24: Season Three

The intricately woven subplots that are 24's greatest strength are masterfully developed here, and character arcs are equally strong, especially among CTU staffers Tony (Carlos Bernard) and his wife Michelle (Reiko Aylesworth); CTU director Ryan Chappelle (Paul Schulze), who is season 2's tragic bargaining chip; and the annoying but well-intentioned Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), who makes pivotal contributions with by-the-book efficiency. It's 24's superior casting that overcomes the series' occasional lapses in credibility, and season 3's twists make marathon viewing a nerve-wracking delight. By the time it's all over, with a high body count and the surgical reattachment of a main character's severed hand, 24 once again leaves you gratefully exhausted. As always, Sutherland anchors the series in the role he was born to play. When Jack takes a private moment to release 24 hours' worth of near-fatal tension and psychological anguish, Sutherland proves that 24's dramatic priorities are as important as its thriller momentum. DVD extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes (about the prison break sequence, climactic F-18 Hornet air-strike, and real-life bio-weaponry) that pay welcome tribute to the series' hard-working crew, who create Emmy-worthy television under pressures as intense as 24 itself. --Jeff Shannon

Jack and his counter-terrorist crew return in Season 3 to battle an impending bio-terrorism threat from a pair of Mexican drug lords. As is always the case, not everything is as it first appears. Along the way, new friends are made, shaky alliances are born, and trustworthy partners become enemies. It's all in a hard day's work for Jack, and viewers will undoubtedly get a kick out of watching all the plot twists play out.

24 has always been about putting the viewer through a high-intensity thrill ride, and Season 3 holds up wonderfully in that regard. Key characters are constantly put in the line of fire, and it's anybody's guess who will make it to the nail-biting next hour. There is one episode in particular, about two-thirds of the way through the season, that is incredibly frenzied, even by 24's lofty standards. Without giving away any spoilers, that is one episode in which I had to take a break from 24 for day or two afterwards and let the craziness of the events settle in - such was the ferocious emotional impact.

Besides the non-stop action, the next best quality of 24 is its razor-sharp dialogue. Again, Season 3 does not disappoint. All of the characters are given lines that either flesh out their personas marvelously, or contribute to the madcap pacing of the show. It's a joy to watch Kiefer Sutherland switch between his gruff, angry interrogation techniques and his more diplomatic tone when he talks to his superiors. Dennis Haybert, as President David Palmer, is likewise riveting in his portrayal of an idealistic leader who always wants to do what's right, but is forced to make some ethically questionable compromises. On the flip side, Joaquim de Almeida as drug lord Ramon Salazar is definitely a villian, but you can't help but start to like him for his charming swagger. (It doesn't hurt that he gets in a bunch of memorable one-liners, too). Penny Johnson Jerald and Sarah Clarke return as sketchy allies Sherry Palmer and Nina Myers, respectively. It's admittedly a bit of a stretch to see these two in the thick of the plot again, considering the punishments they received in Season 2. Their presence does add a great deal of uncertainty and dubiousness to the proceedings, though, which is worthwhile enough to erase any logic gaps that might linger.

All the tension that's built up in the show would amount to naught, though, if there weren't any grand payoffs. Not surprisingly, 24 is more than capable when it comes to action sequences. There are gunfights, helicopter chases, stakeouts, escapes through buildings, and all-out melees, all of which are choreographed with expert direction. Two sequences stand out in particular, both of which involve aerial strikes in the midst of large scale shootouts - these are definitely "Holy ****" moments that will have everyone cheering. Another episode pits Jack, Ramon and a couple of prison guards in a game of Russian roulette more intense than any other you'll see.

It's a testament to the show's strengths that even after watching through all 24 episodes, you'll likely be left clamouring for more. Even after the day's unbelievable events come to a close, the story arcs you'll have witnessed will have you wondering how the main characters will cope with their own new personal problems. Anyone who loves good, suspenseful action should absolutely give this series a try. It's true that the viewer needs to stretch logic a bit in picturing so many events taking place over the course of a day - but that quibble aside, 24 is easily the best that TV has to offer.


Melodramtic   May 1, 2005
 2 out of 17 found this review helpful

My friends highly recommended this show to me, telling me how addictive it is.

After 3 months of trying to get through the DVDs, I just don't get what the fuss is about.

Off the top, I can't get past the bad dialogue and melodramatic acting. I understand it's a tense plot, but even the bits that aren't life or death or career ending for the characters are played with the same level of seriousness so that there are no ups and downs to the show, just all ups. I can't get into the characters' problems from being distracted by all the capital-A Acting, particularly in the case of Sutherland. The dialogue is as overwrought and corny as a Vin Diesel movie or daytime soap opera. Really, just listen to any of the dialogue between Salazar and anyone. It's cringe-worthy.

I also can't get past the art direction: it stretches the imagination quite a bit to picture elite hackers dressing that impeccably. Counter-terrorism requires a business dress code? And after spending money for the level of technology they'd need and the experts needed to operate it, I don't see how a government agency could justify spending that much money on custom architecture and interior design, unless they snapped up the building at a bankruptcy sale from the previous dot com owners.

I can suspend my disbelief for any one or pair of these problems, but not all of them together.

On the plus side, I do like the real-time hook for the show, one day, one season, one hour per show. I find this is the one inspired element of the entire show. Although knowing what develops early in the show, one gets the sense that things will twist and turn like a mountain road as the hours go by. I don't find myself hooked at the end of each show as my friends had promised. I'm really not that concerned for the charcters or for what happens next to them. The melodrama is too thick for my taste, ultimately. Getting to the last episode has been a chore; and so I've been playing episodes while doing other chores like laundry or filing my taxes. It's not the worst show I've seen, but it's certainly no where near the best.


Season three - heartstopping action   December 9, 2004
 5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Yet again, we find Jack Bauer trying to stop evil in the world while keeping his coworkers and his family safe.

Watching this series is very addictive, as there are so many twists and turns, new characters, old characters, unexpected events, one will find it hard to stop watching.

This season was my favourite so far, but we'll have to see about season 4 in the new year.