External Reviews

Episodes 1 & 2 (6AM – 8AM)

ifmagazine.com

“First off, all that can really be said about the writers and creators of this series is ‘Damn.’ This is fine television, still relevant, still exciting and still edge-of-your-seat thriller that does action better than any big budget theatrical action movie.

It’s a radical approach to the series, which has always been about avoiding the big attack, but with Bauer out of the picture, it’s obvious the world needed Jack more than ever.

It’s faster paced and it doesn’t pull any punches. It’s some of the most exciting hours on television.

24 is the real deal – television at its finest that comments on the political climate and surroundings and makes us look at the dangerous world we live in with a very critical and ingenious set of eyes.”

Episodes 3 & 4 (8AM – 10AM)

ifmagazine.com

“I think by now, it’s pretty obvious the only show on television waiting a half a season for is this slick, taut thriller.

This year it looks like he’s really damaged goods, he’s unsure if he can perform his duties as ‘savior to mankind’.

In the meantime, climb aboard yet another bullet train season of 24. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, it’s the best damn show on television.”

living.scotsman.com

“24 has long been critiqued as the cultural accompaniment to the War on Terror, launching as it did in November after 9/11, and this season makes that point more unapologetically than ever”

slate.com

“The producers of the counterterrorism action hit make a virtue of the show’s preposterous narrative, setting up plotlines more byzantine than Rube Goldberg contraptions and then rigging things such that the very contrivance becomes an object of wonder and an essential part of the fun. There’s no surface whimsy, of course; any trace of levity would throw light on the show’s ludicrousness.”

Episode 5 (10AM – 11AM)

ifmagazine.com

“Curtis, got shot by Jack and the only one who gives a shit other than Jack is Chloe? Buchanan worked with the dude closely for years and he’s like ‘Eh? What can you do?’ This guy was a staple on this show for a number of years and he’s just passed over like he was wearing a red shirt? That ain’t right. Actually, his place on the show was always a bit … expanded. He was just glorified cannon fodder anyway, so it suits that he’s the first to go.

Chloe’s reaction to Curtis’ death was great too, ‘How come people I know keep dying?’ Like duh, you work with Jack Bauer. Funny how Chloe has now become the ‘mourner’ on the show – hilarious given her bad disposition.”

yaledailynews.com

“After five seasons and 136 deaths by Bauer’s hand alone — there are few ways to end a life that haven’t already been employed. At this point, Jack ranks somewhere between God and Mike Tyson on the list of people you don’t want to piss off. But the show hasn’t worn out its welcome.

The show’s principal appeal — the sense that anything can happen, a precedent established with the murder of Jack’s wife by his closest colleague and ex-lover in the closing moments of the first season — remains intact. But only on “24” could a nuclear bomb and a carnivorous slaying be overshadowed by a singular image — Jack Bauer collapsed, throwing up — a reminder that Season 6 is a story about Jack, a character study about coping with extreme sacrifices.”

Episode 6 (11AM – 12PM)

palmbeachpost.com

“Has 24 jumped the shark? It’s too soon to tell. But it’s not too soon for me to say I’m not really digging the whole dysfunctional Bauer family storyline. 24 isn’t supposed to be a soap opera. It’s supposed to be a kick-butt, action-drama about a super agent man who kills bad guys and saves the world. That’s what 24 has always been about.

The show got off to such a high-octane start the first four hours. But last night I found my mind wandering while it was on. I even paused the episode for a few minutes to rest my tired eyes. I mean, that never happens. Never.”

ifmagazine.com

“How is it that Jack fell so far from the tree of his other family members? While he has given far more than anyone in history of television to protect the U.S., his brother and father are working just as hard to corrupt it. Irony? Maybe. Clever script writing? Definitely.

Meanwhile, there is this whole racial profiling subplot that is developing that has very real parallels with what could and might happen in this country if certain individuals had their way. But that has been the long running joke/reality of 24, the government is full of people who would do it as much harm as the terrorists in order to ‘protect’ it – a very similar, yet scary, theme that is extremely close to the reality we live in today.”

Episode 7 (12PM – 1PM)

palmbeachpost.com

“After a rare off week, 24 came back with a vengeance last night. The insanely tense episode, which probably shot up my blood pressure to dangerous stroke levels, was arguably one of the best ever. For starters, my man Jack was back in kick-butt torture mode as he injected all sorts of nasty pain serum into his brother, Graem. 24 is always at its best when Jack is angry as all get-out and barking orders like no one’s business. That Jack was torturing his own blood made the scene that much more powerful — and moving.But the shocker of the night came when it was revealed that Poppa Bauer isn’t a very nice man. That became fairly obvious when Poppa B calmly murdered his own son so he could protect his company’s dirty, little secrets. If Jack’s latest action-packed day doesn’t send him into family therapy, nothing will.”

ifmagazine.com

“You gotta love television family reunions, after Jack’s re-discovery of his family, said evil brother betrays Jack once again and then tries to have Jack and his newly re-discovered father executed. However, since Jack and apparently his 85-year-old father were both trained in self defense and hand-to-hand combat they disarm and subsequently kill the two cronies who are tasked with killing them. Yes, dear ole dad was able to take out a big, black henchman by forcing him back with his evil stare.”

Episodes 8 & 9 (1PM – 3PM)

ifmagazine.com

“24 gave us a double helping of stress and distress last night. The first hour was probably the best of the season with multiple character deaths, some good torture and some new, Russian bad guys.

