Rewatching 24. My season rankings

Submitted by Ambitious-Finish5364 t3_zpw9l0 in television

S1 - The best one on rewatch. It felt so “realistic” and grounded, and there’s something about it that made it really enjoyable as I got older

S5 - Easily at the top, easily could flip with S1. The President ending up as the overall Villain working with a (then) mysterious man behind the scenes was just great. Great season from beginning to end.

S2 - The show is still grounded, and has that early, low budget fee that ground the show. Characters like Ryan Chappell and George Mason feel like actually boss types. Really good season, although I didn’t LOVE the stop the war plot the last few episodes

S3 - I guess I put it here. I actually did not like this season until the last arc. Contrived mole plot twist didn’t make sense, and I was pretty bored until Saunders showed up. Saunders easily a top 3 villain and when he finally appeared the season got good. It just wasn’t a full season.

S6 - Everyone hates this season, and I didn’t mind it. Tom Lennox and Noah Daniels are great characters. Just kinda of “eh.” Didn’t hate it, wasn’t super compelled with the villains. Hated how Curtis died.

S7 - TV show going on too long syndrome. Does NOT mean it was bad, but you got the feel the writers new they needed to mix things up. It’s great seeing Tony back, great villain. And Hodges was fantastic.

S8 - It was “eh.” The last few episodes are fantastic, but it doesn’t elevate it as a season as a whole. Also, I didn’t really like the new CTU very much, but that might just be me. Always love seeing Logan return though

S4 - My least favorite. Didn’t get into it early on. Marwan was a good villain but just don’t get into this season. Not much to say about this year, just didn’t love it

What are yours?

38

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weeble182 t1_j0v4cs2 wrote

Season 5 is so great. The Logan's, Aaron Pierce finally getting to shine, the opening episode blew me away when I first watched it, the CTU stuff in the middle with Samwise and Edgar, the ending is brutal. Still holds up so well despite the time premise being ridiculous at this point on the shows run.

The grittiness of the first season is still excellent stuff though, it's just the rest of it that is a muddle of excellent and awful parts

19

Prax150 t1_j0v8aoc wrote

S6 has more redeeming qualities than you might expect going in. The first arc with Jack chasing the bombs across LA after literally just getting out of a Chinese prison camp might be the most exciting the show's ever been. But then it comes to an almost complete stop and it get sooo slooow and boring and that's what makes it the worst season IMO.

I get not liking the seasons after but they're at least more fun to watch. Tony coming back, Jack going on a rampage in S8.

What about Live Another Day though??? I haven't rewatched it but I remember loving it when it was on.

17

HowardBunnyColvin t1_j0z36a2 wrote

Is that the one with the Black Jack? It was decent

edit: LAD was the london one?

1

GarlVinland4Astrea t1_j0vzy64 wrote

2 might be favorite as a pure 24 season. I love season 1 but it’s very different from the rest of the show (also the only one that lived up to its premise). 5 is probably the objective best and peak of the show.

I agree on 4 being weak. People like it because of Marwan but the season is a slog and does the opposite of what season 2 did well

9

Delicious-Tachyons t1_j0wksst wrote

In 2 i love Jack getting over his heroin addiction just BECAUSE HE'S RUNNING OUT OF TIME. Or was that 3? one of them had drugs, one was Shoreh Aghdashloo's character's husband being a terrorist. it's been so long.

I also remember memes about the beginning of the season where he was yelling "WHERE IS MY USUAL HAIRCUT?".

I need to rewatch 24 again. I loved S5. I didn't hate S4 even though it was weak. It had Alberta Watson on it, and i loved her in the TV show La Femme Nikita which of course had the same creator as 24 (Joel Surnow)

1

ovaltinejenkins88 t1_j0wtro7 wrote

Jack's addiction subplot was in season 3. Shoreh was in season 4.

2

HowardBunnyColvin t1_j0z39ki wrote

2 is great. Despite the cougar timeline lol

Was that the one where Jack burst into the hospital.

