24: Legacy

I am from India and 24 was the first television series I started watching. It was a hell of a ride. But this one.....I couldn't stand the first 15 minutes! It was utterly ridiculous and exasperating. As pointed out by many, this is more of a left-liberalist diversity propaganda rather than an engrossing thriller series. I am not white and even I can make out that they are trying to unnecesarily portray white people in a negative light, especially males. They should understand that Keifer Stherland wasn't successful because he was white. It was because he looked the part of a CTU agent to the T. The temperament he displayed convinced viewers that this is a man who'll break the rules if it gets the job done. This legacy stuff is non-sense. I wasn't able to make out whether they rebooted 24 or parodied it. This is SAD! They absolutely ruined it!

24: Legacy was never going to be the same without Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer. It was just common knowledge. At least 24 ended on a good note when it finished in 2010. I'm still yet to see 24: Live Another Day, but my interest was sitting on the 50/50 mark. I thought I'd give 24: Legacy a chance regardless, but after the first episode it was just the same thing done all over again albeit with a different cast.

Nothing against Corey Hawkins stepping into the shoes as the heroic Eric Carter, but he just doesn't have the same presence and charisma as Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer.

24: Legacy just didn't have me hooked from the first episode. Rewind back to the very first episode of 24, and there were plenty of twists and turns to have you hooked as well as a variety of interesting characters. 24: Legacy failed to tick all the right boxes.

Just as well that 24: Legacy was cancelled after one season. It just could not resurrect the same popularity, and a lot of 24 fans were very indifferent. Sorry, but the 24 legacy should have been left well enough alone.

4/10.

My first experience with Corey was through the Walking Dead and I was certainly impressed with what he gave us during his short screen time. Unfortunately, I think he made a mistake of taking the lead role in a spin off that was never going to work. My mom and I watched every episode of the original 24 and when it came to the end, there was no doubting that the show had run its course. Hate to break it to you, but Eric is no Jack Bauer even though we're only a few episodes in. It's boring, predictable and uninteresting.

Admittedly, I am a bit of a walking dead fanboy. In my humble opinion, Corey went for the short-term gain instead of looking at the long-term. Needless to say, I don't see this lasting very long as a fan of the original and after watching the first few episodes.

Being a huge fan of 24, knowing 24:Legacy coming out was good news. Anticipating with excitement, and watching it with lowered expectations after reading some reviews, it turned out... is the same old good, 24.

What's good with the old 24 was the intensity, the spying, story-line, plot holes, all the flaws and amazing acting by Kiefer Sutherland. With 24:Legacy, everything remains except for the good acting (from the lead mainly).

It's inevitable to compare 24 with this new show, especially when 24 only ended not too long ago. Having said that, it's also important to keep an open mind that as all the actors have changed, the chemistry of the show would also differ. All in all, the story is as expected (good old CTU), the intensity is there, the constant search for the mole through the story, basically everything we enjoyed from 24 is replicated. So if you're looking for something new, this may not be for you. But if you're never tired of the same old 24, then you may enjoy this.

With all that said, there is only one problem. The lead actor, Corey Hawkins, playing Eric Carter. One of the main reason 24 was so great was because of Kiefer Sutherland. Until this day, I could still picture Jack Bauer in my head of how he would react and handle different situations and national crisis. Unfortunately, Corey Hawkins does not live up to this legacy. 5 mins in the show and I realise his acting is not up to par. Blank facial expressions, poor action scenes, with little to none chemistry with other actors/actresses. Having only watched the first episode, I truly cannot understand and relate at all what this character Eric Carter is, which is pretty much the main job of an actor. Now fortunately, the supporting roles were done properly by all others. Whether it's Carter's wife or his brother, CTU members, and even the terrorists, all performed on an acceptable standard.

There's no one TV series or movie that's perfect. So, accepting one's flaws and enjoying the show is all we, as audiences can do. But, if the acting of the lead does not shape up, that's too much of a flaw to bare and I might just give up after a few episodes. Let's wait and see.

For now, I'll give it a 6/10.

I remember when the original "24" began, it was the best thing since sliced bread in terms of TV. In 2001 we were just beginning to see the upward tick of quality series that would eventually lead to a golden age of television with networks like HBO, FX, AMC, and now Netflix contributing some of the most engaging series ever made for the small screen and turning television into an experience akin to going to the cinema.

"24" was dark, edgy, it had novelty with the fresh real-time concept, and it had a very engaging plot and a great lead. It was TV crack.

"Legacy" attempts to recapture that magic, but ultimately fails. It's not that Kiefer is no longer around. It's not that the real-time format is old hat now. It's the fact that the human drama is no longer interesting and the plot is a rehash of old ideas like being served warmed-up leftovers that have been in the fridge a day too long.

The suspense isn't as intense, the actors aren't as intriguing, and there's no blonde little girl running around getting into mishaps with cougars and everything else. In essence, the "magic" is missing from this reincarnation and that feeling of being on the edge of your seat for the entire hour is sorely lacking. This is "24", no doubt, but it's a hollow version of its predecessor that lacks bite and feels so very routine. Even the dark, brooding nature of the original series is absent and composer Sean Callery's themes are strangely lackluster and fail to pull you in.

I am holding out hope that this improves, though as of this writing we are currently on episode 5. As of now, this is watered-down "24" with no soul, no grit, and no spunk. What do you have left? A by-the-numbers action series with shootouts, explosions, and people running around "doing things." This reboot needs a soul. Right now it's "watch in the background while playing on your phone" material.