Amazon.com

Jack Bauer is having another one of his "very bad days" in the second season of the groundbreaking real-time thriller 24. Once again the hours are ticking by with more guaranteed cliffhangers than a convention of mountain climbers. Holed up in a Los Angeles condo and estranged from his daughter, Jack is no longer on the government payroll; unfortunately for him, this small fact doesn't seem to matter to President David Palmer 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. All Jack wants is to get his daughter out of the city, unfortunately Kim's new employer, the abusive father of the child she is nannying, has other ideas.

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. There are some new characters to bolster the veteran cast and, interestingly (although not surprisingly), Jack's character has taken an altogether darker, more psychopathic turn. The danger the characters find themselves in also has a much more global, not to mention topical, impetus, grounded as it is in the war against terrorism.Although the territory is more familiar this time around, this second season is just as much a high-tension, taut, adrenalin-fuelled ride as the first, and one that will have you glued to your TV for the next 24 hours. --Kristen Bowditch ... Read more

Reviews (125)

Day Two: Countdown to Destruction
...And the countdown is on! One of the compelling themes that runs through 24 is the idea that someone, somewhere, is always running out of time. That's a notion that we can all identify with on many levels. Throw in a nuclear bomb scheduled to be detonated somewhere in Los Angeles, a group of renegade terrorists who control the bomb and a retired agent with a tragic past, and you've got a recipe for suspense, action and the unexpected. The major strength of 24 has always been its ability to be twisted and unpredictable. Although some of the surprises aren't as shocking as those in the first season of the show, there are more than enough to ratchet up the tension in this drama until the viewer's nerves become taught with anticipation. Kiefer Sutherland proved himself a top-notch actor in the first season of this unique series and he returns as Federal Agent Jack Bauer. Bauer is a man haunted by his own demons; the tragic death of his wife and the estrangement of his daughter Kim. The last thing he wants to do is help his old friends at CTU with another mission. But he can't bring himself to say no to President David Palmer when he is asked to help hunt down a nuclear bomb somewhere in L.A. Jack is dragged into the middle of it all and finds himself working undercover with a McVeigh-like group of domestic terrorists, a path that will ultimately lead him to a forced alliance with his arch nemesis, Nina Myers (Sarah Clark), the traitor who killed Jack's wife in the explosive finale of season one. The scenes between jack and Nina are probably the most electrifying and intense during the course of the day. Once they worked as partners and lovers, and now they must track down the bomb with an ever-present sense of murderous ferocity between them. Meanwhile, Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), must deal with a conspiracy within his own administration, lead by those who seek to remove him from power any way they can. Things become more complicated when Palmer's duplicitous ex wife, Sherry (Penny Johnson Jerald), arrives on the scene claiming to have information that will help the President during this crisis. Other familiar faces return from the first season, including the rye Tony Almeda (Carlos Bernard), the loyal Mike Novick (Jude Ciccolella) and the apathetic George Mason (Xander Berkeley). Mason was a minor character during the previous season, but his role in this day's events becomes important as he is forced to face his own destiny. We also meet a young lady who is about to marry a Middle Eastern businessman who may or not be a terrorist. The weakest plot thread throughout Day Two involves Kim Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert). Many fans found her exploits annoying during the first season when she was more central to the story, but during this day of building terror, she seems to serve as little more than filler as she tries to help a little girl flea Los Angeles and her abusive father. The purpose of the writers seems to be to put Kim in every conceivable terrifying scenario, from a hostage situation in a convenience store to an unexpected encounter in the woods with a cougar. Still, while they are irritating, the Kim story line doesn't detract from the excellent suspense of the other major plots as Jack hunts down the nuclear bomb and tries to prevent a war from being waged by the U.S. in the Middle East. The real-time format in which each episode represents one hour in this day-long period may create implausibility at times, but its easy to forgive the writers when the tension is razor sharp.

