2
5
7
(nothing substantial)
(violence, sex, partial nudity, drug use)
(gripping and worth seeing again)
I knew almost nothing about "24" when I sat down to watch it. I knew it is about terrorism, that it plays in real time, and that in some way it has something to do with Bosnia. But I was mostly watching it because someone else really wanted to see it rather than because I had a personal interest. I didn’t have my hopes up because I don’t do political intrigue much. I enjoy the occasional James Bond or Tom Clancy movie but have few in my collection. "24" is exception. With several seasons as good, or nearly so, as this one I have made it a point to see them all even though I've not been able to add them all to my personal library.
It’s like a book you can’t put down. What happens next? Got to watch one more episode, just one more, that’s all. Can’t stop, must see more! The continuity is more like watching a really long movie divided into equal chapters rather than individual stories like most TV shows. Episodes are more likely to end on a cliffhanger than any sort of wrap-up whereas most shows will only have an occasional “to be continued” episode or a sequel revisiting earlier events. 24 is one continual to-be-continued series.
There are 3 elements that make this series exceptional. First is the concept. Events occur in real time. An hour worth of show is an hour worth of viewing even including time for commercials. A few minutes are built in for commercial breaks set up so that it feels like the action is still happening, just nothing we need to see during that time. That doesn’t translate as well to TVD since we essentially lose that time (12:33 becomes 12:39 in just a few seconds).
Keep in mind that you’re not watching one man’s actions over a 24 hour period. Scenes jump back and forth between different events unfolding at the same time. Basically, whatever is the most important thing happening during those seconds or minutes of time is what’s on screen with the occasional use of frames to show simultaneous actions in different places. The continual change of scenery makes the commercial breaks seem as much like a plot device as an interruption and can actually be a welcome breathing time during the more intense periods. Real time is not a brand new concept, but it is rare. I guess it’s a plus because it’s different. I might have a different opinion if it becomes as common as “reality” TV.
Second is the writing. Some things I predicted, others caught me completely off guard. There isn’t just one twist at the end to surprise you, there are numerous twists and turns to keep you on your toes. Who’s the bad guy? Who’s the good guy? You might be able to guess, but you’ll never know for sure until the end. Likewise, who will live and who won’t? You can pretty much bet that the big star of the show will live, but that doesn’t mean he will come out with his career or sanity intact. Other than that you can’t be guaranteed that anyone will make it to the end alive.
Because of the thrill that the uncertainty gave me I recommend avoiding spoilers as much as possible. Don’t do so much as read a summary of season 2 before you finish #1. I spoiled the end by doing no more than that. The less you know about what will happen next the more you will be excited to see that next episode.
Third is acting. The two male leads, Kiefer Sutherland and Dennis Haysbert, are tremendous. Kiefer in particular has to show a wide range from intense rage to hopeless breakdown. His reactions to certain events may well put a lump in your throat. I have it on good authority that some of the Bosnian dialogue lacks. I couldn’t tell, though, and it is so minor that it didn’t cause my friend, a Bosnian native, to lose any interest even though she couldn't help but criticize.
Everybody else does a good to excellent job with their roles. Xander Berkeley and Penny Johnson Jerald probably stand out the most after the male leads for screen presence if nothing else. Lou Diamond Phillips and Dennis Hopper make guest appearances that I enjoyed.
I don’t want to give much away about the plot, but I feel I should give you a little insight. Jack Bauer is head of the Counter Terrorist Unit in California. David Palmer is a black senator running for president. Terrorists have targeted Palmer for assassination and drag Bauer into it in ways other than the duties of his job – they put his family in danger. To make matters worse someone inside CTU is on the terrorists’ payroll. If Jack fails everyone dies. From there it’s a rush of kidnappings, assassinations, fights for survival, and rescue attempts.
One thing I will give away is that there is an amnesia arc. A lot of people have called this the weak point of the season. I guess it does seem a bit like a soap opera, but it’s rooted in reality more than these kinds of things usually are. It actually makes sense that stress levels this high would cause someone to crack. I thought it was more realistic to have someone flirting with insanity whereas most shows like this leave no noticeable lasting effect on their characters no matter how bad events get.
In every way this is an outstanding edge-of-your-seat series. I would get so into what was going on that I would watch no fewer than 4 episodes at a time and have to force myself to stop and go to bed. I would be so wound up that I would have to watch something else before I could even think about going to sleep (my favorite wind-down show is Futurama). It’s rare for anything to have that intense an effect on me. When I review TV shows I normally say catch a few episodes on air to see if you like them, but this one you need to see from beginning to end and everything in-between to get the full effect so I say read a few other opinions to see if they line up with what I’m telling you then go get season 1.
Morality
This is definitely an adult show. The intensity and subject make it more for adults right from the start, but there is some questionable content some parents may want to consider. There is some strong language though not really anything worse than the average TV show these days. I’ve definitely heard worse.
There is some partial nudity in at least 2 episodes. It’s the kind of thing where an arm or well-placed prop barely covers the areas on the body that technically constitute nudity. There is also some sexuality (including implied rape) and violence, some of it disturbing.
