This is… it? After eight seasons (each reviewed individually here), we have arrived at the end of the Jack Bauer saga. Except, is it the end? I am not trying to be cryptic on purpose; this half-season just goes against most things Jack Bauer is known for. It feels strange to end your show with something that doesn’t resemble the show whatsoever. Did I still have fun? Yes. Does it make that any less weird? No.
First, we need to address the elephant in the room, and it is something I have mentioned already. 24: Live Another Day is only a half-season with 12 episodes instead of the traditional, you know, 24 episodes. I did some digging and found that this season came about as a “limited-run, special event”. I can understand in that vein why it would be only 12 episodes, but then is it the ninth season? Half of the ninth season? Because it must be, given the show itself counts this, and Fox billed the eighth episode as the 200th episode of this show (more about everything here). Sure, this might seem like a tiny gripe, but it matters because that ties into my next point.
The UK setting. As someone who lives in the UK (albeit in Scotland, not England), I have nothing against the UK. But, for the last season of 24, about this almost super-spy Jack Bauer, a good old-fashioned American boy, who always fights against the “evil forces” no matter where they are attacking from, it feels off for his send-off to be in the UK. Now, I know lately, there have been some talks about bringing him Jack Bauer back, even Kiefer Sutherland would be open to returning as Jack Bauer (read it for yourself here), but until that happens, we need to work with what we got, and as it stands now, this is the last season. And not only it’s half as long as any of the previous seasons (while keeping the same “real-time” gimmick alive), it takes place outside of the US. We don’t get CTU, we get some of our old favourites back, but the times were rough for them.
What this season had in store for Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is rough, and despite there being a hint of hope towards the end, we don’t want to see Chloe that low. I get why we had to see her like that; the season justified it well enough. It just added to the shock of this season and the message: “Well, we are no longer in Kansas, Dorothy.” And I get making your limited season (that’s kinda season nine) into something different, but one could argue if this has any chance of being the very last season; is that idea that great? I don’t know about you, but I would prefer to end this show in a more familiar setting.
What Live Another Day did well was, yet again, casting. From Michelle Fairley, Stephen Fry to pre-Star Wars John Boyega, I enjoyed seeing great people in new roles that had an impact on the story. Especially Michelle being one of the villains, was the cherry on top of that cake. From this point of view, at least I could find something enjoyable from the UK setting being so vastly different; casting some of the finest British actors is always a good move.
The entire season was still fine; it had the usual 24isms you must be used to by now. There is always a spy who infiltrated the “good guys”; there is yet again somebody else working against Jack… We know. But more than ever, this season felt rushed; it wanted to tell one story, but it felt all over the place. And the ending… Did they think this won’t be the last season? I guess; somebody must have believed this would do so well that people would demand more; otherwise, I can’t explain that ending. And that brings me to my last point about this entire show.
It is fitting that the last season doesn’t know how to end because that’s been a bit of a trademark of this show. I have touched on this before, but 24 is one of the unfortunate best examples of the saying: “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain”. I believe that had it finished after the fourth season, we would have a near-perfect show. Especially considering that the fourth season was the only season that has had a really satisfying and closed ending, or at least that was the close we ever got close to it. But you know how they do it in Hollywood if something works, run it to the ground until it doesn’t. 24 could have been that unicorn of a show that managed to pull the impossible and made such a gimmicky show work (each episode being in “real-time”), but instead, it ran for way too long. It is ironic that the show’s finale mirrors the show so well, never truly understanding how to finish with dignity. No cliffhangers, no hints at other things; just close the book.
Overall, 24: Live Another Day is a fine last season. It feels weird at times because of its length and setting, but (paradoxically) thanks to the UK setting, we get some decent actors in supporting roles. We still have some great action sequences, Jack being invincible and an ending that seems like people behind the show really thought audiences needed even more 24 in their life. I am not sure about that, but I am certain about knowing when a show should end. And unfortunately, this show missed that chance more than 100 episodes ago.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke