Summary
24is a compelling action drama centered on political conflicts and, fortunately, it’s not the only TV show of its kind. The most significant appeal that differentiates the series from thrillers that came before it and those that followed, was its unique structure that allowed theevents of each24season to unfold over a day. No other show can replicate as unique and engaging of a format, but othercomponents that play into the success of24are found throughout other political thrillers.
Such aspects include a powerful protagonist, tightly focused storylines that change with each season, and, of course, adrenaline-inducing action sequences. The latter is a crucial part of24and TV series like it,as someshows with political themestend to prioritize dialogue over action. No show could ever replicate the magic of24, but these shows come close and prove that the series' formula is not a fleeting success story.
Jack Bauer’s 10 Best Scenes In 24, Ranked
Jack Bauer consistently escalates tension in every season of 24, but certain moments stand out as his best in the series.
Both strong forces to be messed with, Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) and Jack Bauer have a lot in common, beginning with their similar military backgrounds that help them in their current careers.When facing their antagonists, both Jacks have no issue with resorting to extreme violence, especially in the later seasons of24when Bauer reaches a breaking point. This creates a complicated mix of emotions audiences have towards the characters, because although they’re fighting for the greater good, the means of achieving this are often unfavorable.
WhereReacherand24differ is in the amount of violence per season.
However, choosinga path of violence also creates an increased number of gritty, eye-catching action scenesthat are more than welcomed in political thrillers. WhereReacherand24differ is in the amount of violence per season.24’s action gradually increases over time, as well does the number of people Jack Bauer kills.Reacher’s action is at a consistent highin its two seasons and sometimes the large number of action scenes land unevenly between plausibility and being over-the-top.
Just as Jack finds himself in unpleasant situations because of his job, so does the titular character of The CW’sNikita. Training with a government organization known as Division, Nikita (Maggie Q) is ordered to kill others, but, unable to abandon her moral consciousness, she doesn’t follow through. Where a large part of Jack’s appeal comes from his physical abilities,Nikita is a compelling protagonist because of the way her background supports her present-day motives.
The frustration Nikita feels towards herself has audiences sympathizing with the character and rooting for a successful shutting down of Division, the organization that had gone rogue since Nikita escaped. Just as there are moles in24, Nikita places her mole, Alex, in Division to gain some insight so she can take down the organization before more people are hurt.Alex as a mole isn’t as impactful as someone like24’s Nina Myers or Dana Walsh, because they were against the CTU, which audiences were made to care more about. However, there is still a large sense of tension present in the series, especially when Alex is informed of Nikita’s past actions.
Following the international missions of the British Secret Intelligence Service known as Section 20,Strike Backis packed with stakes and action scenes reminiscent of24. Just as the CTU agents do in24,Section 20 works to prevent terrorist attacks all around the world. The action and set pieces are just two of the fan-favorite elements ofStrike Back, in addition to the suspense created by frequent changes made to the cast.
During its 10-year run,no character inStrike Backwas too important to be killed— a memorable aspect of24as well. Richard Armitage had the responsibility of leadingStrike Backseason 1 before being replaced by the beloved duo of Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton. This, combined with the fact that manyStrike Backcharacters were killed off prematurely, made it so audiences were constantly on their toes and were never able to predict what might happen next.
The Recruitfollows an ambitious law school graduate, Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo), who joins the CIA in hopes of obtaining a thrilling job. Once he joins, he gets exactly what he was hoping for and finds himself wrapped up in an international conflict. With only one season so far,The Recruitalready has a few connections to24, namelythe shared characteristics between Owen and Jack Bauer.
Owen, like Jack, is reckless and impulsive, getting himself into more trouble as he continues taking risks. Season 1 contains some flaws, butThe Recruithas the potential to grow into something bigger if it’s allowed to continue after two seasons.The Recruithas riveting action and well-written charactersresembling24. Unlike the latter series,The Recruithas more comedic moments that compliment the young spirit of Owen and alleviate the serious tone found in many thriller TV shows.
Continuing with serialized TV shows after the success of24, Fox introduced a new series,Prison Break. The action thriller begins with Michael (Wentworth Miller) helping his brother Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) escape prison after being accused of murder. The rest ofPrison Breakrevolves around conspiracies within the government.Prison Breakis quickly paced and suspenseful like24, but later seasons did slow down a bit and received unfavorable reviews from critics.
