TV Shows #4 - Part 2

24 Seasons 1 - 3

After rambling on for much longer than intended in the previous post for this feature, I thought it might be best to take a look at the first few seasons of the awesome 24 in a separate post. As usual, it's taken me ages to get around to it (partly due to the time spent continuing to watch the show - I'm up to season five again now!) but here, finally, is a quick look at the first three seasons. It's also worth noting that I've decided not to give each season a score, simply because they're all awesome!

Spoiler Alert: is it assumed for the purpose of this feature that you've seen the show in question or at least don't mind knowing about some of its most prominent moments, so don't come whining to me if it ruins something that you haven't seen yet!

Day 1

Jack as we often see him - armed and alert...

After getting cosy with his family, Jack gets called into CTU who have uncovered an assassination plot against presidential candidate, David Palmer, on the 'day of the California Presidential Primary'. Not only does Jack have that to worry about but his wife and daughter have also been kidnapped by the same terrorist - American, Ira Gaines. He and his crew are actually working for Victor Drazen, a Serbian war criminal with past ties to both Senator Palmer and Jack himself as well, who is trying to use Jack's family to blackmail him into assassinating Senator Palmer who is having his own problems with a journalist who's attempting to derail his campaign by airing some dirty family laundry. This first season starts off quite slowly, and coming back to it after having watched the later seasons does make things seem... maybe the teensiest bit unsophisticated at first, but it introduces several important characters and quickly pulls you in, building up the tension with its sense of urgency and (what would become) characteristically snowballing story.

Day 2

Taken prisoner by an old colleague (and more?)...

If any new show was guaranteed to be renewed for a second season it was 24 and there's immediately a lot going on! We rejoin Jack around 18 months after Day One which culminated in his decision to retire from CTU due to the stresses of that day's events. He returns to duty, however, after a call from President Palmer who asks for his help as Middle Eastern terrorists have obtained a nuclear bomb and plan to detonate it in LA that very day! Meanwhile, the well-to-do Warner family is preparing for the wedding of youngest daughter, Marie, and her Middle Eastern fiance, Reza... who Marie's older sister, Kate, thinks is involved with terrorists, naturally! Also, Jack's daughter, who doesn't like him much anymore, is working as an au pair for a young girl called Megan who, as Kim quickly discovers, is being mistreated by her father. So, what does Kim do? She grabs the little girl and runs, with the angry father in pursuit! Back at CTU, now overseen by George Mason, we meet a handful of familiar faces and a good few new ones including the lovely Michelle Dessler. There's no risk of getting bored during this second season then, which is everything it should be - more but bigger and better! Still one of my favourite seasons...

Day 3

Shoot your colleague to maintain your cover? Hmmm...

Set a whopping three years after Day Two, the third season catches up with Jack just as he's finished a lengthy assignment undercover with the Salazars, the largest drug gang in Mexico. He now has a heroin habit (started to maintain his cover, you understand) and a partner, Chase Edmunds, who's dating Kim who now works at CTU as an analyst. Their job this time around, headed first by Tony and then Ryan Chappelle, is to stop ex-MI6 agent, Stephen Saunders, from releasing the Cordilla Virus, a highly lethal and contagious weaponised virus, that he's acquired and is threatening to release unless his demands are met... the first of which is the release of Ramon Salazar! Splendidly, President Palmer is still running the country and now has his younger brother Wayne working as his Chief of Staff, although this ends up causing more problems than it solves which doesn't help when the President has his VP gunning for him as well. Another new face this season is one that would prove one of the most popular of the whole show - sarcastic sourpuss yet genius analyst, Chloe O'Brian! There are plenty or reasons why this is another fantastic, action-packed season though, and is essential viewing for any action fan.

Look out for seasons four, five, and six in the next part of this feature soon!