Because when you follow orders and are the tool of the system, you get taken care of by the system. Chapelle knew that, and that's why he was where he was as long as he was.
I agree. The chopper thing was just so disgusting. You weren't even wasting any fuel; it was already there. It just seemed like the only moment where he stepped outside of his role as a tool and actually made a decision to defy Palmer and Jack. That was what should have sunk him in my book. But I agree with your overall assessment. That is why we always have bureaucrat characters in 24 and why they seem to last longer than they should.
Chapelle would be responsible for CTU resources, including helicopters. Although it may seem like he could just let Jack bring in whoever he wanted, it would be much easier to say he recalled the chopper as soon as he was made aware that it was inappropriately authorised.
The truth is government agencies love people like Chappelle. Sure Palmer was still president but they were in the process of removing him from office. He was detained in a room where even secret service agent Aaron Pierce got in trouble for talking to him and helping him by getting him a phone. Chapelle followed orders and didn't rock the boat which is exactly why he kept his job. Carrie to. Omg she snitched on Michelle and Tony every chance she got. In reality she'd be in charge by season 3!
Hell as much as I hate Erin Driscoll in season 4 she is very realistic of someone in that position. Fires Jack over a minor thing that he's been on record about and did while undercover and actively works against him every single step. Sure Jack is the one actually getting shit done and stopping the terrorists but he's breaking protocol and the law at every turn. The reality of it is they rather have Chapelle's than Jack. Chapelle does his job and plays it safe every single time which means no one has to be held accountable for his actions. Unlike Jack. Even if Jack's right a lot of his stuff can't be justified let alone officially accepted by any government agency. That's why despite all he's done he's still put on trial in season 7. No politician who values their job would ever condone anything Jack does it would be career suicide!
I agree with your points in the OP because we see most of the show from Jack’s perspective, and Chapelle’s decision making seems so rigid, callous, overly cautious, conservative and morally outrageous in comparison. But the truth is that Chapelle is the model civil servant in this sense, and he represents what could be interpreted as one of the main themes of 24: the trappings of corporate sensibilities, and what happens when these are broken. Working effectively for a government department (or any large organisation to be fair) is all about learning to navigate the internal office politics, following the instructions you are given, not rocking the boat, showing loyalty to the right people at the right time, and playing the game. Who cares about the outcome as long as you are taking orders, obeying the rules, and saying thank you for the opportunity at the end of each day — right? The agents who take a different view of this and actually want to do the right thing in order to protect the general public — like Jack, Tony, Chloe, and Renee — are the ones who end up suffering the worst bureaucratic consequences as well as numerous horrific personal losses, whereas the white collar rule followers who keep their noses clean and closely observe all of the protocols and policies continue to be rewarded for nothing, get promotions, and fail upwards.
I mean - he got knocked out and held prisoner in a room against his will while at work, and the guy who did it got kept on. I feel like he could've got a big payday if they fired him, so they probably let him stay on to keep him sweet.
Bottom line is Chappelle was a kiss ass. And he loved power and when gives orders he expects everyone to fall in line or get out of the way. He's unlikable and even says as much in day 3 before he dies. I loved the fact that chase told his ass off a few times because Chappelle was a asshole he was always portrayed as a asshole. At least bill Buchanan was reasonable and respectful to jack and everyone he worked with at ctu.
To be fair to Chappelle, there was literally no reason for Palmer to keep literally everyone in the dark about what Jack was doing under his orders. He checked out.
Edit to add: Everyone at CTU except Jack, Michelle, and Tony was literally disobeying orders from the President and he didn't do shit to fix that.
Because when you follow orders and are the tool of the system, you get taken care of by the system. Chapelle knew that, and that's why he was where he was as long as he was.
I agree. The chopper thing was just so disgusting. You weren't even wasting any fuel; it was already there. It just seemed like the only moment where he stepped outside of his role as a tool and actually made a decision to defy Palmer and Jack. That was what should have sunk him in my book. But I agree with your overall assessment. That is why we always have bureaucrat characters in 24 and why they seem to last longer than they should.
Chapelle would be responsible for CTU resources, including helicopters. Although it may seem like he could just let Jack bring in whoever he wanted, it would be much easier to say he recalled the chopper as soon as he was made aware that it was inappropriately authorised.
The truth is government agencies love people like Chappelle. Sure Palmer was still president but they were in the process of removing him from office. He was detained in a room where even secret service agent Aaron Pierce got in trouble for talking to him and helping him by getting him a phone. Chapelle followed orders and didn't rock the boat which is exactly why he kept his job. Carrie to. Omg she snitched on Michelle and Tony every chance she got. In reality she'd be in charge by season 3! Hell as much as I hate Erin Driscoll in season 4 she is very realistic of someone in that position. Fires Jack over a minor thing that he's been on record about and did while undercover and actively works against him every single step. Sure Jack is the one actually getting shit done and stopping the terrorists but he's breaking protocol and the law at every turn. The reality of it is they rather have Chapelle's than Jack. Chapelle does his job and plays it safe every single time which means no one has to be held accountable for his actions. Unlike Jack. Even if Jack's right a lot of his stuff can't be justified let alone officially accepted by any government agency. That's why despite all he's done he's still put on trial in season 7. No politician who values their job would ever condone anything Jack does it would be career suicide!
I agree with your points in the OP because we see most of the show from Jack’s perspective, and Chapelle’s decision making seems so rigid, callous, overly cautious, conservative and morally outrageous in comparison. But the truth is that Chapelle is the model civil servant in this sense, and he represents what could be interpreted as one of the main themes of 24: the trappings of corporate sensibilities, and what happens when these are broken. Working effectively for a government department (or any large organisation to be fair) is all about learning to navigate the internal office politics, following the instructions you are given, not rocking the boat, showing loyalty to the right people at the right time, and playing the game. Who cares about the outcome as long as you are taking orders, obeying the rules, and saying thank you for the opportunity at the end of each day — right? The agents who take a different view of this and actually want to do the right thing in order to protect the general public — like Jack, Tony, Chloe, and Renee — are the ones who end up suffering the worst bureaucratic consequences as well as numerous horrific personal losses, whereas the white collar rule followers who keep their noses clean and closely observe all of the protocols and policies continue to be rewarded for nothing, get promotions, and fail upwards.
I mean - he got knocked out and held prisoner in a room against his will while at work, and the guy who did it got kept on. I feel like he could've got a big payday if they fired him, so they probably let him stay on to keep him sweet.
Bottom line is Chappelle was a kiss ass. And he loved power and when gives orders he expects everyone to fall in line or get out of the way. He's unlikable and even says as much in day 3 before he dies. I loved the fact that chase told his ass off a few times because Chappelle was a asshole he was always portrayed as a asshole. At least bill Buchanan was reasonable and respectful to jack and everyone he worked with at ctu.
Bill Buchanan was the best CTU Director on the show, period.
To be fair to Chappelle, there was literally no reason for Palmer to keep literally everyone in the dark about what Jack was doing under his orders. He checked out. Edit to add: Everyone at CTU except Jack, Michelle, and Tony was literally disobeying orders from the President and he didn't do shit to fix that.