Question: I’m curious what you think of 24: Legacy. I’d give it a solid B, despite the familiar tropes, such as a new person with his own agenda being brought in to run CTU. Having the same team that was behind the original running this show has helped. Eric Carter is no Jack Bauer—no one ever will be—but Corey Hawkins is more than competent as a lead action hero. What are your thoughts? —Travis
Matt Roush: I’d probably give the 24 reboot more of a “C” grade, considering the Keystone Kops blunders that have propelled so many of the twists, especially late in the season, with Jimmy Smits in the terrorists’ clutches one week and his wife, Miranda Otto, their captive the next. And could the bomb blast during the (inevitable) CTU invasion have been more anticlimactic? And what was the point of torturing Gerald McRaney if they’re just going to send him home afterward? I did like the most recent cliffhanger, where Tony and his mercenaries are moving in on Eric—if only they knew—but it’s a blessing the seasons are shorter now. These recent Fox reboots haven’t made the noise the network had hoped for (first The X-Files, then this, now Prison Break of all shows), but these are properties with strong international sales potential, so I wouldn’t be surprised if 24 gets yet another shot. I probably wouldn’t mourn, though, if it didn’t.
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com