Prison Breakachieves a connection with its audience by featuring some truly heartbreaking moments.
This is mainly due tothe advantage24has over many thrillers in which new villains are introduced with each season. Still,Prison Breakachieves a connection with its audience by featuring some truly heartbreaking moments. Thetragic scenes inPrison Breakwere all the more devastating as audiences had the chance to spend multiple seasons with the familiar characters before they met their unfortunate fates.
A spin-off of24,24: Legacyis a 12-episode revisit to the CTU that was meant to be the start of24’s franchise expansion, though those plans never came to fruition. Set three years after the finale of24, Corey Hawkins takes over as the protagonist Eric Carter, who teams up with the CTU in Washington D.C. to prevent terrorist attacks.24: Legacyutilizes the beloved real-time concept of the original series and is largely the same as its predecessor in every other arena.
Following Sutherland’s fan-favorite performance of Bauer was not an easy task. Though critics were displeased withLegacy’s inability to differentiate itself from24, Hawkins' leading performance was full of potential as the newcomer to the CTU world. Hawkins, who earned an Emmy nomination for his dramatic role inSurvivea few years later, hadthe skill to leadLegacyfor a new wave of24fans.
Earning acclaim for a leading performance by Richard Madden,Bodyguardis a thrilling series that combines tense action and the physiological exploration of Madden’s David Budd. David’s job becomes to protect Home Secretary Julia Montague, which he feels reluctant about because of their opposing political beliefs.Bodyguardthen shows David conflicted over his job obligations and his PTSD from his time in the war.
In24, Jack is similarly impacted by his work. Jack’s personal life has always been intertwined with his job, but later seasons show him at his lowest point after many of his loved ones and close friends have been taken from him. His ruthlessness turns him into a noticeably different person from the already impulsive Jack shown in earlier seasons.Bodyguardexamines David’s mental health on a more intimate level and his methods of coping aren’t as extreme, but the inclusion of such an aspect in each show is notable and often missing in other political thrillers.
24season 1 has a bold opening, an assassination attempt on Senator David Palmer, thrusting viewers into the non-stop action and life-threatening stakes that would continue for eight more seasons.The pilot ofDesignated Survivorbegins similarly when an explosion kills everyonebefore Tom Kirkman in the presidential line of succession. Kiefer Sutherland, having played Jack Bauer in24, has a more toned-down role as President of the United States.
It can be difficult to imagine Sutherland leading a political thriller and not participating in the gunfireand combat he assumed so well in24, but luckily, the action continues around him. Various agents, led by Maggie Q’s Hannah Wells, are in charge of finding those responsible for the attack. As a result of these dangerous circumstances,Designated Survivoris fast-paced and puts to use dependable narrative devices found in the best political thrillers.
Storylines in thrillers with political themes risk being convoluted at times,butThe Night Agenthas a fairly simple premise. Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) engages in the search for a traitor within the United States government. The easy-to-follow concept plays into whyThe Night Agentwas a success for Netflixand how it compares to24.
The characters in24, even the minor ones lasting for one season, are well-written and multidimensional.
The uncomplicated 24-hour set-up of24gives audiences the ability to easily digest incoming threats and the multiple new characters introduced in each season. The characters in24, even the minor ones lasting for one season, are well-written and multidimensional. So far,the characters inThe Night Agentare shaping out to be the same way.The Night Agentseason 2 and consecutive seasons that follow, will give the necessary space to allow Peter, Rose, and others to develop further.
Just as any political thriller does,Jack Ryanplaces its titular character, portrayed by John Krasinski, in various international conflicts, which results in plenty of action sequences fans of the genre expect to see. Additionally, part of what makes24a successful drama is Sutherland’s portrayal of Jack Bauer. Audiences are fixed to their screens as they anticipate Bauer’s every move when facing his enemies. Similarly,Amazon’sJack Ryanalso has an unexpectedly strong protagonist performance.
Previously known best for his comedic roles,Krasinski’s version of Tom Clancy’s famous characteris an extremely balanced performance that pulls just enough inspiration from Harrison Ford’s version whilst still making it feel like his own.The character transformation Ryan goes through isn’t as intense as Bauer’s, but it’s more rewarding. Unlike Bauer, whose continuous emotional and physical suffering from the job leads him down a dark path of vengeance, Jack Ryan becomes increasingly confident as the series progresses, leaving the everyman image from season 1 behind.
