TV Blog:

24: Redemption = Fail; Kiefer Sutherland = Win

November 26, 2008

Last Sunday’s 24 special was bad, but I had not expected anything good, so I was not too disappointed. Even Robert Carlyle (nice to see him working with Kiefer Sutherland again after To End All Wars) could not save it, though he turned in a good performance, as he always does. Kiefer Sutherland is an excellent actor and did the best with what he had, but at this point all Jack Bauer gets to do is kill bad guys while looking grim and steely or look wistful and forlorn while gritting his steely jaw to keep back manly tears. Maybe they could mix it up a bit, have him kill someone with his manly tears — we’ve already seen him rip a terrorist’s throat out with his manly jaw, so anything’s possible.

On the plus side, this means Kiefer will be doing more interviews, which is always a good thing. I really enjoy watching/reading/listening to his interviews; he has a modest, gentle way of speaking that’s charming to observe. After all the idiot actors who just hop onstage and babble, it’s a pleasant relief to listen to an actor who actually has some interesting thoughts to share. Combine that with Charlie Rose as the interviewer, and you’ve got a perfect storm. Here are some clips of Charlie Rose interviewing Kiefer Sutherland. (Wait for the bit at the end where he talks about his stint in jail; it’s worth the wait.)