24 Season 5 Discussion

In regards to the overall disappointment to Season 5, I believe the main reason people are finding it inferior to the rest of the series is because of the lack of a serious crisis. I mean, in the previous seasons, Jack had to save the country from multiple nuclear incidents. While in this season, the imminent threat posed by the terrorists came in the form of nerve gas and potent, non-nuclear missiles.

To me, this season concerned mainly the characters, not the national threat. In this season, we received shock value, while experiencing not only the loss of memorable characters but also threats that weren't massive on a city-scale. Instead, the threats were mainly targeting people we could cling to. When the nerve gas was involved, we actually saw the people that were going to die. At times, we also cared about them. Psychologically, when we see likeable characters perish, our minds start predicting the future, a future involving more people dying - people we care about; however, when we compare it to a nuclear explosion, the death toll becomes a statistic, nothing more.

I don't believe Season 5 is the best season. I do, however, see it as an admirable addition to the ever growing series. What sucks is we have to wait eight-months for the next season. Until then, let the speculations circulate and spread.

Jam it back in, in the dark.