"Stop or I'll call the police!"

"LADY I AM THE POLICE"

1

LittleLisaCan t1_j0wi44f wrote

You forgot to mention "they finally killed Sherry!" as one of the positives for season 3!

6

Delicious-Tachyons t1_j0wkx0j wrote

hey that's the lady from The Orville

3

LittleLisaCan t1_j0wlz2h wrote

A testament to her acting that I loved her in The Orville after hating her so much in 24

1

Delicious-Tachyons t1_j0wrh0o wrote

Wouldn't it be amazing if the biological father of her children popped up on The Orville and was played by Dennis Haysbert?

3

ColtCallahan t1_j0vvgze wrote

The first half of season 1 is absolutely amazing.

2

UltraVires33 t1_j0w1jx4 wrote

As well as that final episode, with a huge twist regarding who the CTU mole is and that very unexpected character death. TV just didn't do that kind of stuff when 24 S1 came out. That finale to Season 1 was just shocking.

1

zeroxray t1_j0w6thr wrote

Wow s04 ranked so low. I remember loving that season bc of the returning characters appearing at great moments

2

Kpageisgreat t1_j0wb8j5 wrote

As a 24 Legacy truther, I wished it got at least 1 more season. I actually wanted to see more once I got done with the season lol.

2

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1

haspar t1_j0v87zy wrote

My rankings are the same but with 4 and 6 swapped places.

1

Sufficient_Creme6961 t1_j0vo0o3 wrote

Without thinking too much 5/3/1/2/7/8/4/6 came to me. 4 was a mess but entertaining wise I’d put it higher

1

Mattyzooks t1_j0vpcqs wrote

End of season 8 (around when Logan returns, maybe a little before that) is arguably the strongest arc the show has imo. The problem is the first 14-16ish episodes are among the show's weakest.
Season 5 is my favorite season followed by 2 and then 1. I actually like season 4 a bunch though. Instead of 1 threat, they just keep moving onto new threats. Completely ridiculous but pretty enjoyable. It had some all time great Jack moments too, especially when he saves Audrey and Heller.
6 is my least favorite despite a strong first 4 episodes and my favorite fight of the series (Jack vs. Fayed).
Season 3 does get infinitely better when Saunders enters the picture as probably the show's best version of a dark mirror of Jack Bauer with a lot of lines that foreshadow Jack finally snapping in season 8.
I probably rank it 5, 2, 1, Live Another Day, 4, 3, 8, 7, 6.

1

tre630 t1_j0vw397 wrote

I know some of the seasons are better. But whenever I'm the mood to jump back for a quick fix of 24. I always watch in order of my favorite season 7 and 5 tied, and 4.

1

violue t1_j0w7tie wrote

I love season 4 and part of that is just because it's the first season I watched. I definitely don't rank season 1 so high, it had a "temporary amnesia" plot ffs. Honestly a lot of the choices they made with Teri Bauer in general were just weird, weak writing.

Season 6 remains at the bottom for me. It started so good. I remember after episode 4 there was a commercial to own the first for episodes of the season on DVD straight away, and I thought that was really weird; until I saw the rest of the season. I think they knew the rest of what they had was a dud. It didn't have to be; meeting Jack's family, Assad, the attack on CTU, Audrey... there were good components but they were just a god damn mess.

I think I'd rank them 5, 3, 4, 2, 8, 7, 1, LAD, 6

1

LetMeBangBro t1_j0wphbo wrote

I did a rewatch about 3 years ago. Can't remember exactly what order i had them in, but remember a few thing

  • Definitely had Season 5 at the top of the list
  • Season 7 was in the top half of my list. Hakeem Kae-Kazim was top notch as the villian
  • Season 3 was toward the bottom; similar to you, was too much filler story at the start. Plus was not a fan of Chase.

If I had to guess, think that would mean my rankings were 5,2,7,6,1,3,8,4

1

carrotstix t1_j0xfp3a wrote

Did you include that season where the secretary of defence is now President?

