The eighth season of the American drama television series ''
24'', also known as Day 8, premiered in the United States on
Fox
Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush").
Twelve species ...
on January 17, 2010. The eighth season was announced as the final season of ''24'' and the show's series finale aired on May 24, 2010. However, the series returned with a ninth season as ''
24: Live Another Day'', which aired in 2014. The season's
storyline begins and ends at 4:00 p.m.
Season overview
Set 18 months after season 7, the story arc involves
Jack Bauer
Jack Bauer is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Fox television series '' 24''. Throughout the majority of the series' running, Bauer serves as a key member of the fictional CTU and other institutions. Bauer's job usually involv ...
contending with assassination threats made during a peace conference between
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
Allison Taylor
Allison Taylor is a fictional character portrayed by Cherry Jones on the TV series '' 24''. The first female President of the United States within the ''24'' universe and a Republican, she took office in the TV movie, '' 24: Redemption'' and ser ...
and President Omar Hassan of the fictional Islamic Republic of Kamistan (IRK). The season is set in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, with CTU's New York City Office having been re-activated. While there were originally no plans for filming in New York due to budget constraints, some scenes were shot on-location.
The three main acts of season eight are:
# CTU pursues Hassan's brother who is working with the
Russian mafia
The Russian mafia ( or ), also known as Bratva ( ; ) less as Obshchak (Общак) or Brigades (Бригады) , is a collective of various organized crime related elements originating or/and operating in Russia.
In December 2009, Timur ...
to have nuclear rods transported to his home country.
# Multiple government agencies pursue Kamistani terrorists who kill Farhad Hassan and attempt to strike at America directly.
# Jack wages a one-man war against the members of the Russian government who are responsible for the conspiracy after Allison Taylor refuses to do anything that could jeopardize the treaty.
Major subplots
* Jack worries that
Renee Walker
Renee Walker is a fictional character in the TV series '' 24'', portrayed by Annie Wersching. She is an FBI special agent and appeared in both season 7 and season 8.
Concept and creation
Wersching previously had worked together with ''24'' ...
has become a danger to herself and others.
* A relatively inexperienced CTU team is limited in its ability to help Jack.
* Dana Walsh fears that she will lose her job when a stalker threatens to reveal that she has a criminal record.
* A mole at CTU helps the terrorists evade authorities.
* Extremists in the Taylor administration believe that the safest option is to give in to the terrorist demands.
*
Charles Logan makes a return and wishes to exact revenge on Jack Bauer.
* Chloe O'Brian attempts to rein Jack in before his rampage either gets him killed or cause an international crisis.
Summary
The signing of an important treaty between the US and the IRK (Islamic Republic of Kamistan) is about to take place at the UN. Kamistani terrorists, resentful of America and disappointed at Hassan's willingness to concede their attempts at developing nuclear weapons, choose this day to attempt to assassinate the Kamistani president, Omar Hassan. The assassination attempt is initially led by Hassan's brother Farhad.
CTU learns from the rescue of Hassan that terrorists have a plan to acquire nuclear rods from the Russian mob. With the help of Renee Walker, who is struggling to keep her life together, Jack goes undercover and forces the cooperation of Sergei Bazhaev's mob family. The nuclear rods are given to Samir Mehran, when Bazhaev's older son Josef betrays him for killing his younger brother Oleg who was exposed to the rods and was suffering from radiation poisoning who plans to make a dirty bomb on American soil. Hassan's head of security, Tarin Faroush is revealed to be a part of Mehran's group and they present an ultimatum to Taylor's government — she must hand over Hassan for execution or the bomb will be detonated.
When Taylor orders that Hassan still be protected at all costs, a US black-ops team attempts to kidnap him. Jack Bauer and the rest of Hassan's protective detail kill all but one member of the team but upon learning of the ultimatum, Hassan turns himself into Mehran. With the nuclear crisis averted, CTU agents attempt to save Hassan and close in on Mehran. However, they arrive to see that Hassan has already been assassinated. Taylor is able to resurrect the treaty by convincing Hassan's wife Dalia to assume her husband's position as interim President and to sign the treaty on her country's behalf.
