So Jack Had a Plan: Hour 9 of Live Another Day
The conversation where Jack convinced President Heller he and Chloe could pull a fast one on the Al-Harazis must have been on a need-to-know basis. It is a lazy turn for the writers, and I’m not too happy about the cheat, but those who picked up on the absence of a silent clock at the […]
It’s a Personal Decision: Hour 8 (200th Episode) of 24: Live Another Day
Near the start of the episode, President Heller and Jack Bauer have a heated discussion about Heller’s plan to hand himself over to Margot Al-Harazi. Heller argues that his choice to sacrifice himself is a personal, not a state, decision. This scene is the heart of the episode, and the rest is the execution. Heller […]
Bigger, Bolder, and More Heart-wrenching: How To Train Your Dragon 2
Back in 2010, when I knew nothing of the books, I admired the first film for its characterization, the animation, the thematic material: (1) the misfit who fights against the ignorance of those who surround him to find a new way, and (2) the denunciation of empty-headed violence to find the beauty in creatures previously […]
Please Don’t Leave Me Here: Hour 7 of Live Another Day
Though this episode is largely an extended cat-and-mouse game between Team Al-Harazi and Team Bauer, there are a few crucial moral moments. In one particular scene, Jack is hurriedly escorting a wounded Simone out of the hospital, reporting that Simone’s mother is sending a drone to destroy the hospital to eliminate her. When Simone expresses […]
It’s a Lot To Ask of You: Hour 6 of Live Another Day
In a crucial scene, when Jack finally explains his risky plan to Kate, he says, “If you don’t want to do this, I can’t force you. It’s a lot to ask.” This episode, along with some important reveals in other plot lines, juxtaposes two scenarios where someone asks someone else to do something very risky: […]
How To Write a Sad Scene
Today I got to a point in my novel where there is a funeral and an emotional reunion between my two leads, who have been emotionally estranged from each other for several months (and a few chapters). Quite a lot rests on this scene, and it happens also to be the saddest exchange in the […]