What is the most innovative show in the last 10 years? Without a doubt, I’d say 24. With intricate plotlines and enough dramatic tension to burst a blood vessel, 24 is must-see TV.
But it is also highly complex and if you miss one episode, you’re pretty much screwed for the rest of the series. So, what to do if you’ve missed some or all of Series 2 of 24? Buy the box set on DVD of course!
>> SYNOPSIS << Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is a former federal agent, who used to head up the Counter Terrorist Unit. His family life is in tatters. Series 2 begins with Bauer still mourning his wife, who was murdered at the end of Series 1 by his former mistress/colleague, Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke). To make things worse, Bauer’s daughter, Kim (Elisha Cuthbert), is no longer speaking to him.
But his life is about to get a whole lot more complicated. President Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) is informed that a nuclear device is set to explode somewhere in Los Angeles within the next 24 hours. The only person who the President trusts to save LA is of course Jack Bauer, who is enticed back from retirement to help save the day!
>> 24: A FRESH IDEA IN TELEVISION << 24 takes place over 24 hours, from 8am through to 8am the next day. Each episode is one hour long (or it should be an hour, but the ad breaks mean that if you watch it non-stop, it is only 45 minutes).
There
are three key narratives (Jack Bauer, President Palmer and Kim Bauer). Each strand operates separately, but yet still dovetails. Because everything takes place in real time, we get to see how each strand influences the others. Sometimes the screen separates into different sections and we see the action occurring simultaneously on split screens.
>> WHY I LOVE 24 SERIES 2: THE CHARACTERS << First off, there is Jack Bauer himself. Kiefer Sutherland has been waiting for a long time for a good juicy role to get his teeth into and he finds it in Jack Bauer. Jack is no stereotypical hero and thinks outside the box, making decisions that your typical federal agent wouldn’t think of. But then again, millions of people’s lives depend on Jack’s quick thinking. As Jack’s boss, Mason, says: "What can I say. The guy is a little crazy. That’s why I didn’t want him here in the first place; but he gets results. And we need some pretty big results here, so."
My other favourite male character in Series 2 is George Mason himself (Xander Berkeley) – Head of the Counter Terrorism Unit. In the first series, George Mason was a bit of a jobsworth. But in Series 2, he really came into his own. After accidentally being exposed to nuclear fallout, George was given 24 hours to live. I don’t know much about the effects of nuclear radiation, but it seems to have turned George Mason from a droll character into a wonderfully witty one. For example, when the paramedic tells him that he’ll experience hair loss, he says, “I’m already used to that”. Then he tells him to take his clothes off, to which Mason replies, “not without buying me dinner first”. When Mason finally dies, it really is very moving (keep the tissues at the ready!)
24 has been accused of not have many strong female characters. These critics are probably thinking of the pathetic Kim-bo (more about her later), because Sherri Palmer is a helluva strong woman! Sherri is the former wife of President Palmer and her scheming is a delight to watch. As the Observer put it last weekend, Sherri is the most “deliciously devious villainess since Lady Macbeth”. The character of Sherri is a very complex one and viewers still haven’t yet established who she really is or what her motives really are. Is she a woman scorned? Does she have a Hillary Clintonesque desire to be a better president than her husband ever was? Just when we thought she was one of the ‘uber-baddies’, we next see Sherri at her most vulnerable, even admitting to fear and showing great courage.
>> OTHER REASONS FOR LOVING 24 SERIES 2? << 24 is fast-paced. The clock is ticking all the time and pops up on the screen – a great dramatic tool for turning up the tension levels! So critical is the clock to the essence of the programme that you could argue the clock is in fact the main character.
24 is also not scared to get rid of key characters or use up dramatic plot devices that others would save until the finale. What television programme could detonate a nuclear bomb in the middle of the series, but continue to keep the pace up and even accelerate it?
There are also more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. According to the story editor, Virgil Williams: “Having too many plot twists would be like having too many genes; I don’t know if that’s possible”. Series 2 has a few obvious moments, but mostly it treats the viewer like an adult, making you think and surprising you.
Series 2 also has eerily sinister undertones. On paper, the plot seems a bit unrealistic … ‘dark forces’ in the US government (supported by oil companies) detonating a nuclear bomb in LA with the ultimate purpose of the USA bombing three Middle Eastern companies, thereby pushing up oil prices and enriching themselves further. Doesn’t sound so crazy what with the latest going-ons of the current US administration, does it? Series 2 has taken America’s post-9/11 reality and fictionalised it, but the effect is disturbingly realistic.
>> BUT I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS << (1) How can one girl, Kim, be so disaster-prone? Did you know that Kim has been held captive a total of 8 times? For me, Kim is the weak spot in 24, but I guess she’s kept in for her male fanbase. Why else would she appear in a teeny white vest with erect nipples (when trapped in the nuclear bunker with the ‘survivalist’ Lonnie)?
(2) Where can I get myself one of those mobile phones? 24 hours of talking and still no-one charges their phone? And also no-one eats, drinks, shaves …
(3) Is there a programme with a higher body count than 24? Series 2 had 111 deaths! And why do the computer technicians never survive?
>> PRICE & DETAILS << 24 Season 2 is available now from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on DVD (£49.99). Available from Amazon at: £32.99. Classification: suitable for 15 years and over.
Special features include: - 45 deleted scenes which can be viewed independently with or without commentaries or branched into episodes - Two-part documentary ’24 Exposed’ (96 minutes) - Special feature: ‘On the Button – the Destruction of CTU’ - Episode commentaries from the cast and crew
DVD technical information: - 7 disc set - Language: English - Total running time: 1080 minutes
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: K.C. Bascombe - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jesse James, Rachel Skarsten, Charles Powell, Linda Purl, Kevin Zegars
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Hi there. Really enjoyed your review - especially your point about the clock being the main character. Yes, when it ticks it does add a lot of pressure. I have to say I really love 24. Series 4 is really good. Keep up the good work. Cheers.
noyzboyz 05.12.2004 15:04
Hi, I wanted to give your review a 'very helpful' rating because it is interesting and contains a lot of good information for the would-be purchaser. However I'm afraid I don't agree with including such blatant spoilers in a TV/Movie review. As someone that began to read your review before watching the first episode I was thoroughly pi**ed off that you spoiled the return of Nina Myers for me. I had no idea she was in Season 2. Luckily I stopped reading at that point so you were unable to spoil any more of the great moments of an excellent series for me. Please consider this in future reviews. NB
Fruity_Tart 13.10.2003 11:33
An excellent op. I've not seen too much of 24 but am looking forward to catching it next time it's on tele. Chris x
Jack Bauer is having another one of his "very bad days" in the second series of the ... more
ground-breaking real-time thriller24. Once again the hours are ticking by with more guaranteed cliffhangers than a convention of mountain climbers. Holed up in a Los An...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Jack Bauer is having another one of his "very bad days" in the second series of the ... more
ground-breaking real-time thriller24. Once again the hours are ticking by with more guaranteed cliffhangers than a convention of mountain climbers. Holed up in a Los An...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 2 to 4 weeks...
![24: Complete Season 2 [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78524492.jpg "24: Complete Season 2 [DVD]")
Aug 24th, 2003
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