I've loved the show from the first hour and back then the show faced cancellation, the final 11 episodes were in doubt as the ratings for the 2001-2002 season were not great.
Then the final 11 were ordered and fans were relieved that at least we would get to see the story play out. One season was fine, we were hopeful but also curious how they would do a second season. The writers pitched their idea for a second season and Fox ordered another season. Season two was arguably even better then season one.
CTU was bombed (after that you didn't think the writers would attack CTU again...)
George Mason dying before our eyes
Nina returned! (and it made sense)
Bearded Jack: I'm going to need a hacksaw
President Palmer did not disapoint
Kim was stuck with a abusive father, arrested for murder, a cougar, then a lone nut, then a hostage in a convenience store and ended the day with her boyfriend dumping her and her killing her psycho boss. But she was reunited with her dad (still that was a lot of BS to put up with)
The Warners
and the nuke going off midseason!
Michelle Dessler + Tony
Season three was adequate, it had its moments but was clearly the weakest of the three. It also wrote out Palmer and Tony. The first three seasons acted as a trilogy of sorts.
Season four was the first "reboot" where everything was pretty much new. And it started the non-stop season with the 2 day 4 hour premiere everyone loves. This format fit 24 perfectly and greatly helped boost 24 in the ratings.
Chase and Kim were gone. We learned to like Chloe and find Edgar annoying. The President didn't get much face time and even though he was Palmer's opponent you didn't hate him. The ending for season four is the only thing that could rival Teri dying in season one. Jack saves the day but then has to fake his death and walks out into sunrise. Goodbye to Audrey, Kim, the reunited Tony & Michelle, Palmer etc. He may have lost his friends and family but now he maybe had a chance to start over and find happiness as well as protect Kim/Audrey.
Of course the ending helped set up my favourite season, season five. Palmer is assassinated moments into the season and everyone who helped Jack fake his death was threatened. From start to finish it was an awesome story. Christopher Henderson, Tony's "death", Edgar's death just made you freeze. President Logan, to make the president the villain was genius (did not care for the secret group that was behind Logan that was written in season seven). Palmer and Keeler would help Jack out and now the entire U.S. Government and Military was against Jack Bauer. Jack sneaking onto a plane then hijacking it and then having Logan wanting to shoot it down is one of my favourite pair of episodes. Jack and Agent Pierce overcame Logan and everything seemed fine, cue a rare happy ending, Jack is with Audrey. A Chinese man tells Jack his daughter is on the phone (he doesn't have a cell?) and you knew that the hinted threat all season long would happen. Logan or Jack's brother leaked Jack's location and had a kick ass cliffhanger. "Just kill me." That would've been the perfect moment for the show to end. Highest ratings in the shows history, Jack in China sets up an easy 2 hour escape/revenge movie. They won an Emmy that year for Best Drama after four previous nominations (it hasn't been nominated since).
Jack could've lived on in another 2-4 movies in various locations around the world. Instead we got season six, this is when 24 falls and never truly recovers. The first four hours were stellar ending with Curtis being shot, Jack quitting and a nuclear bomb detonated in Valencia. Hard to top that and work around it. The Bauer Family storyline did not work out, it seemed too cliched. Logan teaming up with Jack was cool but was just another plot device recycled from previous seasons (Nina teaming with Jack). Don't know how the writers thought they could reuse plots from various seasons and not think the audience wouldn't pick up on it. If you're going to do it has to be better than the first time and none of them were. The show had a few memorable moments, especially Jack's confrontation with Heller but the show had delivered its worst season by far. Another trilogy had ended.
The writer's strike came which bumped 24 off for 20 months. For once the time between seasons actually matched. 24:Redemption started off a new trilogy in Africa. Seeing Jack there breathed new life into the series, this wasn't California pretending to be Africa this was on another continent. It setup season seven where there would be a female president, located in Washinton and no CTU. Sounded promising. Tony was even back but like Chris Henderson and Stephen Saunders he appeared to have changed sides. Season seven was an improvement but it still wasn't as strong as the first five seasons. You can only stay fresh for so long. 24 had produced the equivalent of 63 two hour action movies. Most franchises can't produce 3 movies that satisfy fans.
A eighth season was commissioned and while I tuned in I didn't have much patience for the show that I once loved. After the fifth episode I let the TiVo record the season and I did not miss it at all. At one time that would've seemed impossible. If I couldn't watch it live I was watching it a few hours later on the west coast feed or taping it on VHS and then later TiVo. I will still tune in and see what they create for the finale. Maybe one day in the future Fox will remake the series and learn of the mistakes and Jack Bauer will have a ****** day once again.
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