The extras in this DVD package are superb and are far superior to the meager offerings of the Season One set. We are given 44 deleted scenes that can be branched into the shows, episode commentary from all major stars and producers and three behind-the-scenes documentaries that take up an entire bonus disk. The picture quality is excellent and the sound is in clear Dolby 5.1 dynamics. Many fans have compared the two seasons and there seems to be a split decision as to which one is better. While I personally lean a bit more toward season one as the better story offering, both seasons are excellent and I encourage every viewer to check out both packages and decide for yourself. Whether you prefer season one or two, you won't be disappointed with either. It is well worth the money you would invest to own the box set. Once you start watching, you won't be able to stop. Like the previous season, 24 is one hell of a wild ride from start to finish.

No match for season 1
Though still one of the most exciting shows on TV, the second installment of "24" definitely didn't deliver the first season's gritty realism and excitement. (Admittedly, it was a hard act to follow.) The season begins with Jack Bauer called into duty on an imminent terrorist threat, after having gone into an apparent retirement after the first season. Jack's daughter Kim is involved in her own little plot that eventually snowballs into several rather ridiculous situations, all of them having essentially nothing to do with the main plot, unlike her role in season one. After Jack is called back into duty (for a very specific reason) the coincidences needed to keep him working on the case seem pretty unlikely. First, his superior George Mason has a serious health problem, and then Nina Meyers (from season one) enters the fray..

A large portion of the plot is also devoted to internal conflicts in President David Palmer's administration, which the writers make quite interesting. There are some engaging standout episodes and some memorable intense moments. However, a lot of the time it seems like the writers are filling in the show's 24 allotted episodes with material that is either irrelevant or farfetched. I look forward to season three, but at this rate, I don't see how they can come up with enough interesting material to keep Jack Bauer as main character.

www.filmwiseguy.funtigo.com
Season 2 is probably the best of the three. This one is much more gripping and does not include farfetched moments such as sudden amnesia in Season One. Everything in season 2 is suspenseful; from finding the nuclear bomb to the 24th Amendment on President Palmer and the aftermath of the nuclear bomb. "24" is so ingenious in making everything so fresh and original in each episode despite following one guideline throughout the year which is to stop the bomb. The finale is much more exciting with a cliffhanger ending that makes you wish this show would be called "48." I can't wait until season 4 for more suspense that only "24" can deliver.

Well done, but over the edge at times
Anthony, you shouldn't be so hard on Chris. People who talk about the "WORST (or BEST) ever, in history, etc. are either very young or use extremes for discription. Unfortunately that is the trend in this country. I have the first set and will get this one. The reason it is 4 stars is the constant confusion at HQ, with traitors, personal relations, and temper tantrums to a degree NO organization (much less national security) could ever permit. I wonder how long the series can continue--by using "superman" plots it is hard to keep coming up with something the audience will accept. I'll be very surprised if it goes beyond 4 seasons--but maybe the writers can tone it down a bit (which would be good anyway).

Very Entertaining
This is high-quality TV that makes other TV programs and even most movies look amateur by comparison. To those of you who have used words like "ludicrous" and "implausible" to describe the plot of Season Two, how exactly do you know? Truth is a lot stranger than fiction. If you're biased against Kiefer Sutherland to begin with, then you'll find reasons to dislike the program that has revived his career, and nothing will convince you that 24 is worthwhile TV. To all others, try to be objective and calm while watching 24. Refrain from throwing stuff at your TV screen. We've all grown so accustomed to watching schmaltzy, amateurish garbage on TV that causes us to roll our eyes in disgust. But for once the producers, writers, and actors in Hollywood have risen to the occasion. Give them a chance. One warning: Season Two is quite violent. A lot of characters are killed and/or tortured over the course of 24 hours. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There's not one cougar to be found in 24's dynamic third season, and that's good news for everyone. After Jack Bauer's daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) survived hokey hazards in season 2, she's now a full-time staffer at CTU, the L.A.-based intelligence beehive that's abuzz once again--three years after the events of "Day Two"--when a vengeful terrorist threatens to release a lethal virus that could wipe out much of the country's population. Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) attempts to broker a deal for the virus involving drug kingpin Ramon Salazar (Joaquim de Almeida), whose operation Jack successfully infiltrated at high personal cost: to maintain his cover, he got hooked on heroin. That potentially deadly triangle--drug lords, addiction, and bioterrorism on a massive scale--sets the 24-hour clock ticking in a tight, action-packed plot involving a potential traitor in CTU's midst; the return of TV's greatest villainesses in Nina Meyers (Sarah Clarke) and former First Lady Sherry Palmer (Penny Johnson Jerald); a troubled romance between Kim and Jack's new partner Chase (James Badge Dale); and a scandalized reelection campaign by president David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), who monitors CTU as they struggle to (literally) save the day.

