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24 - Dilemmas

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An entertaining, yet weird, season winds down, but not without a few more ethical dilemmas to whet your controversial whistle. (spoilers ahead)

Tony is holed up with this random Arab guy that I have seen in some movie but I just cant place. I don't love the bad Tony. I have trouble buying him as a villian. He's just done too many things to help America. Also, unfortunately for him and his crew Jack, Chloe and the FBI were able to track down the one guy in Washington Tony targeted to frame for the terrorist attack. And lets get a quick checklist of moral and ethical dilemmas covered this season (stars if they were covered in this episode as well):

Torture: check
Searches without warrants: check ****
Citizen Privacy: check ****
Racial profiling: check ****
Government witnesses(immunity): check ****
Religion: check ****
Animal cruelty: not yet but we still have some time left

That about sums up this season. I have thought, overall, 24 has been captivating but the constant reference to the government "doing the right thing," has to stop.

And while we are on lists:

Characters I like(d): Jack, good Tony (bad guy now), Jonas Hodges (deceased), Bill Buchanon (deceased), Col. Dubaku (deceased). Not a great trend.

Characters I could do without: everyone else (all still alive).

How can a program remain entertaining with all of these strikes against it? I don't know and that is what makes 24 such a cool show. Like Jack, it holds up and performs under intense scrutiny, doubt, ridicule and pressure.

Highlights (government agency edition):

- Bad News Tim has to deliver the word that Jonas Hodges was killed. Guy can't buy a break. Taylor's daughter is responsible and the President should definitely be impeached after this day.

- The FBI transfers the highest profile government witness in the history of the world with one lowly agent in one SUV. Couldn't have seen that going poorly.

- Even the Arab mosque leader questions Jack's judgment. This prompts Renee to tell the Arab guy that Jack is infected with the bio weapon. Why not just put it on the news? Everyone knows about it.

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