24 Points About 24: 3:00PM to 4:00PM

1.  Jack's little "bull in a china shop" routine to get the heat of Kate Morgan was pretty classic but I'd rather see him really destroy people not fake destroy people.

2. We all know it really only is a matter of time before Kate unleashes her first "DAMMIT CHLOE."

3. Margot Al-Harazi is all lovey dovey with her daughter Simone but my fiancee says "Time to get out before they take a toe." Live by it Simone! 

4. It's a classic sequence on 24 where they go over the threat that's the driving plot and then review over the human causalities. Really establishes the threat, been doing it for 8.5 years.

5. "I wanna talk to Bauer!" - Classic line from President Heller. 

6. Audrey says "My father needs you" but she doesn't say "I need you." You know Audrey is still about tha Bauer!

7. I really enjoy how 24 is playing with gender roles this season. Cate Morgan is proving to be an interesting character with a intriguing backstory and the street smarts to prove maybe she could take over the Bauer legacy. Props to Yvonne Strahovski for making me a believer (I never watched "Chuck" btw). And as for Margot Al-Harazi - just a fantastic villain. You see her crawling out of that drone strike - INTENSE.

8. Are we going to going to get some cheesy scene where Chloe ditches the Dragon Tattoo makeup and then goes from goth geek to a more classic geek. I could be into that actually.

9. President Heller = President Cardigan.

10. For a second there when Jack insisted on going to meet up with the arms dealer, I got REALLY excited that there was a chance the arms dealer would be Tony Almeida. I can still dream.

11. The whole plot-line of Naveed leaving a traceable link in the video is cool, but it feels a little bit like the writers really re-inforcing that this is a new "24" that doesn't stereotype Muslims as terrorists. Cool I guess, but very heavy-handed.

12. What does Jack think about when he's a room all alone by himself? Kim? Teri 1? Teri 2? Nina? How much the food sucks in England?

13. The Jack-Audrey reunion was sweet, but it also sent her down multiple long regal hallways of literal and metaphoric life reflection.

14. Prime Minister Stephen Fry is like a caricature of fat British Politician. He certainly shares a special relationship, just with XL fish and chips, not President Heller.

15. For someone who has been essentially fired twice now, it's crazy how much freedom they give Cate Morgan. I mean shouldn't she be in a holding cell somewhere?

16. Adrian the hacker leader is the white Morpheus.

17.  Speaking of Adrian his send off to Chloe is "I love you!" What? Those two were a couple? The hell is going here?

18. Classic 24 transportation logic - takes about 10 minutes to get from urban London to the regal countryside.

19. Love that POV footage  from the soldier's point of view. Adds a visceral quality to the action while acknowledging 24's rich history of wild camera shots.

20. Yet again we come to a great mystery of 24 - why does everyone on the tactical team wear helmets except the leaders?

21. Wowza! That was an awesome explosion, big budget mini-series. Here we go! Huge explosion! I'm enthralled.

22. I'm really starting to see Margot Al-Harazi as just a time-traveling Lady Catelyn Stark who's journey through time to get revenge on the Lannister's descendants. 

23. Hard to see who survived that drone attack on the manor but it looked like Under Armour and Navarro made it out alive. Of course if that attack doesn't put in Cate in charge I don't know what will.

24.  RIP Naveed. I guess he'll be missed but c'mon this dude is no Dubaku.

New Godzilla Movie Is Some Serious Dynamite

I'm not a Godzilla fan-boy. I saw the original on VHS with my parents and don't remember much besides that fact that I was scared of the nuclear bomb at the end which in hindsight doesn't make any sense (why not the monster, was I pacifist toddler?) As for the 1998 version, I remember the hype leading up to it more than the actual movie, although I do recall the mini-Godzillas at the end were exactly like velociraptors and I was confused why I was seeing them and not the big dog. Although the soundtrack to that movie featuring Puff Daddy & Jimmy Page amongst others is fierce.  But enough talk about the past, let's talk about the present, specifically the wicked badass Godzilla movie that is now in theaters. Holy dynamite is this movie off the chain.

