24 hours in a day

last friday, dozens of people were killed... shot. blown up. gassed. poisoned.

from unknown passers-by to a former US president, lives were ended aggressively. it all ceased at 7:00 am. however when i glanced at the clock, it was actually half past midnight (saturday) and i had spent the last 11 hours in front of the tv, watching the season 5 dvd of 24.

for more than a year, i survived without having to bathe in the radioactive light of a television. and i never missed it -- not once. perhaps it's because i was hardly home. or maybe i just never bothered to compete on selecting channels with my siblings who'd had the remote controls cuffed to their wrists anyway. (whoever has the remote is dictator.)

for more than a year, my sources of information were the internet and news magazines (as well as the unconfirmed gossips of chismoso / chismosa friends). and what i did instead to kill time leisurely was to read a whole pile of books which (due to the sheer number i had bought, borrowed and inherited from other friends) had been collecting dust to mingle with the words inscribed on its covers. (i am a hardcore bookworm, and i do not deny it!)

for more than a year, this has been my lifestyle... until i got the flu about two weeks ago.

so now the tv is back in my life. not that i intend to make up time with it. although its gripping magic had me transformed into a couch potato for a day last week.

24 is one of very few tv shows i do look forward to watching. and the latest season had me spinning in my seat as i witnessed a variety of murder, treachery and politics, all in one show. well, it really wasn't only one show since i did a marathon of about 20 episodes... so i guess i should say that these were all present in 20 shows.

a superman contender and modern-day mcgyver, jack bauer has again saved the day (for america). this time against a russian separatist group and ... a powerful political figure in the white house (i dare not spoil it completely for those who have yet to watch the season). with no opportunities to rest or take meals, jack was amazingly equipped with an unlimited supply of energy and a bladder that can hold the crap of six elephants (not having to go to the toilet once). alert, mindful and sharp, he managed to figure out solutions and strategies that got him accomplished in his mission. he continued to prefer working underground occasionally, despite the times he was completely backed by authority, and his friends remained unwavering in their loyalty and confidence in him. i wouldn't be surprised if towards the final final end of this tv show, they reveal that jack is actually a super cyborg. luck is incredibly on his side.

many twists kept me gripped. a lot of complex relationships among characters revealed. there were flaws in some of the solutions to situations, although if the director had the best solution made, the story would have ended in less than the 24-hour setting. so i guess, i just have to accept those flaws as less remarkable efforts to keep me entertained longer.

although, kudos to the writers... 24 continues to be in my (very short) list of tv shows to watch.