24 = Awesome. Your thoughts?

[The3rdChildren]

 

After much scaterred discussion of 24 recently, I have decided to create a thread where all of our love and musings can congregate and tell silly stories and jokes. But first, a brief introduction to the excellent 24 for those not fortunate enough to have seen it before.

 

An American show using an innovative time format where each episode of a 24 part series comprises a single hour of a single day. Not only is this format something that works surprisingly well, it also gives us a selection of amazing characters and situations that simply surpass (or come close to surpassing) those seen in any other show (the only character in any other show I'd put on par with Jack for being as exciting to watch is Fox Mulder). The show deals with a Counter Terrorist Unit within the American government dealing with acts of... you guessed it! Terrorism. Each series, one through to four currently with five due soon, deals with greater threats than before and the struggle to resolve them before the clock runs out with plot twists, action and drama at every tick.

 

So we have Jack Bauer, amazingly acted by Keifer Sutherland as the lead character. A troubled man who is about as close to a machine as man can possibly get, but deep down inside you soon find that Jack is a completely human and identifiable person forced to the brink of madness by what is going on around him. A brilliant supporting cast is always around to keep Jack on his toes, with villains played by the guy from the Mummy (series 4) and Dennis Hopper from Waterworld and Dry Man (coming soon). And trust me, 24 is choc-a-bloc full of nasties.

 

The good guys on the supporting cast include one-face noob-come-buddy Tony Almeida, his chinesy/whatever bitch Michelle Dessler, "Nuclear" George Mason, hot as your socks Elisha Cuthbert as Jack's daughter Kim and the man himself, second only to Bauer's power... President David Palmer, who Mike (Meik) and I are convinced will show up one season with a machine gun grafed onto his arm. Yes folks, Palmer is awesome. And the best thing is these amazing characters are just a handful of the individuals you will meet on your 24 hour vacation to TERRORDISE, a word I just made up consiting of terror and paradise.

 

 

So... who here has seen 24? Who here loves it? Favourite scenes and characters, best moments and what is your favourite day? Day 5 speculation is welcome too... but be aware this thread will contain SPOOOILARRRS for those of you newbish to this gem of television.

 

I've written way too much to post even more, so I'd expect you all to get cracking before I assault you with my beloved 24 stuff. I'm certain Meik will have something to comment on, and have to mention I owe him thanks for introducing me to the series a good while ago now. I never looked back.

[Blackfox]

Im bidding on season 1.

 

Yes, that's what talking to Mike and Guy does to you. You feel you have to have it.

[djamb3]

I've seen series 1 and 3 and I loved it.It's a great action series, but I think it's a bit irrealist with all that stuff happening just in 24 hours....

[Cubechris]

Season 1 is in the post. I shall soon be able to deliver my verdict.

[rokhed00]

I tried watching it one series, 3 I think, and really tried to like it, but it was just boring, gave up after 8 episodes.

I know a lot of people will say it doesn't really get going untill half way through, but that's bollocks, a TV show needs to be interesting right from the start, otherwise it'll lose too many viewers before it picks up.

[Ashley]

Was lent season one and two and watched the first two episodes. My friend kept saying that its so gripping at the end you have to watch the next episode. Not feeling it so far. Will watch more when I get time.

[kopo]

Seen series 1-3 and I'm close to completing 4. It's good entertainment but a bit unrealistic tbh. Just too much happening in lets say an hour. Jack takes the heli like 4 times and yet has time to invade buildings, save hostages etc.

Also, after season 3 you kinda get to see a formula in everything, which does ruin it a bit. It gets predictable and the situations are variations on previous ones (even the mighty family guy suffers from this).

 

That's not to say it's great entertainment.

 

Oh and Dessler is frigging awesome. She can 'take me for a ride' anytime IF YOU CATCH MY DRIFT WINK WINK FUCKING WINK.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Am i the only one expecting to see Nina return in season 5 as some kind of nuclear empowered cyborg with flamethrowers as arms and eyes of ice. They could call her the Icelady with flamethrowers. Yeah

 

 

 

 

end spoiler

[dukkadukka]

bores me to tears. sorry.

