24

Day One: Certainly one of the milestone series without which superb series like Lost and Heroes would never have been made. The creators had the great idea of following one day in the life of the head of an elite anti-terrorist unit. It’s true that it’s almost unbelievable that so much happens in this one day, but there we are. Not a dull moment. Kiefer Sutherland is great as Jack Bauer and in fact all of the acting performances are A-grade. I’m intrigued to see what the next day brings... Day Two: Is great. The great idea of bringing a good old atomic bomb onto the scene was the best thing 24 could have come up with. Some episodes are still unsurpassed today. The only disruptive storyline is the one with Kim, but that’s about the only thing I didn’t like. Jack is on a roll and I want to be there when he starts another game on day three. By the way, George Mason (and Xander Berkeley) is cool and I’ve been rooting for him since season one. At one point I thought he was even cooler than Jack, and that’s saying something... Day Three: Certainly the most chock-full day yet. Maybe too chock-full. The first half didn’t work out too well and apart from Jack’s storyline, it was pretty boring. On the other hand the second 12 hours is the best the series has offered so far, so I’m still happy. I hope it will stay at least one the same quality level. I wonder what day four has to offer... Day Four: I thought that this would be lamer than the preceding days (I don’t know where I got that from, I probably read it somewhere or something) but they are serving up just as good a ride as before on a golden platter. I would like to praise the main villain, played by Arnold Vosloo, to the heavens. 24 was lacking such a slippery and, most importantly, Mr. Nice-Guy bastard. Chloe was a pleasant surprise too. She seriously rocks (especially in the terrain ;) and her straightforward approach can conjure up a smile on your face even in the most unsuitable situations. And the ending of the last episode was balm for my soul. That’s just the sort of ending I like best. I’m incredibly curious about what day five has in store for Jack... Day Five: Wow. An amazing ride. It was so bombastic that I spent the last day of 2007 and the first day of 2008 with Jack because I was just glued to the screen. An incredibly intense experience, a great villain (Mr. P. himself;) and a great ending again. Froggy president Logan gave an amazing performance. The last episode is the best we’ve had from 24. I can’t wait for day six... Day Six: The amazing beginning revolving around atomic bombs in briefcases completely blew me away. But that meant that for me the slow and predominantly political part that suffered from a serious lack of Jack was interminable. Luckily toward the end, everything began to return to normal and I was happy again. And I got to admit one thing, Jack is jinxed. But that doesn’t stop me from looking forward to day seven... P.S.: Even though the screenwriters’ strike is doing its utmost to prevent it. Come on guys, make a deal already ;). Day Seven: We have reached the inevitable and the series is beginning to select the best parts of the previous seasons and adding something new. Sometimes I thought I was watching things from day two or day three again. Luckily, they also raised the tempo dramatically and so there is no chance of getting bored. The fact that a plot that used to take until half way through the season unravels itself during just one episode is no reason to get upset. Also, from the start Day seven features a Jack Bauer (about the first 13 hours) who is heartless and almost robotically precise. This pattern is disrupted a little by spoileroid elements that I would rather skim over for the time being. The cast has undergone a marked improvement, apart from that awful Cherry Jones in the role of President Taylor. Apart from a few familiar faces, it’s Annie Wesching as Renee Walker who the role of Bauer’s partner fits like a glove and you are reminded of the good old Jack from the days when he still had a reason to live. She’s also pretty foxy and at last somebody to look at again in this series. Together with Elisha Cutherbert who proves to grampa Jack that she’s like him, thus nicely overturning one of the good old clichés of the series. Others who shone quite brightly include Colm Feore, the occasionally slightly annoying, but in the end solid Jeffrey Nordling and also Carlos Bernart who returns again as Tony Almeida. Tony’s storyline is probably the most interesting of all because, as a former stiff, he has a lot to explain. Not forgetting, of course, Jon Voight who outdoes almost every villain so far from previous seasons with his perfect embodiment of the pleasantly unhinged Jonas Hodges. Setting this season in Washington helped a lot and laid the ground for a few great scenes (the episodes in the middle in the White House), as well as a couple of really nice shots of the Capitol with changes in how the light falls on it (the orange is replaced by a cold blue) etc. I hope that moving the action to New York will have a similar and maybe even better effect, because NY offers lots of space (a shooting Jack running through the Rockerfeller Center) for very interesting experiments. It just remains for me to wish Kiefer best of luck in court and hope that the creators have that president dame killed on day eight. Date Eight: Now I’m almost on the brink of tears and so if this review turns into sentimental gibberish, you are more than welcome to stop reading. Jack Bauer begins his last day on TV on a clean page. Happy and with his family. We aren’t used to this. But, as usual, a terrorist attack comes knocking on the door and, despite all his efforts to prevent it, Jack is pulled back in again. President Hassan, the target, reminds me of good old Palmer and he’s quite a nice guy. Renee Walker is back, transformed into a killing machine and her role is to be the catalyst for the last few hours of the day. Of the new faces, I would like to highlight Freddie Prinze