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24 - 101
Okay you've heard all the buzz surrounding 24, the Golden Globe wins, the Emmy wins, and the favorable critical reviews. It seems like a show that you would have wanted to watch, but to be honest you were intimidated by the complexity of the show and you didn't feel like you could get into it if you didn't watch from the beginning.
Well the good news is that FOX is about to put forth a second season of the program, and this time you can get your chance to catch this innovative show right from the beginning. But in case you're still intimidated by the idea that past continuity might creep into this year's storylines; I'm here to provide you with a primer that will catch you up on the greatness that was last year and prepare for the potential goodness that lies ahead.
So here we go, this is Class 101 on Fox's 24:
Cast of Characters:
Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) - Our hero. Jack was at one time a member of the CIA who took part in Black Ops missions for the government. Eventually he transferred over to the CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit) and headed up the LA Branch.
Kim Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert) - Jack's very hot daughter. Young Kim is a normal girl who witnessed her father and mother split up and then rekindle their romance. Kim has always been closer to her father, but leads a fairly normal life. That was until she was kidnapped one fateful night.
Teri Bauer (Leslie Hope) - Jack's wife. She has recently welcomed Jack back into her life after a temporary split. This will be the worst day of her life.
David Palmer (Dennis Haybert) - David Palmer is a US Senator for the Democratic Party. He is also the first black presidential candidate who actually stands a chance of winning.
Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke) - Nina is second in command to Jack in the CTU. She also had an affair with him during the period he was estranged from Teri. She is currently seeing another member of the CTU, but retains a close relationship with Jack.
The General Plot - The CTU uncovers evidence of a conspiracy to kill Senator Palmer in the next 24 hours. Naturally Jack gets called in to deal with this emergency, but receives cryptic warnings that there are moles in the CTU aiding the assassins. While Jack is dealing with this, his daughter is kidnapped by two men working for Ira Gaines, a hired mercenary. Later Jack's wife Teri is also kidnapped by a hired gun working for Gaines.
Gaines eventually makes contact with Bauer, and wants Jack to kill Palmer for them. Jack of course refuses, but makes it look he's following orders. Eventually he raids the mercenary compound, and engages in a shoot out with Gaines. Jack wins, but as Gaines dies he cryptically relates that this isn't over yet.
Indeed, Gaines was merely a mercenary hired by the Drazen brothers, Andre and Alexi. It seems that they are seeking to rescue their father Victor whom Jack believes is dead. Victor Drazen was a shadow to Milosovic in Yugoslavia, and was in charge of the ethnic cleansing programs.
When Palmer found out about this, he commissioned a black ops team that was headed by Bauer to go and take out Victor. Unfortunately the mission got screwed up, and the only real casualties were Victor's wife and daughter. Now, years later he is orchestrating his freedom and his desire for revenge at the same time. Assassins are dispatched after Kim and Terry why Jack tries to figure out what's going on.
Palmer meanwhile is realizing the puppet strings that he has been forced to dance on and seeks to sever these ties. This leads to extreme tension with his wife Sherry, who believes in protecting his candidacy over all else. This includes squashing a story about their son who might have been responsible for the death of the man who raped their daughter. Friction grows and grows between the couple until Palmer finally announces he's divorcing Sherry after she jeopardizes the life of Jack's daughter.
You see Kim was kidnapped by the Drazen's, who by this time had managed to free their father. And though Alexi is fatally wounded in the process, Victor won't leave until he has vengeance upon Jack and Palmer. There assassination attempt is thwarted in the end though, and we find that they have been fed information by Nina this whole time.
It turns out that Nina works for a mysterious third party who enabled the Drazen's to find their father and free him. She tells Jack that the Drazen's have killed his daughter, who in reality has escaped them on her own. In a blind burst of rage he kills all the Drazens in a blazing gun battle. Teri meanwhile is at the CTU, and sees Nina fleeing when Nina hears that Jack survived the gunfight.
Her curiosity gets the better of her and she follows Nina out, only to be caught and later killed by Nina. Teri was pregnant at the time.
The series ended with Jack returning to the CTU and catching a fleeing Nina, handing her over to the authorities without realizing that she's killed his wife. Our final shots are of Jack cradling the body of his dead wife, caught up in a hysterical breakdown.
To the Future: So that's a brief enough summary for you to follow up on. This season the returning main characters include Jack (naturally), his daughter, a now single and President Palmer, Nina, and a new character to be played by Sarah Wynter. Terrorism is the name of the game, as Jack must race against the clock to prevent a nuclear bomb from being detonated in the heart of LA.
All in all this season promised to be as fun and unpredictable as the one that preceded it. I can't express how highly I recommend this program, as you will be cheating yourself of absolutely great television if you miss it.
If the summary I've provided interests you at all, you can pick up a box set DVD collection of the first season of 24. There are even alternate endings if you would prefer things to end on a happier note. 24 airs on Fox on Tuesdays at 9/8 Central. If there are any questions about this series, feel free to e-mail me.
- Tim Ritenour- will be glued to the television on Tuesday.
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