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16 Comments
Comments ClosedSharanRJ
February 28, 2017 at 4:04 amKevin
February 28, 2017 at 10:12 amAcer4666
February 28, 2017 at 2:29 pmGus
March 1, 2017 at 11:25 amI went back and watched season 7 , to refresh my memory with Tony’s story .
I forgot to what extent he went crazy !
Tony in season 7 became an absolute terrorist and murderer , all for avenging his wife’s death .
Tony not only went rogue but a total nutcase and traitor .
After watching season 7 there is no possible way that they can redeem his character even if he helps save lives.
He killed innocent civilians , killed federal agents , betrayed Chloe, Bill , and Jack , and was ready to kill Jack!
But it will be interesting to see if the government will pardon his past crimes if he helps CTU .
WouldntYouLikeToKnow
March 1, 2017 at 4:38 pmBrad
March 1, 2017 at 5:07 pm24 Spoilers
March 1, 2017 at 8:45 pmAnd it actually detonated too if I remember correctly, so it’s not like it was just a bluff. The only thing that prevented tons of civilian deaths was the kid running it out of the subway and Jack throwing it into an enclosed van last second. Tony also planned to use Jack as a bomb to blow up Wilson. Probably more things I’m forgetting…
i wasn’t a fan of that arc. The writers made Tony evil then tried to justify his actions with the last-second “revenge for Michelle and unborn son” angle. I can see why some feel Tony’s character is beyond redemption. Me personally, I just try to forget that stuff happened. I hope it’s swept under the rug when Tony returns.
Brad
March 1, 2017 at 9:06 pmJack never went as far as Tony, who always let his emotions get the better of him. Remember when he tried to rescue Michelle from Saunders at the possible expense of millions of lives?
I’m not saying Tony’s actions were justified. They weren’t. But it’s patently absurd to call him ‘evil’. He never was. He’s a deeply complicated and conflicted individual who, like Jack, might be irreparably damaged as a result of what they have lost.
Both Jack and Tony have been leading mirroring journeys since at least the third season. That’s what make them more interesting.
24 Spoilers
March 1, 2017 at 10:24 pmThe big difference for me is that Tony planned out some really elaborate scheme over a number of years. It wasn’t some illogical hotheaded ‘in-the-moment’ type thing. He planned to sacrifice thousands of innocent lives just to get revenge on someone, which is not really much different than any of the terrorists on this show. Abu Fayed wanted revenge for his dead brother, Margot Al-Harazi wanted revenge for her dead husband, etc etc. So I feel like the “evil” descriptor fits in this particular scenario.
And just to be clear I love Tony (and am hyped for his return) and loved Season 7 overall – just wasn’t a fan of that final arc.
JD
March 2, 2017 at 9:58 amBrad
March 1, 2017 at 5:08 pmAlso, do you think Jack is unforgivable for nearly assassinating the Russian head of state on foreign soil and causing a third world war that would have caused the death of untold innocent lives?
JD
March 2, 2017 at 10:00 amWhile Jack’s actions in Season 8 aren’t remotely as bad as Tony’s Jack DID slaughter people and some of them were potentially just innocent men doing their job.
JD
March 2, 2017 at 9:57 amAnd I hate the way he was depicted: as soon as he was “revealed” to be evil all along, his character morphed into that one-dimensional 24 villain personality that Nina, Mandy, Saunders, etc all possessed. He was no longer Tony at that point.
That “I did it to avenge Michelle” bit just didn’t do it for me. He smothered Larry and SHOT two FBI agents to death in cold blood. He killed more by blowing a building up. He allowed a bio-weapon onto a subway, not caring at all for the consequences and he never showed a TINGE of remorse while doing ANY of it.
I don’t know WHAT the creators were thinking but they truly $hat the bed with that one.
Funny enough, he felt like the real Tony again in 24: Solitary but their explanation still felt weak: Tony: “My desire for revenge….CONSUMED me…” ya think?! Really? That’s it?
I want Tony to be redeemed in this new season but I’m unsure if they can. They would have to show him breaking down in tears over remorse (like they did with Jack when he confessed to killing the Russions to Audrey in LAD) and have him outright sacrifice himself to stop the threat. I can’t think of any other way to redeem him. Oh–and saving Jack from Russia. That would go a long way toward redeeming him. There WILL be a 12 hour time jump this season afterall…
Brad
March 2, 2017 at 6:21 pmIn the pilot, Jack has a conversation with Nina about compromise. He warns against its corruptive influence, arguing that a single moment of compromise can set a dangerous precedent that makes it easier to compromise in the future until it becomes an acceptable mode of conduct.
This is the thematic idea that unifies the series. Jack reiterates it again when he last speaks to Renee at the end of season 7: “It always starts off with a small step and before you know it you’re running as fast as you can in the wrong direction just to justify why you started in the first place”. Which telegraphs his own fall from grace at the end of season 8.
My point is, Tony was one of many characters in the series who compromised and then continued to compromise to achieve a selfish and/or expedient outcome. What Tony did was unforgivable. But thay is what makes him interesting as a mirror to Jack. This is what makes him the second most important character in the mythos of the show.
It was a master stroke.
Brad
March 2, 2017 at 6:26 pmI think you’re viewing Tony too much as a living person rather than a fictional character who is designed to facilitate the communication of ideas and themes from writer to audience. You need to disconnect from the show a bit more, I think, and stop looking at it as a secondary world.
Justin
March 6, 2017 at 11:58 am