If you know me then you are aware that I love blockbusters and raw spectacle entertainment. I have "Transformers" on my calendar and I'm salivating over it. But the strength of "Godzilla" is that it is shot like like a tight lil indie drama and not like some massive CG spectacle (even though it is that). The director Gareth Edwards shoots the film in a way that feels natural, there are no JJ Abrams lensflares, there are no swooping Michael Bay military fetish nonsense, and no trippy slowdown Zach Synder insanity. It just comes across as real, which is nuts because this is a movie about the end of the world and the monsters that ravage the planet, but the whole thing feels as realistic as it can get. It also is packed with more Oh Shit Moments that left my mouth agape in terror/awe/wonder. Of course I then filled my open mouth with buttered popcorn, butterfingers bites (a new frontier), and peach sprite. Yes it was a good night at the tha pictures!

Let's talk about those monsters though. I don't think I'm spoiling anything here by saying that Godzilla is a good guy in the story who basically wakes up from chilling in the pacific (not a bad place to kick back) and then wakes up because an evil beast has awakened and is destroying everything in it's past/path. It's never really addressed why Godzilla wants to help the humans and I kind of wish that one of the multitude of scientists would just say something along the lines of "this huge bausss creature just likes wrecking sucka MCs who come at him" or "there can only be one" or "who cares let's just let these beasts thrown down." And thrown down they do.

The monster on monster action in this movie is light years ahead of last years limp "Pacific Rim" with the film wisely waiting until the very last couple of minutes for Godzilla to go fully bananas and just start ripping off Mortal Kombat Fatality kills. There is so much anticipation and while some may call it teasing, I love a little build up if the payoff is worth it and damn, it is worth it! Otherwise the filmmakers wisely wrap up the relatively simple plot in layers of Jurassic Park homages, conspiracy theories, coverups, and some half-baked family drama - but it doesn't really matter, if you're seeing Godzilla you're hoping for some wild shit, and on that level it certainly delivers. 

24 Points About 24: 2:00PM - 3:00PM

1. I love that opening shot of the crowds going nuts, but I REALLY love that quick lil sleeper hold Jack dropped on that poor security guard kid.

2. Jack's other sidekick Belcheck (the Serbian bro) is a real weird character. What's his deal? How did Jack link up with him?

Future Boss and Future Jedi

3. It was a little too easy for Jack to get that flight key, I mean he didn't even torture anybody.

4. Kate Morgan is a cool and all but if even is Jack's heir apparent it's Lieutenant Tanner. You hear him say "I've got nothing to say to you." Get em. Jedi Jack Bauer, let's go!

5. Always good to know that Jack has a deep knowledge of system architecture of US Embassies. I thought Jack was only about busting into foreign consulates.

6. Never has their been so much pillow talk on 24. Of course it happens with Simone and Naveed on red satin sheets and with some serious maple headboards. 24 never really does subtly well.   

7. Adrian Cross is such a little shit. Why does Jack trust this dude? When is he gonna turn him in?

8. "Can you see if the marines are wearing body armor" - Badass Bauer Line. Listen up folks, from now on we're calling those BBLs.

9. Emily Berrington who plays Simone looks exactly like Emily Browning and it trips me out.

10. Teapot is heating up on some metaphoric shit in that scene with Simone and Margot. A brewing mother daughter feud. Things are coming to a boil! An earl grey grim situation? Ok that one was a little cheesy.

11. What is ruder? Answering your phone in a movie theater or answering it during Parliament?

12. Benjamin Bratt's agent Navarro is the most weak sauce commander since Ryan Chapelle and we all know what happened to him.

13. Under Armour needs to get his interrogation methods up, he seems like he is fronting, and not intimating at all. C'mon man!

14. Really disappointing that we didn't get an epically written monologue for Heller to deliver in full in front of all those Brits. Then again this 24 not West Wing!

