The plot thickens... like mud

I've been watching 24 for 3 years now (through one absurd plot point after another, but nevermind) - the pacing is what I like better than the stories. Sometimes though, the absurdity of a situation just jumps out and bites me. A couple of examples come to mind from the ast two episodes:

• Jack has to keep the suspect (Kalil) from leaving the gas station long enough to get satellite coverage. He decides to fake a holdup.

Ummm - how about slashing the tires of his car? Or perhaps walking into the store and just being a jerk, forcing the clerk to pay attention to him? That one passed quickly, but the next one was a whopper. The terrorists are using the internet to broadcast a show trial, and the rescue forces are 20 minutes out - so they decide to bomb the place. Ummm - did anyone think to call the power company and just cut the power to the site? They knew where it was - a local blackout would have been easy.

It's things like this that jar you out of the plot and into "wtf??" mode during it. "Enterprise" does that all the time - and 24 is getting worse about it. At least there's Sci-Friday on Sci-Fi channel :)