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 ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Well worth watching, but more uneven than Seasons One or Two
Season three begins 3 years after season two. Jack Bauer has returned from a deep undercover assignment, where he infiltrated and won the trust of the Salazar brothers, two drug dealers with ties to terrorist cells. Jack's assignment ended successfully with the capture of Ramone Salazar, and the season begins with Jack paying a visit to Salazar in jail.

At the same time, a mysterious van drops off a dead body at a National Health Services facility in Los Angeles. The body had been infected with a weaponized virus, and the delivery is clearly a signal that terrorists are threatening to unleash havoc in L.A.

Are these two events connected? Jack has to find out, but he is struggling with an incredible burden that may affect his job performance. As in the previous seasons, Kiefer Sutherland again is exceptional, and easily worthy of the awards he's earned for his performance in 24.

The third season brings back a few characters from Season Two, and introduces many new ones. Tony Almeida is back, and is running CTU side by side with Jack. Michelle Dessler, another CTU worker that was Tony's love interest in Season Two, is also back, and by the second half of Season Three, Michelle becomes a very important character. Reiko Aylesworth, who plays Michelle, really shines as her character takes on new importance and new responsibilities. And finally, Dave Chappelle, a by-the-book guy from "Division", returns from Season Two. Chappelle has the authority to oversee CTU, and usually disapproves of Jack's unorthodox methods. Chappelle played a minor role in Season Two, and does again in Season Three, except that he becomes the center of a particularly thrilling episode late in the Season.

Season Three also sees the return of Nina Myers and Sherry Palmer, the two villians we love to hate. Nina's entrance into the storyline is too coincidental to be plausible, but you quickly forgive the writers for this, because her storyline is very good. If you are familiar with Jack and Nina's history, you will find the climax of Nina's storyline in Season Three to be thrilling. Both of these women are complex characters, and their relationships with their "men" (Nina to Jack and Sherry to the President) are complex and interesting.

Jack's daughter Kim is back, and is now working at CTU as a computer geek. It seems that Jack got her the job so that he could keep an eye on her and insure that she wouldn't get stuck in any mountain lion traps. The writers mostly avoid the mistakes they made with Kim's character in Season Two.

There are new characters, I will only mention two. Jack has a new, young partner named Chase Edmunds. Chase is a young version of Jack, highly competent and willing to step over the line to get results. Chase also idolizes Jack, though events during Season Three will put their relationship to the test.

The other new character is a young computer expert named Chloe. She has no social skills (she is frequently and unintentionally rude to her co-workers, and after a while this behavior gets to be a running joke), but Chloe makes up for it with exceptional skill at her job. There are many times when Jack, Tony, or Chappelle give her a near impossible task that would ordinarily take hours, but they need it done in minutes. Chloe always rises to the occasion.

That's as much as I can tell you without giving anything away.

Now, as to the quality of Season Three: There are some truly great episodes, and the plot has some really neat twists and turns. However, like most critics, I believe that Season Three is more uneven than Seasons One or Two, and has more episodes that are just "okay" rather than truly great. Still, Season Three is well worth watching, and I really respect the writers for reinventing "24" every season - they don't repeat the same formula every year, they work hard to come up with something new and different and exciting, and for the most part, they succeed.

