24 (review of 4th season)

24 (Forth Season)

If you can get over the “whole everything happening in a day” logic problem, then you will continue to enjoy 24. Like the season before it, Kiefer Sutherland plays the powerful Jack Bauer in the 4^th season. After the events of season 3, Jack Bauer was fired from his CTU job. He goes to Washington and falls in love.

I found it interesting that he nearly had a nervous breakdown at the end of season 3. And, he never really recovered from that breakdown and has been living a fulfilled life away from CTU. You see the 4^th season is a story of redemption for many of the characters that lost their way during the 3^rd season.

I enjoyed how Jack enters CTU for the first time after a year and a half, not recognizing anyone in the place. That’s because everyone he knew has moved on, for better or worst. In a sense, he’s a stranger in a familiar place, (Note: Captain Kirk had a similar experience in Star Trek Generations). His uneasiness taken away somewhat when he sees one familiar former co-worker. The writers made a conscious effort to redeem all the characters that made terrible decisions last season. Little by little most of Jack’s allies rejoin him in his fight.

Once you see a certain powerful figure return in the last few episodes, you’ll cheer, because you know Jack has all his allies around him.

And, that’s what worked about this season. The writers showed us that Jack and the others were human and made mistakes, but in the end, they’re heroes.

The main villains this season were a hidden terrorist cell living in the suburbs. On the outside, they looked like a normal family with normal jobs, but they just want to destroy of our way of life. All three of these people were fantastic to watch.

In the end, if you were turned off by pervious seasons, give this one a try.

Grade: A-

Look for this stuff: with spoilers

~There are some problems with the show this season. The story does take a strange detour for about three or four episodes, mainly dealing with an evil corporation that tries to kill Jack, but as stand alone action episodes they are okay. Think ENRON x10.

~It was so cool to see President Palmer again. Plus, the fact he works with his former aid from the first two seasons. Even though he’s only in the last run of episodes, he kicks butt again. What an amazing actor!

~Yes, they meltdown a reactor, blow up Air Force One and kill a teenage girl.

~The guy who played the Mummy in the Mummy movies is the main bad guy this time around.

~The subplot dealing with the Chinese government was handled extremely well.

~Yes, Jack kills or wounds many people in the 4^th season.

~This season gets ten points for not showing us Jack’s daughter, thank goodness.

~Remember that young lady that poisoned Palmer in the second season…well…