[Meik]

I'm sure most of you know that my feelings for this show have gone so far past obsession it's just plain disturbing.

 

I tried watching it one series, 3 I think, and really tried to like it, but it was just boring, gave up after 8 episodes.

I know a lot of people will say it doesn't really get going untill half way through, but that's bollocks, a TV show needs to be interesting right from the start, otherwise it'll lose too many viewers before it picks up.

That is true, and i'd probably feel the same if I started watching 24 with series 3. Unlike many other shows, the different series of 24 have to be watched in sequential order to get a full appreciation of it.

 

Was lent season one and two and watched the first two episodes. My friend kept saying that its so gripping at the end you have to watch the next episode. Not feeling it so far. Will watch more when I get time.

The "I'll just watch one more, shit, is it really 5am?" feeling doesn't really kick in until a little bit later on. Episodes 1-5 or so sort of just set the scene. Episode 6 is what I like to call the "Golden Episode" - it kicks everything off and everything starts to go a bit mental.

 

Seen series 1-3 and I'm close to completing 4. It's good entertainment but a bit unrealistic tbh. Just too much happening in lets say an hour. Jack takes the heli like 4 times and yet has time to invade buildings, save hostages etc.

Also, after season 3 you kinda get to see a formula in everything, which does ruin it a bit. It gets predictable and the situations are variations on previous ones (even the mighty family guy suffers from this).

Truth. Series 1 concentrated hard on the time aspect and took into account how long it would take for people to travel across LA, etc. In each series that follows, the time-aspect is ignored more and more. One of the major complains of Series 4 is that the time aspect is pretty much thrown out of the window, and Jack is able to cross the entirety of LA in rush-hour traffic in 20 minutes.

 

Regarding the formula, that is also true. I was able to predict what was going to happen in Series 4 pretty much every time before it actually occured. It was still great entertainment, but a bit samey. I'm hoping Series 5 will be a bit better in this regard.

 

bores me to tears. sorry.

Well, 24 is a man's show. Go watch, uh.. Friends.

 

That was a joke. Please don't hate me.

[dukkadukka]

Well, 24 is a man's show. Go watch, uh.. Friends.

 

That was a joke. Please don't hate me.

you sexist bastard!

 

love you

[Haver]

I like Friends

 

Anyway, I think I'm going to buy Season 3 so we can do this whole 24 Christmas-countdown extravaganza. I've seen the other two seasons on telly so I shall be prepared!

[Hero-of-Time]

24 is an amazing show. I own all of them on dvd and cant wait to see the next series and how they are going to get round the ending of series 4.

 

What series is everyones favourite? For me it would be series 4 because

 

 

I didnt expect that Air Force one would be shot down. They never really beat the bad guys and basically the whole ending.

 

 

Oh yeah and

 

 

When Tony came back that scene was freaking amazing and also the return of Palmer!

 

[Meik]

SPOILARS!1``

 

 

The scene where Tony comes back in Series 4 is indeed amazing. When he shot the terrorists, the camera angle it was shown from was a homage to the scene in Series 1 where he saves Teri and Kim at the safehouse. Brilliant.

 

The return of Palmer in itself was great, but I felt they could've reintroduced him a little better. Maybe breaking down the wall of the White House, eyes glowing with anger and with a hot bitch on each of his arms. Maybe with a gun grafted onto the end of his arm (like Barret in FF7), firing wildly.

 

As for my favourite series.. series 1 remains my favourite, and it will probably be that way. Series 2 comes close, if only due to Mason and his heroics.

[Mr_Odwin]

I haven't really read through this thread for fear of spoilers.

I've watched seasons 1,2 and 3, and I've decided that 3>1>2. I love 24 and now I'm just waiting for my friend to buy the boxset of season 4, because I'm cheap. Series 3 was cool because of all the fairly well-known characters that Jack shot.

