(This review contains some facts from the show, but no spoilers that would ruin it for new fans.)

I had heard about all of the buzz about this apparently breakout hit, 24. I decided to watch a marathon of season 1 before the all-new fifth season was to air. I finished watching it with simply one word at the end: "Wow". I was hooked immediately, So hooked, that I watched seasons 2-4 just before the new one was to air. I loved it, and I still do.

24, if you do not know already, is a show about Federal agent Jack Bauer who works for the CTU (Counter Terrorsit Unit). But the unique and amazing thing about 24 is that it's the only scripted TV series to be in real-time. Every episode is an hour, and every season is a day. It's hard to believe with all of the action, urgency and excitement, but it's true.

The show entertains you by giving you Jack Bauer, an intense field-agent who fires weapons, tortures, interrogates and even stuffs towels down people's throats. (You heard me.) The action and drama he is in, or causes, is immense. You get sucked into the show even more when you first see it's plot twists and addictive cliff-hangers that will always leave you asking at the end of every episode: "What's gonna happen next?" The acting is great. Keifer Sutherland does a fantastic job as the protagonist Jack Bauer. Lots of explosions for the action/thriller fans, and of course, drama. But the show isn't perfect. Because the show is in real-time, it shows it's viewers multiple stories and side-plots that intervene with the main story. This is a great idea, except for the fact that some side-stories are about Jack's daughter, Kim, running in the forest nearly getting attacked by a mountain lion (it may sound interesting in words, but when you see it, you realize how meaningless and dumb it is). But after season three, they finally scratched that out making the show better.

And there's also the disappointment of some episodes, as well. You've gotten to the end of a great episode, expecting the usual cliffhanger/twist to happen, and it doesn't. Trust me, this can leave you infuriated. Thankfully, it doesn't happen often. And when it does, you'll be VERY glad you decided to watch this show.

But another very important aspect of 24 is the main character, himself. Jack Bauer is not your average person. He's saved a president twice, stopped two nuclear attacks from killing millions of lives, driven a van into a building after believing that his daughter was killed, and he went into cardiac arrest TWICE, and was revived both times. His skills as a durable person from torture, and a great interrogator makes him a great character, but also the fact that he always breaks the rules to get things done, whether they're legal or not. Like he said to his former employer: "That's the problem with people like you, George. You want results, but you never want to get your hands dirty. I'd start rolling up your sleeves." All in all, this is probably one of the best shows on television. If you get the First Season on DVD for a gift, don't you even think of returning it. It will probably be the biggest mistake you'll ever make.

9.5/10.0