WHAT FOLLOWS IS RELATIVELY SPOILER-FREE. Who knew that Fox dealt drugs on the side? 24 is televised crack, after all, a show so addictive the FDA should've intervened at some point during its production. Thank God I waited for 24 to hit DVD to tune in--I can't imagine going a week between fixes, and that may ultimately account for the series' dwindling ratings: without instant access to the next episode, the whole thing must seem a bit of a cocktease. That said, I ploughed through 24 on DVD at an average rate of two per day, afraid of risking overdose.
What you first need to understand about 24 is that co-creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran were flying without a net throughout production, working from an incomplete outline with the ostensible purpose of keeping things fresh; in other words, be suspicious of every character (but don't try to second-guess motivations) and expect to sometimes take the scenic route in terms of plotting. The second key to enjoying 24 requires applying the lessons you learned from sequels to Die Hard: yes, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is that unfortunate over the course of a single day, a modern Job maintaining his allegiance to national security.
The third: overlook a lot of the repetition. Would-be First Lady Sherry Palmer (Penny Johnson Jerald of The Larry Sanders Show)--Lady Macbeth cum Hillary Clinton--has a couple of mantras, variations on "I'm just trying to protect my family," that get old fast (though Johnson Jerald's turn is above reproach), while the number of telephone rings per episode borders on obscene. 24 probably makes history not only for its innovative real-time format, but also its unconditional use of the cell phone--it would be an unenviable task to stage this show in the pre-mobile era.
These are provisos rather than criticisms--of serious problems with the taut 24, I have very few. Although it's good to see Kiefer Sutherland back on the screen, be it big or small, one wishes that Jack wasn't so consistently a mere vessel for exposition; the tragic weight of his sins comes to pass in the final hour, yet he registers as little more than a glorified errand boy--the producers resort to recycling clips from the pilot in the closing seconds to remind us of those two lines of dialogue Jack spoke that weren't work-related. (Still and all, a tender coda.) We like him, we just never hear his side of the story on anything.
The characters whipping him into a tizzy do emerge as flesh-and-blood creations, particularly Teri (Leslie Hope), Jack's better half, a strong woman whose will erodes as the day progresses, and African-American presidential candidate Senator David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), a gambling man striving for a healthy conscience. Even the broader performances, such as Dennis Hopper's Slavic baddie, transcend caricature; 24 is one of the more appropriately cast weekly dramas, and none of the main actors save Elisha Cuthbert (as Jack's self-jeopardizing daughter, Kim) is a glamour-puss--Surnow and Cochran 'keep it real' where they can, striking an imperfect but always-spellbinding balance of credibility and absurdity. Bring on season two, say I.
Fox's 6-disc box set of 24: Season One presents four episodes on each DVD in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Surround audio. Transfer quality is top-notch; the run was shot on old-fashioned celluloid--one can tell from the occasional hair at the bottom of the frameline. The image is otherwise without fault. As for the sound, its greatest asset is probably loudness. There are occasional burps from the subwoofer, the odd door slam in the rear channels... 24 might not look like traditional TV, but it's mixed that way. An alternate ending with optional commentary from Surnow, shot as insurance in case their intended finish felt atonal, plus a 2-minute "Introduction to Season 1" by Sutherland round out the supplemental section, aside from a spoiler-filled booklet tucked inside the packaging itself.-Bill Chambers
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