As if the world hasn’t enough real-life terrorism, here we go, once again, with a new terrorist-loaded season of 24. Kiefer Sutherland is back as Jack Bauer and, this time around, he must deal with not one, but several threats to national security. All to be done and dusted within 24 hours of course. Ho hum. The series has become all too predictable – it’s easy to tell when someone is about to be tortured or killed, all for the sake of the nation, if you please. That said, the show does have its moments: clock-ticking, gripping scenes, and paralyzing tension are conveyed with great effect through clever editing and hand-held cameras.
But the main draw here is bad guy Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy), a villain whose cunning puts him one step ahead of Bauer. Strange that such a charismatic terrorist should feature so prominently on the hawkish Fox network. Maybe they’re trying to tell us something.
20th Century Fox Television

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
November 2005 issue