"24" Betrayal

The "24" writers and producers have destroyed one of the best entertainment heroes.  Jack Bauer has become a moral monster.

I haven't written about "24" this season because I've thought it was pretty boring most of the time.  Not much new moral meat to chew on.  But I've watched.  The show had lost it's punch without Joel Surnow and needed to be put out of its misery. Now it's sadly clear that it's also lost it's moral compass. 

I've argued on the blog many times that Jack Bauer has a moral compass that was nearly flawless in the many moral dilemmas he's faced.  I've argued that his actions almost always have been difficult, but correct - and he's paid the price personally for having to make horrible moral choices in a sinful world.  (You can find those posts by using the search box to the left to search for "24".)

There is no justification of any sort for the morality of what Jack is doing now in pursuit of evidence that the Russians are behind the attempted nuclear attack on NYC.  The moral dilemma scenario in the past has always been the ticking time bomb - the options are all bad, but something has to be done to save some lives.  Jack is no longer trying to save lives, the time bomb isn't ticking.  It appears he's on a personal vendetta for Renee's murder.  But even if he is serving a higher justice, it does not justify cold-bloodedly shooting Dana, and certainly not torturing the Russian hit man for information and gutting him to retrieve the SIM card.  I was hoping there was something we didn't know yet that justified the former act, but it became clear in Monday night's episode that nothing can justify what Jack is doing now.

Either the producers/writers left have no moral sense for what has come before in this series.  Or they are intentionally giving us a moral lesson about the slippery slope:  that the torture Jack has engaged in has no logical ending and inevitably leads to cruel, sadistic treatment of human beings.  And that just isn't so.

Many have responded to justifying normally immoral behavior as a just moral choice under very strict and narrow conditions, such as the ticking time bomb, is utilitarianism or opens the door to wanton behavior.  If ever torture can be morally justified, it's under very narrow conditions and only very specific, limited actions can be permitted.  It's not anything goes.  All moral reasoning has a relationship between means and ends, and that is still the case if torture is ever morally acceptable.  All moral behavior has moral limitations and moral rules.  The ticking time bomb scenario also has very specific moral limitations and the slippery slope is a fallacious response. 

They have turned Jack Bauer into a moral monster.  His behavior now bears nor moral resemblance at all with the past.  Doing this to Jack Bauer is a bitter disappointment and a betrayal to the noble character and the fans who have been deeply engaged by "24."

Comments

[Sirrahc]

Sadly, I have to agree with you, Melinda. When Jack shot Dana in the upper chest/shoulder, I thought it was a bit much just to incapacitate her, but I understood he was probably holding back from what he wanted to do. Then, he shot her again. Dead. What the...?

This week, when Jack got one-on-one with the guy he was sure had killed Renee, I was nervous. "Hold back, Jack. Don't give in...." But, as I watched the torture scene unfold, I kept saying, "Jack's gone over to the dark side."

Now, Jack hasn't "gone over" like Anakin Skywalker did. Jack's still fighting for the Truth, for his country, for the safety and liberties of his fellow-citizens, etc. But, in this instance, he is allowing the bigger picture as opportunity and excuse for his vigilante justice. As Cole said, "Dana said Jack would execute her, and she was right." Jack's out for revenge! Very disappointing, indeed.

The only possible reason I can see for Jack to be doing this is the "last straw" hypothesis. He has dealt with so much pain and darkness, both personally and professionally. He was trying his darnedest to help Renee work through similar issues, pulling her out of despair and suicidal tendencies. Plus, they really seemed to "connect" and have genuine feelings for each other. They were looking forward to positive turns in both their lives. Then, tragedy struck, and Jack was devastated. He was alone again. He snapped! (Not saying it's a good excuse for outright execution and using torture while carrying out a personal vendetta. Just saying I can understand how the character might react that way.)

That mid-season movie they did a couple years ago was called "24: Redemption". Maybe the upcoming big-screen movie should be called "24: Redemption II: This Time It's Personal!"? Jack really needs some peace. If they do bring religion into it, I just hope it isn't a ham-handed mishegoss of stereotypes and pseudo-spiritual claptrap.

Sirrahc
http://AViewFromTheRight.wordpress.com

[BillyHW]

"Posted with iBlogger from my iPad"

Show off.

[bobbym]

I see this descent into barbarism as an indicator of one thing: The series has been canceled and they have to kill off Jack Bauer, and what better way than to have Jack throw off all restraint and do the unthinkable.

The series' writing has been so lame for the past three years that I can't imagine it being made into a big screen movie with the hacks that are now writing and producing "24". Maybe if Surnow is in charge it could happen, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Mig]

lol Billy :D

[BM]

I didn't really notice anything wrong until Renee got killed.