S5 is my fav probably because the main bad was sooo damn good at being slimy. That's the season I started the show with.

I'd probably then go with 2, 1, 3,4,LAD,6,8,7 although, I honestly can't remember what happened in what season.

I do like to pretend the show ended in S4 with Jack walking off into the sunset though. Especially considering where LAD ends off and with nothing on the horizon for a finisher to that story.

1

HowardBunnyColvin t1_j0z3347 wrote

I was rewatcing from 1-3 last year before going on a hiaturs. I should probably start re-watching again because the first seasons were solid.

Been so long since I've watched to provide reliable rankings but generally anything past 5 started to get iffy.

1

mrhelmand t1_j0ve2yb wrote

I feel this show has aged very poorly, but the first 2 seasons and season 5 were very entertaining nonsense

Anyone remember 24 Legacy?

No, of course not. Why would you

0

MaxminusThrax t1_j0xras7 wrote

  1. Season 5
  2. Season 2
  3. Season 7
  4. Season 4
  5. Season 1
  6. Season 3
  7. Live Another Day
  8. Season 8
  9. Season 6

IMO the only outright bad season is 6. its sucha drop off in quality it’s actually startling. It’s stupid stupid. They were out of ideas and just did whatever random twist they thought of. Seasons 1-5 is my favorite run of a television show ever. 2 is close to number one if not for the entire Kim Bauer section (equals parts terrible and hilarious). 5 is pretty much flawless. 4 would have been a perfect final season. 3 is half good, half terrible (once they return from Mexico it’s classic 24). 1 is obviously good but I prefer government conspiracy seasons over more personal/revenge stories. 8 is decent but they kinda ruined President Taylor’s character. Live Another Day is like a great best-of of the series.

0

sweetplantveal t1_j0v11jl wrote

Any reflection on it being grippingly produced torture porn to soothe America's battered conscience?

−9

Sporkedup t1_j0v28eu wrote

I was talking about that the other day with someone. I rewatched the first season and a half or so, and I was really enjoying it. Not a lot of torture going on, though certainly it appears. And to my memory, the latter couple of seasons were actively addressing in the show the dangerous issues with Jack's recklessness. I recall a terrific speech from Kurtwood Smith, who was initially portrayed as some anti-Bauer bureaucrat but actually was handed some powerful things to say against torture.

So was it just seasons 3-6 where Jack is a vicious torture bot? Weird how memory is. I have too many other shows on my plate to dig into this solely to see the amount of torturing he does. Though I do recall he kills something like 200+ people over the 8 days of the show, which is quite a rate...

5

MustrumRidcully0 t1_j0v3g73 wrote

Well, was it hollywood propaganda for torture, or was it a response to US agencies deliberately employing torture (pardon, enhanced interrogation techniques) against alleged "unlawful combatants"?

The move from: "Maybe in this particular case and situation we might be able to convince this particular guy to tell us what we need to do know with physical coercion" to "torture always works" over the seasons was certainly ... interesting.

4

Sufficient_Creme6961 t1_j0vnub4 wrote

I can’t believe 24 got to canceled by the snowflakes now

−7

sweetplantveal t1_j0vpppn wrote

Lol I'm actually a big fan of the first few seasons but come on. It turned into self parody where about 16 of the 24 hours was just Jack in a poorly lit room yelling at a guy with pliers in one hand and a waterboarding kit in the other.

Edit AND torture mostly works in the show and anyone who studies it has found out people pretty much say whatever they think you want to hear regardless of truth/reality.

−1

Sufficient_Creme6961 t1_j0vu74q wrote

It’s a tv show who cares

−4

sweetplantveal t1_j0w0tg1 wrote

You apparently. But I see your point, why be anything other than a passive consumer of what ever the executives and algorithms put on our screens.

1

Sufficient_Creme6961 t1_j0w7aag wrote

No bc I can watch something and know it’s fiction and entertainment and not cry because they torture someone

−2