24 Season 3 Finale [Spoilers]

So what did you guys think?

I thought it was pretty good. There was a lot of powerful stuff that happened the last couple "hours."

1) Sherry Palmer getting "off'd." Her twisted ways finally got the best of her.

2) Tony looks to be going up the river (although Im surprised that Bauer wouldn't push for a Presidential pardon given how things worked out and what Bauer himself did in Season 1). Either way I thought the last few shots with him in it were good.

3) Chase having his hand cut off was pretty cool and a well done scene.

4) Palmer not going up for re-election. I kinda thought this was cool. Lets face it, this Season Palmer started letting the position get to him and he sorta stopped being everyone's "dream President" and showed that when it came down to it, he wasn't much different than other Presidents when it came to scandals. When he started he was so direct, honest, and straight laced. This season he got very, very gray. I think his resignation was him realizing how he had changed...and him not liking what he was becoming. I am sure spending time with the kids after Sherry's death was a big part of it.

5) Bauer breaking down in the car at the end was pretty cool. You think about it, he had done a lot of shit this season and it was all back to back so he really had no time to let the weight of everything that was going on and what he had done sink in. I think a scene like that was needed to show that he isnt just some super agent robot, he just manages to put everything aside to get the job done...but its all still in there waiting to get out.

6) I did think Gayal's wife shooting Saunders was pretty weak. I mean for crying out loud, this is CTU and they did a TERRIBLE job of watching a civilian during a crucial time like that. Seemed pretty contrived to me.

Either way, good end to a good season. They really didn't leave it cliffhanger style, like they did with the Pres after Season 2. That Mandy terrorist chick is still out there and roaming around. But they did leave people with lots of questions. Will Palmer be back next season in some capacity? Is Tony really going in the clink? Will Kim get a better haircut? Guess we have to wait and see.

What did anyone else who watched this show think?

I thought it was well done. I can't really think of anything that I may have changed myself and they did a good job tying up any kind of loose ends. The only thing we'll need to find out about now is how well will Chase recover from the surgery, and what exactly will happen to Tony. All in all a good end to another great season.

I wonder if Gael's wife wouldn't have gotten to kill Saunders had Tony still been in charge.

I'm gald Palmer resigned. Too bad it took a murder/suicide to make him realise what he turned into. Maybe next season will involve an evil Presidenet Keeler.

Gotta love Sutherland gunnin' for the Emmy at the end. I like to think that on top of everything that day hitting him, what finally broke him was Chase's decision to leave the field to be a good father and husband, something he probably regrets, and regret is the strongest emotional burden one can have.

According to a report I read, the following characters will not be back next season:
Michelle Drexler
Tony Almeda
Chase
Kim (though might have a small recurring role)

Oddly enough, Palmer wasn't on that list even though he resigned, so who knows what's gonna happen to him.
All this, along with the deaths of Nina and Sherry, tells me that they're going to start with a clean slate next season, which I think is a good move, accept I will miss Michelle.

That Mandy terrorist chick is still out there and roaming around.

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We don't know this for sure. We DO know that whatever group she was involved in was taken down, as was mentioned early in the season. (Kind of weak, given the cliffhanger of S2 if you ask me) Whether Mandy herself was included in this, we can't be certain.

My mother thought it was a anti-climactic, expecting more of a mind-blowing ending. But I'd rather have the season end with this than with something like an S2 cliffhanger if it doesn't directly lead into the main plot of the following season. The events that had happened in the last hours (Chappelle's death, Sherry's murder, Tony's betrayal) are enough for me, and this last ep really capped things off and gave a finality while at the same time leaving us to wonder what'll happen to everybody.

According to a report I read, the following characters will not be back next season:
Michelle Drexler
Tony Almeda
Chase
Kim (though might have a small recurring role)

Oddly enough, Palmer wasn't on that list even though he resigned, so who knows what's gonna happen to him.

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I heard that 5 main characters were not returning. I'm wondering if this is a matter of the actors not wanting to continue or story changes. I definitely see an advantage of starting over - no presidential angle, no characters to force back into the fray, new job, new kinds of threats. Too bad we have to wait over 6 months, though I think the Monday move and starting in January will benefit the show overall.

Agreed- I like the subdued ending. Bauer in the car, letting it all out. Kinda poignant. The ep acted like a denouement of a novel almost.

As for the "5 main characters" thing, I guess it depends on what one considers a main character. Sherry? Nina? Ryan? Obvioiusly they're not coming back (unless they make a movie: 24- The Search for Sherry).

Two days after the ep, I'm really pissed Tony's going up the river. Bauer did much worse stuff. It burns me up. Thank God it's all fake.

