Only two episodes (or four hours) of the latest 24 series have been broadcast and already the action-packed show has us perched on the edge of our seats. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), now special assistant to the secretary of defence, faces yet another emergency in which senior policy analyst and new love interest Audrey Raines (Kim Raver) has been abducted by terrorists together with her father - his boss - James Heller (William Devane).
If last week's episode had you holding your breath, this week's (Tuesday at 10.35pm) could cause you to pass out. It serves up a smorgasbord of action: a suicide attempt; missiles only minutes away from being launched; martyrs to the cause; and a possible online execution.
Raines' life continues to hang by a thread as terrorist Omar (Tony Plana) pressures Heller to sign a confession for the 'crimes' he has committed. Tied back to back, Heller suggests his daughter choke him with her handcuff chain, believing his death would sabotage the terrorists' plan to put him on trial. While pressure mounts in the cell, Bauer must trace a new lead to the hostages after the police make a blunder while trailing Kalil Hasan (Anil Kumar). Back at the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Erin Driscoll (Alberta Watson) tells Bauer that techno whiz kid Chloe O'Brien (Mary Lynn Rajskub) has been suspended because she disobeyed her superior's orders.
Looking further ahead, Bauer is set to sail into some troubled water with Raines, who is separated from - but emotionally still attached to - her husband. The Chinese will also become involved, with one plot twist linking the terrorists with the Chinese consul. Without giving too much away, one of the consequences of a clash between the CTU and the Chinese government is a possible war between the two countries. Dramatic plotlines aside, it is always interesting to see how the Chinese authorities are portrayed by the American media.
There is currently no other action drama series as gripping as 24 on terrestrial TV. Driven by a team
of eight - including creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran - each episode has tight, multiple storylines and plenty of fire power. The show launched in 2001, winning Sutherland a Golden Globe for his role as Bauer in 2002. In the same year, the show was also nominated in the best television series (drama) category and won a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding writing for a drama series. Original in its method of story-telling, events unfold in real time, so the appearance of the digital clock on screen is a constant reminder of how little time Bauer has left.
