of his ability that gets me. That speech at the Senate hearing? The man can bring tears to my eyes.

Who's the best villain so far? Still Nina Myers. She took everything away from Jack and she made 24 what it is, a place where nobody's safe and nobody can be trusted. It wouldn't be CTU without her. She would have been the best even if she was only there in Season 1, but when she came back, she was still just as delicious.

Do you collect 24-related stuff? No, but I've often thought about getting some. They have a custom Jack Bauer iPod over on the show site. Drool.

and finally....

As a well-trained agent, do you keep a bug-out bag packed and ready to go? Sort of. I've got a bag that I take with me everywhere that's got everything I'd need to comfortably survive for a day or two. I mean, I don't have clothes in there, or a first aid kit or a weapon or any of the things I'd likely need if I had days like Jack does, but it suits me fine for getting through my average 24 hours.

 

How and when were you recruited to CTU?
I started watching at the beginning of Season 6. My roommate made such a big deal of it, I just had to see. (I had always assumed it was a gimmicky show that was thin on plot -- I should have known better, considering Kiefer was involved....) Anywho, I fell in love right away. I now own all but Season 6 on DVD; thank goodness for secondhand video stores. Am also hoping to one day attempt a marathon watching of 24, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Which "Day" (so far) is your favorite "case study"?
Man, I shouldn't have included this question, 'cause it's difficult to answer. I'm a little partial to Day 6 because it was my first, but Day 1 also stands out.... oh, heck, I like 'em all...

Who is your favorite character, and why?
Jack would be the obvious choice here, because he does what it takes to get the job done -- no more, no less -- regardless of the rules, which become largely arbitrary when dealing with terrorists and criminals. But I love Tony equally well, because he isn't afraid to show his own humanity. In truth, he may be a little deeper a character than Jack. Chloe is also a perennial favorite, and Bill Buchanan is the best director CTU ever had.

Do you read/write 24 fanfic?
I have written and posted only one so far: Miracle on 24th Street, as a response to the Holiday Challenge. I do have one in the process of being written, but it needs a little filling out before I start posting.

I've only read one other 24 fanfic, which was very good. (Truthfully, I'm a little picky about fanfic, and don't read it as much as I write it...lol)

What are you favorite aspects of the 24 fandom?
It has to be the intensity. Every episode of the show leaves me with my heart pounding. And the gritty realism -- the 24 team doesn't pull any punches. The world of counter terrorism is dirty and ugly, and we see that on the show each week.

For those who write 24 fanfic, what's the most difficult aspect of the fandom for you to write about?
I have to agree that getting a sense of the "real time" effect is extremely difficult, particularly with the written word, since people read and write at different rates; it's hard to tell when you've written fifteen minutes of action/dialogue, especially if it took over an hour to write it.


Which character(s) do you most identify with, and why?
Chloe O'Brian -- her social awkwardness, I think, is what I identify with the most. We all feel socially awkward from time to time, and it's nice to see someone like her being as successful as she is.
Jack Bauer -- ok, so I lack both the training and the experience that he has, but Jack's disregard for the established "rules" is not really him looking for any opportunity to break the law; it's a matter of breaking the law for the sake of preserving it -- and American lives. I can totally dig that.
Tony Almeida -- especially now. I can't really blame him for having been dirty for a few years. The guy lost everything he cared about, all in the line of duty.
And these three really are the core of CTU's operations, legit or not. They're a team, and the three of them working together can overcome any obstacle, regardless of who may be giving the orders. None of them is afraid to disobey a directive, provided that the situation warrants it and the reason for disobeying is sound.

Who's the best villain so far?
Wow, when I typed up this question, I really had major villains in mind. But when I think about it, they don't do nearly as much stuff as their underlings; particularly the moles and mercenaries. So I'd have to agree with Nina Myers being the best villain. Her actions have had consequences spanning every season thus far, even if indirectly. And she's really the only villain that prompts an immediate gut reaction when I see her or hear her referred to. Other villains, I just figure "Oh, Jack will get him eventually; it's ok." Nina Myers comes on, or is even referenced, and I go "Grrrrrr!"