Another reviewer here said the season finale was lackluster. I respectfully disagree, I thought it was as good as the finale to Season Two. In order to appreciate the very last scene, you need to remember all the trauma that Jack has been through in this long day; viewers who didn't see every episode, or didn't remember everything, probably cannot feel the impact of the final scene. But if you watch Season 3 on DVD, you can see all the episodes without waiting a week or more between episodes, so you will remember everything and really enjoy the final scene.

However, I agree with that reviewer's disappointment over the fact that Season Three brushes off major plot points from Season Two without satisfactorily explaining them - namely, the assassination attempt on President Palmer, and Jack's relationship with Kate. Clearly, the writers decided to abandon these storylines and wanted to wrap them up with minimal effort on their part.

The Most Compelling Season yet!
I think about all that has happend and it's a lot. Jack races against time to stop a deadly virus from being spread. He has to make huge decisions to stop the virus from spreading and some are pretty contriversal. However you understand he's just doing what has to be done so millions don't die. President Palmer has to make huge choices as well in-order to save the careers of him and his brother.

He also has to deal with a dangerous terrorist in-order to keep the virus from spreading. One is to have a CTU member killed. He has no choice to deal with the terrorist because he already knows what he's capable of after the virus is let loose in a motel building. 24 season 3 is the most unpredictible season yet. You never could predict who would live and who would die. When the seasons do end, none of them end with a happy ending. In season 1, Jack found his wife dead. In season 2 President Palmer passes out after getting some sort of flesh eating virus. So compared to those endings, seasons 3's ends a lot less shocking but still it's a fitting ending when you think about all Jack went through that one day.

By Far The Most Intense Season By Far
Season 3 starts the way season 2 ended. We are stuck in a plot that is completely unknown, and pointless. Half-way through the day, the action starts to really pump up and explode, and who cares that it has cornball plotting? Even before the day ends, 24 delivers more of it's unexpected formula, including a outbreak of a deadly virus killing nearly 1,000 people, which is shown very graphicly, and the final episode will leave your heart pounding. This season alone makes up for what season 2 failed in. This season finished with all barrels blazing. 24 is spectacular.

The Best Season Yet
I haven't acutally bought the DVD so I don't know what the special features are but I own the other two seasons and saw the third season on television and I have to say that this is by far the best season yet, the relationships and action are much better than the other two, you will really start to love tony and michelle, if you havnen't already. This season also only focuses on one problem that CTU faces this year: an airborne virus, and this problem keeps you watching for the whole season!

Why isn't it coming?
I loved 24 season 3. it was one of the best shows i watched all year. i hope it comes out on DVD, because it will make alot of money. I know a lot of people who watch this show. ... Read more

Amazon.com

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 baddies. Twists, turns, revelations, and cliffhangers are tossed at us with satisfying regularity. It's not perfect: we get some hokey plot devices (instant amnesia, anybody?); the final twist makes no sense whatsoever; there are altogether too many huggy family moments; and as for Dennis Hopper's "Serbian" accent....

Even so, this is undeniably mold-breaking TV. Sutherland, rescuing his career from the doldrums in one heroic leap, fully deserves his Golden Globe. Sets and locations are artfully deployed, and Sean Callery's score is a powerful, brooding presence. Like Murder One and The Sopranos, 24 is one of those series that future TV thrillers will be measured against. --Philip Kemp ... Read more

Reviews (351)

Immensely entertaining, but the story doesn't quite add up
Okay, let me begin by saying I love this series and I'm confident you will too. However, there are some faults with both this DVD package and the overall storyline of the first season. This, however, will not keep you from enjoying what is essentially a 24 hour movie packaged as a weekly television show.

Kiefer Sutherland stars as Jack Bauer, a federal agent for the Counter Terrorist Unit in Los Angeles. Around midnight, Jack is called into work where he meets up with fellow agents Nina Meyers (Sarah Clarke), and Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), among others. Jack soon learns that one of his own people might be working against him in a plot to assassinate presidential hopeful David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert). As if Jack's troubles aren't enough, wife Terri (Leslie Hope) calls with news that dutiful daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) has snuck out with a friend and is missing. Jack's day only gets worse from here.