So far the twists have been predictable in so much as seeing Jack’s father as an evil participant, the nuke going off and more. But along with Jack killing Curtis, McCarthy’s demise was nicely unexpected.”

metromix.chicagotribune.com

“24 is one of those shows that’s better judged over an entire season — individual episodes that don’t really work are easily glossed over if the majority of the two dozen episodes end up having a strong narrative flow.

The focus on Bauer’s family drama has been too soapy for some, but I’ve mostly enjoyed it — the Bauer family dynamics have given star Kiefer Sutherland some prime opportunities for virtuoso acting, and James Cromwell was a great choice to play Papa Bauer, the most subtly evil character we’ve seen on the show in some time.

My biggest issue this season is with Wayne Palmer, the current occupant of the show’s Oval Office. Howard Gordon told reporters in January that the plan was to make Palmer, seem weak at the start of the season, but the producers may have gone too far. In the most recent episodes, only Palmer was against detention of Arab citizens and in favor of the preservation of civil rights. But by him the virtually the only advocate for civil rights, the show is making it seem as though only wishy-washy people are against setting up internment camps and against severe, open-ended restrictions of civil liberties. That’s just ridiculous, not to mention condescending.”

Episode 10 (3PM – 4PM)

ifmagazine.com

“after two-hours the last week with multiple character deaths, defusing a nuclear bomb and some sweet, sweet torture, not surprisingly we had a bit of a slow down.”

Episode 12 (5PM – 6PM)

ew.com

“In the rockiest, lumpiest season of 24 to date, this was another herky-jerky episode. I mean, it’s not as if I were asking 24 to make sense — if I were, … I’d have to criticize, rather than merely chuckle at, a Jack Bauer who has been reduced to bringing ex-prez Logan to the Russian consulate and agreeing to let him meet with Consul Markov alone because, Jack said, he’ll be waiting ”right outside the door.” The door, Jack? You gotta figure a big fancy joint like the Russian consulate has a few back doors, don’t you, Jack? In fact, you went around the back of the grand house yourself just a few minutes later to try and get to Markov. Oh, Jack, Jack, Jack…

If not sense, then at least give us some interesting characterization, right? As fans of both 24 and Powers Boothe, we’ve kept telling ourselves that the booming Deadwood actor was going to finally blow the roof off this sucker of a season once he got control over the presidency, haven’t we? — he’s probably withholding until he really needs to crank it up.

But coming to the rescue, … is Rick Schroder, (Is it too crazy to think that this is what the season is building to — that Kiefer Sutherland’s oft-stated comment that anything can happen on 24, including getting rid of Jack, may prove true, and we’re about to start witnessing the torch being passed, as a physically and spiritually exhausted Jack fades away and Schroder’s fresh-as-a-daisy character becomes the new 24 go-to guy? Yeah, it’s probably too crazy….)”

Episode 17 – (10PM – 11PM)

ifmagazine.com

“Did anyone really think that after the previews during the week on Fox that Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) was really gonna bite it? First, it doesn’t make sense because it’s mid-season and if they’re gonna kill him off I hope they do it in a blaze of glory rather than pull a Captain Kirk on his ass.”

Episode 18 – (11PM – 12AM)

ifmagazine.com

“A show of hands … how many people out there really thought Audrey Raines was really dead? Hmm not that many .. With only a handful of episodes left in the sixth season, who lives and who dies is still up in the air and whether or not Jack gets his revenge on the Chinese remains to be seen.”

Episode 19 – (12AM – 1AM)

ifmagazine.com

“As we roll toward the final episodes of the sixth season of 24, … Jack has “gone rogue” (again) it seems like we are working toward another ending where Jack must go underground in order to save himself once again. Hopefully, this won’t happen as we have seen it once already and it would just be a retread, which would be a first for 24.

While at first this whole extra plotline seemed to be forced after the suitcase nuke storyline was wrapped, now it has gotten a whole hell of a lot more interesting with Jack getting arrested, Audrey gone batty and changes inside CTU.

It was a sad moment to see Buchanan go, but like the last time he was removed, methinks we haven’t seen the last of him in years or even this season.

Episode 20 – (1AM – 2AM)

ifmagazine.com

“Once again, the U.S. just can’t seem to keep people in power that are not loyal to the country or at least the country’s best interests.

I love how since Daniels “officially” became the president, after the unfortunate and untimely stroke of President Palmer they have changed his entire persona from this war mongering President Bush-type to a kinder, gentler president who lost his wife, doing what’s best for the country, threatening Miller with Gitmo and shagging the first piece-of-ass to come across his desk. In one fell swoop they turned Daniels around from hated power-grabbing monger to man of the country, pillar of strength. Gotta love television …

Honestly, at first I thought after they recovered the suitcase nukes and killed the main baddies from this season, I thought bringing a new plotline together during the last few episodes of the season was a bit contrived but now they have really turned it around to make it compelling and entertaining. And that’s the 24 we all know and love.”

Episode 21 – (2AM – 3AM)

ifmagazine.com

“With only two episodes left, the revenge filled end is brewing for Jack. The Chinese and more specifically the evil Cheng Zhi – the dude who not only kidnapped Jack and tortured him but did the same to Audrey – is due for some payback, big time.

Given the slow pace of the show since Jack took out all the terrorists, this was by far the best episode in a while with Milo leaving the series the hard way, CTU under duress and Jack at his finest wasting a half dozen Chinese nationals and looking for more in the future. Will Jack be forced to kill his own father? I wouldn’t put it past this show to do it.”

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