Thus it saddens me to learn that the television writers' strike has also taken it's toll on my beloved show. Production is indefinitely suspended on Season 7. In order to keep the typical broadcast format fans of the show are accustomed to, Fox has optioned to delay the usual January premiere. My only hope is that the writers will to continue to contemplate and revise the show's as-yet-unfilmed material during the interim. That would help make sure that Day 7 doesn't turn out to be as disappointing as Day 6 ended up being.
The silver lining of the production delay is that now less attention will be payed to the fact that star Kiefer Sutherland is currently serving a 48-day jail sentence as a result of (if I remember correctly) a recent DUI. Even if the writers were happy and working, 24's filming schedule would certainly have been seriously disrupted by Jack Bauer being in the slammer for a month and a half.
Returning to the topic of Season 6, it was recently released on DVD. Given my estimation of its relative level of quality, however, I'm in no hurry to own it. Nevertheless, I would like to pick it up cheaply someday if that's possible, so I'll have to keep an eye out for super-saver promotions. This time last year, Best Buy put all 5 Days on sale for just 20 bucks each, which allowed me to round out my 24 collection in an economical fashion.
As for the season that has now been postponed, I'm curious how many people saw the lengthy preview Fox aired during one of the games of the World Series. Apparently Jack decides to stop staring at the ocean and continue battling terrorism after all, only now the mastermind standing across the battleline from Superspecial Agent Bauer is none other than former head of CTU Tony Almeida. At this revelation, I uttered an impassioned, "What the hell?! I thought Robocop killed your ass!" I hope the reintroduction of a character that seemed very clearly to have died proves to be the work of some inventive writing and not a cheap, soap opra-style tactic employed in the absence of better ideas.
Fans of the show will know that Tony's better half was fellow agent and (in my humble opinion) foxy mama Michelle Dessler played by Reiko Aylesworth. I learned last week that Ms. Aylesworth's post-24 career is not going so well. Yahoo! Movies informs me that she plays a leading role in the upcoming theatrical release Aliens vs. Predator Requiem. It's gotta be rough to go from a featured role on an Emmy-winning drama to a thankless and perfunctory role in an exploitation, genre film. [Blogger's Note: This seemingly innocuous comment managed to provoke the ire of one visitor. Don't believe me? Check out the "Interested Persons" section.]
Finally, I was in Barnes & Noble the other night when I spotted a copy of 24 and Philosophy. About 5 years ago, I read Lord of the Rings and Philosophy and found the book to be surprisingly insightful, so I'm feeling inclined to pick up this more recent installment of academic reflection on popular culture. Of course, the essays contained in 24 and Philosophy might all turn out to be worthless. But I found a humorous, one-page feature at the beginning of the book that makes me optimistic that the volume as a whole will be worth purchasing. I am speaking of a letter written in the persona of Chloe addressed to the recently deceased Edgar, expressing how bummed she is about his death. If you're a 24 fan and happen to be browsing around a bookstore, I recommend taking a few minutes to read this brief selection.
3 comments:
If you knew anything about Reiko Aylesworth, you would not make such an inane comment about her career not going well. Her career is doing just fine. She is taking roles that she enjoys, not roles simply for money for fame. Reiko took the role in AvP-R because she enjoys playing strong female characters. You should try to actually learn something about her besides the fact that she’s attractive. Then you would not make embarrassing comments like that.
An empassioned apologetic on behalf of Reiko Aylesworth has made its way onto my blog. Who saw that coming? Certainly, not me. But I've also been operating under the assumption that only about ten people even look at my tiny corner of cyberspace, and none of those folks would have given the remark that inspired the above comment a second glance (assuming they hadn't just skimmed over it entirely).
Kyle, I apologize for offending your sense of loyalty to the actress under discussion. You're right. I know pretty much nothing about Ms. Aylesworth apart from her work on 24. My casual estimation of the current state of her career was made hastily and in complete ignorance of her personal motivation for choosing the roles she plays.
Now, I must be totally honest with you and admit I'm not the least bit embarrassed about this whole ordeal. I know a fair bit of pointless trivia about movies, TV shows, etc. but the biography and inner life of the actress who played Michelle Dessler are not included among the useless facts inextricably stuck in my memory. Her career is clearly a pet subject of yours, and I publicly recognize your superior knowledge of this subject matter.
I can tell from your very precise use of abbreviation that you're a details man, Kyle, and I can appreciate that as well. So the next time I make any reference to Reiko Aylesworth, irrespective of the content or context of my statement, I will be sure the details of that statement are accurate. I want to make sure that, should you happen to meander into the Kingdom of the Madness again, the keyboard warrior in you will not be provoked a second time by any further inane comments about Reiko Aylesworth forwarded by yours truly.
Dave,
Thank you for your reply. Ever since Reiko was cast in AvP-2/AvP-R, the fan boys of the franchise have been attacking her nonstop and it got old real fast. I’ve met Reiko and actually spoken with her one on one. Before I was fortunate enough to have that opportunity, for almost 2 hours, I listened to her talk about herself, her career, and how & why she selects her roles. Reiko sees acting not as a job, but as an art. She looks for roles that are “unique, different, and challenging,” types she hasn’t done before. She also loves independent films and theater which is why she has and will continue to do both no matter how successful she might be in other venues. As a side note, Reiko’s a real sweetheart and very personable. She was a real joy to speak with.
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