To borrow a line from The Outlaw Josey Wales:

Josey Wales: When I get to likin' someone, they ain't around long.

Lone Watie: I notice when you get to DISlikin' someone they ain't around for long neither.

When the President decided not to out the Russians to preserve her peace accord, it meant Renee Walker died in vain. That somehow broke the moral compass in Jack.

We are now seeing how a man without a moral center acts. Morally resolute Jack, now betrays his code. That code included some gray area in dealing with exigent circumstances.

Melinda is right, without those exigent circumstances, and just for revenge, his actions are detestable.

We shall see if Jack regains his bearings or not by the time this 24 hours are over.

I for one hope so. We need Jack Bauer...

[Tom Taylor]

It's been a disappointing season on multiple levels.

First, President Taylor, who has been a very honorable leader until now, has betrayed her own values for the sake of a shallow legacy that will not hold up for long anyway.

And now Jack has sold his soul for the sake of vengeance, while probably under the illusion that he is after justice and truth.

At the end of the season, Jack absolutely must face charges for multiple murders.

I expect when the big movie comes along, the next president will have him released for a special project, with a pardon in the offing.

There shouldn't be a movie. it's time to end it.

[Chris]

Isn't this "new" Jack Bauer a more realistic representative of Americans fighting the War Of... excuse me, ON Terror?

Interesting article, "Fighting For Our Freedom?" (definitely not my freedom since I'm Canadian)

http://original.antiwar.com/tom-mullen/2010/05/13/fighting-for-our-freedom/

[Amy]

Sorry, BillyHW! That wasn't supposed to happen.

[BillyHW]

It was a joke. Sheesh! :)

[Louis Kuhelj]

Melinda, only now are you learning the perils of gaining a moral education from television shows?

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. In a country where in business "the numbers tell the whole story" ideology that defines successful businessmen ignores its similarity of calling someone who paints by numbers a true artist, or where the only one that is listened to is a salesman even if what is talked about has nothing to do with sales, should take such a long time to learn simple truths.

Here's something new for you to chew on. How is success gospel superior to prosperity gospel? Well, since I am not a salesman...I guess my question doesn't count.

[Louis Kuhelj]

Chris.

" (definitely not my freedom since I'm Canadian)"

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you gain your freedom.

I don't have a problem with United States fighting to free women from hiding their husband battered faces under the burkas. The trouble I have is after watching the PBS show that showed footage of operations on the part of Taliban against the Americans and how inept they were in carrying them out, I cannot understand why it is taking so long to win the war against terror. I could train twenty old ladies to do it in less time and far less bloodshed.

[steve]

i don't think there were ever concerned with morality, just ratings.

[Chris]

"Louis Kuhelj", the only freedom I need (besides sin) is freedom from humanists. I suppose there could be a military solution to that...

So you think it's OK to invade a country to "liberate" women?

Let's get one thing clear, "liberating" women is not a good excuse for invading a country.

"liberating" women is not an adequate excuse for liberating thousands of people of their lives.

The US didn't spend hundreds of billions of dollars, destroy worldwide goodwill towards Americans after 9/11, kill and maim thousands of American soldiers, kill tens of thousands of Afghans to... liberate women.

On the other hand, I don't mind the world being alleviated of the predominantly homosexual Pashtun culture.

[Louis Kuhelj]

""liberating" women is not an adequate excuse for liberating thousands of people of their lives."

It is also not required to have thousands of people die if you do it right. The problem is America has not produced soldiers since WWII. It produces salesman. Think about it for a second. From cradle you are inundated with commercialism. Sales pitches blare at you from your television, your radios, billboards and the pages of your newspapers and web pages. You, along with everyone in the country, have been brainwashed to respond to nothing but a sales pitch. It is a primes of this website to sell you something...even if it is a sales pitch that hawks reason. If you go to a job interview, you are not tested for the job you are applying for, but tested on your ability to sell yourself. Is it any wonder that when you send an army of salesmen to Afghanistan to do what only qualified soldiers can do that you end up in the quagmire of killing for ten years? Everyone that promotes commercialism as a social ideal partakes in aiding and abetting the death of both military and civilians. It is because my country did not have a society with this kind of crippling handicap, that they were able to win an unwinable war in 10 days against all odds and with under 200 casualties. I've seen the incompetence of the Muslim side. Based on that, America has only one admission to make...incompetence.

[Louis Kuhelj]

Chris
Just as an addendum, I would like to point out that America has decided on a sales campaign of winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan population instead of a military campaign which would have won their hearts and minds through a decisive victory against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. This places the final nail in the coffin of my argument that the American government has sent an army of salesman instead of soldiers to do the job. Ten years of failure because we have learned nothing.