Breaking Up

That's it. I've had it. I'm breaking up with 24. And this time, I mean it! No more will I let clever cliffhangers woo me into yet another disappointing episode. It's over.

I'm tired of the martyrdom of Jack Bauer, as if he is the only person in the whole country who is loyal to the president and able to save the day.

I'm tired of lazy casting directors who can't even bother trying to cast families that look a little like they might be related. The casting of the Palmer family is particularly bad. Here's a clue: Not all black people look alike.

I'm tired of lazy writers who can't bother trying to get the little details right. So the drug kingpins could afford to genetically engineer a virus and build a fancy containment room, but they couldn't spring for the decontamination shower so they use a fire hose instead? Wha? A building is bombed in downtown Los Angeles, and no one notices? Huh?

I'm tired of Kim Bauer. She is the most stupid, annoying person on the planet. Really. If she were any more self-centered, I fear she would actually change the earth's rotation. And really, if she died, it would just be Darwinian. Yet, somehow, if the timeline of the story is to be believed, she managed to skip at least a year---possibly two---of high school, finished college in three years, and got a highly coveted analyst job at CTU. Huh?

I'm tired of President Palmer making Bush II look competent. Palmer is possibly the second most stupid person on the planet. I keep waiting for him to ask someone what POTUS stands for.

I'm tired of the black-and-white view of good and evil. The good guys are all good. The bad guys are all bad. In the world of 24, grey only exists in Jack's wardrobe.

So it's over. I'm done. No more. Don't bring me cliffhanger bouquets and promises of change. It's always the same. I'll stick with The Wire.