24 is quite simply the most thrilling and innovative show
that is on television right now. For those of you unfamiliar with the basic
selling point of the series, it is that an entire season takes place over the
course of a 24-hour day. Each episode of the series, one hour in length, documents
in real time what takes place during that specific moment.
A series that dares take on such a task has its share of advantages and disadvantages.
Creatively, we have a very contained and controlled premise, as the activities
of each character must be well defined of what is realistic during the given
time period. But the more daring you are with your approach, the more it energy
it takes away from the viewer as well. For one thing, 24 demands a weekly
commitment from its viewers. The average person typically only watches eight
or nine episodes of his or her favorite television show. 24, on the other
hand, pretty much asks that you watch every single episode, as it moves at a
very fast pace, and people missing one or two episodes here and there will fall
behind.
Luckily of all of us, Fox is releasing the complete second season of
24 on DVD next week, so now we can enjoy every pulse pounding moment
at our own pace. Listen up, because now you have absolutely no excuse to not
watch this show.
I’ll even help you catch up on what you need to know if you didn’t
watch the first season. At the show’s central core, 24 has as its
protagonist CTU (Counter Terrorism Unit) agent Jack Bauer played by the talented
Kiefer Sutherland. It is now one year and a half after “Day 1” and
things aren’t going so well for Jack.
You see, in the first season (and subsequently, Day 1) Jack was called to duty
at CTU at midnight when he learns that at sometime during the day, there will
be an assassination attempt on Senator David Palmer’s (Dennis Haysbert)
life. His mission was to find out who is coordinating this attack and to bring
them to justice. During the course of the day, Jack’s own personal life
is at risk too, as his wife and daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert), have been kidnapped
in order to hinder Jack’s investigation. Meanwhile, as the California
Presidential Primaries wrap up that day, David Palmer finds that his wife Sherry
Palmer (Penny Johnson Jerald) has made some decisions regarding his political
campaign that might indicate she’s more interested in the power of the
presidency rather than the man she loved since Kindergarten.
Okay, so cutting to the chase…what do we need to know that will help
us in Season Two? Well, two things. In the last two episodes of “Day 1”
we learn that there is a mole at CTU: Jack Bauer’s partner, Nina Myers
(Sarah Clarke). Nina, during the course of the day, had been providing the terrorists
access to Jack’s family, which is how they were able to locate Jack’s
wife and daughter and threaten him with their lives at hand. Meanwhile, David
finally determines that Sherry has lost all sense of morality, as he decides
to continue his presidential dreams with the help of a divorce. And in the show’s
shocking, final moments, we learn that Nina’s last criminal act of the
day was that she had killed Jack’s wife before she was arrested.
So here we are in one and a half years later. “Day 2” begins at
8:00 A.M., where we see a depressed and dejected Jack Bauer visiting Kim at
her new residence, who have since moved out and has become estranged with her
father. Meanwhile, David Palmer is now President David Palmer, and begins his
morning enjoying a fishing trip with his son.
But what begins as a quiet and calm day for these characters turns out to become
a race against the clock, as U.S. intelligence sources have determined that
a nuclear bomb has been smuggled into the country. The prime target: The city
of Los Angeles.
Refusing to join CTU after the loss of his wife, Jack Bauer ignores all requests
for him to help them out with the investigation. Upon learning of the bomb,
his first instinct is to instead grab his daughter, and take her to San Jose,
California. The head of CTU, George Mason (Xander Berkeley), says however that
their only lead into the investigation is through a man named Wald, who Jack
worked for undercover a couple of years back.
And so, as we start with the first episode at 8 A.M., we are once again treated
to 24 episodes filled with twists, turns, conspiracies, and revelations left
and right. Nothing is ever as it seems and 24 makes use of this saying.
