Fans of the original won't be disappointed, as there are more than enough shock moments in the first few hours to hint at the climactic build-up to come, while newcomers can quickly get involved in the lives of Jack and his family. There are some new characters to bolster the veteran cast and, interestingly (although not surprisingly), Jack's character has taken an altogether darker, more psychopathic turn. The danger the characters find themselves in also has a much more global, not to mention topical, impetus, grounded as it is in the war against terrorism. Although the territory is more familiar this time around, this second season is just as much a high-tension, taut, adrenalin-fuelled ride as the first, and one that will have you glued to your TV for the next 24 hours. --Kristen Bowditch

I was originally very skeptical when it came to season 2 of Fox's ground-breaking show "24". Season 1 had incredible acting, nail-biting suspense, and a totally original format of airing each episode as an hour over the course of one day. I figured there was no way that FOX could pull off a second season that even came close. However, the show managed to become even better for season 2. The plot behind season 2 really hits home because of the events of 9/11. Another thing that was great, was the fact that season 2 managed to build off of the previous season when it came to the characters. Even though season 1 was based on a different set of events, the emotional fall out from that day is carried over into season 2, because of how great the acting was. Kiefer Sutherland, Dennis Hayworth, Elisha Cuthbert, Carlos Bernard ( Tony Almeida), Sarah Clarke ( Nina Myers), and Penny Johnson ( Sherry Palmer) are all back and are all fantastic. In fact, it was one of the most well rounded performances from a cast I have ever seen.

The second season was even better than the first season in my opinion. However, the show was not the only thing that improved. The DVD itself took a complete 180 when it came to the special features that were offered. The first season DVD set did not really have any special features at all, or even any scene selection. The second time around, FOX made sure to correct their mistake. First of all, there is actually scene selection. You do not have to manually skip through the whole episode just to find a particular scene. The special features are great as well. The show itself fits over six discs. However, a seventh disc was created that contains nothing but extras. There are 44 deleted scenes, three incredible featuretes, and much more. If you were a fan of the first season, there is definately no way you can afford to pass this up. A must buy!!


Less kinetic than Season One, but still highly gripping.   September 21, 2003
 51 out of 56 found this review helpful

Season Two is the true test of this show's mettle. Can 24 sustain itself now that the novelty of its groundbreaking real-time conceit has worn off?

The answer is yes. 24's writers and producers are smart enough to know that it wasn't so much the real-time aspect which connected with people, but the array of insurmountable obstacles and impossible odds with which Jack Bauer is faced episode after episode, as befits a good suspense thriller.

Season Two's nuclear-bomb plot is much more ambitious than Season One. And yes, there comes a point in the middle where the action lapses quite badly, when the threat of detonation diminishes. And the show underutilizes Jack's character for a good four, five episodes -- a mistake. It's Kiefer Sutherland's edgy, aggressive portrayal of this dogged, often morally questionable character that anchors the tone of the show, and the first quarter of the show has far too much Kate Warner (Sarah Wynter) and not enough jack Bauer.

The Kate Warner subplot, while a good one in conception, goes awry in execution for a good 50 per cent of the show. Sarah Wynter does an adequate job, but every single character in this subplot remains paper-thin up until the midpoint of the season. It's like the gooey family love-in in Season One without the physical danger. Since the characters have no weight (Laura Harris as Marie Warner is especially irritating), their fussy interactions also ring hollow, especially ranked alongside Jack's apocalyptic nuclear threat and even the Kim Bauer kidnapping subplot. Once Kate and Jack meet and she is incorporated into the conspiracy through-line, she becomes a much better character and Wynter's appeal comes through.

Sutherland remains the center of everything, befittingly. The loss of Sarah Clarke in the main cast does hurt; Reiko Aylesworth does a fine job as replacement Michelle Dessler, but she just doesn't have Clarke's arresting presence. Fans of Season One looking for closure in the Nina Myers subplot can stop looking -- Season Two gives Clarke a wonderful opportunity to chew scenery and play an insidious villainess and Clarke is terrific in this role, but don't expect any attempt to explain just how Nina Myers went from saintly sidekick to vicious double agent. Elisha Cuthbert continues to impress with acting nuances uncommon among actresses her age; she's a pro at making interesting choices at emotional moments. Dennis Haysbert is stately and subtly powerful as President Palmer, and happily, Penny Johnson Jerald as Sherry Palmer is given a more human dimension in the scripts, rather than the blindly destructive saboteur of Season One, and Jerald rises to the occasion. The best performance of the season, however, belongs to Xander Berkeley. Finally this fine actor is given a character arc worthy of his abilities, and Berkeley's portrayal of George Mason's metamorphosis is emotionally devastating, while retaining the character's defining irreverence and scuzziness. I wonder why he was locked out of the Emmys?

