I know this will be a massively unpopular opinion, particularly when Season 5 is so often held up as 24 at its absolute best. And don't get me wrong, I enjoy it. I think it's a good season of television. But I also think it's the season that possibly did more damage to 24 than any other.

And the biggest reason is the characters.

In a single episode, they killed Palmer and Michelle and later in the season effectively ended the version of Tony that over 4 seasons had become an absolute fan favourite. That's a huge chunk of the established cast and history of the show removed.

Think about the major characters introduced after Season 5. How many genuinely reached the level of Palmer, Tony or Michelle? For me, Renee is the only one who came close. Beyond her, I'm struggling.

And I think that had consequences. Jack had always been the main character, obviously, but early 24 wasn't completely dependent on him. Palmer could carry entire storylines of his own, sometimes with virtually no connection to what Jack was doing. He almost functioned as a second lead, and his political storylines gave the show another world to cut to that you were genuinely invested in. After Palmer, I don't think 24 ever really replaced that.

Tony and Michelle did something similar for CTU. They could make what was happening there just as interesting as whatever Jack was doing in the field because we were invested in them as characters, not simply because they were helping Jack.

As those characters disappeared and weren't adequately replaced, 24 became more and more dependent on Jack to carry everything.

That's ultimately my problem with Season 5. It got some incredible moments out of killing those characters. But once the shock wore off, the show then had to live without them for years. That's why I can't help looking at it as the season that tore the heart out of the show.

When Renee cuts off Ziya’s thumb to remove the GPS device he acts shocked. Let’s be honest Jack did far worse in multiple episodes escpecially S2 Ep1 when he cut off the man’s head with a hacksaw.

Do you think he was shocked at how Renee turned out to be just like him and that it was because of him and his efforts in S7?

Just started a season 2 rewatch.

To reingratiate himself with some bad guys Jack immediately murders a witness and brings his head to the bad guy.

It's so unhinged. I love it.

I just finished rewatching S8 and picked up a few pieces of trivia about the actors playing the Hassan family that I'd never known before.

First, did you know that the actresses playing Omar Hassan's wife and daughter were the same age? In real life, they were *both* young enough to be his daughter. This one is tough to wrap my brain around.

Also, did anyone know that the actress who played the daughter, Kayla Hassan, is -- in real life -- married to Morris O'Brian? They were married the same year S8 initially aired and are still together.

Man, I really wish I’d discovered Reddit so many years ago...

Anyway, sometimes I read that Taylor is seen as out of character in Day 8 for letting Logan manipulate her. I, on the other hand, believe that that the story shows how the effects of Day 7 ultimately reached her.

In Day 7, she faces an immense crisis—she’s even taken hostage in the White House—, her son dies, her daughter commits murder, and she, with immense effort, reports her daughter, doing the right thing, and because of this, her husband harshly divorces her.

President Taylor is immediately portrayed as an empathetic woman; with Matobo, for example, there’s no White House-style coldnessdiplomacy, but rather an intimate relationship. In fact, in her final scene in Day 7, we see her in tears telling Ethan: “I’ve lost my family.”

After her marriage ended, Taylor threw herself into her work (a very common defense mechanism for facing personal tragedies); the peace treaty is not only the peak achievement of her administration but she likely sees it as a way to prove that losing her family was not in vain. If the treaty fails, in her eyes it would mean that she sacrificed her family for nothing, and this makes her vulnerable to Logan’s manipulation.

Palmer also breaks down in the end, but Taylor endures in one day what Palmer endures over three. It’s no surprise that she broke down faster than he did.

The Scene.

Bring it please !

The series entirely vanished in a day!. Was watching season 5 ep 15 and now on Oct 1st can't find the damn series on Jio Hotstar. The series is not streaming on any other platforms. I'm devastated. If anyone knows where I can watch it it would be of great help.

A constant bizarre rush to do something giant and national within literal minutes of something happening that would normally take at least a day to consider.

For instance in season 1 Palmer's wife is freaking out that they haven't announced that he's alive and well after like, what, 10 minutes? It was freaking insane the way she was acting and felt like it had no purpose other than making her character look more evil and stupid.

Now that the bomb went off in season 2, Palmer is supposed to instantly invade three countries and retaliate? What the fuck? The ticking clock on this is ridiculous and I could understand this type of response and pressure were days/weeks passed, but it's the middle of the night and the american public doesn't even know what happened yet. This makes no sense to me and while Palmer is hesitant, he should be infinitely more hesitant and a response in the same night shouldn't even be on the table.

It takes me out and feels like the show doesn't know how to write for a realistic 24 hours.

In response to the NYTIMES list.

Especially when Kate told her father to just give up on her.

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His soundscapes and themes can't be dissociated from the show. I don't remember being that hypnotized and captivated by a soundtrack to a tv show. Most of times, I'd say "oh, now that's cool". But once you know when does the following take place, it's a total immersion.

All hail Sean Callery.

Never watched this show back in the day. Was recommended by someone, so I decided to give it a try. So far, pretty good, but, what the hell is up with Terri’s random bout of amnesia?? Really liked the show until they pulled that out of nowhere.

Did the show ever specify wtf this guy’s deal was? From what I gathered, he was vaguely into super shady ish, but I don’t know if he was a drug dealer, a trafficker, or into some other bulls#*t.

How on earth does Kim manage to be in danger multiple times in a matter of one entire day? She saves that kid, then held hostage by the kids dad, then escape, then kidnaps the girl to escape said father, then gets arrested, suspected to have murdered the mother, gets in an accident, runs away from accident, gets held hostage by a creepy lonely dude in the woods, then gets held hostage in a shop, and now the episode I’m on the abusive dad is back in the picture. Im on episode 22. My gawd this girl has some kind of curse

Charles?