24 is presented in a real-time format. Each episode represents one hour in Jack Bauer's struggle to protect Senator Palmer and his own family. Each hour is complete with surprising twists, and first-rate acting. You'll be stunned more than once.

There are a few problems with the first season that lower the rating of this set. These problems are understandable however. Initially, it looked like the show might be cancelled in the middle of the first season's run, which forced the producers to conclude some story aspects early. Then the show was picked up for a full season, and they were forced to regroup and keep the story going for more episodes. This lead to some lame twists in the middle of season one, though I won't reveal them. Of course, if you've already read the Amazon review, at least one of them has been spoiled for you (note to Amazon, great job with that by the way!). However, said lame twist bothers me a lot less than the season's ending twist, which will leave you saying, "huh?" It doesn't make complete sense. Fortunately, you can come up with explanations that make the twist work. It just takes a little stretch of the imagination since the writers never bother explaining it themselves.

24 is very much about stretching the imagination, however. For a series like this to work, you have to let some things slide. I mean, sure it takes Jack three to five minutes to drive to just about anywhere in L.A., but would we really want to see Jack stuck in traffic for five hours? I personally would not enjoy that.

This particular episode compilation is also short on special features. And I mean immensely short! There is one alternate ending and I believe that might be it. So one star off for the far-fetched ending, and one star off for the subpar DVD set. The episodes themselves will mostly wow you. That's a promise.

Innovative, Action-Packed, Suspenseful! WOW!!
"Right now terrorists are plotting to assassinate a presidential candidate, my wife and daughter have been kidnapped and the people that I work with may be involved in both. I'm federal agent Jack Bauer and this is the longest day of my life." Kiefer Sutherland, as agent Bauer, opens each episode of "24 - Season One" with these lines, which accurately describe the plot of this action-packed thriller. Each hour-long episode represents 60 minutes in a 24 hour period, beginning at 12:00am and ending at 12:00pm - thus the title "24." The real-time storyline is extremely innovative, the cast performance is superb, as is the script. And the suspense and quick pace will take your breath away. If you missed segments of the 1st season, and/or just love the series and want to be able to see it again and again, then the DVD is a terrific buy!

I don't watch much television and so missed the first season completely. I had heard friends rave about this series and decided to rent the first DVD. I never looked back! Excellent! ENJOY!
JANA

I wasted '24' hours I'll never get back
To say i feel like my intelligence was insulted would be the greatest understatement possible. This was a great (COPIED) idea (a drama occurring in real time) that went wrecklessly awry. Sutherlands talents were abused by terrible editing, directing, and a convoluted story line that read more like the never ending 3rd world soap opera. I rented the entire DVD series, and skipped about every other disk in order to keep my sanity. It wasn't difficult to determine who the traitor was within 30 minutes of the first installment. This series portrays the intelligence community like the 3 stooges, and the criminals like the masterminds (Do we really need more of that?) In addition, if Jack Bauer's daughter was truly that stupid, for God's sake, let the bad guys keep her. Dennis Hopper turned in a strong performance, possibly being the single saving grace of the entire catastrophe. The 'Senator' was the only character who drew any respect from me at all. Before emotionally investing in the characters of '24' try watching "Nick of Time" (Starring Johnny Depp). Nick of Time was released in 1995 and is eerily similar...hmmmm *scratches chin* Well, anyway, if 'Nick of Time' gets you all excited, then by all means '24' may be the kind of movie for you.

Terrific
This is TV at its finest. Bravo to Kiefer Sutherland for taking a chance on the "small screen". For him, federal agent Jack Bauer is the role of a lifetime. It's hard to imagine a better match between actor and character. Season One is outstanding. One of the best moments occurs in the first meeting between Bauer and Senator David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert). The two characters nearly come to blows over a misunderstanding of the situation. It's intense. Sutherland looked like he really wanted to deck Haysbert in that scene, that's how angry he appeared. Sit back, watch this program, avoid nitpicking, and find yourself shocked and awed. The storytellers in Hollywood hit the bullseye with this one.

