24: Day 5 starts Sunday!

[Woochifer]

Wow, this is about as open-ended a season opener as I can possibly think of!

PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT YET SEEN SEASON 4, DO NOT READ FURTHER -- GO TO YOUR VIDEO STORE AND HAVE A MARATHON VIEWING OF ALL 24 EPISODES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!



After being forced to fake his own death at the end of Day 4, where does Jack Bauer go from here? The prequel on the 24: Season 4 DVD set shows Chloe traveling to Chicago to let Jack know that CTU's network had been compromised, and that someone might have found the doctored Coroner's report on his death. Then Jack got car chased by some baddies, and managed to escape. Apparently, Day 5 starts six months after the events in the prequel, and 18 months after the end of Day 4.

Stuff I've been reading about Day 5 indicate that the plot line will supposedly get back to the basics, and feature more of the personal peril and tension that was featured in Day 1, and less of the "millions of people could die within the next 24 hours" threats that dominated 24's story lines after Day 1. I mean, they've already featured two nuclear treats and a bioterror storyline, so I don't see where else they could go.

IMO, the first 14 hours of Day 1 are still the benchmark for how great a series 24 can be. That story was a lot simpler and less convoluted than days 2, 3, and 4 -- basically, Jack had to foil an assassination attempt, while knowing that his wife and daughter had been kidnapped by the would-be assassins. And that story line did not need a nuclear threat or millions of potential deaths to be create almost unbearable tension and suspense.

The clock is ticking again! They got a two-hour premiere on Sunday night, and another two-hour episode on Monday night. Miss out on this, and forget about the rest of the season!

[topspeed]

I'm all over this. Jack is the anti-thesis of politically correct. He get's the job done first and worries about the politics later. Everybody loves a badass. One of the most memorable scenes for me was when he faked killing a terrorist's son to get him to talk. I can't remember which season it was, but that whole scene made me say "Whoa!", especially for a network tv show! It's too bad President what's-his-face (the Allstate Insurance guy, aka Cerrano from Major League) is gone. He made a really good President.

[Woochifer]

I'm all over this. Jack is the anti-thesis of politically correct. He get's the job done first and worries about the politics later. Everybody loves a badass. One of the most memorable scenes for me was when he faked killing a terrorist's son to get him to talk. I can't remember which season it was, but that whole scene made me say "Whoa!", especially for a network tv show! It's too bad President what's-his-face (the Allstate Insurance guy, aka Cerrano from Major League) is gone. He made a really good President.

Indeed, I appreciate that the purported good guy in 24 is kind of a shadowy character with plenty of personal faults. But, that seems to describe all of the characters in the show, which is what makes things interesting and unpredictable. Everyone gets forced into making deals with the devil to do their jobs (like when Tony was forced into sabotaging a mission in order to keep his wife from getting killed). Even President Palmer in Day 3 got his hands dirty.

This could be the best season yet because the slate is totally clean, and Jack is now working alone (not to mention he's not even supposed to be alive). My understanding is that the slimy wuss VP from last season is now the President, and that could make things very interesting considering that he "ordered" Jack's assassination to appease the Chinese embassy. I also read that the First Lady very well could be the latest snake in the grass while the terrorist plot unfolds. Can't wait!