28.12.06

Hombre... secreto... This took a bit of time to reach me, & I apologize for it, but Jack Bauer is James Bond. I realized this watching the latest 007 installment, its action harkening, first, to the Miami Vice cinematic-adaptation of earlier this year, then (moreso) to my three seasons of 24 viewing.

From there, I looked for other parallels. Namely, the intials, JB. Also, the names in full. James Bond, with the cold precision and clipped phrasing expected of the stiff-lipped Brits. Jack Bauer, a bit of the rogue and ethnic (German), the rugged frontiersman of the years before 1890. (Thesis Turner lives.)

But apart cosmetic coincidences, we also see in each a disregard for any permanence in their associations with women (namely, lovers), a new Bond Girl for each film, a new partner for Jack in each season. This is not exactly an execreble trait, of course, as it couples with the heroes's disregard for their own physical well-being.

Last, there is the woman behind the hero whom he never courts, nor has killed, & (in each's way) calls the shots when the chips are down: M. & Chloe. (Personally, though, if one of the super-agents were to be amourous with his boss (technically, of course, Jack outranks Chloe), I'd choose Bond to get with M. Oh, Judi Dench. May-December between Craig & Dench, anyone?)

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