Before there was “Scandal” and “Homeland,” the political thriller to watch on TV was “24.” The show followed counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland, “Pompeii”) as he battled against assassins, terrorist organizations and international governments all in the name of justice. Using a unique real-time approach, in which each episode comprised one hour in a day, “24” solidified itself as the pinnacle of the political thriller genre. The show, originally aired 2001-2010, seemed to be over following its eighth season. After a four-year rest, “24” has been revived as a 12-episode miniseries event, “Live Another Day,” which premiered Monday, May 5.
With Bauer on the run from the U.S. government at the end of the show’s run, “Live Another Day” picks up four years later in London, where Bauer tries to thwart an assassination attempt on visiting U.S. President James Heller (William Devane, “The Dark Knight Rises”). Heller, along with his daughter and Bauer’s ex-girlfriend Audrey (Kim Raver, “Grey’s Anatomy”), has come to garner support from the British government for his controversial military drone operations. With a team of CIA agents out to get him, led by Steve Navarro (Benjamin Bratt, “Despicable Me 2”) and Kate Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski, “Dexter”), Bauer enlists the help of his old friend and computer hacker Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub, “Safety Not Guaranteed”) to stop an unknown force from taking out Heller.
Anchoring the show’s return are fan-favorites Bauer and O’Brian. Sutherland dusts off Bauer’s bloodied boots with ease, and Rajskub (looking very “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” this season) returns as a more hardened, brutal O’Brian. Seeing this complementary duo of brains and brawn together again is electric and exciting. Even new viewers, perhaps without knowledge of the show’s earlier incarnation, will feel the connection between these two—arguably one of the best and most enduring friendships on television. For long-time fans, this reunion is triumphant and a relief amidst the many new faces.
Still, one new face stands out among the rest: CIA Agent Morgan. Morgan fulfills the typical “24” character type (more on that later) of the agent with good instincts but poor leadership. Strahovski instills Morgan with a tenacity and hunger for redemption, reminiscent of a younger Bauer. Viewers learn that Morgan’s husband, another agent, betrayed the CIA by spilling secrets and soon after committed suicide. Morgan and Bauer are pitted against each other almost immediately in the two-hour premiere, but Morgan’s own problems with the CIA might turn her to Bauer’s side in the end.
In most ways, “Live Another Day” is unapologetically classic “24.” Fans will feel immediately immersed back into the crazy world of “24,” as if they never left. In fact, “Live Another Day” relies on a lot of similar tropes from the show: Instead of the Counter-Terrorist Unit from the show, there’s the CIA division in London led by Navarro (the stuffy, by-the-books figure) and a staff comprised of computer nerd Jordan Reed (Giles Matthey, “True Blood”) and hothead field operative Erik Ritter (Gbenga Akinnagbe, “Graceland”). President Heller’s Chief of Staff Mark Boudreau (Tate Donovan, “Hostages”) is reminiscent of every slimy, out-for-himself political aide of seasons past.
Like the original show, “Live Another Day” relies on violence, plot twists and politically relevant issues to create a non-stop thrill ride—all to be expected. This season tackles issues like the use of drones in military strikes and the power of free information (á la WikiLeaks). With these issues, the show proves its continued relevance 13 years after it originally premiered.
“24” was always about the thrill of the ticking clock. Using familiar elements, character types and even plot lines (its first season also dealt with an assassination attempt) makes “Live Another Day” so nostalgically, classically “24”—and it is not a bad thing. It does not feel tired or passé, because the real-time intensity keeps viewers sucked into the jaw-dropping, pulse-racing journey. Critics may complain about the show’s endurance, but there is a reason “24” continues to live on: Relevant issues against the backdrop of a ticking clock is irresistibly satisfying drama.
“24: Live Another Day” airs Mondays at 9/8c on Fox.
