24 is one of the most ingenious television plots ever devised… a real-time day in the life of a Counter Terrorist Unit. Like the first season, this second season contains twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, never knowing what will happen next. Kiefer Sutherland has resurrected his career with this series, and I could not picture another actor more suited to his role. This show is wonderfully casted, magnificently written, and flawlessly executed. If you have never seen this show… now is the p…rfect opportunity!
”It’s been over a year since his wife’s death, but Jack Bauer and his daughter are still reeling from the tragedy. The two are estranged and Jack no longer works for CTU. But an urgent phone call from the President plunges Jack back into another 24-hour nightmare of pulse-pounding terror and suspense as he races against time to prevent the detonation of a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles.” – Fox
Video
As could be expected, this set looks very good. The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is one of the best television transfers on DVD to date. The colors are all bang-on… maintaining a natural tone, yet still being impressively vivid. The contrast is also very good, allowing for the dark sequences to come across very nicely. There is a mild (barely noticeably) grainy appearance throughout each episodes, but that is a normal occurrence when transferring a television show onto DVD, and does not detract from the viewing experience.
Audio
As is the case with the video, the audio on this set is very good. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is still quite front heavy, but you will be pleased with the occasional surround activity. The soundstage is filled nicely for the major effect sequences, and the score is handled very nicely. The dialog sounds a touch flat at times, but it is not too bad.
Special Features
The special features on this set really shine. I cannot recall another “season” set that has such a wealth of pertinent content in its extras. Discs one through six each contain cast/crew audio commentaries on selected episodes… one per disc. These commentaries, for the most part, are not overly thrilling. The tracks with supporting cast members are quite uninformative, but a few commentaries are still worth a listen.
Also found on discs one through six are a number of deleted scenes… a whopping 45 in total. These scenes can be viewed cut into the applicable episodes, or viewed all together on disc seven (with optional audio commentary). These deleted scenes/alternate endings are fun to watch, but were cut due to time constraints… they did have to maintain a strict real-time television schedule.
Discs seven contains the remainder of the special features… all of which are very good. First up is a featurette entitled On the Button -The Destruction of CTU. This 13-minute feature explores the execution of the CTU explosion sequence. From the stunt choreography to the explosive charges, you will learn how this scenes was shot so effectively.
Next up is a two part featurette entitled 24 Exposed. These featurettes, with a combined runtime of 96 minutes, explore the creation of the final two episodes of season two…. from conception to completion. You will have a hard time finding a better making-of featurette then this on any DVD. If you are interested in learning how an episode is created… look no further then this featurette.
Lastly, disc seven contains a multi-angle study of an interrogation/torture sequence. You can choose to view the sequence from two separate angles, or a third choice that includes both angles side-by-side.
Final Thoughts
Top-to-bottom, this is one of the best TV sets you will find on DVD. The audio and video quality are excellent, and the special features are simply amazing. Put these factors with a wonderful show such as this, and you would be foolish not to add this set to your collection.
Special Features List
- Commentary on six episodes
- 45 branched deleted scenes
- Featurettes: “On the Button: The Destruction of CTU,” “Making of an Episode: Production,” “Making of an Episode: Post-Production”
- Multi-angle studies
Screenshots
12/20/2012 @ 7:20 pm
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