When the British film magazine Empire made a list of the 50 best TV shows of all time in 2008, each series was accompanied by a brief description of what the authors of the article considered to be the best episode of that series. 24 was part of the list, and an episode from Season 3 was chosen as the show's finest hour (sorry, couldn't resist). The reason? A recurring character, as often happens in the program, was killed off in a most daring way. For a similar reason, I would have picked the fifteenth episode of Day 2 as the best bit of 24, mostly because the same gimmick (whacking someone we have come to like) is applied with much more care and empathy for the poor guy on this occasion than it was in Day 3.
It's 10.00 p.m., and Jack has finally succeeded in retrieving the bomb. However, there's a catch: the device can't be disarmed, meaning someone has to fly it to a secure location and let it explode. This implies the pilot will die during the operation and Jack, having wished to bite the dust ever since his wife was murdered, volunteers. As he heads out on the suicide mission, George Mason must make a fateful decision, while President Palmer and Kim Bauer both take the news of Jack's imminent demise with heaps of sadness.
Of course, we all knew form the moment he was exposed to plutonium early into Day 2 that George wouldn't make past this season, so Episode 15 is largely a build-up to a tearful, spectacular farewell in the last minutes (not preceded by split-screens for once). Proof of the show's impeccable handling of such material is the fact that despite the predictability of this episode's climax the tension never relents, especially as the final confrontation between Jack and Mason over who should die a hero is preceded by a truly moving phone conversation between Bauer and his daughter. Anyone who still disliked Kim up to this point is likely to change their mind about her after that scene, as will many do regarding George once he departs from the series with more dignity than most action heroes could gather in a lifetime.
Excellent stuff
It's 10.00 p.m., and Jack has finally succeeded in retrieving the bomb. However, there's a catch: the device can't be disarmed, meaning someone has to fly it to a secure location and let it explode. This implies the pilot will die during the operation and Jack, having wished to bite the dust ever since his wife was murdered, volunteers. As he heads out on the suicide mission, George Mason must make a fateful decision, while President Palmer and Kim Bauer both take the news of Jack's imminent demise with heaps of sadness.
Of course, we all knew form the moment he was exposed to plutonium early into Day 2 that George wouldn't make past this season, so Episode 15 is largely a build-up to a tearful, spectacular farewell in the last minutes (not preceded by split-screens for once). Proof of the show's impeccable handling of such material is the fact that despite the predictability of this episode's climax the tension never relents, especially as the final confrontation between Jack and Mason over who should die a hero is preceded by a truly moving phone conversation between Bauer and his daughter. Anyone who still disliked Kim up to this point is likely to change their mind about her after that scene, as will many do regarding George once he departs from the series with more dignity than most action heroes could gather in a lifetime.
Excellent stuff