14.  Last week Parliament was all rough and rowdy and now they're all docile. They must have had some tea.

15. Audrey swoons so hard when she hears Jack's name. She likes Bad Boys, actually is Tate Tots a bad boy?

16. I love how Audrey & The President initially really only care about Jack and not the HOSTAGE SITUATION AT THE EMBASSY.

17. Smart move for 24 to come back and make Naveen, the only Arab character be very sympathetic. 

18. "There are no innocents" is a pretty scary line from Margot. I'm digging her tune as a villain.

19.  Whoaaah, that finger popping off scene was disgusting. Only a matter of time before we get the classic reaching around inside a body for a chip scene.

20. It is cute that Cate has her little lover boy Jordan at the office and that he doesn't deny how he's got the hots for her.

21. Jack's conversation with President Heller is the best part of this season. Who needs shoot-outs when you dramatic fireworks.

22. I know they're trying to make Tate Tots sound like a rational person here as he lays out a case for Bauer being a bad guy but it's written so heavily handed he just comes across a straight up villain that Jack is going to have to dispatch.

23. The standoff with Jack and the Marines is dynamite. This is why 24 is the tha business!

24. In the words of my lovely fiancee Cate Morgan has gone full "Mama Bear" protecting Jack at the end. Not gonna lie,  I am into it. 

24 Points About 24: 1:00PM - 2:00PM

1.  I have many goals in life but one of them is to one day kick down doors like Jack Bauer.

2. Leaving the wig in the dumpster is a real rookie move, then again 24 is always packed with amateur level terrorists.

3. It's convenient that CCTV is everywhere and easily hackable because if Chloe has lost her touch, you would never know with this setup.

4. "Everyone has a weak spot, we'll find his" says Cate Morgan. I know they're trying to set this character up to be just like Jack but they are being a little too direct here.

5. When Jack Bauer goes into a subway, does he think about all the terrorists he has killed/apprehended there?

6. Damn, even though Morris O'Brian helped terrorists set off a nuke in LA because he couldn't handle a power drill in his back, I feel bad for Chloe. Nice move by the writers to have them hunting Chloe because of her connection to Jack. Now....their blood is on Jack's hands. That only means vengeance.

7. Tate Tots is not just trying to handle over Jack to the Russians (The Russians!) but he's lying to his wife and forging the President's signature. In the words of my fiance "that's more than a Federal offense, that's like treason!"

8. The Al-Harazis remind me of the Araz clan from way back in Season 4, except this time instead of Arab Americans, they're white British gardeners! Way to keep things fresh! 

9. Adrian Cross (the hacker boss guy) is played by Michael Wincott who really burned it up in action movies in the 90's. My personal fave - his role in Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. Kevin Coster FTW.

10. Cate Morgan's "torture" technique of driving under a bridge where a bunch of hipsters hang out was both pretty badass and a little ridiculous. If this was 24 season 4, she would have just started snapping his fingers like chicken bones, but hey, can't dwell on the past.

11. Calling it now - UNDER-ARMOUR is a mole.

12. Margot al Harazi is shaping up to be an excellent villain and Michelle Fairley is doing a great job playing her, can't wait to see how she bites it at the end of this season. Maybe Jack will get his first kill by crumpets this season!

13. In a long history of C.I.A. / CTUS bosses Navarro aka Benjamin Bratt is the biggest pushover I've ever seen. He needs to take a stand before he can be knocked over by the insubordinate agents, right now he's just on the ground getting walked on.

14. I really admire President's Heller dedication to what he believes is right. It's great to have a President on the show who takes a firm stand. Of course he could end up being evil, but I don't think so.

15. If Tate Tots is tied up with the bad guys, that would mean that Audrey is in danger, and Jack would have to save her. Don't wanna get too deep into Fan-Fic territory here but would be nice if Jack ended up with her at the end.

