Hard to believe, but after all these years, 24 is as vital and compulsive as it always was. For this fourth series, the rules are still the same: all the action takes place in real time, and the series again follows a single day in the life of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland).

Fortunately, Jack???s knack of attracting trouble hasn???t deserted him either, and quickly, it???s business as usual. Starting the series with a fresh romance, a different job and one heck of an explosion, it doesn???t take long before Jack is back in action, and he???s soon joined by a mixture of new and familiar faces.

To talk about the plot would be unfair, as 24 is consistently a dish best served cold. Suffice to say that there???s a heady mix of plotlines, twists and downright brilliant cliffhangers. Perhaps the cocktail isn???t as fresh as it once was, and there are moments where you can???t help but feel that plausibility is being stretched a little too far. But accepting that is part and parcel of the 24 experience, and arguably part of the fun.

That???s because even as it approaches its final stages, 24: Series 4 maintains a tremendous momentum and level of intrigue, and by the time the clock ticks for the last time at the end of the 24th episode, odds are you???ll be thirsting for more. Bluntly, in spite of its flaws, 24 remains one of the most essential shows currently on television--and this series offers ample evidence why.--Simon Brew

in comparison to other seasons of the brilliant 24, this is less than average. viewed as a stand alone tv show, this is really good, and still very addictive, entertaining and always full of surprises.
For me, it was not as great as season 1 or 2. First, the secondary plots are totally unnecessary and do not add anything to the action. Second, some of the newly introduced characters are very dull, totally look out of place, and just boring. In addition, the plot of this seasons seems to be over complicated and just filled with a new disaster now and then to fill some space. I started to lose interest in the middle of the season, the last three episodes were the best. The end is a bit over the top, but it was O.K. Shame that the most interesting characters are losing their part, like George Mason, Tony Almada, who did have a big part in this season, but you can see it coming that it is about to be over for him soon. I was glad that Kim is out of the picture, but was replaced by Audurey, who made things a lot worse, and for me is one of the worst characters in the show. Hope the next season improves a lot, and not get as repetitive as this one.

Thats the only word to describe this season of 24 WOW, this will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end (rougly 18 hours of footage) this series continues to blow me away

I have been watching each season of 24 in order and have found them all very entertaining. You do however have to suspend belief and simply enjoy the ride.

For me this is the weakest season so far. The replacements for some of the central characters were disappointing - just couldn't get interested in Driscoll, Curtis or Edgar. What a relief when Tony, Michelle, Chloe and David Palmer returned. Chloe has become one of my favourite characters, although her 'personality disorder' has been watered down somewhat. I hope Chloe's character is explored further in later seasons. I loved the scene where Chloe goes out in the field, for me it was one of the most exciting and convincing scenes of the season.

Jack is as always 'superman' prevailing against impossible odds. But that is part of the charm of the series.

However I feel that this season's story line is somewhat formulaic, with stereotypes of terrorists and scenarios. Marwan although clever and well organised comes across as one dimensional. His character and motivation is not explored on a personal level, other than that it is mentioned that he is 'radicalised'. The suggestion that neither side will ever understand each other was for me too black and white. It does though I think accurately reflect the attitude of the US to the rest of the world which in itself is disturbing. Until the American psyche confronts and takes responsibility for the actions of its leaders around the world, programmes such as 24 will never be more than roller-coaster entertainment. CTU is in an unique position to appreciate the consequences of American foreign policy, but this is never explored other than a grating 'we will prevail' sentiment.

I will watch the previous seasons again, but not this one.

An undeniably great show with excellent characters but a slightly predictable plot although definitely a good way to pass some time.

I bought this DVD purely to fill out my collection, and while it isn't the best season of 24 released, it is still better than average. The plot is a bit over-the-top with far too many crises going on compared to the other seasons. However, the action is superb, Chloe isn't (as) annoying, and the ending is awesome and unexpected (unless you happen to have seen the other seasons. If you're a fan of 24, buy this, if not...better start with season 1!