Fox’s 24 was just awarded the Emmy for outstanding drama series, and, well, I’m not surprised. Its plot and pacing alone make me momentarily consider a pacemaker or valium as viable options. Add in its constant twists, excellent character focus and development, incomparable writing and its exploration of uncomfortable areas of ethics, the nature of good and evil, and personal action and responsibility and you’ve got a show that deserves recognition. Do I agree with all of the show's methods (especially its violence) and conclusions? Heck, no. Do I appreciate the questions and plethora of noteworthy themes (redemption, sacrifice, justice, integrity, etc.) it raises? Oh, yeah.And I’m not the only one. Hollywood Jesus’ Maurice Broaddus says “the essential story, the monomyth, echoes the story of Christ.” Christianity Today offers a Bible study series based on the show. And then there’s Mark Driscoll’s recent comparison of main character Jack Bauer to Jesus, which stirred the hornet’s nest in Christian blogdom, as JollyBlogger observes.
Whether you love it or hate it, 24 definitely brings God-talk into open spaces. And that’s why it remains on my TiVo.
(Image: Fox)