Considering their duties to be over, Jack and Renee return to his apartment where they have a romantic encounter. However, a Russian assassin follows them there and fires through the windows to tie up loose ends. Renee is hit and a frantic race ensues as Jack rushes her to the hospital. She dies on arrival whereupon Jack vows to avenge her death and bring everyone involved in the conspiracy and cover-up to justice. He learns that the Russian government are behind everything as they see the treaty as a threat to their influence in the world and supported and funded Mehran's group to destroy the peace process. Allison Taylor though outraged by the conspiracy, still believes that good can come from the signing and decides to continue with the proceedings. She fears that Jack's actions will be enough to have the treaty called off and orders his lockdown. Jack frees himself and at the cost of a third world war, begins to hunt down and kill every member of the conspiracy that killed Walker and Hassan. Chloe who has assumed control of CTU is forced to issue a manhunt for Jack. This leads to a cat and mouse game when Charles Logan approaches Allison Taylor and offers to use the unique resources at his disposal to capture Bauer. Chloe has her authority challenged when Logan has Jason Pillar installed at CTU and tries to prevent him and Logan from having Jack assassinated before he can expose the cover up.
Jack kills Dana Walsh (the mole at CTU), Mikhail Novakovich (the Russian Foreign Minister) and Pavel Tokarev (the assassin who killed Renee). After ambushing Logan, Jack learns that Russian President Yuri Suvarov, who has arrived in New York for the signing is the mastermind behind the conspiracy. Jack aims a sniper rifle at Logan's office and orders him to lure Suvarov there so he can murder them both. Logan is forced to agree and Jack prepares to pull the trigger, but Chloe talks him out of it at the last second. When President Taylor has free rein to sign the treaty and have Jack permanently silenced she has a change of heart and turns herself in to the
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
. Wanted by Russian and American forces Jack says goodbye to Chloe who is watching him through the camera feed of a
predator drone
The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (often referred to as the Predator drone) is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency ( ...
. She orders that the feed be turned off and sees Jack disappear from the screen as he disappears from her life.
Characters
Starring
*
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland (born 21 December 1966) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his starring role as Jack Bauer in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox drama series ''24 (TV series), 24'' (2001–2010, 20 ...
as
Jack Bauer
Jack Bauer is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Fox television series '' 24''. Throughout the majority of the series' running, Bauer serves as a key member of the fictional CTU and other institutions. Bauer's job usually involv ...
(24 episodes)
*
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Mary Lynn Rajskub () is an American actress and comedian who is best known for portraying Chloe O'Brian in the action thriller series '' 24'' and Gail the Snail in ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia''. Rajskub was a regular cast member on HBO' ...
as
Chloe O'Brian
Chloe O'Brian is a fictional character played by actress Mary Lynn Rajskub on the US television series '' 24''. An analyst at CTU Los Angeles (and later New York), she is Jack Bauer's most trusted colleague, often doing unconventional and unau ...
(24 episodes)
*
Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1956) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema, Hindi films, in addition to Indian television and international films. In a career spanning over 40 years as an actor and since 2005 as a ...
as
Kamistan President Omar Hassan (15 episodes)
*
Annie Wersching
Anne Wersching (March 28, 1977 – January 29, 2023) was an American actress. She was known for her television roles as Renee Walker in '' 24'', Julia Brasher in '' Bosch'', Emma Whitmore in '' Timeless'', Dr. Kelly Neiman in ''Castle'', Leslie ...
as
Renee Walker
Renee Walker is a fictional character in the TV series '' 24'', portrayed by Annie Wersching. She is an FBI special agent and appeared in both season 7 and season 8.
Concept and creation
Wersching previously had worked together with ''24'' ...
(13 episodes)
*
Mykelti Williamson
Mykelti Williamson (; born Michael T. Williamson; March 4, 1957) is an American actor and director best known for his roles in the films ''Forrest Gump'', '' 12 Angry Men'' (1997), ''Con Air'', and '' Ali'', and the television shows ''Boomtown'' ...
as
Brian Hastings (17 episodes)
*
Katee Sackhoff
Katee Sackhoff (born April 8, 1980) is an American actress known for being Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on ''Battlestar Galactica'' (2004–2009), Niko Breckenridge on '' Another Life'' (2019–2021), Victoria "Vic" Moretti on '' Longmire' ...
as
Dana Walsh (20 episodes)
*
Chris Diamantopoulos
Christopher Diamantopoulos ( (''Khristóforos Diamantópoulos''); born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian actor. He played Russ Hanneman in the HBO series ''Silicon Valley'' and starred in the film ''The Three Stooges'' as Moe Howard, and the TV series ...
as
Rob Weiss
Rob Weiss is an American television and film producer, screenwriter, director, and actor. His break came in 1993 when he wrote and directed '' Amongst Friends''. The film was well received, and Weiss was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the ...