Suffice to say that I stayed up for another 20 hours straight watching this thing. This show has a hypnotic quality not found in any other, and you can bet I'll be first in line for Season Three -- especially since Season Two ends on the mother of all cliffhangers. I just hope the writers can keep this up.


:::24::: The Best Thing on TV!   May 1, 2003
 45 out of 53 found this review helpful

I was always skeptical about 24 going into a second season. It ended near perfectly at the end of the first season. Buy when I checked out season two, I was hooked all over again. Not only is the season more interesting, it involves issues that our world is currently dealing with. Not only that, but the action has been pumped up 400%, that acting keeps getting better, and Jack (Keifer Sutherland) is one of the best characters to follow on TV.

With the finale just around the corner, and a new third season on the way, I think it is safe to say this DVD is a perfect buy for any fan of the show, or anybody who missed its initial run and wants to see what all the hype is about. Surely it will have many more special features than season 1 did, since the first season DVD was produced and created in about 2 months. Most likely as well as the stuff season one's had, like preview for season three, and quite possibly an alernate ending. Hopefully they will put in some commentaries in the mix as well.

But anyway.....

Fox is doing a great job with their TV on DVD lately. They started off slow, but with sales growing and growing, they are picking up the pace, and seem to be producing better quality DVD's.

Now I just need to wait for the rest of Angel, The Shield, Farscape, The Dead Zone, and The Simpsons to be released.....


I'm Hooked   September 26, 2003
 30 out of 34 found this review helpful

Two weeks ago I went into a large electronics store and they were giving away a free DVD with the first 2 episodes of 24 season 2 as a promotion for the boxed set being released. I had never watched the show, but it seemed really interesting to me. One night I threw in the free DVD and watched the 2 episodes. From that point on I was hooked.

A couple days later I was home from work sick and I asked my wife to pick up the entire season 2 box set. By the time I felt better and went back to work I had watched the whole thing. I now wonder if I could of watched it on TV having to wait a whole week between episodes.

All in all the entire season was excellent. My only complaint would be the story line with Jack Bauer's daughter, Kim Bauer. About half-way through the season I found her storyline to be so unbeleivable that I didn't really care what happened with her. However the other story lines were so good it didn't really matter.

If you are a fan of the show, you don't need this review. If you have never seen the show and are thinking about purchasing it - do it! I highly doubt you will be disappointed.

-Mike from Dayton


Jack Bauer is back and better than before!!!   March 30, 2003
 24 out of 33 found this review helpful

As this season opens, Jack Bauer's (Kiefer Sutherland) life is falling apart. His wife was murdered, and his daughter, Kim has disowned him. Suddenly he gets a call from the President of the United States (expertly portrayed by Dennis Haysbert) asking him to stop a terrorist plot to detonate a nuclear weapon in Los Angeles.
Upon accepting the mission, Jack is thrust into an emotional game of mystery and deciet as he goes undercover to uncover the location of the bomb. One of the highlights of the season is when Jack is reunited with Nina Myers (Sara Clarke), Jack's former co-worker at the Counter-Terrorist Unit, who is responsible for murdering his wife.
The real-time aspect of the show helps to build the tension as things get steadily worse for Jack Bauer. Attention is given to every minor detail in order to maintain consistancy throughout the story.
The characters constantly change throughout the story as the situations gets more intense. George Mason, Jack's untrusting boss, learns to respect Jack's unconventional methods and in the end is willing to sacrifice himself so that Jack can have a second chance to put his life back together. Tony, Jack's friend, will eventually try to hinder Jack's investigation, which has the potential to prevent an all-out war!
Based on the features of the previous DVD, we can expect the season to be presented in the Widescreen format, with surround sound, and a preview of what is to come in Season three. I know I speak for every fan of this series when I say I can't wait!