Kiefer Sutherland returns as Jack Bauer in the second instalment of the award winning series by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran. As you can expect it is every bit as eventful as the first and Jack Bauer (and us) are in for another very long day.
STORY
Without giving away the twists and turns that are what make 24 so special, the story goes a little something like this: Jack Bauer and his daughter Kim are struggling to come to terms with the tragic loss of Jack’s wife Kim, who was tragically killed at the end of season one. Meanwhile newly elected President David Palmer is informed of a threat to National Security. There is a nuclear device under terrorist control in the city of Los Angeles and it is going to go off sometime in the next 24 hours. It has to be stopped and there is only one man for the job. You guessed it – Jack Bauer. Almost as a relax from all the drama there is also a sub-plot which shows Kim Bauer’s struggle to save the little girl she has been looking after from a violent, abusive father.
This story is far superior in every way to series one. The effects are better, the acting is better, the script is better. It is a credit to the people behind the show that you could actually sit there and watch it all in one 24-hour period without becoming bored or tired.
MAIN CAST
Kiefer Sutherland Jack Bauer Sarah Wynter Kate Warner Elisha Cuthbert Kim Bauer Xander Berkley George Mason Carlos Bernard Tony Almeida Dennis Haysbert President Palmer Reiko Aylesworth Michelle Dessler Penny J.Gerald Sherry Palmer Sarah Clarke Nina Myers
All the cast give stunning performances in a truly flawless display of acting from beginning to end. Old characters are joined by new ones to add a touch of freshness to the show. It is one thing for a show to look great on paper, but it is through the skills of the directors and the actors that 24 comes to life, and come to life it does. The highlights are Kiefer Sutherland’s performance as a grief and guilt ridden Jack Bauer forced to push his pain to one side so that he can do his job. Sarah Wynter shines as Kate Warner, a woman who just wants to do the right thing. Xander Berkley’s portrayal of a man struggling with the effects of radiation poisoning is touching while it is business as usual for Dennis Haysbert who is the rock that holds the whole thing together.
BEST BIT
The best thing about season 2 is that there are no best bits. The show runs along so smoothly that it is easy to forget that what you are watching is actual television at all. If I had to choose a bit for me that stands out though it would have to be the fight sequence at the end. It is very well choreographed and is so convincing it is almost scary.
WORST BIT
The biggest disappointment for me about this series was the amount of screen time given over to Kim Bauer’s storyline. No don’t get me wrong, I have no problems with watching the gorgeous Elisha Cuthbert for the whole 24 hours straight, but when there is a nuclear bomb about to go off and Jack Bauer is trying to stop it, I didn’t really care about her trying to get away from some lunatic. I found myself becoming impatient because I wanted to know what was going on with the other characters. It’s not too big a deal but I think it’s something they should watch in series 3. Maybe they could add a featurette on Elisha Cuthbert to keep fans of hers quiet.
THE PACK
24 series 2 comes in a seven-disc set. Disc one has 8am-12pm, Disc two has 12pm-4pm, Disc three 4pm – 8pm and so on so forth, right the way round to 8am again. Disc seven is dedicated solely to Special Features. The box is pretty similar to the box for series one except that the colours and images used seem to be a lot darker, which really does sum up the whole feel of series two.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Not only is the actual show superior in every way to series one, the special Features are too. There are 45 deleted scenes that can be viewed separately or as part of the episode they were meant for. There is a two-part documentary called 24 Exposed totalling 96 minutes in length. This is a very interesting thing to watch as it shows, among other things, how the fight scene at the end was filmed. There are also episode commentaries from members of the cast and crew. Featured are Kiefer Sutherland, Dennis Haysbert, Sarah Wynter, Xander Berkley and many more. I found the commentaries interesting but couldn’t help wanting to hear what was actually going on in the episode.
CONCLUSION
If you liked series one then you will absolutely love series 2. if you didn’t like series one then I’d steer clear of this one, as it is more of the same sort of thing. As for me, I loved it. I think 24 is one of the greatest things to hit television in a long time. Different people say they like different aspects of the show, but for me it’s all about Kiefer Sutherland. He brings Jack Bauer to life, and without Jack Bauer there is no 24. If you want my advice go out and buy this…now!
You can buy 24 series 2 from amazon.co.uk for £29.99.
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24: Complete Season 2
Jack Bauer is having another one of his "very bad days" in the second series of the
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ground-breaking real-time thriller 24. Once again the hours are ticking by with more guaranteed cliffhangers than a convention of mountain climbers. Holed up in a Los A...
24: Complete Season 2
Jack Bauer is having another one of his "very bad days" in the second series of the
... more
ground-breaking real-time thriller24. Once againthe hours are ticking by with more guaranteed cliffhangers than a convention of mountain climbers. Holed up in a Los Ang...
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