I promise there are NO spoilers! I wouldn't include spoilers in an article about a show that I wanted people to watch.
So You Want to Watch 24...
Aside from the fact that 24 is the best show any of us will watch in our time, what else do you need to know? There's so much, yet so little. I'm going to include the basics, and give you only so much detail to get you interested but not spoil you.
24 is a real-time show (we'll get into that more later) that stars Kiefer Sutherland as the main protagonist Jack Bauer (we'll also get more into him later). The number '24' has meaning. It represents the 24 hours in a single day. Each season has 24 episodes, each episode representing a single hour of the 'day' in 24. The show is extremely fast-paced and yes, you will have to actually pay attention. (And there goes half of my article readers already.)
The show in a nutshell, has to do with politics & terrorism. People who like to read too much into things will tell you that this show is right-wing propaganda. Tell them to DIAF or some other witty insult, and continue reading this article. There are two major storylines that carry throughout the entire series run. We deal first hand with the terrorists, and CTU's (Counter Terrorist Unit) efforts to stop them. On the political side of things, we see the efforts made by the White House to stop said attacks. The White House & CTU have to work together sometimes - terrorists want immunity for talking, or they want to negotiate, etc.
I said before the show is very fast-paced and that it is. So much happens in an hour of the show, and in each season there are many different plot lines to follow. What starts off as maybe an innocent family eating breakfast could turn into them being suspects or targets. Every storyline coincides with the major one of each season and the guys of 24 do it so wonderfully.
Who You Need to Know
Jack. Fucking. Bauer.
"The only reason you're still conscious is because I don't feel like carrying you."
Kiefer Sutherland plays the role of Jack Bauer perfectly. On the surface, Jack is just another sadist who tortures people because he "enjoys it". But deeper, there's a man struggling to do what HE sees is right for the good of his beloved country. People expect so much from just one man, and when that one man does what they want he gets punished for it. One thing is for sure, Jack is always right and he always gets his way. You'd think after 8 years of him putting his (hot) ass on the line for the greater good, people would learn to listen to him but I guess having someone who defies Jack just makes for good television.
Jack is the kind of man you don't want to mess with. "Trust me, you don't want to go down this road with me." The fact that he's such a BAMF, and *not* a stereotypical cookie-cutter one at that, makes him (to me and anyone else who has a brain) the most fascinating character to be put on television or in the movies, ever. I know that's probably being a big melodramatic but I don't care. There's SO much to this man. When he's in a relationship, he's a romantic. He loves his daughter more than everything and all of his decisions revolve around her. He does what he has to do because he's a hero, or an anti-hero if you will. He knows that what he does isn't socially acceptable or morally right, but he does it because he knows it will save lives in the long run. He's willing to pay for his wrongdoings just like any other man. I love Jack Bauer. Did you figure that out yet?
Other Characters
24 has a strong cast of supporting characters. The strongest & most fascinating of any show I've ever watched. The show is admittedly not known for its principal cast throughout the entire series run. Kiefer Sutherland is the only cast member to appear in all 8 seasons, and every episode. Characters come and go like it's no big deal. Some die, some just leave. Some appear to have died, but come back miraculously later.
Jack is undoubtedly the most important character of the show, and the only one you absolutely HAVE to know. But there are other very important characters to the show. Watch out for these (sometimes) lovable characters.
Chloe O'Brian
David Palmer
Tony Almeida
Kim Bauer
Bill Buchanan
Michelle Dessler
Nina Myers
Charles Logan
Audrey Raines
Renee Walker
Sherry Palmer
Those are just some of many of the fascinating characters in the series run. Some you will love, some you will hate, some you will love to hate, but all of them have extremely vital roles and you will never forget them.
The Real-Time Aspect
Not to repeat much of anything I said earlier, but 24 is a real-time show. The use of 12-hour clocks are incorporated within the episodes. This is a very unique concept and one that you wouldn't expect to work, but it does. Boy, does it ever.
- Each episode starts with Kiefer!Jack narrating the 'The following takes place between ___ & ___.' Sometimes it is followed with 'Events occur in real time.'
- Clocks are used generously. They are used right before a commercial break, and the times within the show are the exact minutes for how long the commercial was. So for example, you leave the show at 10:40, and the commercials were 4 minutes long, when you come back to the show the clock will display in the center of the screen with split screens showing what took place in the time you were gone. It would be 10:44.
- Every episode ends with a ticking clock. Silent clocks are a rare occurance in the land of 24, but they are used to signify either a death, a shocking cliffhanger, or just a really emotional moment. The first silent clock was actually a glitch, but when fans thought it was done on purpose and loved the use of it, it became a recurring theme. *is know-it-all*
- Most of the time, episodes will end with a split screen showing what the characters are up to right before the end. THIS IS FUCKING BRILLIANT and once you get involved in the show, these sequences at the end will give you funny tingly feelings in your heart. Because they are just that awesome. With some endings, you will see a split screen and then it will go back to the last cliffhanger of the episode and end with a clock.
- Split screens are also shown mainly when you see two or more characters on the phone with one another. This becomes such a habit, that when I talk to people on the phone irl, I expect to see a split screen pop up only to be disappointed when it doesn't. *is lame*
A Unique Aspect
This is where I'm going to get all sentimental & preachy, so if you want to skip this chapter you go right ahead. I have discussed this at length with a fellow 24 fan, and it could be that we enable each other in that way, but I have a special attachment to the show that you can't find anywhere else.
24 enforces an incredibly strong sense of loyalty. Loyalty is the best personality trait you can have imo, and I think I have learned to appreciate it largely in part thanks to this show. Not only does it boast a strong sense of patriotism for country, but for friends as well. Two of the best relationships on the show express this. Jack has two best friends in the series run who have rarely (and I mean, RARELY) questioned him and just done what he's asked. To me, that is what friends are. To have your back no matter what, and to sacrifice for one another.
I think this rubs off on 24 fans as well, because we are truly a unique breed. Maybe I'm biased in this, but 24 truly has the one of the most loyal television fanbases I've seen. We aren't as loud & brash as some other fandoms, but we know what we love and we love it to death. Upsetting a 24 fan is like...well, it can't be compared. It's like upsetting a 24 fan. Don't mess with us or we'll get Jack Bauer on you.
In Short...
- 24 is badass.
- Jack Bauer is God.
- You will become cooler just by giving up a few weeks (shorter if you get addicted) of your time to experience the greatest thing ever.
- This show is not for somebody with ADD. You have to pay attention, and you have to watch every single episode to get the full experience.
- Yes there's torture, yes there's gun porn, yes there's blood. Yes, it's all awesome.
- 8 seasons & a tv movie, with an actual theater-released movie on the way. Wanna get hooked now? :D
Any questions? Don't hesitate to ask! I love 24 more than life itself and I am more than willing to enable anybody who wants to start it.
Concerns for my mental health are nice in gesture, but really not necessary. Yes, I've got an "unhealthy" addiction to 24 but that's good for you potential fans because I get to share it with you!
Please do NOT comment with spoilers in this article! I want the whole thing to be spoiler-free for potential fans. If you wish to comment and include a spoiler, please do so on the link.
