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+ Best Action Title of the Year + Most Suspenseful Title of the Year
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| Jack Bauer is not in the greatest shape of his life, when his third hellish day kicks off in Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow's 24 season 3 |
3 years after season 2, a virus-infested corpse is dropped off with a bomb in LA, and a season with an overall threat of chemical, viral terrorism is kicked off.
The following summary of the season contains SPOILERS:
The troubles ironically evolve due to a risky, covert undercover operation gone haywire, which was co-headed by Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland (Mirrors (2008)) and Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard (Dallas (2012-13)). After a dramatic and action-packed prison break, led by Bauer, the audience is pulled around by the nose in a chase after the virus carrier, a juvenile delinquent named Kyle Singer. Meanwhile, Jack struggles with the dangerous, drug-running Salazar Brothers, the return of the grand villain, Nina Myers, and the ultimate henchman, Steven Saunders, a disgruntled ex-MI6 agent, who succeeds in getting his demands straight to the president.
Ryan Chapelle (Paul Schulze (Zodiac (2007))) tragically falls at his ruthless hand. Only by being equally ruthless, Jack finally manages to locate the 12 virus canisters.
At the political level, president Palmer's (Dennis Haysbert (Love & Basketball (2000))) brother Wayne Palmer turns out to be a real black sheep in the family, as he is revealed to have slept with their main campaign contributor's wife. Sherry Palmer (Penny Johnson Jerald (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1995-99))) is brought in to handle the situation, but it all spirals out of control.
Jack has gotten a new partner, Chase (James Badge Dale (Flight (2012))), whom he trains as they move along, reluctantly learning that he is heavily involved with his now CTU agent daughter, Kim (Elisha Cuthbert (He Was a Quiet Man (2007))).
She unfortunately remains a very unpleasant part of the show: Scheming, blank, and ever annoying. However, even Kim Bauer can't overshadow the fact that 24's third season is highly intense action, powerfully scored by Sean Callery (Small Time (2014)), inventively written and a regular triumph for Sutherland and the show's creators, Robert Cochran (Sons and Daughters (1991), TV-series, writer) and Joel Surnow (La Femme Nikita (2000-01), creator).
After this season, the show began its steady decline. Each episode began having more and more unbelievable, action-heavy scenes, until the storylines grew downright grotesque. Sad, but nothing lasts forever, and if you want to see 24 at its most brilliant, the third season is it, - the most coherent, suspense-full and exciting in the series. The
chemical threat at the heart of the season is scarier than a regular bomb, and the device is
utilized with tremendous skill, especially in the episodes that play out
inside a hotel. The political affair storyline unfolds equally effective.
Best episodes:
Episode 9: 9 PM - 10 PM - written by Evan Katz (The Commish (1993-94)) and Stephen Kronish (MacGyver (1986-87)), story by Cochran and Howard Gordon (Homeland (2011-14)); directed by Brad Turner (Hawaii Five-O (2010-11))
SPOILER Nina Myers finally dies
Episode 15: 3 AM - 4 PM - written by Cochran and Gordon, story by Michael Loceff (La Femme Nikita (1997-01)); directed by Kevin Hooks (Bones (2009-13))
SPOILER The virus spreads
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Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV-series
= Unknown
[24 season 3 aired first on Fox from 28 October 2003 - 25 May 2004. The first episode runs 51 minutes, while all the rest run 43 minutes, totaling approximately 1,040 minutes. The season's average ratings in North America were down almost 1.5 mil. viewers from the preceding season, averaging 10.3 mil. The season was nominated for 8 Emmys, winning 3, for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series as well as Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing and Single Camera Sound Mixing for a Series. It also won the two Golden Globes it was nominated for, for Best Drama Series and Best Actor in a Drama Series (Sutherland). In 2003, Sutherland also did Behind the Red Door, Paradise Gone, L.A. Confidential (TV movie) and a voice performance in The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration (video), before returning in 24 S4 in 2004. 117 Rotten Tomatoes users have rated 24 season 3 4.3/5.]
Do you agree that the show's quality slowly declined after this season?
What do you think of 24 season 3?
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