Overall Impressions of Season Seven

[AR]

Okay - the season has finished for many of us. Now we can reflect over the entire season. What did we love? Not love? What made or did not make sense? etc....

Let the discussion begin! After all we have until January 2010.

[scors50]

Hey- I posted this in the Episode 24 thread, but it's more approriate here:

OK, here's my take on the whole season.

What have fans been complaining about over S2-6?

1) "Superman" Jack becoming more of a cartoon hero than the human being he was in S1
2) Female characters who were either damsels in distress or villains
3) Predictable dim-wited Kim
4) Stories that just ramped up the action without any real attention to developing human characters

ALL of that got turned inside out this season. the theme this season was all about choices--every single major and minor character had to make a choice and then live with that choice. You are defined by the choices you make, and Jack's advice to Renee was perfect-you have to make choices you can live with.

Tony was meant to show how obsessive rage can drive someone to believe they are completely right, even in the face of absolutely heinous acts--Tony was truly tragic this season, and carlos was FINALLY given something else to do other than brood behind a laptop and mumble "yah". he was absolutely riveting to me, and deserves an Emmy nom in my view--and I have always been lukewarm as to the Tony character and Carlos' acting. But he did what is always very difficult to do and indicative to me of a great performance--he was extremely villainous, the equal if not superior to Gaines, Logan and Henderson, IMO--but , at the end, I felt incredible sympathy for him--especially when he was already shot, yet was crawling to the gun to try to kill Wilson--and the look on Jack's face as he watched and aimed just screamed "That would be me if the tables were turned"-absolutely priceless, and I don't think a lot of fans appreciated how well that entire sequence played out. And you could FEEL the body shots jack was taking with everything Carlos said as he was being led away--because as bad as Tony was, everything he said was true, and Jack knew it. Awesomely written and acted. I actually felt very emotional during the whole sequence, and I rarely do with TV shows or movies.

Also stellar, and not pointed to as much, I think was Colm Feore in the scene with Olivia and President Taylor--his words to her were as painful and true as Tony's to Jack, and she had to make some choices and live with them as well.

Anne Wersching more than made up for every lame female character they've written since S1, with the exception of "kick-ass" Michele at the Hotel in S3, which i absolutely LOVED. When Busty jumped on the SUV, took out one bad guy, then did a Nadia Comanieci off a moving vehicle to pop up and take out another one, I was in love. AND the lady did the entire stunt herself, BTW, even more amazing. Her cliffhanger was great and I really want to see her back next year.

Kim--where do I start. The butt end of every joke about Bimbosity and Cougarisms and Kimnappings finally gets respect--She saves Jack for a change, not just once, but potentially twice, given the cliffhanger with her.

Jack--Keifer gets to play vulnerable and does it just as well as formidable, maybe even better. jack was NOT superman this season, and that was great. If you get a chance to rent "To End All Wars", you can see how well Keifer plays this--he is absolutely terrific in that film, and his work here was in many ways similar.

I was very impressed by this season, which I rank right behind S1 and just ahead of S5. I never thought I would actually be so strongly looking forward to S8, but I am. I want to see what choices our characters have made and how they are now living with them.

And I found great irony in the scene with the Imam given the show and Jack's history. The theme of the season was redemption, and this episode gave it to each character in many ways and, especially, the show itself in every single way. Bravo.

Now PLEASE don't drop the ball with S8 like you did with S6. That would really hurt.

[Crewe]

I cant add anything more than I already have.
In a nutshell, this season was bigger than Jack Bauer, period.

[Sinnerman]

Man, did you nail it scors50.

Cherry Jones also gave us a stellar performance. God,I felt her pain when it became her turn to make a choice.

What still haunts and stays with me today is the pain each character was experiencing over the 24 hour time span. When my adrenaline finally stopped pumping and the show was over, I was exhausted. Not many TV shows can cause that reaction.

I was able to see the final two hours episode Sunday..but I was stunned into a state of "shock and awe" the first time I watched it.

