Silent clock
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Silent clock refers to an event on the television show 24.
As a part of the show's "real-time" format, a digital clock in yellow typeface is displayed at the beginning and ends of each commercial break as well as at the end of each episode, in order to keep the viewer informed of the current time within the 24 universe. The clock is normally accompanied by a distinct "tick-tock" sound that resembles a heartbeat. The Silent Clock refers to those instances where the normal "tick-tock" sound is omitted.
It was originally designed to conclude a season, but the concept changed after George Mason left CTU for the last time.
[edit] Explanation
The Silent Clock occurs following an emotional event in the series, as the normal "tick-tock" proves to be intrusive to the emotional shock of the viewer after some tragic event has concluded the episode. Over the course of the series, it became a way to honor the deaths (typically) of significant characters. To many fans, it is considered the highest honor a character can receive from the show upon dying, and has thus only been used five times among the countless times the clock has been seen and the various characters that have died.
Around four or five times an episode, a clock appears in the middle of a split-screen shot to mark the resumption of the program from a commercial break. Also, a small clock appears at the bottom of the screen several times per episode. This is typically silent, but does not qualify as an official silent clock event, as it is considered to be either a marker for important events or more simply a method of keeping track of time for the audience (as the show is broadcast in real-time).
[edit] Past Silent Clocks
Day 1:
- At 11:59 p.m., a Silent Clock marked the death of Teri Bauer and the final seconds of the show's first season.
Day 2:
- George Mason: At 9:35:56 p.m., a Silent Clock was displayed after Mason's final departure from CTU. Although he had not yet died from the effects of radiation poisoning, the clock foreshadowed the inevitable. He would later die to save Los Angeles from the nuclear bomb.
- In the final hour of Day 2, when an attempted assassination took place on President David Palmer, the episode and the season ended without ticking, but with Palmer gasping for breath. It is disputed whether this counts as a Silent Clock (especially since the virus was not actually lethal to him).
Day 3:
- At 6:59 a.m., Jack Bauer was forced to kill Ryan Chappelle. A Silent Clock honoured his death. The "tick tock" sound was replaced by the sound of a train in the background.
Day 5:
- Edgar Stiles, while looking for a missing CTU agent before the terrorist's gas attack on CTU itself, was unable to get to a secure area before he succumbed to the effects of the nerve gas released in the building. As a horrified Chloe O'Brian tearfully looked on, Edgar fell, and his death at 6:59 p.m. was the fifth to be given a Silent Clock.
[edit] Controversy
In the March 13th, 2006 episode, Tony Almeida was killed by Christopher Henderson at the end of the hour. It was not immediately clear whether Tony was dead or barely alive at the end of the hour, and the episode ended with a standard ticking clock. This led many to believe that Tony was still alive, assuming that the writers of 24 would have honored Tony's death with a Silent Clock. The official 24 website confirmed the following morning that Tony was indeed dead. Many fans expressed outrage that Tony was not honored with a Silent Clock while Edgar Stiles, a far less significant (or at the least, a shorter-existing) character, had been honored the previous week. Other fans found no fault in Tony's death not receiving a Silent Clock, citing that it did not fit the tone of his death scene and pointing out that David Palmer and Michelle Dessler did not receive silent clocks either. These fans believe that the silent clock at the death of Edgar Stiles, was much more fitting as 55 other CTU personnel were killed in the Nerve Gas attack, which was witnessed by many of the other remaining characters, whereas the death of Tony Almeida was only witnessed by Jack.
This has led to theories that, in addition to the alleged homage to fallen characters, the Silent Clock is used for underlining dramatic effect only as the scene permits. Tony's death was such an abrupt, tense, and violent one that using the Silent Clock would have neutralized the intensity (or "punch") of the scene, as was the case of Dessler and Palmer. It should be noted, however, that both Palmer's and Dessler's deaths were in the first 15 minutes of the season 5 premiere, and most other silent clocks have been at the end of an episode (George Mason's was not). However, fans continue to point out that a Silent Clock has always provided further intensity in the past, thus making the entire subject forever debatable.
Many fans have also argued that an increased showing of the Silent Clock would make its effects wither, but once again, many claim that "six" Silent Clocks (Every Clock ever given plus one had Tony ever received one) would hardly seem frequent in a total of (as of now) 120 hours.
Recently Howard Gordon provided an interview with TVWeek.com on his views about Tony's death, claiming he agreed with many of the fans' opinions. [1]
| 24 | |
|---|---|
| Seasons: | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 |
| Merchandise: | The Game | The Soundtrack | Conspiracy |
| Organizations: | Counter Terrorist Unit | Operation Nightfall | Second Wave |
| Characters: | Jack Bauer | Tony Almeida | David Palmer | Chloe O'Brian Michelle Dessler | Teri Bauer | Kim Bauer | Bill Buchanan Nina Myers | Charles Logan | Wayne Palmer | Audrey Raines Minor characters |