(12 episodes)
*
John Boyd as
Arlo Glass
The following is a list of characters in the American serial drama television series '' 24'', '' 24: Live Another Day'', and '' 24: Legacy'' by season and event. The list first names the actor, followed by the character. Some characters have their ...
(24 episodes)
*
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Freddie James Prinze Jr. (born March 8, 1976) is an American actor. He has starred in films such as '' I Know What You Did Last Summer'' (1997) and its sequel '' I Still Know What You Did Last Summer'' (1998), '' She's All That'' (1999), '' Down ...
as
Cole Ortiz (24 episodes)
*
Cherry Jones
Cherry Jones (born November 21, 1956) is an American actress. She started her career in theater as a founding member of the American Repertory Theater in 1980 before transitioning into film and television. Celebrated for her dynamic roles on st ...
as
President Allison Taylor (20 episodes)
Special guest stars
*
Gregory Itzin
Gregory Martin Itzin (April 20, 1948 – July 8, 2022) was an American character actor of film and television best known for his role as U.S. President Charles Logan in the action thriller series '' 24''.
Early life
Itzin was born in Washing ...
as
Charles Logan (8 episodes)
*
Elisha Cuthbert
Elisha Ann Cuthbert (; born November 30, 1982) is a Canadian actress. As a child actress, she made her first televised appearance as an extra on ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' and co-hosted '' Popular Mechanics for Kids''. She made her feature- ...
as
Kim Bauer (2 episodes)
Guest starring
Episodes
Production
Starting with episode 18,
Chip Johannessen
George Frederick "Chip" Johannessen (born November 16, 1955) is an American writer, editor, and producer of several popular television series. He is credited with work on '' 24'', ''Homeland'', ''Dexter'', ''Moonlight'', ''Millennium'', and ''Bev ...
was promoted to executive producer by the production company
Imagine Television. An interview with
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland (born 21 December 1966) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his starring role as Jack Bauer in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox drama series ''24 (TV series), 24'' (2001–2010, 20 ...
seemed to indicate that season eight would take place within very close proximity to the closing events of season seven, but ultimately the story picked up more than a year after the events of the previous season. The show got permission to shoot in the UN building in New York City but Kiefer Sutherland said that they would "probably use that primarily for exteriors".
Trailer
In October 2009, the debut trailer for Season 8 aired on Fox. It was titled "Survive" and hinted that the eighth season would be the last with the line "All Jack Bauer has to do is survive one more day." The trailer shows Jack relaxing with his family and being warned about the impending threat to President Hassan's life. On November 26, 2009 a second trailer was released which featured the song "
Run This Town
"Run This Town" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z featuring Bajan singer Rihanna and fellow American rapper Kanye West. Released on July 24, 2009, it was written by the artists alongside Athanasios Alatas, Jeff Bhasker, and No I.D., the latte ...
" by
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
.
Reception
On the review aggregator website
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the eighth season scored 67 out of 100, based on 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the season has an approval rating of 75% with an average score of 7.4 out of 10 based on 40 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "It often feels like the same ol', same ol', but as Jack Bauer, Kiefer Sutherland continues to deliver in ''24''s final day(s)."
Gregory Itzin
Gregory Martin Itzin (April 20, 1948 – July 8, 2022) was an American character actor of film and television best known for his role as U.S. President Charles Logan in the action thriller series '' 24''.
Early life
Itzin was born in Washing ...
, who played former
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Charles Logan this season, was nominated for
Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series, four years after getting the nomination for
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The series also received the nomination for the
Television Critics Association Heritage Award. In a review by
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
, the writing in Season 8 was compared negatively to the writing in other seasons with "It's always difficult to see a once vibrant and exciting show clearly drop in quality...the ''24'' writers simply didn't play fair – because there was no way the Dana from the beginning of the season could have been the Dana we saw later...This plot twist took an already frustrating character and made her even more of a mess."
Award nominations
Home media releases
The eighth season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on and in region 2 on .
References
External links
*
24 (TV series)
2010 American television seasons
Weapons of mass destruction in fiction
Works about the Russian Mafia
{{Use mdy dates, date=March 2012