Following the brilliant pilot, the events in Jack Bauer's longest day become more complex and riveting, introducing a plot factor that has now become a trademark of the series: double-crossing.
Firstly, Jack gets a phone call from his boss, Richard Walsh (Michael O' Neill), whose life has been endangered by his acquisition of data regarding a traitor inside CTU; secondly, Jack's daughter Kim, who went out to have fun with her friend Janet York (whose father Alan is currently looking for them with Teri Bauer), is shocked to discover things might not go as planned; in addition, Mandy (Mia Kirshner), who blew up an entire 747 to cover up the theft of an ID, is having trouble with her employer (Michael Massee) because her partner wants more money; and as if that weren't enough, word reaches Senator Palmer of a scandal so massive it might ruin his Presidential candidacy.
The first episode alone was a masterclass in intricacy and suspense, with this second hour adding more shades of mystery and tension and giving more dramatic meat to the characters. This doesn't only ensure even the briefest cameo is above stereotype, it also makes it hard to draw a line between "good" and "evil": in 24, trust is in very short supply - as are pauses for breathing!
New characters are introduced, old ones are killed off all of a sudden (apparently, a running joke among the show's writers is that besides Jack, everyone is expendable), loyalties are questioned, the stakes get higher for every passing minute and the real time brings the adrenaline to a dangerously high level. What's no to love?
Firstly, Jack gets a phone call from his boss, Richard Walsh (Michael O' Neill), whose life has been endangered by his acquisition of data regarding a traitor inside CTU; secondly, Jack's daughter Kim, who went out to have fun with her friend Janet York (whose father Alan is currently looking for them with Teri Bauer), is shocked to discover things might not go as planned; in addition, Mandy (Mia Kirshner), who blew up an entire 747 to cover up the theft of an ID, is having trouble with her employer (Michael Massee) because her partner wants more money; and as if that weren't enough, word reaches Senator Palmer of a scandal so massive it might ruin his Presidential candidacy.
The first episode alone was a masterclass in intricacy and suspense, with this second hour adding more shades of mystery and tension and giving more dramatic meat to the characters. This doesn't only ensure even the briefest cameo is above stereotype, it also makes it hard to draw a line between "good" and "evil": in 24, trust is in very short supply - as are pauses for breathing!
New characters are introduced, old ones are killed off all of a sudden (apparently, a running joke among the show's writers is that besides Jack, everyone is expendable), loyalties are questioned, the stakes get higher for every passing minute and the real time brings the adrenaline to a dangerously high level. What's no to love?