24

Eight hard day’s nights (i.e. eight seasons over the course of nine years) for Jack Bauer spanning almost fifteen “series" years. 24 has countless flaws (imbalance between separate episodes both in terms of quality and screenplay, sometimes needlessly dragged-out), but in terms of the conspiracy/action series genre it is incomparable. True, it is in essence pure B-grade, but mostly a darn high quality B which, in the better seasons, beats other regular action series hands down. The advantage with 24 is that the creators push back the limits of just how far non-cable TV productions can go. The characters as such aren’t particularly interesting (apart from Jack, of course), but they mostly catch your interest thanks to the actors. Basically the biggest mistake is that each episode is divided into thirds. Bauer in the field, political machinations and what goes on at CTU headquarters. And the CTU bit soon starts to get boring (and later actively annoying; the dialogs in this part of the episodes are a real “experience"), the political intrigues are sometimes interesting (in season one) and sometimes not (in later seasons) and so the Jack storyline is the only one to maintain the quality level in all days; whether it’s over-the-top or not. This certainly isn’t the best series of all time, but it is an above-average affair that maintains some potential even in later seasons. Day 1 4/5: Compared to the rest of Bauer’s days, this is very “raw" and unpolished. It isn’t about anything big, and remains on a personal level. Unlike the later seasons, it relies heavily on the last few episodes, without them it is merely a solid affair, sometimes too full of cliché. Personally, I came to appreciate this season only after some time. Day 2 5/5: The best balanced season in terms of quality, pace and story; it works wonderfully as a whole and none of the episodes stick out or fade into the background. It’s the first day where Jack’s dark side starts to emerge and, mainly thanks to the creators, this time the story doesn’t lead up to one final climax, but has a series of “sub-plots" that take up 3-4 episodes. Just a shame about the dumb storyline involving Kim and the boring two first episodes. Day 3 4/5: Too bad that this season wasn’t shorter by a couple of episodes. There are no downright weak episodes in this season, but around half way through, they could have done a lot of cutting. Certainly still above-average quality and several memorable moments (how one of the main protagonists dies). Day 4 4/5: Basically a restart without most of the original cast and overall the approach in this season is a little different; this time we know who the main villain is from the beginning; the entire day is treated as one long chain of action episodes without any significant twists. Definitely excellent and, luckily, before it starts repeating itself like a scratched record, in the last third the creators kick off with another storyline that results in a wonderful finale that ties up loose ends to close 24 in style. Day 5 3/5: A splendid and bold beginning to the season, lots of excellently developed themes, ideas and twists. More than one episode ingrain themselves in your memory. Despite all the pluses, this season works in terms of individual instances rather than as a whole. Day 6 2/5: This season suffers from the same ailments as the last one. Separate fragments of it are often great, but it doesn’t hold together much as a whole. But still, it takes off intriguingly. Especially the last ten minutes or so of episode four are probably the best that 24 has come up with so far. Unfortunately, it also all too obviously borrows from itself. In fact, it’s occasionally started to get my goat. If it weren’t for the excellent beginning and decent ending, I would have gone even lower with the score. This is due to the creators trying out whether it would work even without Jack and so he is missing for the whole middle section. Which is a suicidal mistake because the only reason that this series hasn’t fallen apart yet is Bauer... Before his “week at work" was over, Jack managed to find time for a quick trip to Africa to make a feature movie24: Redemption 3/5. Day 7 1/5: The first episode is a parody of itself and is seriously boo standard, but Jack’s storyline soon pulls itself together and now it looks like one of the best in this season. The problem is that the president storyline seems to have remained in the land of boo. However, half way through the season the wtf attack on the White House and what follows is Boo City, D.C. To preserve my positive attitude toward the good old 24 that I love, I have decided to stop watching. Damn it! Day 8 4/5: In the end I didn’t manage to stop watching and so I put on the last season. The rumors about a return of quality do not lie; Day 8 really goes back to grass roots. Perhaps a little big, because all the storylines and suspenseful moments simply recycle the best moment of past and better seasons (mostly season two and four). But it works, flows by nicely, doesn’t come up with any particular surprises, but is a solid average. But then the moment arrives: about two-thirds through the season everything turns out well, all threats have been eliminated and a new story begins. A story that has obviously been collecting dust in a drawer, waiting for the order from above to get it out and use it. No threats, no terrorists, the CTU shenanigans are sidelined; it’s a return to the personal level of Day 1. Gripping, wonderfully thought through and even emotionally fully functional. In other words, ingredients that have been lacking in 24 for years now. Yep, an ending just as it should be. An ending that makes you forget all the crap you saw in the worse seasons and also that the ending should have come a good while ago; the only thing that matters is that they leave some (exceedingly) loose ends for a potential follow-up. It needs a definitive period... You know what kind. (19.02.2004) (weniger) (mehr)