Spirituality
There's nothing religious in this season at all which will change for many of the future seasons. Terrorists groups Jack will face later on may have religious leanings, but this season keeps things either political or personal rather than religious. As far as the politics go the show tends to stay on the notion of what's right and wrong rather than any particular affiliation (though such affiliations will come later on).
Beyond that we see the life of a man who has messed up in the past where his family is concerned. He has recognizedhis failings and is doing everything he can to get his priorities straight. It's nice to see a man fighting so hard to keep his marriage together rather than getting into a woe-is-me, let's-talk-about-divorce at the first sign of trouble.
Final Thoughts
If you want an adrenaline rush in the form of a TV show check this one out. I have run across a few surprisingly bad reviews. I can understand that not everyone likes the same thing - there will be people who do not get into "24," but I find it interesting that people would write harshly scathing reviews yet be so vague in their extreme dislike that I cannot tell you what it is that they dislike other than them focusing so hard on one or two particular moments (a cliché car explosion, for example) that they fail to enjoy everything else. If a few Hollywood moments here and there aren't enough to faze you then clear your schedule for a few days and sit down with "24" season 1.
Buying Guide
"24" season 1 offers a couple of different DVD selections, which I'll tell you more about below, and a number of different box sets that I won't cover in detail. It should be an easy decision: do you want it by itself or with the other seasons?
There are 2 TVD sets. The older, typically cheaper release is just “Season 1” offering a simple design and a couple of extras. Even if you see multiple listings for it they are, as best as I can tell, all the exact same product. The newer one is a “Special Edition.” It offers a special case and more features.
The series box set appears to contain the Special Edition. You won't get the unusual metal packaging, but you'll get everything else. There's also a box set of seasons 1-6. I can't find this one for sale anymore but will eventually get around to updating this guide with the details of it just because I have access to it.
Final Recommendation:
Really this comes down to which set offers you the better price for what you want when you want it. If you care about extras you'll want the Special Edition. If you care more about price you can find good deals on both sets with the older set usually but not always being the cheaper option. While I unfortunately don't know much about the series box set it's worth considering if you're after the whole run of "24."
The original Season 1 set offers 6 DVD's. I got mine new for well under $20 so keep your eyes out for sales.
Video
1.78 widescreen:
The image is inconsistent. It looks decent most of the time but can be smudgy and blurry at times. It's grainy sometimes bad enough to look like the image is being projected on a bed of pebbles. There is enough trash to be noticeable but not to the point of being annoying.
Audio
2.0 Dolby:
It seems like 5.1 surround sound would benefit this series well, but the quality is clean and clear. There is no surround sound immersion, but the back channels fill the space a bit so that it doesn't sound like everything is coming from the front.
Packaging
This is one of those long folders that fits into a cardboard box. I haven't seen any listings that make it look like it's been repackaged (they saved that for the Special Edition version) although most of the later season sets appear to all come in slim cases.
It has an insert that lists each episode with directors and writers, and plot summaries that I found more confusing than helpful (I think they were trying to avoid too many spoilers but then ended up not giving very distinctive episode descriptions as a result). There are a few other notes like a cast list as well.
The interface features one of the characters on each screen and a loop of the theme song. The episodes do not have menu pages of their own.
Since each episode’s name is the time that they cover (“12:00 A.M. – 1:00 A.M.” is the first title) it would have been helpful to have an animated frame to give a clearer indication of which episode is which. I often found myself unsure of which was the last one I watched particularly if there happened to be a few days in-between viewings.
Extras
-Alternate ending: I'll talk more about this in the episodes section.
-Intro: (1:33) This is an intro to season 1 by Kiefer: It’s short and doesn’t really provide any new information. Ironically the intro is the last thing on the last disc.
The Special Edition DVD is a 7 disc set.
Video
1.78 widescreen:
Like the first set the image is inconsistent. It looks decent most of the time but can be smudgy and blurry at times. It's grainy sometimes bad enough to look like the image is being projected on a bed of pebbles. There is enough trash to be noticeable but not to the point of being annoying.
Audio
2.0 Dolby:
The audio quality is clean and clear. Again, there is no surround sound immersion, but the back channels fill the space a bit so that it doesn't sound like everything is coming from the front.
This seems to be the exact same presentation quality as the original TVD.
Packaging
The DVD's are held in a cardboard book. Each page has a pocket for a disc. Everything is held in a metal case with a hinged lid. On the front is a digital display.
It looks like this has been repackaged with a more standard plastic DVD case and standard cover art. Chances are that's what you'll get if you buy it new so if you're really interested in the more unusual packaging you'll need to pay close attention to what you're getting.
The insert has the same summaries as the earlier one but is otherwise pretty much completely different. There are a few pages of introductions. There is no cast list or details like airdate and director listed with the episodes.
The interface is exactly the same as far as layout, images, and music. There are new options added, and each episode now has its own page with setup and features options.
Extras
-Intro: (1:33) Keifer Sutherland introduces the series talking about the story and the real-time challenges. It plays automatically before the menu when starting disc 1 and can also be played individually. It's the same one as on the original release but put in a more appropriate spot.