"Did Tony really strap a bomb to Jack?" Did Renee really become Bauer-like in her thinking?" Was Jack so sorry for his sins,he felt he needed to repent before he died?" Is Kim capable of taking care of herself?

Rewatching it again, was more enjoyable because I was able to absorb these concepts. Completely riveted by the acting,directing, music, editing and writing not only last night, but during the entire 24 episodes, it was truly a Season of redemption in every way.

Kiefer, Carlos,Annie,Jon, and Cherry were flat our superb in their roles.

[boysontour2006]

Just wow.

Lucky bastards in the US able to buy it now!! :& Only joking, we have to wait till bloody October though =/

[Sinnerman]

The packaging for the Season Seven DVD stinks! I really liked seeing Jack's face on the outside cover. They didn't use it this time. The whole package is cheap looking.

IMO They should have kept the "book style" sequence continue throughout the entire length of the show along with Jack's face prominent on the outside. "Buggers!"

[AR]

I wouldn't mind the "book style" sequence so they could show the other's as well. I got mine yesterday and there was only 4 left.

[Powerage]

Awesome season. Though the whole FBI thing was fucking terrible, in the end Chloe was director of CTU and Janis her annoying little bitch. A wasted opportunity, unless it was important to step out of that doomed building in LA and make us realize how much we missed CTU. The characters in the FBI were awful, Janis was shocking and I'm still not convinced about Agent Walker or Larry Moss.

Walker at the end with Wilson doesn't make any sense IMO. Yes he effectively killed Larry, but why her? She'd be much better off building a case if one exists.

The whole Sangala thing with Juma and Dubaku was excellent, and I loved the way the weapon was the link back to the States.

I really have no idea what they could possibly do with Season 8. It is literally limitless and I think the fact that Tony isn't dead is a real problem for me. Tony was by far the best character this season and also the most important. But it's all over for him now. Unless they stick him in prison for the rest of his life, what role could he possibly have in season 8 when he has little or no leverage. That bird Cara is dead, Wilson is in custody [though for how long, we don't know] and Jack will never be the same again tbh.

Great season, not sure about the ending.

[Smila]

Awesome season. Though the whole FBI thing was fucking terrible, in the end Chloe was director of CTU and Janis her annoying little bitch. A wasted opportunity, unless it was important to step out of that doomed building in LA and make us realize how much we missed CTU. The characters in the FBI were awful, Janis was shocking and I'm still not convinced about Agent Walker or Larry Moss.

Walker at the end with Wilson doesn't make any sense IMO. Yes he effectively killed Larry, but why her? She'd be much better off building a case if one exists.

The whole Sangala thing with Juma and Dubaku was excellent, and I loved the way the weapon was the link back to the States.

I really have no idea what they could possibly do with Season 8. It is literally limitless and I think the fact that Tony isn't dead is a real problem for me. Tony was by far the best character this season and also the most important. But it's all over for him now. Unless they stick him in prison for the rest of his life, what role could he possibly have in season 8 when he has little or no leverage. That bird Cara is dead, Wilson is in custody [though for how long, we don't know] and Jack will never be the same again tbh.

Great season, not sure about the ending.

If Wilson figures into next season then there could be a role for Tony. Perhaps Jack and Renee need him to help hunt down Wilson. I think it would be a shame to leave Wilson's plotline alone. Now that they'e introduced him as the man behind Logan (one can only guess at who is behind Wilson - Satan himself?? Are they actually just a demonic cabal?) it would be a shame to just drop it. Make pretend the threat from wtihin never existed? Not to mention a waste of having Will Patton as a guest star. He had maybe 20 lines throughout the entire season. He'd make for a wonderful villain next season. Plus the dynamics of having Renee (who now hates and blames Wilson ultimately for Larry's death) having to work with Tony. And Jack having to trust Tony again. But then again. That card has been played this year. So who knows.

[smitten]

Overall - the whole season?

Scors50 took the words out of my mouth. Apart from that I'm speechless.

Why do I need to wait till October to get the DVD? I don't get it. They've got the artwork done. They've got the contents. Are they doing subtitles in Finnish or what?