Do you collect 24-relate

 

24 Survey

How and when were you recruited to CTU?

I have to admit I was not born into 24. It was not until the second season that I started watching regularly. My brother bought me the first season on DVD and I devoured in three days. The story, characters, and format were very compelling.


Which "Day" (so far) is your favorite "case study"?

I?m stuck somewhere between the originality of Season 1 and the strength of Season 2. Day 1 suffers, a little, from being the first one. They learned a lot there. However, the introduction of our beloved characters and their first day drama is fantastic.

Season 2 is tighter, but also suffers in giving Kim something to do. What they decided on was ridiculous. Nanny story line was ok, but cougar trap and underground survivalist were preposterous.

Day one wins out by a nose as gritty and unapologetic.


Who is your favorite character, and why?

Strangely enough, it?s Bill Buchanan. I like the actor, his voice, and the integrity that he exuded. He is most favored in day 5 and day 5, but tolerable, when nothing else was in Day 6.

Pre Day 6, it was a toss up between Jack and Tony. They were different, but the same in so many way. Loving Day 7 with these two in the field together.


Do you read/write 24 fanfic?

I have not to date, written a word of 24 fan fic. But, this thread may inspire me.

What are you favorite aspects of the 24 fandom? (E.g. action, interpersonal dramas, all the crazy intrigue, etc.)

It?s the action. I love seeing Jack in the field kicking butt and taking down terrorists as well as corrupt political. I just wish the bad politicians weren?t always Republicans.

For those who write 24 fanfic, what's the most difficult aspect of the fandom for you to write about?

N/A

Which character(s) do you most identify with, and why?

I identify most with the analysts in the CTU office. Not because I am one, but because they are always nervous or skeptical of what the field agents are doing. Chloe, for instance, worries over Jack all the time, while doing every thing she can to keep him safe. As a viewer, I feel the same way. I?m impotent to help Jacks when in danger and worry whether he will pull it off. I am also conscious of all the people affected by Jack?s actions; his own family, friends, and his reputation.


Who's the best villain so far?

Habib Marwan was tough customer on Day 4, but I?m partial to the cynical, sadistic humor of Ira Gaines on Day 1.


Do you collect 24-related stuff?

I don?t personally collect 24 related items, but my brother sent me a Jack Bauer For President 2009 t-shirt. I wear it proudly. I also own the first five seasons on DVD. I haven?t found the right price (FREE) to pick up season 6.

and finally....

As a well-trained agent, do you keep a bug-out bag packed and ready to go?
Not yet, but if the economy continues on its current spiral downward, it may well be in my near future.

 

Actually, 24 is one show where they haven't been. There've been good and bad politicians on both sides of the aisle. [Compare that to so many shows where every single politician caught in a sex scandal is described as a "family values Republican."]

As for the novels, they're okay, but they do have the problem of trying to translate the 24-hour gimmick to print. They're not as densely plotted as a season of the show -- they don't have nearly the page count necessary for that -- so it doesn't work quite as well. The earliest books did have a couple minor problems (that could've been fixed by stronger editorial control) and the major problem was that, since the books were prequels, they relied on the CTU team from Day 1, even though that team hadn't been together long when the show started. Some of the details were subsequently Jossed, especially when Christopher Henderson was introduced as the man who'd recruited Jack to CTU, but that's not the books' fault, and later books do include him and Morris O'Brian.

 

You're right, of course, Drabbi. I guess I'm still bitter over Logan's sniveling villany (sp?).

 

I haven't seen Day 3 since it originally aired, but for some reason, I thought that Keeler was David Palmer's primary opponent, which would've made him (and, by extension, Logan) Democrat. But it does say something about the show that these presidents' party affiliations don't matter. [For example, since she defeated Wayne Palmer's former veep in the general election, the current CiC should be a Republican. Anyone here who'd assumed otherwise, does this make a difference in how you view the character?]

 

The only Party mention that I'm aware of is in Day 1 when Palmer has won the Democratic nomination. Which makes Keeler/Logan Republicans.

