Review: '24' keeps on ticking with Season 5

Posted Tuesday, December 5, 2006 at 11:27 AM Central

by John Couture

Reviewing DVD sets of TV series is always an arduous task because for the most part, these sets are targeted at those folks who didn't watch the series when it played on TV. 24 is the exception to this rule.

Not only do the DVDs provide an exceptional viewing experience, but the value added discs add so much to the overall enjoyment of the series that even the most die-hard 24 fan would be dazzled by their content.

So, it goes completely without saying that 24: Season Five sets the bar high for other TV series in terms of a DVD experience. Much like the show itself and its wily protagonist, the added features keep going and going and going.

For those of you unfamiliar with the 24 franchise, the concept is a serialized drama told in real time about the Los Angeles Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) and the prevalent threat of the day. The interesting twist is that since the story is told in real time, it sets up a natural cliffhanger which is constantly reminded to the viewer in the form of a clock that often and repeatedly marks time in each episode.

While Season 3 would probably be considered the low-point of the series, Season 5 is arguably the most balanced and entertaining season of the bunch. To steal a tagline from a popular series of horror movies, in Season 5, oh yes there will be blood.

And it doesn't take much time to get the ball rolling. Before the first commercial break of the season, former President David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) and CTU analyst Michelle Dessler (Reiko Aylesworth) are permanently erased from the show. And so, the action is on and the 24 countdown has begun.

All this bloodshed forces Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) out of hiding and seemingly "back from the dead" to handle the crisis of the new day. Early on, the season works not only from the dramatic action of the impending crisis, but also from the awkward reinsertion of Jack Bauer back into the world in which everyone, including his loved ones believed him to be dead.

Suffice it to say, Season 5 delivers on all fronts with the unexpected twists and turns that a true fan of the series has come to expect. That is not to say that there aren't nefarious little storylines (Sean Astin's run-in with his druggie sister and her boyfriend) but in the grand scheme of 24, Season 5 avoids the cougars and amnesia and delivers plausible action over a non-stop 24 hour period.

Obviously, the question that separates the good DVDs from the truly spectacular DVDs is, 'How are the extra features?' For the most part, TV series DVDs fail to answer this question adequately and often fall into the good, but not great category of "Rent It." 24: Season Five is one of the very few rare gems that is able to answer this question adequately to receive that top notch in our review system.

Instead of simply putting a couple of featurettes and a deleted scene or two on the last disc of a set, 24: Season Five includes a full disc of extra features that spills out into each disc of the set. The producers have included audio commentaries and deleted scenes within the episodes that viewers can access while they are watching each individual episode.

This interactivity allows fans to see the scenes in the context that they were meant to be seen.

On the included extra disc of special features, the main highlight is the Season 6 preview which is over 10 minutes in length. This extended feature much like a similar included feature on the Season 4 set provides a nice bridge between the two seasons and is a compelling reason for fans dying to see more Jack Bauer to rent and/or purchase this set.

The four featurettes are distinct and cover unique aspects of the series from the music to the camera work. The "Supporting Cast" feature is a nice companion to the usual main cast interviews and provides the viewer with a certain behind-the-scenes viewpoint that is truly unique. Even the piece on the President's retreat is enjoyable and worth a viewing.

For the 24 purist, the over 30 minutes of deleted scenes provides the ultimate Season 5 experience and should satiate even the meanest 24 hunger. The set also includes a series of clips commemorating its 100th episode and a sample from a 24 book. These are like the icing on the cake. It adds a little extra that you probably don't need, but won't for an instance think about turning down.

In the end, this is a rare treat of DVD that will satisfy old fans of the series and hook new people on the excitement that is 24. Not many TV series live up to the top billing on our system, but 24: Season 5 is one that certainly passes the muster.