Did anyone else have dialogue deja vu while watching 24’s season finale last night? After Jack urged Tony not to kill the man who’d ordered the hit on Michelle, Tony showed him a belt of explosives and said, "I’m not going to kill him, Jack. You are." Less than a week earlier on Lost’s season finale, en route to visit the mysterious Jacob, Locke told Ben, "I’m not going to kill Jacob, Ben. You are."
So, the question is begged: Which show used that line/twist more effectively? One could argue that the stakes were higher on 24, as our handcuffed hero was being forced to serve as a suicide bomber. (Tony’s plan failed, of course.) On the other hand, the Lost scenario was more provocative, as we wondered why Locke (or a supernatural version of Locke) was making such a loaded request and whether Ben would actually choose to follow Locke’s instructions (which he did, in that cryptic, eerie scene).
Guess what? I’m not going to decide…. YOU ARE! Cast your vote: Should the Outstanding Use of "I’m Not Going To Kill [Blank]. You Are" Award go to Lost or 24? And have you noticed key dialogue similarities on other shows this season?
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Lost
lost
Lost wins. No contest.
LOST wins it hands-down cuz:
1. LOST wins everything
2. It’s LOST
3. the way the line was used in LOST was a key element of the finale’s plot while in 24 the importance that Jack should kill Wilson (or whatever his name is) only lasted for about 5-10 minutes
lost.
LOST! the reason is, is because the outcome of the line on LOST was so rich in mythology and context of who John Locke is and what he can or can not do. By saying Ben would kill Jacob not only put Ben’s ultimate alliance to the island in question, but by the end of the finale, the line also meant why exactly “Mr. Nameless” aka. new John Locke couldn’t kill Jacob himself.. on 24, it meant jack would kill wilson and the outcome was well.. he didnt kill him!
Lost’s use was better because we had to figure out why Ben had to do the killing.
On 24, it would make sense why Tony wanted Jack to be the bomb. Plus, if I was Tony and I wanted revenge, I would want to do it myself. So, in the end he didn’t want to do the dirty work.
Lost wins every contest.
Have YOU noticed that this blog makes a point to ask us inane and unnecessary questions to inspire readers to post and thus look more popular in the eyes/wallets of its advertisers?
LOST – if for no other reason that Michael Emerson’s silent, award-worthy “WTF???” reaction to the request as Locke strode away.
LOST, hands down. What is “24″ anymore anyway? Talk about two shows in completely different trajectories…
Are we readers of ew.com going to get more features like this now that the big shows are off for the season, leaving nothing to recap? Yikes.
The line was stronger in Lost, hands down.
LOST.
24!
24. Just because no one else has chosen it yet.