24 LIVE ANOTHER DAY- Action drama created by Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow; rated TV-14; airs Mondays on FOX; 120 minutes. Episode 9.1: “11:00 AM-12:00 PM and Episode 9.2: “12:00 PM-1:00 PM” (original airdate, May 5, 2014). (9 out 10).
Jack is back, and he is just as you remember! I would say better than ever, but how do you improve on a character that is at the top? What has improved though is the show itself. Don’t get me wrong as I am a huge “24” fan, but even I can admit that four years ago, Season 8 had grown a bit stale. Which makes sense because filling an entire day of real time action and drama was no easy task. This time around the story will be told in 12 real-time episodes with our jumping forward in time between some of them. While we haven’t seen this in action yet, I think it will make the hours we do get even better because each episode won’t be trying to top the last. These first two hours certainly were intense. New viewers will be hooked, and old fans of the show will feel like they’ve finally come home.
This time instead of taking place in Los Angeles Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is in London and he is being hunted by the CIA for what the world believes to be his traitorous actions at the end of Season 8. During the first hour it becomes clear that Jack is very alive and still fighting he doesn’t trust anybody but himself.
What I loved about the premier was that Jack was the man I remembered. Though it was clear he was broken and completely on his own, he was still a man of conviction; he will try and save his country even if they’ve written him off. To me, that is what makes this show so great. No matter how many times he has been knocked down he will keep getting back up because, to put it simply, he’s Jack Frickin’ Bauer, and that’s just what he does.
On that note, Sutherland is at the top of his game when he is in this role that he was meant to play. I have enjoyed him as other characters in “Phone Booth”, “Young Guns” and even “The Three Musketeers”, but he will always be Jack Bauer to me. Bauer’s character is the one that keeps the scenes going, brings the intensity and keeps it feeling natural and fresh.
His supporting cast is nothing short of amazing. Mary Lynn Rajskub is back as Chloe, and just like before you either hate her or love her. I have always loved the character and watching her meet up with Bauer again was one of the best moments of the episode. We also have William Devane and Kim Raver returning as James Heller who is now President and Heller’s daughter Audrey. Both of these actors bring a mix of emotions for fans of the show and talent that will draw new viewers in.
New to the cast is Tate Donovan who plays Mark Boudreau, chief advisor to the President and Audrey’s husband. Boudreau quickly takes on the role of the shady political figure keeping information to himself, but not in the same way as other seasons. It seems that he is looking out for his wife who is Jack’s ex and his country. In his eyes Jack Bauer is the biggest threat to all aspects of his life and he will do everything in his power to stop him.
The Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) is gone. In it’s place we have the CIA specially the London station Steve Navarro (Benjamin Bratt) is in charge and leads the man hunt against Bauer and agent Kate Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski) is counting down the time of her last week. Morgan is being forced out because her husband was selling state secrets and she had no idea. Taking her place is Erik Ritter (Gbenga Akkinagbe), knowing “24” someone in the office will end up being a traitor but who knows if we have met them yet.
In the two hour premiere, “24” does what it does best — terrific action, shady politics (both in the presidential and CIA offices), torture and Jack being Jack. The staleness of the show is gone, and what we have so far is a product that matches the original run of the show perfectly. I can’t wait to see what the show has in store for the next 10 episodes (maybe another season, fingers crossed). Stay tuned and remember, “you don’t know Jack.”