4 Hours Down, 20 To Go

OK, I admit I'm a little behind, but I have just finished watching the first four hours of what is the best show on television in my mind bar none. I don't think I have ever been addicted to a TV show like I have to "24". I have never missed an episode, and Jack Bauer may be the coolest individual I have ever seen.(Don't worry Rod, you're a close 2nd).

Anyhoo, Season 8 is underway and once again Jack is at the center of the storm. It looked as if he was about to live a life of peace as he was just moments away from boarding a plane to Los Angeles to spend time with his daughter and grand-daughter. Our opening glimpse of Jack this year shows his cute grand-daughter waking him up. I'm surprised Jack didn't take out a pistol and pump bullets into the room for getting surprised like that. Could you blame him after what he's gone through? He is packing for his departure when the door knocks. Oh Jack, if you just would have ignored the knock things would be fine, but NOOOOO, you had to answer it. Its an old informant saying he has plans on the assassination of a world leader that is going to happen before the day is over. And away we go. Its time to embark on another 24 hours of hell.

Four hours into the latest show, here are my thoughts.

--I'm glad this show is happening in New York. Everything else has happened in California. Its good to switch things up. I'm guessing those who still have 9/11 still burned in their memory is a little uncomfy with the terrorist actions happening in their city, but it wouldn't be the same if the plot was based in Omaha, Nebraska or Billings, Montana.

--Is it just me or does Jack's faithful sidekick--Chloe O'Brian--ever smile. Chloe has been with Jack right from the get go. There is something about her! C'mon 24 fans, you aren't going to tell me you wouldn't want the chance to tame this hellcat. I don't know what the future holds for Chloe in Season 8, but I'm hoping she survives. I think it would be very sad if she bit the bullet at some point after being with Jack through so much. If she does die, I hope its in Jack's arms as his twisted soul is ravaged even more. I wanted Chloe to kick the ass of Janeane Garofalo's character in Season 7 just for the fact that A) we all know she could and B) I'm not a big fan of Garofalo.

--Speaking of characters who kick ass, it looks like former FBI agent Renee Walker is a changed individual from the last time we saw her. She was just an innocent thing when she got involved with Jack in fighting the bad guys in Season 7. She learned how to be a tough bitch from Mr. Bauer and it looks like she could be a female Jack this time around. Her scene with a Russian contact in which she saws off the guy's thumb to get a bracelet off of him is surprising, and shocking in the same way. I don't know why, but I'm thinking before this season is over that Jack and Renee are going to have a "moment".

--I can't buy Freddie Prinze Junior as a secret agent. Nothing against FPJ, he has to have something going for him since he is Mr. Sarah Michelle Gellar, but the guy who played Alan in the Scooby Doo movies can't be a guy on a top-notch American security service. He goes by the name of Cole Ortiz in 24. When I think of Cole Ortiz, I wonder if he's starting for the Blue Jays tonight in the back half of a doubleheader against Cleveland. Then again, Freddie was a baseball pitcher in the movie "Summer Catch". That might be baseball's version of "Youngblood", but it was a movie that had Jessica Biel parading around in a tight one piece bathing suit that got the blood of Freddie and many others bubbling.

--Mykelti Williamson is the head of CTU New York. He plays a man called Brian Hastings. He may be in charge, but he has no clue. One question....why is this man always scrunching down? Oh how I wish Bill Buchanan would have survived that terrorist attack at the White House last year!

--Anil Kapoor is President Omar Hassan of Kamistan. (I looked on a Risk board and while I can find Irkutsk and Yakutsk, I can not find Kamistan) As I have stated earlier, Kapoor was the game show host on Slumdog Millionaire. The man has the best hair of any presidential leader real or fictional. However, when he survives a bomb blast and he emerges from the car with not one hair out of place, I have to ask what type of hair spray they have in Kamistan or if he has just stolen it from Steve Armitage.

--Four hours in and Jack has only killed three people---however one was with an axe as he took out some guy about a half hour after patting his granddaughter on the head saying he would see her soon. Jack has also just about been blown up and beaten up by a member of the NYPD, but you wouldn't know it because his skin is like teflon. There are no bruises, no scrapes, no nothing. I'm guessing if there is a scene where Jack has to remove his shirt that the scars from his time in a Chinese prison will have disappeared.

--So far Season 8 has not disappointed. I'm sure it will hit a lull at some point, but the action and drama and the unpredictability remains high. You just never know what is going to happen next and if one of the major characters is going to be eliminated. There will be many twists and turns before Jack gets to go to sleep or go to the bathroom or head to Starbucks or whatever.

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Did you watch the Prospects game from Windsor last night? That was a great hockey game! I loved it when Peter Loubardias said in the third period with a sarcastic tone "It would be nice if this game was entertaining in any way." Those taking part were doing their best to impress the many scouts on hand in Windsor and many of them did including Regina's Jordan Weal who had a goal and an assist in his team's (Team Cherry) 4-2 win over Team Orr. One could argue Weal was maybe the player of the game. Warriors blueliner Dylan McIlrath showed some teams that he is the guy if they are looking for toughness as he clobbered Red Deer's Alex Petrovic late in the 2nd. McIlrath's teammate Quinton Howden left the game after blocking a shot with his hand in the 2nd period. I didn't see him come back. If he did, I didn't notice him in the 3rd. For Moose Jaw's sake, here's hoping Howden did not suffer any kind of serious injury and that he won't miss any time.

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Saskatchewan showed once again yesterday why our people are the best. Golden West radio(Moose Jaw, Weyburn, Estevan, Swift Current) raised 161-thousand dollars for Haitian earthquake relief while CJME and CKOM managed to collect over 600-thousand dollars. I do believe Big Dog did something with their partner radio stations across Canada as well, but I don't know what their total was. I'm sure the fine folks at CKRM are also doing something or have done something, but again I don't know what their total is. The TV stations are getting involved Friday with a major worldwide concert so the money will continue to flow in from here and across the world.

By the way, I saw Dave Arnold talking about the Haitian relief efforts on the news last night. I haven't seen Dave since leaving ME. I always bugged him about being Canada's Dick Clark because the guy never ages. That's still the story. Perhaps the old tower on the Plains should be our version of Times Square on New Year's Eve with the ball coming down the tower and Dave hosting the festivities.

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The Oilers lose again, but is this really news?

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UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar is slamming the Canadian healthcare system. Lesnar got sick while on a hunting trip in Western Canada and was rushed to a hospital before being taken out by his wife (former WWE diva Sable if you didn't know) and taken to Bismarck, North Dakota. It only asks the question as to whether or not Lesnar was in Saskatchewan. A Sask Health official says no and I would guess that someone would come forth with the info saying yeah, he was in our health centre or hospital, but that hasn't happened. Then again, it hasn't happened in Manitoba either.

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As you continue on with your Wednesday, I ask you this....

Why is it you point to your wrist when you want to know what time it is, but you don't point to your crotch when you want to know where the bathroom is?