TO say that season six of “24” went awry is to say that Kiefer Sutherland may have a drinking problem.
Once one TV’s best series, the invigorating plot of “24” made red, white and blue the new black, Monday nights a national holiday, and even made the man-bag look stylish. But then – then, day six happened and, well, certain transgressions are simply unforgivable.
A quick recap: Jack Bauer (Sutherland) miraculously re-emerges from China to find his estranged father and brother involved in a nefarious plot. President Palmer is assassinated by White House patriots, then brought back to life before going comatose. Something’s going on with Russia that’s still a mystery. And Jack’s main squeeze Aubrey is a basket case. It’s the worst day in “24” history – but not because the commander-in-chief gets blown up. No, it’s because Jack’s become an emasculated wuss more interested in his brother’s wife than beating confessions out of terrorists.
Yet Tuesday’s release of season six on DVD invites re-evaluation. Is Jack as dull a boy the second time around, with no commercial interruptions? The good news: While watching the series on DVD, you avoid the frayed nerves that “24” zealots typically suffer while waiting a week to find out what happens next. The bad news: What happens next still stinks.
On DVD, you can seek new excitement on the commentary track, but you’ll only find more disappointment. It’s worse than being tortured by Jack back when he used to hack off fingers and hotwire suspects to car batteries.
Most of it is comprised of droning self-justification of directors and producers who can’t explain why it’s all so awful. When Sutherland does turn up, it’s only so executive producer Howard Gordon can brown-nose him with, “You have a really great voice. I have to tell you that.”
However much I agree, it’s awkward. Get a room, you two.
Another DVD snafu makes viewing deleted and alternate scenes tough. You have to watch the entire episode and wait for an icon to appear, indicating that there’s bonus material available.
That said, the only deleted scene worth watching features a blood-drenched Jack, freshly escaped from al-Hassad, sitting in a car. He uses the cigarette lighter to cauterize his wounded shoulder, watching his skin sizzle as smoke rises.
This, we’re told, was trimmed because it was too gross. Which it wasn’t. It was the reason we fell in love with Jack in the first place.
Some flawed movies and shows get better the second time around, but no matter how many times you watch this season of “24,” you’ll wish somebody would kidnap the whole mess and take it to China for two years.