24: Seasons 1-3

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Product details:

Product group: DVD
Edition: DVD
Publisher: Fox Home Entertainment
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Release Date: 2005-04-12
Number of discs: 19
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Carlos Bernard, Elisha Cuthbert, Dennis Haysbert
Encoding: Region 1
Studio: Fox Home Entertainment
Aspect Ratio(s): 1.78:1
Manufacturer: Fox Home Entertainment
Package Dimensions: 7.7 x 75 x 34 inches

Such a simple idea--yet so fiendishly complex in the execution. 24, as surely everyone knows by now, is a thriller that takes places over 24 hours, midnight to midnight, in 24 one-hour episodes (well, 45-minute episodes if you subtract the commercials). Everything takes place in real time, which means no flashbacks, no flash-forwards, no handy time-dissolves. Every strand of the plot has to be dovetailed and interlocked so things happen just when they should, in the right amount of time. Not that easy. Creator Robert Cochran and his team of writers and directors have done an impressive job of putting the jigsaw together and keeping the tension ratcheted up high, as federal agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) runs around L.A. trying to stall an assassination attempt on an African American presidential candidate and rescue his wife and daughter from the clutches of the Balkan bad guys.

In the second season, Jack is no longer on the government payroll; unfortunately for him, this small fact doesn't seem to matter to the president and the NSA, who call him back in to the CTU and give him 24 hours to infiltrate a terrorist organization that is planning to detonate a dirty bomb in the city of angels. Fans of the original won't be disappointed, as there are more than enough shock moments in the first few hours to hint at the climactic build-up to come, while newcomers can quickly get involved in the lives of Jack and his family.

In the third season--three years after the events of "Day Two"--a vengeful terrorist threatens to release a lethal virus that could wipe out much of the country's population. Jack attempts to broker a deal for the virus involving a drug kingpin, setting the 24-hour clock ticking in a tight, action-packed plot involving a potential traitor in CTU's midst. The intricately woven subplots that are 24's greatest strength are masterfully developed here, and character arcs are equally strong. 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. As always, Sutherland anchors the series in the role he was born to play.

Customer reviews:

Pure Adrenaline, great writing and wonderful acting, 2009-05-22
Up until this year, I'd yet to see one '24' episode. But out of boredom, I purchased the first three episodes and then the next three. Fantastic is the only succinct way to describe this program. Its conception and direction are cutting edge. The acting is superb. Every facial twitch has a meaning. Every gesture, every posture gives clues. And although the dialogue takes a back seat to the action, it is great fun.
This show has been mischaracterized as a politically right leaning show, but I beg to differ. The politicians featured are from both sides of the aisle. The philosophies expressed are not one way or another....in fact, are human and play to both the intellect and the emotion of today's world both ways.
We have good guys, bad guys, women in power, women not in power; we have politicos more interested in their own re-elections and shining examples of leadership here. We also have a host of bad guys--- from all groups, colors, political spectrums, and using all kinds of intrigue. We have yes men and wackos. We have terrorists and common criminals. Motives for behavior run the gamut of human experience---the heroic, the selfish, the petty, the confused, the terrified, the conceited. And just when we think we have catalogued all bits and pieces we find we've lost sight of someone or something rather important. It drives the imagination and is fueled by speculation. A vague sense of déjà vu permeates this show, and certainly the big themes have been making many headlines as we all explore our belief systems, values, and ethics as we try to contain and respond to terrorism and guerilla warfare in a complex world. Mysteries are solved and yet continue. Good guys get killed and bad guys get resurrected. Characters show compassion and disgust with each other. 24 is a slice of life under an electronic microscope. It is a melodrama, an object lesson, and a tragedy without becoming trite or predictable. And it is worth watching.
I think I've learned more about the inner workings of our government, especially our law enforcement, military, and political systems than I have in reading several newspapers a day over the past ten years by watching these DVDs. And I have also learned about the dark side of human nature, especially toward free America. Not every Arab is a terrorist. Not every corporate boss is a goon. Not every politician performs will under pressure. Not every supervisor understands their jobs, does them with skill or understands those under their direction and those human flaws drive this powerful show. But we also see people who exemplify those who exhaust any personal reserve and exhibit the most noble of qualities one can ever possess. I hope it continues for many more seasons.

A Few Thoughts On Each Season..., 2009-03-02
With each season of 24 that I watch, there seems to be a certain plot or character thread that I am really drawn into. Thus, here are what I consider to be the most engaging moments of each of these three seasons:

Season One: Though viewers see the progression of CTU's Jack Bauer from just a concerned parent to a man obsessed with getting them back, I found the "President Palmer" storyline to be much more effective in this first season. Watching President Palmer struggle to maintain his integrity amid a sea of deception is quite thought-provoking and, at times, even inspirational.

Season Two: The second season of 24 completely thrives on the sheer intensity of Jack Bauer. In a race to stop a nuclear device from detonating in Los Angeles, Bauer stops at nothing (and I mean NOTHING) to get the job done. The scene in which he interrogates/tortures a man suspected of being involved in the nuclear plot is, at least so far, the most intense scene in the history of the show.

Season Three: While still showcasing the moral integrity of President Palmer and the intensity of Jack Bauer, the third season showcases a new horror: the threat of biological terrorism. When a deadly toxin is released in a Los Angeles hotel, and threatened to be activated throughout the entire city, the entire CTU crew (while racing against the clock to find the perpetrator) are first-hand witnesses to the toxin's devastating effects.

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