[James]

Post the link to "Tell me where the bomb is" please.

[Meik]

Comic:

 

http://www.woosel.com/comics/comic26.php

 

Soundclip:

 

http://www.woosel.com/comics/bomb.mp3

[Charlie]

Only seen a little bit of it. Hopefully I'll get series 1 for Christmas... Only got one thing to say about it...... (You know what's coming, don't you?)

 

TELL ME WHERE THE BOMB IS!!!11!!!1

[James]

Mucho grassyarse.

[Ashley]

For the people who keep posting spoilers, we do have spoiler tags you know. No need to do the huge gap thing of CE past.

[The3rdChildren]

I have issues with the spoiler box leaving text unreadable by making the height far too small, but regardless of that there are just so many great scenes within 24. Mason and Jack's speech before Jack parachutes out of the plane, and just the little moment with his hand on Mason's shoulder is amazing, as I'm sure Mike will agree.

 

When you find out Nina (I just typoed that ninja, hah) is working against CTU on the phone is a huge shock, and everything from there on is just awesome. Down to when Jack drives the fucking truck through the building and goes berserk, clearly emotionally wrecked, to the really saddish music they pump out.

 

I really liked the season 4 finale, aside the regular stuff... just the music and montage of clips of the day ending, with Palmer walking away and stuff. Really puts a lump in my throat when Jack gives that little blink/breathless gaze after the call to Palmer at the end before heading off down the railway tracks. It really did leave you wondering how Jack Bauer will reappear in season five, and hyped me more than any of the previous endings did, which I guess means does it's job.

 

I have to say season one and two had great shock endings, whilst seasons three and four were brilliantly emotional Jack stuff. I guess series one could class as that too, but the third was just so well acted and totally summed everything that had happened up. Music was very good, as well.

 

The time aspect of the show has been discussed here already, but I do have to confess that I let little inconsistencies and liberties slide, because there's so much good to outweigh the bad. How can anyone turn their nose up at a 24 hour action movie?

 

Oh, and Mandy is hot. So totally hot. Having her in season four really did make up for the lack of Kim.

[Hero-of-Time]

The only thing that is starting to annoy me ( not much ) is the whole:

 

 

A traitor being in CTU!

 

 

Its been done to death now and I hope that there isnt anymore.

 

I agree while the show is mainly action based it does bring a sense of emotion as you do really get attached to the characters. I mean that whole issue with Chappelle in series 3 and Mason in series 2 was very dramatic and emotion filled.

 

Oh another favourite moment in series 4 of mine is where the episode ends with:

 

 

Jack getting ready to goto the building to rescue his girlfriend and her father singlehandedly

 

[Guest Jordan]

 

Jack getting ready to goto the building to rescue his girlfriend and her father singlehandedly

 

Thats because Jack fucking owns...

[Hero-of-Time]

The guys a legend! Hes a one-man army.

 

Here is a trailer for series 5....be prepared to have goose bumps. Also dont watch it if you havent seen any others as it contains spoilers!!!!

 

http://www.24la.net/videos/teaser1season5.wmv

[Domstercool]

A traitor being in CTU!? Hehhehe I guess you haven't watched all of series 3, you'll soon understand this "traitor" I personally loved how that was done.

[The3rdChildren]

A traitor being in CTU!? Hehhehe I guess you haven't watched all of series 3, you'll soon understand this "traitor" I personally loved how that was done.

 

That guy provides one of my favourite moments in series 3, and the whole twist midway through is really good, I thought. Series 3 totally catered for those who knew what they wanted with 24 with all the action and cool bio-threat.

 

I agree with the poster above, the situation with Mason really was what made series 2 so great for me, and what happened to Ryan Chapelle was just so shocking, the way that episode ended just left you NEEDING to see more of the series as soon as possible (God bless you, DVDs).