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24 - Season One Customer Reviews (4 - 6 of 44 Reviews)

Lives up to the hype!
Overall, I do not spend very much time watching television. I find most of the shows just plain boring and predictable. So, when I heard all of the hype about 24 I figured it was just the flavor of the month. I never got a chance to watch, mostly because it seemed I was always busy when the season started, and it just felt wrong to sit down in the middle of the day. So, thanks got the magic of TV shows on DVD I finally decided to see what the hype about this show was about.

I would actually say that this show deserves all the hype it was received. The story is one of the most engaging I have ever seen for a TV show and it plays out better than most movies. One of my favorite parts about the shows is just the fact that you never completely know what is going to happen. When you watch a lot of these shows, you often times expect so called "plot twists" and characters to change allegiance and the like. However, this show manages to pull it off so even though you are expected it, it still manages to surprise you when it happens.

My main complaint is what most other people say- Jack's daughter absolutely annoys me. After awhile, I was hoping the terrorists would just take her out so she wouldn't get kidnapped any more.

I defiantly recommend this to everyone. A warning though: once you start watching it will be very difficult to stop until you have finished the series! Sooooo make sure you have a weekend free.


changed my perspective on what media can be
This is nothing less than the best television show I have ever watched. It is also better than any movie I have ever watched, except for LOTR, which it ties in terms of awesomeness. It has changed my perspective on what visual media can be. If I could give it 6 or 7 stars, I would.

I bought the first season on DVD and immediately became hooked. I think it is even better owning it on DVD than watching it on television, because you don't lose the tension in breaks for commercials, and you can watch it all straight. Honestly, the tension never lets up at the end of one of the hours, and in a way you can think of the "episodes" as just artificial divisions in time to make the show fit on television.

When I watched the first season, I watched an average of 5 shows at a time. It got to the point where I couldn't even go to bed despite being very tired because I had to keep watching (so I was about as tired as the characters in the show, who didn't sleep the night prior!). This is from somebody who otherwise watches at most 50 hours of television PER YEAR.

(Though I do watch a decent amount of movies.)

When I say it changed my perspective on what a television show can be, I mean that by dedicating an entire season to a single day and going through it sequentially, you really feel a connection with the actors that you wouldn't otherwise feel. You're going through everything exactly as they see it, and because they never feel the need to wrap things up at the end of any given hour, the show avoids the cliches and predictable plot twists that most television shows and movies feel the need to rely on in order to get their message across. Watching 24 makes you realize how "forced" movies in particular are, which have to include introduction, tension build, climax and resolution usually in under 2 hours. Not only does 24 not do this, but they also don't seem to have much interest in developing the plot "by the book," which is refreshing.

Also, 24 includes a lot of compelling storylines beyond the basic "Jack Bauer vs. terrorists" storyline that you might expect. It has some EXTREMELY interesting perspectives on politics that are not to be missed. Actually, I find the storyline of Senator Palmer's campaign to be every bit as interesting as the storyline of Jack Bauer's escapades.

It is also worth mentioning that the story does not completely revolve around Jack Bauer as the protagonist. It is probably more accurate to think of 24 (or at least the first season, which is all I have watched, though I have season 2 on the way) as consisting of as many as 6 protagonists, and many other heavily supporting characters (who are added and subtracted on a regular basis). Jack is the only one who you know doesn't die or otherwise go away, because he is on the cover of future seasons, but everybody else's story is completely up in the air, and there are no guarantees (I'm trying to say this without spoiling the plot). Moreover, because there are so many characters, the show moves very quickly as it keeps switching between each of their stories. Oftentimes the stories are completely separate and then will converge in unexpected ways.

24 also has a way of twisting back on itself. Plot changes will happen later on that will make you rethink something that happened earlier, and realize that you were just as fooled by what was presented as many of the characters were, DESPITE the fact that the evidence was all there for you to see.

By the end of this season, you will find yourself just wanting to hug Jack Bauer and tell him that everything is going to be ok. I don't think I've ever felt that much empathy for a fictional character before.

Definitely get this season, you owe it to yourself to get it.

PS: One techincal problem with this box set is that in a couple of very brief instances, the cameramen are actually impictured at the sides of the screen. I guess this was cut off in the made for TV version but they forgot it was still in the widescreen. I don't know if I'm the only one who noticed this. However, this happens for a total of less than 10 seconds over the entire season and really isn't a big deal at all.

Take the Ride

24, Season One in particular, is meant to be watched as a whole. No one can just watch one episode, because after one, you become hooked. So do yourself a favor and start from the beginning.

The beginning. It's slow. Oh, it's slow. Not bad, but slow. Viewers, as you watch the first few episodes, keep in mind that Season One escalates into an explosive and emotional journey, in which you truly get to know Jack Bauer, and (to a lesser extent) David Palmer.

Jack is a brilliant character, and his emotions become yours. The pacing of this season is brilliant, as is the climatic finale. The face off of Jack and the main villain (no spoilers in this review) is amazing, and the final moments of the season will leave your heart beating fast, and your eyes leaking tears. The family love and (ironically) togetherness is essential to the core of the season, and helps strengthen the viewers tie to the characters.

This is an amazing start to the best series of modern television.

9/10

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