I know it’s been quite a while since I last posted, but I’ve been juggling quite a few things around. Work, church, Christmas shopping, and baby stuff have really been putting a kink in my blogging discipline. But honestly, I have to put the majority of the blame on Jack Bauer. If you don’t know who Jack is, you need to go out to Blockbuster and rent the first season of 24. It’s pretty much the best action/drama television series ever created. I own every season on dvd and Tuesday the most recent season was finally released. In reverent preparation for this, Katy and I have re-watched the first three seasons, 72 episodes. This activity has pretty much consumed all of my free time and now, we are finally in the midst of season 4.
The problem with 24 is the fact that it is a highly suspenseful, highly addictive show. Nearly every episode has a cliffhanger ending, therefore tempting you to watch the next episode. The result is some sort of a Bauer-binge, causing you to forget everything you need to do for the day and instead, count the minutes until your spouse gets home from work and you can start watching again. This also causes a complete lack of energy for making dinner due to the time it subtracts from your “Bauer hours”, so you are inclined to eat cereal, peanut butter sandwiches, and frozen pizza in order to optimize the time you have.
24 also does something to the psyche. The nature of the show’s plot somehow hightens one’s awareness of their surroundings. Suspicious people, cars following you……these are all more obvious when you have been watching 24.
That being said, 24 is an amazing show. I can’t wait until Katy and I can watch some more tomorrow, but it’s also sad knowing that the more I watch, the sooner the binge will end and I will be forced to go back and watch regularly scheduled programming. There is some good news though: The 5th season of 24 is launching in January on Fox. Thanks to my DVR, I don’t have to run the tragic risk of forgetting or missing an episode this season, but this inevitably leads to a troubling question: If I watch every episode of this coming season, will I be as inclined to purchase it on dvd next fall? Part of the greatness of the Bauer Binge is the unpredictability of the show. You see, in every previous season, I have inevitably missed a show when it aired, and this is something that can’t be corrected. If you miss a show, it’s over. Forget it. You have to just hate yourself for the sin you just commited and patiently wait until the dvd release. Though I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching the past seasons these few weeks, it wasn’t anything like watching for the first time. Another question: will I be able to handle going seven days between episodes if I watch the new season as it airs? Will the anxiety affect my work? Will productivity be damaged because of wandering daydreams about what will happen on next week’s show? I know you Lost fans out there think you know what I’m talking about, but you need to know that it is worse on 24. Why? Because on Lost, we’re just dealing with some folks on a spooky island. On 24 we are dealing with national security and terrorists. Sorry….no contest.
So the question is, do I watch the next season as it airs and suffer 6 out of 7 days a week and have a less than perfect Jack-attack next December, or should I diligently deprive myself of the show for another year and enjoy the full glory when it arrives on dvd?
Sure, there are other issues in life—my wife is pregnant, I’m starting a business, and church stuff is going great…..but the issue at the forefront of my mind is when I will get to watch 24. Life is full of challenges, and God-willing, I will overcome this one with careful prayer and wisdom.
24 to me is like a crack rock for a druggie. We knocked out the first 3 seasons in one month this summer. I know what you mean about how your entire life shuts down for the sake of Jack Bauer.
I still haven’t seen season 4, I guess I better rent it because like you, we will be DVRing every episode come January. Maybe I’ll stock them in sets of 4 and go about it that way? A week between each episode seems unbearable.
A question for you Chris. Some of my family asked if we wanted all 3 seasons of 24 for Christmas, but we declined because it’s only good the first time. What is it like to watch 24 the second or third time through?
Hey, I live in Plano and I Googled Michael Armstrong because he is a freind of mine and I wanted to see if his new CD was on his website yet. Long story short, I found this blog of yours and I wondered if you do still go to DBC or if you have found another one her in Plano that equals the greatness that is DBC.
Hit me up on the email sometime and congrats on the baby! Very cool.
Shawn, 24 is still pretty dang good on the second and third time around. There were several plot twists that we forgot about and though we knew the major events, we had fun remembering what happened. I think what made it better than worse was the fact that we’ve only watched 24 once a year, so your memory gets fuzzy. It probably wouldn’t be that awesome if you watched the dvds all the time. But I would definately reccomend aquiring the dvds even though you’ve seen them. For me, it’s more about prosperity and having an amazing show for the annuls of time. This ain’t the kinda show that will work with reruns after the show goes off the air because you wouldn’t be able to keep on track. Not to mention the “commercial free” format is great for a show like this.
Eddo, that crazy Google can really make the world small. No, we don’t go to DBC, for a few reasons: we tend to be passionate about church planting, etc., so DBC is a little big for us, though I would love to get Tommy every week (thank goodness for dbcmedia.org). I’m also a friend and big fan of Armstrong, who is probably the most influential person in my philosophy and practice as a worship leader, so I was glad to find him at Providence Church (www.insideprovidence.com). Providence is a new church up in Little Elm that started about 6 months ago and God’s doing some amazing things there. The pastor is Barry Keldie and he’s bad-to-the-bone with Bible and gospel in his preaching. I wouldn’t prop him above Tommy, but he’s definately in that mold theologiically and biblically. He knows his stuff and doesn’t tiptoe around issues. Providence is something that I thought didn’t exist: a missional, emerging church with a conservative theology. My wife and I are loving it there and we see ourselves being there for a long time. Mike’s new cd is great and if you ever visit Prov, you can pick up a copy there. otherwise, i’m trying to get it on iTunes for him asap, so keep an eye out. Thanks for the comment!
I was hoping for another sonogram picture…and all I see is 24! Where are your blogging priorities? :0]