For “24” fans, Monday night’s ending was quite
a shock, and not in the way they’re accustomed to.
The episode concluded with Jack Bauer failing to stop terrorists
from detonating a “suitcase nuke” in the Los Angeles
suburb of Valencia, with casualties estimated in the hundreds of
thousands.
Seeing a mushroom cloud over suburban homes is shocking, and
some viewers may cry foul about questionable taste. The Daily Bruin
Editorial Board, however, doesn’t.
Plotlines on “24” are typically implausible,
reaching an apex with last season’s Oval Office conspiracy.
This, coupled with Bauer’s seeming invincibility, lulled
viewers into a false sense of security: No matter the situation,
Jack would prevail.
His failure, however, brings reality to the series and
viewers’ lives. Not only is Jack not invincible, but we
aren’t either. Nuclear terrorism is a bogeyman that we are
terrified to seriously consider. So much is made of worrying about
repeat attacks (shoe bombs, gel bombs, hijacked planes) that we
turn a blind eye to new ones. After all, former Soviet National
Security Adviser Alexander Lebed claimed on “60
Minutes” in 1997 that the Russian government didn’t
know the whereabouts of nearly 100 suitcase nukes similar to those
on “24.”
For many who refuse to be depressed by the news, shows like
“24” may be the most exposure they get to world
affairs. A ludicrous notion? Maybe.
But if an adrenaline-filled action series is the only medium
willing to confront nuclear terrorism, then so be it.