24 Season 6 DVD Review

Season 6 of 24 finds America once again on the verge of turmoil and only super agent Jack Bauer and CTU can save the day.

Set 20 months after the Chinese government incarcerated Jack, we find the United States has been tormented by frequent suicide bombings. In an attempt to put an end to these terrorist attacks, President Palmer has negotiated the release and subsequent handover of Jack Bauer to terrorist leader Abu Fayed. Jack quickly discovers that Fayed is actually the terrorist leader responsible for these bombings, which are serving as a cover for his grand scheme: to detonate five suitcase nuclear bombs on United States soil. Things get more complicated, however, when Jack discovers that his father, Phillip Bauer, and brother, Graem Bauer, have been involved with the terrorist conspirators. Phillip’s involvement with the terrorists puts Jack’s nephew, Josh Bauer, in harms way. Jack soon discovers too that Audrey Raines, whom was previously pronounced dead, is actually alive, and is being held by the Chinese government. Things get especially difficult when an attempt is made on President Palmer’s life, placing him in a coma, which prompts Vice President Noah Daniels to launch an assault on Fayed’s country as a bargaining chip to put an end to the attacks. Jack needs to rescue his family, end a potential World War III, help Audrey, and save the President’s life.

Where previous seasons of 24 have had a certain degree of focus and a concise plot line, season 6 tends to sprawl out in too many different directions. While there has always been a great deal of back stabbing, political ladder climbing and the tumultuous love life of Jack Bauer in each of the 5 seasons prior to this one, season 6 seems to be all over the place. The plot line miraculously links Jack Bauer’s father, nephew, President Palmer, Chinese agent Cheng Zhi, the Russian government, Audrey Raines, and of course CTU in one exceptionally unbelievable day. Episode for episode, season 6 of 24 is still entertaining, and Keifer Sutherland as Jack Bauer is still one fun and amazing action character, but the plot of season 6 of 24 does tend to bounce around haphazardly. Season 6 includes several new additions to the cast including Marisol Nichols, Ricky Shroeder and James Cromwell, as well as the returning cast including Eric Balfour and Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O’Brien.

Each episode is presented in Widescreen and in 5.1 surround sound. The box set is made up of 7 DVDs, 4 episodes per disc with an additional Special Features disc.

Disc 7 contains all of the special features for the season. First on the list of special features includes a season 7 preview. This preview is sadly disappointing, as it merely recapitulates the intense action of season 6 and is not the ten minute long preview previously screened on Fox News. Disc 7 also includes extended and deleted scenes for many of the episodes, Master Illusionist: 24’s Special Effects Make-Up, Inside the Writer’s Room, Opening with a Bang, a cameo by Ricky Gervais, Webcast Diaries, Mobisodes: Day Six Debrief, Public Service Announcement from Keifer Sutherland, the Technology of 24 and several other features.