A Tribute to 24

Since I wrote this a year ago, of course, the new series is now on, but I'm saving it to watch all at once when it's finished!

22 April 2013

Okay, I was late coming to the party.  I never watched TV series '24' when it came out.  Throughout the 'noughties' I didn't watch much telly.  However, I've caught up.  I've watched the whole 8 series in the last couple of months; I watched the last episode last night and I don't know what I am going to do with all those telly hours, now.  After a long day at the laptop, I can no longer relax with Jack and co.  Unless I start from the beginning and watch the whole thing over again.  I think that's the only thing left to do - I tried watching a new series tonight and it was just - well, it wasn't 24.

Anyway, being obsessed, as I am, I have made my Top 20 of my favourite characters throughout the series.  I hope fellow CTU and Bauer addicts will enjoy!  


The countdown....

20

KATE WARNER

Played by Sarah Wynter.  I liked her because she wasn't a silly girly, and just got on and did stuff even though she was scared - and even though it involved the capture of her evil terrorist sister.  She was the only one of Jack's women who didn't come to a sticky end.  Probably just as well for her that he dumped her, really.

19

CURTIS MANNING

Played by Roger R Cross.  One of those new CTU agents who don't approve of Jack's methods, but ends up seeing that his is the only way.  Pity he didn't hold on to that knowledge; Jack was forced to kill him, after which he was seen crouching on the ground giving it "I can't do this anymore." Curtis was a decent chap, and his friend.

18

RYAN CHAPELLE

Played by Paul Schulze.  The sort of chap you think is a bit of a tit at first, then realise is a good guy.  So sad how he went willingly when Jack was forced to kill him to appease terrorists.  Especially sad when Jack asked him if there was anyone he'd like him to contact and he said no; he had no close family, and no friends; it had always just been the job.  It was all for nothing, too...

17

GRAEM BAUER

Played by Paul McCrane.  Jack's evil brother.  Seemed so sinister and powerful when he was controlling President Logan, but so much less so when Jack got hold of him.  Then he just seemed pathetic; especially as it was obvious he had, like, issues with his ditzy wife being an ex of Jack's - and probably still in love with him.  Suspect his whole life had been destroyed by one-sided sibling rivalry....  Hands up who else thought his son was going to turn out to be Jack's?

16

MIKE NOVICK

Played by Jude Ciccolella.  Original Chief of Staff for David Palmer, made a bit of a prat of himself and had to resign, but redeemed himself later, sussing out many of the Charles Logan shenanigans.  Really liked him even though he only showed one facial expression all the way through.

15

EDGAR STILES

Played by Louis Lombardi.  CTU systems analyst guy, always arguing about stuff that didn't matter, with Chloe, but good at sussing out the stuff that did matter, in the end.  Became Chloe's friend; so sad when he was one of the casualties when CTU was attacked by lethal gas and he was unable to get to the secure room in time.  Remember Chloe finding that picture of the two of them together?

14

DANA WALSH

Played by Katee Sackhoff.  At first I thought the constant pout was going to be too annoying, but she became much more interesting when her dodgy past was revealed - and even more so when she was discovered to be a baddie.  Didn't see that coming at all.  She still managed to pout a lot even when she was shooting people to make various escapes, but by then she'd redeemed herself by doing lots of good stuff like breaking out of "APPREHEND ON SITE".

(Note 11/4/2013: special mention here for the wonderfully loony Martha Logan and the hilarious Maurice O'Brian - I've just watched series 5 again...)

13 

ETHAN KANIN

Played by Bob Gunton.  Loved him anyway for sussing out President Taylor's horrendous daughter Olivia, and also for getting the better of her, but loved him even more when he stood up against President Taylor, and tried to stop her making the worst decision she could ever make.  Failed, poor chap, but expect he's enjoying a peaceful retirement.

12

ALISON TAYLOR

Played by Cherry Jones.  President of US and all round woman with the right ideas, especially putting her own daughter, the ghastly Olivia, in prison.  She was a lady on an idealistic mission of good - until she made a deal with the devil.  Happily this backfired on her, but she redeemed herself in my eyes by being a big fan of Jack and, of course, facilitating what we hope was his final escape....

11

BILL BUCHANAN

Played by James Morrison.  One of the best, albeit with a slightly 'jobsworth' start.  Very pleased when he got together with Karen Hayes, who later disappeared as if she had never existed, it seemed.  Or maybe I missed something.  Loved the way he started up again in 'deep cover' after the dismantling of CT, (Oh, and, ladies, I loved the new white-hair-and-black-polo look in Series 7, too, didn't you?)

10

SHERRI PALMER

Played by Penny Johnson.  Always felt a bit sorry for her because she still loved President David Palmer, but kinda got it all wrong.  One of those not-a-goodie-but-not-quite-a-real-baddie people.  Clever manipulators always make great characters, of course.  

9

RENEE WALKER

Played by Annie Wersching.  Definitely the best of Jack's birds.  Much more interesting when she came back after her breakdown in Series 8.  Obviously had a better hairdo in the previous series, though.  Loved her because she was tough and sharp and quick, and a worthy partner for Jack.  Tragic end, had me in tears.

8

CHARLES LOGAN

Played by Gregory Itzin.  What a brilliant character - a man who is evil because he is weak and vain.  Easily manipulated because he was so cowardly, but learnt to manipulate others, too.  Not one single redeeming feature; even his feelings for his wife (his only true ones, I thought, aside from his own vanity) were very much on his terms only.  Without any principles whatsoever - and, of course, right at the end of Series 8 he spilled the beans at the very touch of a blade to his throat. No staying loyal to or protecting his associates for President Charles Logan.

7

GEORGE MASON

Played by Xander Berkeley.  Jack's first adversary - remember when he disabled him right at the beginning of Series 1?  Seemed like a right stuffed shirt at first, but showed his heroic true colours when he was contaminated by radiation, yet told no-one of it and struggled through to do what he could in his remaining hours.  His final flight, to deliver the nuclear bomb over the desert, and his final goodbye to Jack, was one of the most moving moments of all the series.  Sniff sniff sniff. 

6

AARON PIERCE

Played by Glen Morshower.  What a man!  The sort of guy you want on your side, quietly, just there watching, listening, doing the right thing and sussing stuff out.  Glad he found some happiness at the end of it, however briefly, with Martha Logan; you could tell he was happy because he was wearing casual clothes.  Seemed like the wiggly ear wire was still there, though, all the same.  Perhaps it still was.

5

NINA MYERS

Played by Sarah Clarke.  The best baddie of the lot - because she was such a convincing goodie I was even wishing, in Series 1, that Jack was still with her instead of the extraordinarily irritating Teri.  Had no idea at all what she was up to - and I loved her supreme baddie-ness in that she didn't even have any principles, wasn't affliated to any cause, just did it all for the money.  I still think Jack fancied her, even when he'd tied her up in some barn in Mexico. I'm sure they had a 'moment'....

4

TONY ALMEIDA

Played by Carlos Bernard.  I dunno, nothing was ever going to go right for Tony, was it?  He had a chip on his shoulder right from Day One, really, when he was knocking off Nina Myers and thought she still fancied Jack.  I never took to Michelle, but I felt so gutted for him, the way he kept doing a whole bunch of good stuff, like Jack, then getting banged up for his trouble.  No wonder he went bad.  I think that he genuinely cared for Jack as a buddy, though, even when he was double crossing him.  If you know what I mean.

3

DAVID PALMER

Played by Dennis Haysbert.  What a guy!  How could one man be bestowed with so many wonderful, God-like qualities?  Sincere, honest, decent, brave, principled, but with humility, too.  Also in the top 5 of Most Tear Provoking Moments:  when he said his last goodbye to Jack, before Jack disappeared pretending to be dead.  The way he called him 'my friend' - not a dry eye in the house!  GUTTED when he was killed.  On re-watching Series 4 last week, it occurred to me that if Dennis Haysbert ran for Presidency in real life, it would probably be a landslide.

2


CHLOE O'BRIAN

Played by Mary Lynn Rajskub.  How could you not love Chloe?  Still wearing her pissed off teenage schoolgirl facial expression even when she was heading up CTU, patching real time satellite images through to Jack's PDA like she was born to it, hour in, hour out.  Loved the way she said what she thought to stupid pretentious people and didn't stand for any shit - and, of course, the way she was the one person Jack could rely on, always.  Well, she was one of the very few who weren't dead, of course.  

1

JACK BAUER

Don't need to say who played him, do I?  

Jack, our hero, the man who saves the world over and over again.  

The man who is brutalised in a Chinese prison for two years, and needs only a shave and a change of clothes, then he's back saving the world again.  

Jack, we love you.  

Copy that

Hope we'll see you again one day ~ wherever you are....

and indeed we will!