Gregory Itzin Won an Emmy for a Reason Folks
When word first got out that Gregory Itzin was returning to 24 I thought to myself, “wait, he lived?” For those who wish to re-live the misery, which was Season 6, Gregory Itzin, or better known as his character alias, Charles Logan, was sliced across the neck by his insane wife Martha (played by Jean Smart). It was later found that Logan survived her attack but we figured that would be the last we saw of him.
Logan’s character in Season 6 seemed to be one full of regret and sorrow, one of which that had pity for itself and wished nothing but to go back and change things. Logan in Season 8 reminds me of the saying, “you can’t teach old dogs new tricks.” Despite going down what seemed a pathway to hell in Season 6, Logan is back to his old antics – to be popular. Think of it as a high school popularity contest – you know how you would do anything to be considered the most popular person, no matter who you bring down, who gets in the way, etc…
And I say this with joy. At first Logan’s return to 24 was a bit weak, seemed like it was just added in for a ratings boost but this past week we recollect back to Season 5 to the season finale Jack vs. Logan standoff, in which Logan used his power to try to convince Jack that no matter what, he (Logan) would come out on top. Jack won (of course), but Logan essentially got a free pass with house arrest and most of the conspiracy never surfaced to the public.
As the weeks have gone by Logan has become more and more like his old-self, doing whatever it takes to be known as a leader, an icon, not an associate of terrorists. But let us remember, Jack never forgets.
If you have not seen this week’s episode (5/17), watch it here!
For continued purposes of this blog, watch this clip from the past episode.
Have we ever seen such a rampage from Jack since the Season 1 finale when he stormed the docks to get his daughter back? Maybe it was the adrenaline at the time, or just the fact that we know 24 is coming to a close next week, but the above scene easily goes down as one of the best scenes in 24′s history.
It also shows why Gregory Itzin won an Emmy for his work in Season 5, and why he should be up for another one this coming awards season. Doubtful he will even receive a nomination but say what you will about your possible distaste of Logan or the return of another (presumed) dead character, but Logan back in the picture has only made this season better.
If you recall back to this blog’s first article, where we ranked 24′s presidents from best to worst, Logan ranked #3, behind only the deceased David Palmer and the current Prez Allison Taylor. The show has done a great job bringing back old characters we loved. Season 7 saw the return of Tony Almeida, and at first impressions a lot of fans (including myself) were wondering just how the hell were the going to pull it off. I thought for sure Season 7 was the end of 24 because the first few trailers for it made me believe it was going to be even worse than Season 6. If anything Season 7 boosted me back into my love of 24, and the return of Tony was a key reason. Sure his backstory to how he didn’t die was a bit whack (Henderson’s men snatched him), but we have seen far more obscure storylines in 24.
To simply recap this week’s episode – it sets up for what is sure to be one hell of a series finale. We can only speculate Jack will survive the day as he as already confirmed a big screen 24 movie, but remember it could always be a prequel to a previous day. Will Jack survive Day 8? We will find out Monday, May 24 at 8PM EST. I will be there, as should you.
It will be tough though, as most of us will be still grieving over the series finale of LOST, which airs Sunday, May 23. What a sad week in TV next week when two of the biggest shows in the past decade come to their close, but at least they are ending on their own terms and not forced off.