16. Simone Al-Harazi is an interesting character. Rarely do we see so much of the bad guys personal lives, not just their mission plotting. Spending time with the villains when they're chilling at their estate makes them more menacing.

17. Really noticing a lot of motorcycles this season, hopefully we'll finally get to Jack's skills on the bike.

18. Stephen Fry is a pretty goofy Prime Minister.

19. Audrey talks down to Tate Tots and you can see a little bit of that Bauer fire in her. Maybe this season we get to see her kick some ass in the field - old school Chloe O'Brien style?

20. Tossing the jacket onto the guards head was a new move for Jack, but I prefer the more lethal variety.

21. Love the way that the riot at the embassy was shot. Awesome kinetic energy in that crowd. Pretty violent shooting as well!

22. Cate Morgan needs to work on her "Bauer" yell, that was barely a murmur, especially if she's in a crowd.

23. Simone's husband Naveed made it out of the episode alive which was shocking, I wonder if he actually will have a much bigger part to play. Perhaps his moral murkiness will prove for rich dramatic moments in the future, maybe Jack will have to talk him out of going through with the attack. He also could just end up getting stabbed in the ear.

24. Bummed we didn't get to see Heller's big speech to Parliament, but I'm sure well get something stirring next week. All in all, a really strong episode. So glad this show is back!

Game of Thrones Recap - S4E6 - The Laws Of Gods & Men

A really solid episode this week that really progresses the story forward and had some pretty decent carnage to boot. Things are really picking up nicely as we steam-roll towards the finale.

Joffrey Swag - The legend lives on. If your murder trial turns into a wild circus then you know you're continuing to swag hard even post death. Swag hard Joffrey!

Direwolf Badassery - Nothing. I'm ok with it because last week Ghost got his!

1.  So finally we get to see Braavos, the land of the shape-shifting assassins, master sword fighters, and....hipster bankers. These bros who control the cheese have some seriously well trimmed beards and are about fine furnishings. Was wondering if they were in a power trio and were gonna break out into song.

2. Ok sorry about that opener, truly great scene in the bank with my boy Sir Davos getting his! Killer monologue praising Stannis and what a nice bonus treat to see the coolest pirate lord around- Salladhor Saan showing up again. Cannot wait to see Stannis makes his move!

3. That Dragon BBQ scene was incredible but felt a little unnecessary. Almost like the suits at HBO wanted to remind us that the Dragons are here and they're spending money on them. Still, if this show ends without a White-Walker - Dragon showdown I'll be pissed.

4. Don't get deceived by Daenerys' plotline with her seeing the citizens of Mereen in the throne-room, the real action in her story was across the sea in the meeting with Tywin. They haven't touched on the fact that Sir Jorah was a spy in the first season but I suspect it may be important again as Varys may need to activate his "little birds" in the future.

5. LOVED Yara Greyjoy's speech to her men as they were rolling into rescue Theon, it's a shame that she didn't see that through, why was she so afraid of a bunch of dogs?

6. Don't get it twisted I love Yara, but I still don't give a shit about Theon or Reek whatever you wanna call him. Never forget what he did at Winterfell.

7. The trial of Tyrion is one of the greatest pieces of drama the show has ever put together. In addition to serving as kind of a greatest hits real of Tyrion's most epic moments, it also is a battleground for Peter Dinklage to show just how incredible of an actor he is.

8. I couldn't tell if Jaime Lannister got played by his Dad when he asked for mercy for Tyrion. Maybe I was just confused after seeing Jaime onscreen in "The Other Woman" two weeks ago. Parallel realities whoa.

9. Absolutely brutal that Shae turned her back on Tyrion like that, but the real question is - where has she been staying? I thought she got sent away. Who's been keeping her around. Did Tywin dig her up so she could testify? Something larger gotta be going on here.

10. A trial by combat? We saw that in season 1, so it's a little underwhelming to see it again, but let's hope this battle is different.

I'll be traveling next week so look for a recap a week from Tuesday! Until next week be well!