Season 1 – 85% – It is truly surprising how raw the atmosphere is, right from the beginning. Unlike the years that followed, 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 the 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 very last second. Season 2 – 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. Season 3 – 85% – The first half of the third day brings a charismatic new partner, a highly unpredictable plot, and an amazing villainous duo, which takes it to 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 coming full circle is perfect, yet the golden age is yet to come. Season 4 – 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 – both 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? Season 5 – 100% – An unstoppable ride from its shocking start to the 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. Not to mention a very dark ending. Season 6 – 65% – To some extent a return to its roots in terms of emphasizing family relationships. Noticeably better special 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 third of the day, I got the impression that not everything was going the way it should, and the series was needlessly stretching out a 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 don't like feeling that I barely want to watch the next episodes. Redemption – 70% – We all know that the strike hurt Jack the most out of all A-list TV series. That's why with his first shot comes the expected excitement that he finally got out of this one. He can still go hard for the right cause, pick up anything to incapacitate the enemy with, and when he gets close to someone fate hasn't spared, he goes south dangerously quickly. But since I'm a proponent of the classic Los Angeles look, I have to add in the same breath that relocating to this location probably wasn't the most fortunate idea. After all, we've seen it all before in Blood Diamond, Hotel Rwanda, and City of God, and even the highly political storyline offers nothing surprising this time around. It's hard to get used to the fact that even Jack Bauer can come up with (only) pleasant mediocrity. Still, there's no need to damn Redemption, because it's essentially just a fan-favorite, feature-length prequel. Season 7 – 80% – The first time without a permanent setting, the first time with a suspicious return from beyond the grave, but the seventh time in a similar river. If it weren't for a familiar character involved in the whole terrorist endeavor, I might have a bit of a problem with another "America is in danger and we have no idea what to do about it" situation. So more than ever, the more the viewer likes Jack, the more they'll enjoy this season. Plus, with the perfectly written Renee Walker by his side, it hasn't been this good for a long time. So even though the new characters are at times very irritating and the surprising twists seem a bit contrived, there's no rush. The ending explains everything very satisfactorily and says that nothing in the world is black and white. This seemingly banal phrase is a very emotional thing when delivered by the creators of 24. Season 8 – 90% – A triumph. I was wishing Jack another quality season. After an indecisive start, I wanted an adventure on the level of season seven, then after a surprisingly awkward first third and the announcement that day eight would be the last, the exit was at least decent. Except now it all feels like a commentary on some other series. 24 did, in fact, take a 180° turn after a major twist, adding pace, acting, twists and, most importantly, tension, and delivering one of the highlights of the whole show for me. A hated character becomes a top-notch antagonist, the ridiculously fast-paced boss changes get surprising endings, and just when it seems like CTU is going all out after a while, Jack's fatal one-man-show comes along to show us that we haven't even begun. All in all, then, one of Bauer's best seasons ever, and a bit of a surprise event this season. If it had ended after season six or seven, Jack would still be a hero. But this way, with a brilliant finish, he retained his place as one of the greatest kings in TV series history. Who could have guessed that Fox would start itching their hands so much about a sequel that the most wonderful gift would arrive. Live Another Day – 90% – The talk of a reboot or a standalone miniseries was more false than I ever would have guessed. Characters who have been absent for years return to the storyline, the side plots bring back the darkest ghosts from the past, and in general the whole scheme of the opening episodes recalls the classic days of the original 24 as much as possible. Thus, a terrorist group can threaten the world with all sorts of weapons or explosions, and even when he's a mere rumor to most people rather than a real person, Jack Bauer has to step in. And although I was slightly reluctant, curbed my enthusiasm for the action scenes or nostalgic homages, and shook my head at times at the technical shortcuts or devices, in the end, I too was absorbed. The final three episodes, in fact, offer the essence of everything that attached me to that ticking clock all those years ago. Perfect audio-visuals, suspense literally down to the last second, and an emotional experience whose intensity almost made me miserable at times. Those moments when the need and zeal to save other people exceeds one's own need for happiness, or even a life, work perfectly for the ninth time. The fifth star, somewhat surprisingly, goes to William Devane, who, at just under seventy-five, has no trouble charming the entire White House staff into silence. (10.01.2006) (weniger) (mehr)