Captivating! My Wife and I couldn't Stop Watching.
My Cousin brought this over and I must admit I wasn't in any hurry to watch it. It took me a week before I could muster up the courage to watch an episode. When I did, I was hooked. I watched 6 episodes of the 24 late at night and couldn't wait to find the time to watch the others.

My wife didn't really want to watch it either, but she finally gave it a chance. She was an instant addict as well!

The show is very well done. Instead of just one story about an antiterrorist agent, it has many that all interlink. It is packed with action and suspense that will keep you guessing till
the very end. If you want great entertainment, buy this DVD ... Read more

Reviews (1)

As if You'll Be Able to Stop Here
In a recent effort to get casual fans interested in their TV products on DVD, Fox has released two episode starter sets of several of their shows.Reasonably priced, they tempt the viewer to buy the first season and even provide a coupon for the purchase price of the sampler off the price of the complete first season if offered.The casual fan has little to loose.

Here, Fox is offering the first two episodes of season 1 of 24, the most addicting thrill ride on TV today.Just as the Bauer family is about to call it a night, Jack gets a phone call that sends him into work.CTU has a credible threat on Presidential candidate Senator David Palmer.Meanwhile, daughter Kim sneaks out for a night with friends and Teri goes off after her.And Senator Palmer is facing a potential blackmail crisis of his own.

This show did take a few episodes of fully suck me in, but the trouble with this set is it most likely will.If you are a marginal fan of the show, having two episodes just isn't going to cut it.You'll need to have the complete first season to have all of what happens next.And, of course, you'll enjoy every minute of it.

This is brilliant marketing on Fox's part.You'll be buying the complete set before you can say cliffhanger.That coupon is going to come in very handy. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Quite Possibly the Best Day Yet
24, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting, thrilling, and engaging dramas in television history.It is very tightly scripted, characters are well-developed (for the most part), and the 24-hour clock adds a great feeling of urgency to the mix.Its first 2 years were beyond amazing, and while its third year was still great television (a definite cut above most of the other shows on TV), it just wasn't up to par with the amazing 1st and 2nd seasons.I was a little worried that everything would be going downhill from there and that the show had peaked after only three seasons.I couldn't have been more wrong.
A year and a half after preventing an outbreak of a very deadly virus across the country, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) has left (read: been fired from) CTU by the new Director, Erin Driscoll (Alberta Watson), due to his old heroin addiction.Driscoll replaced Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) after he put national security at risk in order to save his wife Michelle Dessler (Reiko Aylesworth).Since then, there have been a lot of changes at CTU-Los Angeles.Aside from a renovation, the only person who remained there is analyst Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub).New members include Curtis Manning (Roger Cross), Edgar Stiles (Louis Lombardi), Sarah Gavin (Lana Parilla), and Ronnie Lobell (Shawn Doyle) in Jack's old position.Jack moved to Washington, D. C. to be an aide to Secretary of Defense James Heller (William Devane), and is currently dating Heller's daughter, Audrey Heller Raines (Kim Raver).
The season starts out with a bang, literally, as a train is blown up outside of Los Angeles.We see a man in dark clothes and a helmet remove a briefcase from one of the passengers and flee the scene.Meanwhile, a computer programmer named Andrew Paige (Lukas Haas) discovers some strange codes floating around the internet, and calls Chloe (whom he is friends with) and asks her to investigate.This same day, Sec. Heller is in LA with Jack and Audrey, because he plans to give some sort of speech.The secretary makes a quick stop at his liberal son's house in order to persuade him not to protest at the rally, as it would be an embarrassment.As Heller is leaving, he and Audrey are kidnapped by the same terrorists who blew up the train.
This is a very different season from the previous three.In the preceding years, the audience knew before the season began what the year was going to be about; assassinations, nuclear bombs, and a virus.Furthermore, the characters within the show knew the threat by the end of the first episode, and, for the most part, that threat was carried throughout the entire season.This year however, no one knew what was going on.This year was a mystery to both viewers and characters.Furthermore, things kept building.There wasn't just one threat; what happened at the beginning of the day would merely be a diversion for things still to come.
This was also the first year that didn't have ubervillain Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke), the CTU mole that killed Bauer's wife and was involved in the plots invloving the attempted murder of David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), the nuke in LA, and the cordella virus outbreak.Also, this year saw the return of another villain, and their return was a very welcome surprise.
This season was full of amazing twists and turns, but perhaps the most shocking of them all was the major character who died this year.So far each year, one major character has died at some point in the season (SPOILERS: S1 was Terri Bauer [Leslie Hope], S2 was George Mason [Xander Berkeley], and S3 was Ryan Chapelle [Paul Schulze]).
It is very hard to pick a favorite season for this show, as they have all been amazing (even S3).Although, if I had to pick a favorite, this would probably be it.