-Deleted Scenes: There are 25 with play all option plus an alternate ending. More details are in the episodes section.
-The Genesis of 24 (24:42) This behind the scenes look covers the early misgivings of such an odd concept, casting, the complicated character of Jack, developing the style, using the boxes instead of split-screen, writing the music, reworking the pilot after negative reactions, deciding on the final villain, and deciding to make the end tragic.
-The Rookie: These are short parody videos that appear to have been used for deodorant commercials.
-Coffee Run (7:03) The rookie goes for coffee and has a few adventures.
-Get This To (10:01) The rookie needs to get a PDA to his boss in the field and has an adventure.
Episodes/Extras continued
There are 24 episodes at 41-43 minutes long each.
Each episode is on 1 chapter on the original DVD. I hate it when half-hour shows do that much less something this long. There is no reason not to include at least a couple of chapter breaks. Episodes on the Special Edition have 12 chapters with a scene selection interface. There is a play all option for the Special Edition but not for the earlier release.
All extras in this list apply only to the Special Edition except where noted.
1) 12:00 AM – 1:00 AM
-Commentary: Director and director of photography: I don't like the sound mix, it has so much bass it boarders on muddled at times. It's fairly slow and a bit dull. Topics covered include the usage of split-screen, changes made due to budget, actors and their dialogue, cutting out sex and drugs in the party scene, Jack's magic locker, and the removal of traditional filmmaking tools because of the real-time aspect.
2) 1:00 AM-2:00 AM
-Deleted Scenes:
-Alan & Teri Discuss Jack's Profession: 0:20: Short comments about what Teri thinks Jack does.
-Kim & Rick Discuss Jack's Profession: 0:27: What Kim thinks Jack does.
4) 3:00 AM-4:00 AM:
-Deleted Scenes:
-Jack & Officer Hamilton Talk About Palmer: 0:37: A few comments about Palmer.
-Officer Hamilton Dies: 0:55: A tie-in to the previous scene.
-Carl Chats With Barry: 2:15: A confrontation with Carl throwing his weight around.
5) 4:00 AM-5:00 AM
-Deleted Scenes:
-Alan & Teri At The Hospital: 0:46: Running around the hospital.
8) 7:00 AM-8:00 AM
-Deleted Scenes:
-Ira Spares Kim & Teri & Discusses His Contingencies: 1:23: The girls being hauled around and Ira on the phone.
9) 8:00 AM-9:00 AM
-Deleted Scenes:
-Kim Comforts Teri In Captivity: 1:17: Lots of crying in the prison room.
10) 9:00 AM-10:00 AM
-Deleted Scenes:
-The Palmers Visit An Elementary School: 0:31: Arrival and greeting.
-Nina & Tony Discuss Jack's Marriage: 0:43: A short conversation.
13) 12:00 PM-1:00 PM
-Deleted Scenes:
-Jack Gives Rick A Second Chance: 0:39: Conversation while on the run.
14) 1:00 PM-2:00 PM
-Deleted Scenes:
-Nina Searches The Hospital Room: 0:41: Investigating the mysterious man.
-Nina Pulls Prints From The Hospital Room: 0:35: Almost giving up on the investigation.
-Nina Tells Tony She Wants To Bring Kim & Teri Back To CTU: 0:41: Following up on the fingerprints.
16) 3:00 PM-4:00 PM
-Deleted Scenes:
-Kim Confronts Nina & Teri In The Safehouse: 1:41: A conversation about what is really going on.
-Teri Comforts Kim: 2:03: Slow conversation moment.
-Andre Drazen At The Cafe: 1:22: Talking with a waitress.
-Jack Plans To Use Elizabeth Nash As A Spy: 1:34: Jack is confronted about the liabilities.
-Teri Asks Kim Not To Tell Anyone What Eli Did To Her: 1:40: A moment in the debriefing room and investigation of strange noises.
17) 4:00 PM-5:00 PM
-Deleted Scenes:
-Johan Calls Andre To Tell Him The Women Escaped: 1:08: A phone conversation after the car wreck.
19) 6:00 PM-7:00 PM
-Deleted Scenes:
-Teri's Amnesia: 1:03: Trying to jog her memory with photos.
-The FBI Comes For Carl: 0:34: A quick confrontation.
20) 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
-Deleted Scenes:
-Phil Is Wounded & Confesses His Feelings To Teri: 0:53: A brief conversation in the car.
23) 10:00 PM-1:00 PM
-Deleted Scenes:
-Kim Is Held Hostage By The Drazens: 0:45: Getting ready for the attack.
-Teri Tells Nina About Her Pregnancy: 1:50: An apology moment.
24) 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM
-Commentary: Director and Leslie Hope: It's not very good. The sound mix seems a bit low quality, it mostly consists of a lot of random comments or stating the obvious, and it has too many quiet moments. Some of the more interesting topics covered are Penny as an actor and her evil character, seeing Dennis lose it, the 3 possible endings, and how to dodge questions without giving away the ending in interviews.
-Alternate Ending: 2:27: I read that 3 endings were shot, but only 1 is included here. There is an optional commentary for it that is fairly interesting. It's a happier ending all around. This one is included with both releases.