Part of the appeal of the show is perhaps of the quality of writing. The storyline
deals with a bigger issue, but each episode is tailored to identify some aspect
of what’s going on with the viewer. We have characters that are trapped
by their civic duties in the midst of what would be a worldwide historical catastrophe,
yet we feel close and connected to each one almost as if we could identify with
them. The characters, specifically Jack Bauer and President David Palmer, bridge
the energy of the show between the viewer and the story. Jack is every man’s
hero, as he seems to be keen on his decision-making and physical toughness while
still maintaining his nurturing mood as a father. David Palmer, as many of you
will see, is every man’s favorite character. As we learned in Season
1 and subsequently, in Season 2, we never have to cheer, root, or
feel sorry for Palmer: He handles every situation in whatever way we want him
to. I remember after watching one of the episodes, I was checking the away messages
on my AOL Buddy List, and one of my friends (also a fan of the show) posted
on his away message “I want to be David Palmer.” That really sums
up how much we love this character.
The storylines also have a strange way of mimicking real-life current events.
The episodes are written out far in advance, and it is strange to see how each
season was directly affected by world events. After September 11th, shots from
the pilot episode of Season 1 depicted a plane crash. With a bomb in
Los Angeles and possible involvement by foreign interests, Season 2 had
an eerie echo of the War in Iraq. Despite these similarities, 24 doesn’t
get into any pro or anti sentiments. Instead, the show is abundantly decorated
with one simple question: “What is the right thing to do?” From
Jack, to Palmer, to Kim, to Sherry, to Kate Warner (Sarah Wynter), to Tony Almeda
(Carlos Bernard), to George Mason, to Michelle Dressler (Reiko Aylesworth) –
we see all these characters, big or small, faced with this question at one point
or another.
Now that you’ve learned about my praise for the show, I have to simply
say that 24: Season Two is well worth 24 hours of your life. I would
highly recommend this show to anybody who simply wants good and suspenseful
entertainment. With that being said, let’s look at the DVD set for Season
Two, which is a vast improvement from the Season 1 set.
Along with the 24 episodes on the 7-disc DVD set are lots of bonus features
for every 24 fan out there. Each disc has at least one episode that has
a commentary from cast and crew members. Each principal cast member on the commentaries
is paired up with a writer, producer, or director from the show. The commentaries
are interesting in that no episode is ever dedicated to one character, so while
we’ll hear from the actor when his/her scenes are taking place, we’ll
also get input on how he/she would rate the performances of other cast members.
It’s also interesting to hear what the writers and producers have to say,
as with any television show, ideas and storylines get thrown around and things
change. A commentary on a TV show allows you access to those little secrets
and find out what directions they would’ve taken. The commentaries, in
conclusion, are very satisfying but I would have liked a commentary for the
first episode, to which there is not one.
Next, we have a 2-part documentary called “24 Exposed” that
takes us into the making of the final two episodes. As a 24 fan, I loved
this documentary. This documentary covers the entire process of what goes on
into the making of a 24 episode. From the initial brainstorming sessions,
to the pre-production meeting, to the meetings of the department heads, to the
location scouting, to the filming, and then to the editing, we really get an
in-your-face look at the life of a crew member on the show. My favorite part
of the documentary was determining how they were going to keep the season finale’s
ending a secret. The very last scene of the season was filmed in a public area
of Los Angeles, with hundreds of extras. The last few minutes of the show (which
by the way will knock your socks off) were crucial to the surprise element of
the spirit of the series. However, being in a public arena with hundreds of
extras opens the possibilities of Internet leaks. Their handling of the situation
is interesting, and we get to see how they pretty much deceived everyone witnessing
the shooting. All in all, if you choose not to invest your time in special features
on DVD, I urge you to spend the time to watch these two featurettes once you
finished watching all 24 episodes.
Finally, we have the deleted scenes. We have 44 deleted scenes and alternate
takes taken from all 24-episodes. These scenes are scattered on all of the other
discs, based on their respective episode. One really cool feature about the
24 set is that you have the option, while watching the episode, of switching
on the deleted scenes and alternate takes with your remote. Simply pop in the
episode and in the “Special Features” menu of each disc, click on
the “Deleted Scenes and Alternate Takes” option and you will have
those scenes edited into the episode you plan to watch.
In conclusion, this is just simply an awesome item to own in anyone’s
DVD collection. With “Season Three” set to debut on October
28, I implore those of you interested in great television to get “24:
Season Two” on DVD, and prepare yourselves for a whole new day of
madness and mayhem…
SEASON THREE PLUG: There will be a four-minute trailer for the Season
3 Premiere during the FOX showing of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon” this Sunday at 7 p.m. Check your local listings for show times
and channel.
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