List Price : $49.98 Price : $14.27
Description
Eighteen months after faking his own death, Jack Bauer is forced to return to Los Angeles when it becomes apparent that the only four people who know he is still alive are being systemically targeted for assassination. The assassinations coincide with the signing of an anti-terrorism treaty between Russia and the U.S., leading Jack to suspect a link between the assassinations, the treaty, and a group of Russian terrorists. But as events slowly unfold it becomes apparent that the day's horrific events were originally set in motion by someone within our country's own administration – an individual with the power and resources to thwart Jack's every move.
Amazon.com
Arguably the series' best season to date, season 5 of 24 literally starts with a bang and never lets up, with an intricate executive-level conspiracy to control Central Asia's oil supply. Piling crisis upon crisis in an escalating series of deceptions, twists, and deeply hidden agendas, the day-long ordeal begins with a devastating political assassination connected to a disgraced former CTU agent (Peter Weller) and a radical group of Russian separatists (led by British actor Julian Sands) threatening to release lethal nerve gas in Los Angeles to protest a U.S./Russian treaty about to be signed by President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin). As Logan's unstable wife Martha (Jean Smart), Secret Service agent Aaron Pierce (Glenn Morshower), and chief of staff Mike Novick (Jude Ciccolella) gradually uncover the conspiracy, CTU maverick Jack Bauer (series star Kiefer Sutherland) emerges from self-imposed exile to aid his CTU colleagues in a life-threatening quest for the truth. Meanwhile, CTU chief Bill Buchanan (James Morrison) is thwarted by an inexperienced, overbearing superior (Sean Astin) and an executive takeover of CTU led by Homeland Security chief Karen Hayes (Jayne Atkinson), forcing Bauer and his CTU loyalists to "go dark" and work independently to honor the memory of a slain friend and leader. Also figuring in are CTU's resident hacker-nerd extraordinaire, Chloe O'Brian (played to perfection by Mary Lynn Rajskub)
, Bauer's estranged daughter (Elisha Cuthbert), and his beloved CTU colleague Audrey Raines (Kim Raver).
Pivoting on a declaration of martial law and a mysterious cabal of unnamed conspirators, "Day 5" shocked even loyal 24 fans with a high body count including several important supporting characters. It all adds up to an exceptional season that earned Sutherland a well-deserved Emmy (for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series), equally deserving Emmy nominations for Itzin and Sharp, and an Emmy win for co-executive producer Jon Cassar's direction of the riveting season premiere. And while the breathtaking twists of 24 don't always hold up to intense scrutiny, these 24 episodes (running about 43 minutes each) are tightly written and flawlessly directed with an involving emphasis on thriller plotting and dramatic focus on the complex and operatically tragic relationship between President Logan and his traumatized wife. Add it all up, and you've got an addictive reason to look forward to season 6. --Jeff Shannon
On the DVDs
Discs 1-6 contain four episodes each, with several episodes including optional viewing of extended or alternate takes of selected scenes. A total of 12 full-length episode commentaries are provided by 24's primary cast and crew, allowing listeners a comprehensive appreciation of the series' extended "family" of talent, along with a wealth of production anecdotes, revealing observations about plotting and character, and a welcome overview of individual personalities and contributions. Disc 7 is packed with features, beginning with a season 6 prequel that offers a tantalizing glimpse of things to come, with an interrogation and escape scenario set seven months after the events of "Day 5"; by comparison, the season 6 trailer offers little more than a recap of season 5. The featurettes are all well-crafted and worth a look, beginning with a "Supporting Players" profile of 24's extended cast (including some surprising glimpses of their off-screen hobbies and activities); a detailed documentary about 24's innovative and hard-working camera crew; a profile of music composer Sean Callery, who demonstrates his versatile mood-setting techniques; a detailed exploration of the "Presidential Retreat" set with production designer Jonathan Hodges and colleagues; a "100th Episode Reel" with tightly-edited clips from seasons 1-5; and a sampling of cast and crew photos from 24: Behind the Scenes, a picture book published in November 2006. Kudos to Sparkhill Productions for continuing to provide 24 bonus features as well-made as the series itself. --Jeff Shannon
Beyond 24: Season 5
 More "Edge-of-your-Seat" TV DVDs |  24: Seasons 1-5 |  24: Behind the Scenes (Paperback) |
Stills from 24: Season 5
 |  | 
|
- 24: Season Five
- 24 slim case
- Season Five
- Tv show
- 24 part 5
24: Season Five Reviews
| 38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:  Best Season of the Best Show on Television, By mljkb (I ain't tellin you, QE CAN) - See all my reviews This review is from: 24: Season Five (DVD) "24" is quite simply the greatest show to appear on television in a good long while and season five is its finest hour. Five seasons in, series creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran continue to spring one unpredictable surprise after another, sending super agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland, by equal turns lethally charismatic and emotionally bruised) against his most formidable foes yet that include everyone and anyone from Russian Separatists, authoritarian double agents to high ranking members of the government. Fans of the season will know exactly who these baddies are, but for those unitiated, the head-spinning surprises are best left unsaid. What can be said, is that for this fifth season the crack writing staff took a good hard look at the state of geopolitics and the authoritarian neo-conservatism championed by the Bush administration and worked in a cautionary tale about oil-lust and hubris taken to extremes. Besides Sutherland, special recognition has to go to Gregory... Read more 15 of 16 people found the following review helpful: Modern days' Job, By Eran Cohen (Israel) - See all my reviews This review is from: 24: Season Five (DVD) It seems like things cannot get worse than they are before the dawn of day 5; the tragedies and catastrophes Jack has suffered from throughout the previous seasons would have been unbearable to most human beings - but Jack endured. Comes day 5 to demonstrate that things cannot always get better - as Jack comes back from the presumed-dead to face an immense loss and immediately continue to save a nation from formidable new enemies - foreign and domestic. At its fifth season the show is interesting, vibrant, energetic and possibly better than previous seasons; "24" is still in its development phase - it appears that there's a lot more to do and tell in the future - and it's admirable to be able to say that about a series at the point where most other TV shows are long beyond their glory days. The series itself and Kiefer Sutherland as its leading actor finally won the Emmy they deserved this year. It came in a good time - when TV modern days'... Read more 12 of 13 people found the following review helpful: Possibly the best 24 yet, By H. Bala "Me Too Can Read" (Just moved to posh Marina Del Rey, CA - where if you drop a quarter, why, you just keep on walking) - See all my reviews   This review is from: 24: Season Five (DVD) For sheer intensity and plot topsy-turvies, no other show comes close to 24. You'd think the premise (every hour of the 24 episode-long season is played in real-time; thus 24 encapsulates a full day) would get old by now, but, surprisingly, the producers and writers have managed to come up with another riveting, must-see season. In fact, this might be the best season of them all. The thrills and nail-biting suspense (as well as the SPOILERS alert) begin early in the season five opener, with the shocking slaying of President Palmer and assassination attempts on familiar CTU agents (one of which is tragically successful). Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is lured out of hiding after 18 months and becomes rapidly embroiled in a devious conspiracy that goes all the way up to the White House. As he becomes the most wanted man in America (he is framed for Palmer's assassination), he must try to ferret out the true culprit(s) and again save the country from deadly Russian extremists and... Read more |
› See all 278 customer reviews...
