24: Day 8 - New York Gets Jacked

This Sunday a new day in the life of Jack Bauer begins as 24: Day 8 premieres this Sunday on FOX. The Blot’s been following Jack’s exploits since Day 1, episode 1 first aired way back in 2001, and it’s definitely one of the most up and downs shows on television. To be honest, without a DVR I probably would have stopped watching 24 a few seasons ago. I typically fast forward through the slow parts and/or the filler scenes featuring characters I don’t really care about. Day 7 got so bad I stopped watching it for about 6 months and only just finished the season last week, but I’m glad I did because the 2nd half of the season was actually pretty riveting.


So at this point you may be asking why am I hyping up 24: Day 8 if the series looks to be on its last legs? Well, I’ve got three main reasons why I think 24 is due for a resurgence:

1. Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff joins the cast of 24. Katee, even as just a guest star, is pretty much amazing in every show she’s ever been on. Take for instance NBC’s putrid Bionic Woman. Even on a show that bad, Katee’s evil Sarah Corvus was fun to watch!


2. 24 Season 8 relocates to New York City. After 7 seasons stuck in Los Angeles (I’m choosing to ignore the horrible television movie 24: Redemption which took place in the African country Sangala), Jack finally gets save the world in a new local. NYC has it all, making it a tad bit more believable that Jack can get from one location to the next within the show’s convoluted time constraints.


3. This might be 24’s last season. If this is truly star Kiefer Sutherland’s final season portraying everyone’s favorite CTU agent then maybe, just maybe, this season will carry a little more gravitas than usual. Who knows, Jack might actually perish when all is said and done!

Along with Sutherland, 24 Season Eight also sees the return of fan favorites Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O’Brian, Cherry Jones as President Allison Taylor and Annie Wersching as Agent Renee Walker. The Blot hopes that Glenn Morshower’s Special Agent Aaron Pierce will also make an appearance this season. He is currently the only character, other than Jack Bauer, to appear in all 7 seasons of 24. And what came as a shock to many, Freddie Prinze Jr. joins the cast of 24 this season as CTU agent Cole Ortiz, an ex-Marine who wants to follow in Bauer's footsteps.


24: Day 8’s 2-night 4-hour season premiere begins this Sunday, January 17th at 9/8c. 24 will then air regularly after that on Mondays at 9/8c on FOX.

Star Wars x adidas Originals Clothing Line and Sneakers

Everyone and their mother is freaking out about today’s release of the new Star Wars x adidas Origianls line of clothing and sneakers. While The Blot is not a huge shell toe sneaker kind of a guy, I can definitely get behind this adidas Originals x Star Wars collaboration way more than the previously released Mark Ekco line of Star Wars clothing. ADIDAS new chain of Originals stores are amazing and always have the best retro gear. Sadly there isn’t one in Houston, but when I’m out of town I always try to hit one up.



This stellar collection fuses iconic Star Wars characters and scenes with classic adidas Originals footwear and apparel silhouettes. Inspired by the galactic saga, the Star Wars collection consists of limited edition as well as mass distribution footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and kids. Classic adidas Originals track tops, and several legendary sneaker styles are represented with characters and scenes from the epic saga in reinterpreted versions.



The collection for the first season is split into three packs -- The Characters Pack, the Vehicles Pack and the Direct Pack. The products in each pack take inspiration from the respective aspect of the Star Wars lexicon from legendary characters and crafts to classic scenes and fuse them with iconic adidas Originals silhouettes. The pieces will begin to hit all adidas Originals stores and other select retailers in January 2010.



The Characters Pack takes the most iconic moments and characters from the Star Wars saga and brings them to life across five sneakers, two short sleeve T-shirts and the Superstar Track Top. The Vehicles Pack takes inspiration from the well known vehicles and crafts from the Star Wars saga and translates them to our five most iconic adidas Originals sneakers and two key adidas Originals apparel models. And lastly, the Direct Pack features Darth Vader, the Stormtroopers as well as the Women's Game Mid silhouette that is inspired by Princess Leia, featuring gold detailing paired with a modern high-top silhouette with matching apparel.



The limited edition sneakers are going to be impossible to find and probably already sold out around the world. I’m currently on the hunt for a pair of either the Slave Leia sneakers or Yoda sneakers in size 14 or 15, but I’ve got a feeling my search is going to be pretty unsuccessful. What’s really cool about the limited edition Star Wars x adidas Original sneakers is that they come packaged in full color blister cards just like Star Wars action figures. How cool is that!



The mass produced (and reasonably priced) Star Wars x adidas Originals clothing line and sneakers can be purchased directly from ADIDAS here. For those of you looking for the hard to find stuff, May The Force Be With You!

The Human Target Series Premiere and Television Posters

This Sunday, January 17th, is the preview event of FOX’s latest action spy thriller The Human Target, a show based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The Blot is typically pretty excited about movies and television shows based on comic book characters, even those universally panned by critics. But for some reason I just can’t get excited about The Human Target after seeing numerous ads and promo clips. Which is weird because as a kid I used to love it when characters like Sarge Steel, King Faraday and Christopher Chance (a.k.a. The Human Target) would show up in a DC comic book, especially back in the 80’s when the DC Universe was populated primarily with super powered heroes and villains.


What’s even worse is the show actually has a stellar cast that includes Mark Valley, Chi McBride and the amazingly talented Jackie Earle Haley. The inclusion of Haley and McBride as principal cast members means I’ll be giving The Human Target at least a two episode trial run, but I’m definitely giving this one a short leash. I do like the pairing of The Human Target with FOX’s other action show 24 this Sunday, it’s just too bad FOX isn’t pairing the two shows together for the rest of the season. Regardless, as a comic book fan I almost feel obligated to tune in this Sunday for the series premiere of The Human Target, and if you’re reading this, you probably do too. Here’s hoping it’s worth our time!


For those of you not familiar with the DC Comics/Vertigo character Christopher Chance, here’s the show’s official description: “It takes a brave, selfless man to make himself a "human target" in order to save the lives of those in danger. Based on the popular DC Comics comic book and graphic novel, The Human Target is a full-throttle action drama centered on Christopher Chance (Mark Valley), a unique private contractor / security expert / bodyguard hired to protect. Call him what you like, because for Chance, it's about one thing only: saving his clients' lives. When there is an unusual or imminent threat that can't be solved through "normal" means of protection, Chance is hired to completely integrate himself into his clients' lives - to become the human target. During each job, Chance, assisted by his business partner Winston (Chi McBride) and hired gun Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley), puts himself directly in the line of fire as he races against time to save his client.”

The Human Target series premiere is Sunday, January 17th at 8/7c on FOX. The show then premieres in its regular timeslot on January 20th, airing Wednesdays on FOX from then on out.