24's Man of Honor

I came late to the series 24. I missed the first season, although I have since purchased the DVD to catch up. Talk about yer adrenelin rush, although there are times when the plot goes beyond my capacity to suspend my disbelief. Nevertheless, I enjoy it, and I especially enjoy Kiefer Sutherland's voice. Mmmm...raspy.

But there's one character who I, and many others, have come to care about deeply, and that's the Secret Service guy, Aaron (wonderfully played by Glen Morshower). I believe he's one of the few cast members to be in every season, although I'm pretty sure he didn't actually have a line in the first. This season was his "break out," due in no small part to the relationship he had with the First Lady (also wonderfully played by Jean Smart). Oh, man oh man! You knew he cared about her; you knew she cared about him, and yet, they never said much beyond the "general" and there was but perhaps one small touch of their hands. Yet it was obvious they cared deeply about each other. Indeed, I think their relationship came across much more powerfully than Jack and Audrey's; I know I certainly cared about it more.

Nevertheless, I was glad Aaron and FL didn't actually kiss. That might seem strange coming from a romance writer, but it makes perfect character sense to me. Aaron is too honorable to kiss/express his love for a married woman, even if her husband's a despicable criminal.

Aaron's all about integrity and honor, and he certainly has the strength of his convictions. You know that for him, duty and honor aren't just abstract terms, but absolute codes of conduct. Chivalry, in its best form, is not dead; it's alive and well in Aaron. To have such a man's respect is no small thing, and to lose it....well, Aaron calling the president by his given name may just be one of the greatest "disses" in TV history. Take note, all those who think you need a string of obscene epithets to make your point.

I also note that the First Lady, who was set up as mentally incompetent, came to Aaron's rescue. Go, FLOTUS!

That relationship was also appealing because neither the First Lady nor Aaron are young, nor is Aaron what you'd call a hunk, yet the sparks were certainly flying. And it was also easy to believe that if they could have a relationship, their devotion to each other would be deep, and far more than physical desire. That's the kind of relationship I try to create between the hero and heroine in my books.

Aaron and the FL demonstrate the power of well-written secondary characters. Their story could also, though, be a cautionary tale showing how secondary characters can take over a story line -- not that I'm complaining! I would love to learn, in the next season, that Aaron and the First Lady are together.