I felt quite bad for Tony as well. But I guess the people behind 24 are fairly determined to start next season with as few returning characters as possible - would have been easy (and plausible, in the context of the series) enough to have Jack ask Palmer to pardon Tony. Especially after Palmer apologizing for asking Jack to kill Chappelle, and considering that terrorists such as Nina have been let go (not to mention Jack himself getting off for anything he's done).

In general, I really liked season 3 a lot. Much better than season 2. Have it preordered on DVD already.

And they really don't have any qualms in killing characters off, do they. Even (and especially) those one doesn't really expect to get killed (Chappelle, Sherry - neither seemed to be in particularly grave constant danger to start with).

I'm quite looking forward to the next season. Too bad the wait will be so long.

Season 3 finale was good. Little twists and turns were original and i really didn't except what Bauer did.
Saunders death and CTU security were only notable letdown for me. But it's 24

Can't comment overall season quality because i have only seen maybe final 7-8 episodes. But what i saw i liked very much.

I thought the season finale was pretty good. Not much left to say that hasn't already been said, but it was one helluva season. It certainly changed a lot from beginning to end, what with going from the whole Mexican plot to ending up with Saunders. Lots of death this season; I'm sorry to see Chappelle go though. Next season should be interesting, what with probably starting almost anew.

Two days after the ep, I'm really pissed Tony's going up the river. Bauer did much worse stuff. It burns me up. Thank God it's all fake.

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Yea thats pretty much how I feel. I'm hoping they do somehow clear it up or give him a break (even if they only mention it in passing). I mean shit. They came back and asked him to help and he was instrumental in the last few minutes in tracking that last guy with the virus down. They already said he was getting 20 years. He could have said "you are sending me to prison go fuck yourself" but he didn't. He went in and helped. That has to go a long way towards a reduced sentence. And as mentioned before given the stuff Bauer has done, it doesn't seem that different. Hopefully there will be a Presidential pardon before the election.

That being said people keep talking about all the "possible" changes for next season. If you guys think about it, this show has ALWAYS had changes from season to season, so I don't know how much of a "blank slate" it will be. In Season 1 we lost the mother, which was huge. Nina was also gone (except for a small appearance in the last 2 seasons). Season 2 Mason departed the series. If Tony is the one who isn't around for Season 4, then it makes sense Michelle isn't either. The show revolves around Jack mainly, so the side characters are just that...side characters. They play a big part, but aren't necessary in each season. Hell think of how many new characters there were this season. Chase, Cloe, Adam, Gael just for starters...

That's a good point. Still, the reason I would say next season is a "blanker" slate than the last two is because before we had the threat of Sherry or Nina coming back, and they did. All the bad guys we've seen are gone. This hasn't happened since season 1. (Except Mandy's still alive )

If they truly wanted a blank slate they would have eliminated Palmer. He gets as much screen time as Bauer.

True. And you are right, I am really looking forward to a new Season without it "appearing" that they are trying to worm back a Nina or a Sherry Palmer into the story if even for a little bit. I think that's another reason I liked this Season, they off'd both of those characters and gave some closure.

Next Season should prove interesting for sure and refreshing (even less Kim according to the rumors, but she wasnt as annoying this year anyway).

Anyone want to take bets on a possible plot? I am thinking since Palmer is not going for re-election, but apparently IS in the series (again, I suppose these are rumors and could be 100% false) I am thinking it is going to have to do with corruption in the government and a problem with the new President (whom I think we can assume is the guy we saw in this Season). At least its a possibility. But something closer to home, and interior problem, instead of the Exterior ones the last 3 seasons have been, I think might be in the works.

The corruption in the government angle has always been a part of the series. I'm sure it will be back. But the show is first and foremost about some threat to innocent people.

Looking at the big picture, it seems that each season became grander and grander. The first was relatively small in scale- the assassination of a politician. The next two were about killing bazillions of people.

IMO, I think they can't top nuclear bombs and ultra-powerful viruses. Any other massive threat would be repetitive- dirty bombs, chemical, etc. It would be cool if they bring it back down a bit. Some fans would complain- "How am I supposed to care about that after the big stuff from before?", but if it's done right, they'd get over it.

I'm thinkin' maybe have some baddy try to tear down or steal information- computer viruses or something, and he at first doesn't doesn't want to kill people but he "has" to because Bauer is thwarting him, and it spirals out of control. Something like that would have room for both small-scall intimate scenarios and then, later on, bring in the Stealth Bombers or whatever.

IMO, I think they can't top nuclear bombs and ultra-powerful viruses.

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That is what I have been thinking this entire season. "Well they wont be able to out-do Nuclear Bombs or this Virus next Season thats for sure"

I do think something smaller but pulled off well could be very capturing.