The NExt best thing to CSI: 24!
At first, I didn't watch 24 in the beginning. But with time over matter, I started watching this season paired up with Fear Factor, (Hopefully their 5 seasons are on DVD soon) but I am so excited to see 24 season 4 especially with the episodes invovlving Marwan and the Araz family. That was by far the best season besides season 1 and the finale which I haven't seen just yet! But I'll look forward to it!

Most exciting TV show I've seen
I thought I was reviewing the first three seasons DVD's, but I can touch on that and season four.For the advertisers out there you don't want to hear this but viewing a complete season on DVD is heaven.You can see where the commercials once were, but don't have to chew off your finger nails waiting for the unending stream of commercials to end.I bought all three of the first three seasons on DVD. I've watched them all twice already.It's the most exciting, riveting, twisting, edge of your seat stuff ever!!!Whoever likes action TV has got to buy these DVD's.I'm watching season four which currently only has a couple of episodes left.I can't wait for season four to be released.Enjoy!!!

Please do not hand out spoilers!
To the writer of the first review, I must say you are very accurate in your writing. However, I don't think it is fair to include so many spoilers. If I had read this review prior to having seen the show, it would have removed much of the suspense and therefore pretty much ruined the show for me. So please at least put a spoiler warning at the beginning of your review. After all, this IS a site where people go looking for reviews before they buy something, so try not to give away all of the plot twists before they even watch the first episode. hint: characters! I am not trying to be mean-spirited, I just think that you were a little overzealous, considering many things that you mentioned do not occur until late in the series. Now that that is said and done, I must admit that the only season that trumps this one, if any, is season 1. Season 2 was excellent, and the character development that took place blew me away. Season 3 on the other hand, while it was riveting as far as the suspense was concerned, it seemed far too much like a militaristic soap opera, with all of the fighting between people who were supposed to be fighting for a cause. Season 1 was great, and the only gripe I had was the whole thing with Kim getting involved with the terrorists. Season 4 on the other hand, is non-stop action, full of violent plot twists, and literally keeps you on the edge of your seat. So I definitely recommend that you get your grubby little paws on a copy of this once it is released. You won't regret it at all.

A GREAT DVD BUT NOT A GREAT SEASON
THIS IS A GREAT SHOW BECAUSE IT WILL LEAVE YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT ON MOST EPISODES. THE FIRST THREE SEASONS ARE GREAT BUT IT IS PREATY BAD IN SEASON 4. IN THIS SEASON IT JUMPS AROUND ALOT AND IS SOMETIMES CONFUSING. IF YOU ARE A FIRST TIME BUYER I SUGGEST THE FIRST SEASON TO BEGIN WITH. I BOUGHT THE FIRST SEASON AND I HAVE WATCHED ALL THE WAY THROUGH SIX TIMES IN ONE YEAR IT IS SO GOOD. DONT GET ME WRONG THE FOURTH SEASON IS GREAT BUT NOT THE BEST. I AM GOING TO BUY THIS THOUGH TO COMPLETE MY COLLECTION. WATCH THIS SHOW IT IS GREAT YOU WILL BE ADDICTED IN THE FIRST 10 MINUTES. GIVE IT A TRY. ... Read more