Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Entertainment › TV Programming › 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

post #1 of 13
12/14/07 at 10:07pm
Thread Starter 
Just finished the first season and thought everything was great until the halfway point, then it became about just being done with it. Characters making stupid decisions and everything short of frogs and boils just pushed it past my disbelief threshold.

Having watched Prison Break from its inception (and stuck with it despite its recent issues) I can see many similarities, which makes me wonder if shows paced/plotted like this just don't play as well on DVD where events of previous episodes are still fresh and subject to higher scrutiny.

I AM curious about Bauer's and Palmer's continuing character arcs but I can't say I'll be rushing to add the subsequent seasons to my Netflix Q. Having heard what a wreck Season 6 was doesn't really give me much incentive when I only thought the groundbreaking season was "okay."
Reply
post #2 of 13
12/14/07 at 11:13pm

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

Well, Fox was more interested getting a decent completed story arc in the first 13 episodes (since they were not sure how a show with this sort of "real-time" constraint would play to audiences well on a weekly basis), so the writing reflected that, so the back-9 episodes that got the pick-up order did feel like filler in some of the episodes. But there were some good seasons between season 1 and season 6, but I get the 'days' confused, so I can't recommend which seasons in between are worth watching, but I was entertained on a weekly basis for most of the seasons.
Reply
post #3 of 13
12/15/07 at 5:47am

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

IMO, 24 felt revolutionary when it first aired. it took some risks that many other action dramas just did not at that time. at this point, certain elements of 24 have been copied so much it just isn't as impressive anymore. kind of like how the action style of the matrix has been abused.......

i remember being on the edge of my seat and really enjoying the show with the exception of some really, and i mean really, stupid stuff by jack's daughter. i really never liked her..............
Reply
post #4 of 13
12/15/07 at 6:35am

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

I watched Season 1 on DVD as a "lark" purchase -- I hadn't seen a single full episode, and in fact had stopped watching it when it aired. I knew about it because the replay of S1 episodes happened either right before or right after Dark Angel, so I'd see a bit of it. Watching S1 on DVD is the first time I can remember losing sleep to a TV show. I just couldn't stop watching it and ended up finishing it in 3 days. Given work and family life, that's pretty impressive. Sleep had to go. The interesting thing is I commented at the time that it got utterly ridiculous, and yet there was still enough there that I found it compelling TV. Other seasons may have been better, but S1 was the "first kiss" for me, so I'll always remember it most fondly. I have no idea how much I'd enjoy it if I tried to watch it again. I haven't seen S1 since the summer after it aired (when the DVD's streeted).
Reply
post #5 of 13
12/15/07 at 8:14am
Thread Starter 

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

Good points, which put things into perspective. Maybe after a little while I'll get back to the series.
Reply
post #6 of 13
12/15/07 at 4:22pm

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

I think the problem with 24, as a television series, was that it first innovated a new type of television filming, but the series has failed to stay ahead of the medium and has continued to use the same format through the previous six seasons ...
Reply
post #7 of 13
12/15/07 at 6:07pm

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikah Cerucco
Other seasons may have been better, but S1 was the "first kiss" for me, so I'll always remember it most fondly.
As a huge fan of 24, I have to agree. Everyone involved with the show says that they essentially reused the plot of the first 13 episodes for the last 11 episodes of S1 since they had no idea what to do after they got picked up. The first season will always be my favorite since it was the introduction to all these characters and the first use of the 24 hour format but Seasons Two, Four and Five are much better than Season One.

And I know that S6 got beat up pretty badly but I've been rewatching it lately and while it is the weakest year, there's a number of good episodes in there... and, unfortunately, some not so good ones too.
Reply
post #8 of 13
12/16/07 at 9:15am

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

Quote:
Watching S1 on DVD is the first time I can remember losing sleep to a TV show. I just couldn't stop watching it and ended up finishing it in 3 days.
Same here. A complete shock. I no longer watch the show, but S1 will always be special. If you do see it again, you will be amazed at how much slower it was than the seasons which followed (and how much better it tried to adhere to the time constraints of the show).

--
H
Reply
post #9 of 13
12/19/07 at 10:55am

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

I guess it's not for everyone. I thought all the seasons were great except the last one.

I think it plays better on DVD since you can watch the season in a shorter period of time.
Reply
post #10 of 13
12/19/07 at 3:11pm

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

I enjoyed the first 2 seasons on DVD, but not sure I'll go further.

It's definitely exciting, but after a while it becomes endlessly repetitive. Is it me or is every 5th cliffhanger "car careens off the side of the road"?

Perhaps they should shorten the adventures, stay closer to the main story-arc & rename it "9" or maybe "10".

Seems like a chore to sit down to 24 more of them.... Like reading an uncut version of "The Stand" again. Once was enough.
Reply
post #11 of 13
12/19/07 at 5:35pm

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

It's you- I don't remember that many cars going off the road.

I think season 5 was the best.
Reply
post #12 of 13
12/19/07 at 6:36pm

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Lockwood
I think season 5 was the best.
Was that the season with Peter Weller and the infamous scene with Weller and JoBeth Williams?

Whatever season that was, that was amazing.
Reply
post #13 of 13
12/19/07 at 8:17pm

Re: 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed

Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeM
Was that the season with Peter Weller and the infamous scene with Weller and JoBeth Williams?
Yeah, that was Season Five.

As for cars careening off the road, as far as I can remember it happened three times in the first two years and under completely different circumstances each time. Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
Teri's car just slid off a cliff in S1, Kim caused a car crash to escape the police in S2 and Jack had heart problems and drove off the road in S2.
So it happens more like once every 16 episodes.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: TV Programming
Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Entertainment › TV Programming › 24 Season 1: Wasn't that impressed