 

Yes, but like I'd said, I had thought that Keeler and Palmer were primary opponents, which would put them in the same party, rather than general election opponents. Remember, Day 3 is four years after Day 1, so it could be the day of the California primary all over again. [It's scary to think that Day 7 is about thirteen years after Day 1.]

 

It's scary to think that Day 7 is about thirteen years after Day 1.

Hell yeah, it is. I had that realization when I was trying to figure out Tony and Jack's history for "Everybody Dies", and it certainly shocked me a little bit.

 

Duh. Sorry.

What do you guys think of Agent Renee Walker?

 

I'm loving Walker.

I think it's great that within a couple of hours of meeting Jack, she's already becoming him. She makes a fantastic Padawan to our man Bauer. So much potential.

 

Ah, Agent Walker....

Yeah, when I forget her name, I simply refer to her as "Girl Jack." She's awesome! Finally, a strong female role model who isn't a traitor!

I'm sorry, I detested Kim for somehow not inheriting Jack's um... grapefruits. And common sense. The girl has less sense than a jar of mayonnaise.

And Nina was evil. And Chloe isn't a field agent.... So, yeah, it's good to finally see a woman who is a competent field agent and not evil...

 

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's still 19 hours in the day. That's plenty of time for 24 to spring a "Walker's evil!" on us. Trust no one!

 

Well, that's true. It'd be a swerve all right. And we haven't hit our mole quota yet...

Still, I hope she's what she seems. That might be the more surprising twist, come to think of it....

On the other hand, they did good with the preliminary advertising. Nearly everyone thought Tony had gone seriously bad. I kept telling people... "It's 24. It's Tony. He's under deep cover." The more I thought about it, the more convinced I was. Or maybe I just like Tony too much not to have faith in him.

 

Ok, in the spirit of 24 Eve, let's have another discussion!

Predictions! Short term or long term, doesn't matter. We know certain things from watching Redemption and what we've seen so far. We also know that the 24 writers and producers like to keep us guessing. So let's post 'em, and then we can look back on this and see how right (or wrong) we were.

Here's what I've got:

Obviously, the murder of the President's son is connected to the terrorist activities going on. Assuming the First Husband recovers and doesn't end up in jail, he's going to need a new Secret Service agent assigned to him. I predict that Aaron Pierce is coming out of retirement!

Also, I think we're going to find out that CTU was disbanded as a direct result of the terrorist plot; bringing Jack in front of the Senate Subcommittee was a means of wagging the dog. If he was tied up with all that, he couldn't do a lot of damage. At least, that's the logic that went into it. Everyone always underestimates Jack's ability to find some trouble to get into...

Um...that's all I can think of for now. Anybody else?

 

This will be my third attempt to answer this quesitons. I've been interrupted and cut off a couple of times and lost the post.

We need to keep an eye on Tony. I don't think he'll go completely bad, nor get killed, but he still has something up his sleeve.

Larry is one I thought we might need to watch but after last night, he seems on the level.

I'm not putting it past them to make Garafalo the mole. She not an obvious choice and we have plenty of those.

I'm suspicious of the intelligence guy that was working with the President's cheif of staff. He might be one to watch. We only had him on the phone last night.

As for Renee, she's having a tough time. She may go way over the line. Jack may have to restrain her at some point.

one last prediction. By the end of the day, Bill may be a cabinet appointee.

 

Well, if nothing else, I'm thinking Tony might disappear before the point where Jack will expect him to turn himself in to the authorities. On the other hand, Tony might be tired of having to lay low all the time, and may rather put all his cards on the table and let the chips fall where they may. Tony's hard to figure out. We know Jack will always do the right thing, in the long run. Tony's a wild card, to an extent. We just have to see what Jack's influence does to him throughout this day. (If they kill Tony off, though, I'll be mad....)