Jr. for being such a convincing action hero. He just needed the chance. And now to the story. The first three-quarters is the classic as we know it. Nothing really special, but still better than most of the regular competition. The then we reach a turning point that sits you right down in your seat and that’s when the ending that all of us fans wished for begins. Jack starts a kind of inferno that we haven’t seen for a long time and the dead bodies begin piling up. The political storyline is better than ever and that dumb president starts developing into a darn interesting character, under the influence of good old Logan (the again perfect Gregory Itzin), whose presence make me look forward to every sycophantic smile, trick, half-truth and subterfuge. As the diametric opposite of Jack, he is the perfect villain for the last few hours. The last episode maybe isn’t as action-packed as I had hoped (because “Events occur in real time" we miss out on lots of things, which is a darn shame), but it’s still a great episode. I was close to tears during the final scene and... darn, I need a tissue. I’m gonna miss ya, Jack. DAMN IT! Day Nine: So the clock started ticking again after all, and the authors take you briskly into the story. 8 days was too long, but everything is relatively well explained even for those who have only just jumped on the band wagon. This loaded twelve part series offers all that’s good (and bad) in the last series just with less stuffing. The terrorist mother is pretty familiar, but tries to offer something new from a drone’s point of view. Heller’s gang is back, after all they got a bit left out in the sixth series, but mainly Jack is back. Pissed and nasty. Just the way we like him. Tension is at breaking point in the last episodes stretching to the limits of endurance. The series is pretty creative in working with the viewer’s assumptions and deals him several surprises. The last episode is uncompromising and ends with a samurai sword and the ten minute epilog is a fine way to say farewell, with the ending that touches your heart. But only after the fadeout. (06/02/2007) (less) (more)

1st season - 85% - It is quite surprising how raw the atmosphere is right from the beginning. Unlike the following years, which are more action-thriller oriented, the start focuses more on basic psychology and political twists, with action taking a backseat. The main problem is how the viewer can accept occasional clichés. Fortunately, they are all presented in such an attractive package that I have no problem swallowing them. The last two episodes are filled with tension until the last second. 2nd season - 90% - The action has intensified, Jack's personal tragedy adds to his toughness and determination, Kim continues to function in the realms of "sexy" and "hysterical" at the same time, and the best character with a change of sides is Nina. The action-packed ending adds a touch of timelessness. 3rd season - 85% - The first half of the third day brings a charismatic new partner, a highly unpredictable plot, and an amazing villainous duo, reaching its peak. However, the second half is filled with schematic situations that have no place at CTU and, in their predictability, can sometimes even be boring. Fortunately, the finale brings an almost breathless catharsis, adding significant points to the overall impression. The feeling of the story's completion is perfect, yet the golden period is yet to come. 4th season - 90% - The notion that everything should have ended at the end of the third day was fortunately just an illusion. This time, CTU gets a formidable opponent, which gives the term "main antagonist" a completely new dimension. The only criticism this time are the characters. Whether the unnecessarily prolonged storyline of the Araz family or Jack's new partner. Her repeated transformations of the overall perception of things due to her ex-husband somewhat spoil the feeling of a realistic-looking relationship plot. However, the story gains its greatest strength in moments when old acquaintances return and with the growing night atmosphere. Who would have guessed after an incredible finish that it could be even better next time? 5th season - 100% - An unstoppable ride from a shocking start to an emotionally charged final episode. The best antagonist (a duel between student and teacher), the best atmosphere (you never know which of your favorite characters will be affected next) and unequivocally the best season. And a very dark ending. 6th season - 65% - To some extent a return to its roots in terms of emphasizing family relationships. Noticeably better effects and this time even slightly surprising brutality, which fans of the first seasons might be astonished by. But the most important thing is that it is the worst season. After an effective start, in the middle of the third day, I got the impression that not everything went as it should have, and the series needlessly stretches its juicy but repetitive taste of what has already been seen in previous seasons. However, the last episodes take off into unprecedented twists and the final ten minutes are unrepeatable with their unique atmosphere. Therefore, two sharp contradictions are conflicting inside me. On one hand, the creators showed me that they can still come up with sufficiently nerve-racking plots, but on the other hand, I wouldn't like to feel that I hardly want to watch the next episodes. Redemption - 70% - We all know that Jack suffered the most from the strike of the A-list TV series. Therefore, with his first appearance, there comes the expected excitement that he has finally licked his wounds from this low blow. He can still toughen up the music for the right cause, take anything to neutralize the enemy, and when he has someone close to him with whom fate did not spare, he swiftly moves. However, since I am a supporter of the classic look of Los Angeles, I must also add in the same breath that relocating to this location was probably not the luckiest idea. We (01/10/2006) (less) (more)