21 January 2007 - Sky One, 9.00 pm
WRITER: Howard Gordon DIRECTOR: Jon Cassar
CAST: Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O'Brian), D.B Woodside (President Wayne Palmer), James Morrison (Bill Buchanan), Peter MacNicol (Thomas Lennox), Jayne Atkinson (Karen Hayes), Carlo Rota (Morris O'Brian), Eric Balfour (Milo Pressman), Marisol Nichols (Nadia Yassir), Regina King (Sandra Palmer), Michael Angarano (Scott Wallace), Megan Gallagher (Gillian Wallace), Tzi Ma (Cheng Zhi), Adoni Maropis (Abu Fayed), Kal Penn (Ahmed Amar), Rapael Sbarge (Ray Wallace), Eric Bruskotter (Stan), Steven Schub (Henchman #1), D.C Douglas (Blake Simon), Ruben Pla (Yusef Amar), Khalil Joseph (Middle Eastern Man), Marci Michelle (CTU Worker), Benito Paje (Young East Asian Man)
The country is in the midst of a sustained terrorist campaign against innocent civilians. President Wayne Palmer secures the release of Jack Bauer from the Chinese, to use as a bargaining chip with a terrorist informant...Jack Bauer, fresh from saving the country from toxic gas and exposing the President as a criminal, was last seen pleading to die in a ship bound for Shanghai, captured by the Chinese in retaliation for his storming of their Embassy in season 4...
Season 6 leaps ahead in time by 19 months. In that time, Wayne Palmer has followed in his late brother David's footsteps by becoming President Of The United States. Unfortunately, things aren't going well, with the nation caught in a reign of terror. Fear, paranoia and racism infect the lives of everyday citizens, some of whom are turning against each other, with the governments powerless to stem the tide of violence....
Thank God Jack is back, eh? The country goes to hell whenever he's not around! Palmer secures the return of Jack to U.S soil, so that he can be used as a bargaining chip with terrorist Fayed -- who has a grudge to settle with Mr Bauer...
24 remains essential viewing for fans. The wonderful real-time format and tight plotting is back in force, grabbing viewers by the throat and refusing to let their attention wander. The opening episodes of every new season are particularly good, as 24 regularly takes leaps into the future and restyles itself. As such, it remains fresh and invigorated, despite predictably moving into tried-and-trusted routines. It may find time to restyle, but it's never truly reinvented itself. But why fix what's not broken?
Kiefer Sutherland is superb as Jack Bauer, already an iconic character who never gets stale. Sutherland has a quiet intensity that's magnetic to watch. The sight of Jack bound in chains, with haggard beard and scars laced over his body is the most is the most humbling appearance of the super-agent yet. It's not long before he's had a shave, but the months of mistreatment have clearly taken their toll.
There are familiar faces back in action: the wonderful James Morrison as CTU boss Bill Buchanan, intense Roger Cross as Curtis Manning, Mary Lynn Rajskub as stroppy geek Chloe, D.B Woodside as mild-mannered Wayne Palmer and Jayne Atkinson as Karen Hayes (now National Security Advisor to the President and wife of Bill.)
However, season 6's premiere is notable for its new faces (the death toll of characters in season 5 was pretty high). Amongst them is the reliable Paul MacNicol as Chief of Staff Thomas Lennox (another untrustworthy slimeball...), Carlo Rota as Morris O'Brian (introduced last year, but really shining now), Eric Balfour returns from season 1 as computer whiz Milo (now in CTU management), and Marisol Nichols appears as CTU's number two Nadia Yassir.
The added stimuli of characters and a fresh plot make the premiere episode particularly memorable. The narrative flows quickly and smoothly, with the dynamics expertly laid out in the writing. Now in its sixth year, the team behind 24 are dab hands at this sort of thing, and there's no sign of fatigue or repetition.
In fact, this looks to be the most plausible storyline yet. By focusing on the relatable subject of suicide bombers, then cranking it up a few notches, season 6 presents us with an intriguing "what if?" scenario. 24 enjoys showing us heightened versions of our own world, making unlikely events frighteningly plausible. The show has mostly existed post-9/11, so even its most far-fetched moments aren't so easy to shrug off as they would have been a mere seven years ago. But now, on the evidence of this opener at least, they seem to be showing us a glimpse at a nightmarish future...
However, for all its attempts to shine a light on real politics, 24 is essentially just rollicking good entertainment. Pure and simple. The joy of the show comes from the adrenaline rush every moment presents us with: tough decisions, unthinkable choices, dangerous situations, gruelling tortures, dizzying stunts, insidious double-crossing and that omnipresent ticking clock...
For fans, they need no persuasion to watch. From the moment Jack emerges in shackles from the belly of a Hercules transport, to the moment he starts kicking ass again, they'll be hooked. For newcomers, the show is more accessible than other serialized dramas. It helps if you know the character relationships and histories, but each season tells a new story and the anti-terrorism premise is easy to plug into. If anybody doesn't get swept up in the pace and atmosphere... well, check their pulse.
Make no mistake about it: television's answer to crack cocaine is back and refusing to let the quality dip.