Ooh. JG could potentially be a mole, that's for sure. But let's not forget that one FBI agent we saw helping Tony's sniper escape in one of the earlier episodes. He obviously knew what he was doing. I'm also a little suspicious of Sean Hillinger, and not just because of his weird little affair with that one chick. He's drawing too much attention, letting her air their issues in front of everyone, but then again, that makes you less likely to suspect he's up to something nefarious....

The intelligence guy, yeah, I hear ya. But then, you can't hardly ever really trust anyone in the intelligence community; they're an odd little subculture. We'll have to see how that plays out.

I like Renee. She's already crossed the line once, and she doesn't seem like she's afraid to do it again. She wants to be just like Jack, but I don't think she understands what the cost of that is. On the other hand, there's got to be at least one agent like him. One who isn't afraid to break the rules for the right reasons. The cost is high, yes: very few people trust Jack because of his reputation as a rogue, and his willingness to work outside set parameters to accomplish his ends. When you do stuff like that, you put your own family in danger; which is why it's good that Renee doesn't have a significant other (except Larry, sort of) or kids. I'm thinking they may be gearing us up to accept a new agent in place of Jack. He's not getting any younger, and he's got to train a replacement.

Bill Buchanan on the Cabinet....hrm. That's an interesting thought, but I wonder if Bill would be happy with that. He seems most in his element as director of CTU, and I reckon we'll get CTU back sometime. Of course, with Bill working in the White House, perhaps that'll give Jack the opportunity to be CTU's permanent director, and will also give him a line of communication into the White House, since he doesn't have Allison Taylor's ear the way he had David Palmer's.

I dunno, we'll just have to see what those wacky writers have in store for us....

 

Well, I was right about one thing: We got Agent Pierce back!

I was, however, mistaken about the circumstances. Still a direct result of Henry Taylor being shot, but who could have foreseen that the President had an estranged daughter? The plot thickens....again!

Looks like Agent Walker is going to have herself a breakdown next week. Too bad. She was so very promising.... On the other hand, she is kind of new to Jack's world. I guess she's always played by the book, and her dissatisfaction with the results of that must have prompted her to follow Jack's lead...without really realizing what she was getting into.

It takes a certain kind of person to do what Jack does, and a certain level of experience. He knows precisely what rules to bend, break, or work around, and exactly when to do it. But he's got the benefit of ...what was it? 13 years with CTU, on and off, this season? In addition to his black ops and SWAT experience. He knows how to remove himself emotionally from the equation, but man, I bet it gets to him in his downtime.

That's something we really don't know about Jack....what he does when he's not busy hunting terrorists. No telling whether he self-medicates with alcohol or other substances... obviously, it wouldn't be drugs; he's already had to deal with that. Or maybe he spends long hours in meditation. Or maybe he has a therapist. Who knows? I just think there must come a point where one of Jack's "days" results in sensory overload, and he's got to do something to deal with it.

On the other hand, with Jack, the ends always justify the means. He never takes things any further than he absolutely has to. Maybe that knowledge, and that confidence in himself, is what keeps him (relatively) sane....

 

It was nice to see Aaron Pierce again.

I wouldn't write off Renee yet, but I very much look forward to the scene you reference from the preview for next week. I like her her character a lot. I don't want her to turn into Jack, but I don't want her to leave either. As a matter of fact, I think she'd be perfect for Jack romantically.

As for what Jack does in his down time. I think a writing challenge has just presented itself.

Game?

 

I like the idea of Renee and Jack. They'd make a good couple, and honestly, Jack would benefit from having someone in his life (romantically) who isn't a total ditz and knows how to take care of herself.

You may be right.... What does Agent Bauer do with his spare time? Could be an interesting challenge indeed. Potentially humorous, maybe a little dark. Almost anything could happen, since we never see him in his downtime.

 

I agree, fantastic challenge idea.

 

The question remains, of course, as to what the parameters of said challenge would be. Personally, I'm happy with the prompt itself. We can just leave it here in the thread for anytime anyone new comes along and decides to give it a shot.

 

In macro terms, we generally know what he was doing between seasons, and we can be much more specific between Days 5 and 6, since being in a Chinese prison puts a few limits on one's recreational activities.