Product Description
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The complete third season of the real-time drama series. Three
years on from the events of Day Two, Federal Agent Jack Bauer
(Keifer Sutherland) has successfully captured and imprisoned the
head of a Mexican drug cartel. But when a van deposits a dead
body outside the LA Unit infected with a deadly virus, the
Counter Terrorist Unit uncover a plot to blackmail the US
Government with the threat of a released bio-weapon that will
kill millions to ensure the release of the drug baron. Jack must
infiltrate the gang and rid the world of the virus threat.
Meanwhile, President Palmer is in LA seeking re-election to a
second term, with his new chief of staff and girlfriend in tow.
.co.uk Review
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There's not one cougar to be found in 24's dynamic third season,
and that's good news for everyone. After Jack Bauer's daughter
Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) survived hokey hazards in season 2, she's
now a full-time staffer at CTU, the L.A.-based intelligence
beehive that's abuzz once again--three years after the events of
"Day Two"--when a vengeful terrorist threatens to release a
lethal virus that could wipe out much of the country's
population. Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) attempts to broker a deal
for the virus involving drug kingpin Ramon Salazar (Joaquim de
Almeida), whose operation Jack successfully infiltrated at high
personal cost: to maintain his cover, he got hooked on heroin.
That potentially deadly triangle--drug lords, addiction, and
bioterrorism on a massive scale--sets the 24-hour clock ticking
in a tight, action-packed plot involving a potential traitor in
CTU's midst; the return of TV's greatest villainesses in Nina
Meyers (Sarah Clarke) and former First Lady Sherry Palmer (Penny
Johnson Jerald); a troubled romance between Kim and Jack's new
partner Chase (James Badge Dale); and a scandalized reelection
campaign by president David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), who
monitors CTU as they struggle to (literally) save the day.
The intricately woven subplots that are 24's greatest strength
are masterfully developed here, and character arcs are equally
strong, especially among CTU staffers Tony (Carlos Bernard) and
his wife Michelle (Reiko Aylesworth); CTU director Ryan Chappelle
(Paul Schulze), who is season 2's tragic bargaining chip; and the
annoying but well-intentioned Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub),
who makes pivotal contributions with by-the-book efficiency. It's
24's superior casting that overcomes the series' occasional
lapses in credibility, and season 3's twists make marathon
viewing a nerve-wracking delight. By the time it's all over, with
a high body count and the surgical reattachment of a main
character's severed hand, 24 once again leaves you gratefully
exhausted. As always, Sutherland anchors the series in the role
he was born to play. When Jack takes a private moment to release
24 hours' worth of near-al tension and psychological anguish,
Sutherland proves that 24's dramatic priorities are as important
as its thriller momentum. DVD extras include behind-the-scenes
featurettes (about the prison break sequence, climactic F-18
Hornet air-strike, and real-life bio-weaponry) that pay welcome
tribute to the series' hard-working crew, who create Emmy-worthy
television under pressures as intense as 24 itself. --Jeff
Shannon