24 Why Killing President David Palmer Hurt The Show

24: Why Killing President David Palmer Hurt The Show

David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) was a major character on 24, before being killed off in season 5; here’s why decision ultimately hurt the show.

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24 Why Killing President David Palmer Hurt The Show

24 took a bold step in killing off President David Palmer during season 5, but it’s a choice that ultimately hurt the show. 24 debuted in 2001 and followed CTU Agent Jack Bauer through a very stressful day as he tried to track down the people behind an assassination attempt on Presidential hopeful David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), while his own family was targeted by unknown forces. 24 used its real-time format to gripping effects, and Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack became something of an instant hit with viewers.

The original series of 24 was a ratings smash, and the show would run for eight seasons. During that time, it faced controversy over its depiction of torture and interrogation, with Jack and CTU often using brutal methods to extract information from suspects. Despite these complaints, 24 was often greeted with great reviews and received numerous awards during its initial run. There was also talk of a 24 movie following the end of season 8, but the challenge of cracking the right story for the real-time format couldn’t be worked out.

Instead, it returned for various spinoffs like 24: Live Another Day or 2017’s 24: Legacy. One thing that’s almost easy to forget about 24 now is that, in many ways, Dennis Haysbert’s David Palmer was the co-lead of the show. There was a relatively even split between Jack out in the field and Palmer having to navigate choppy political waters while trying to do the right thing. Despite his flaws and mistakes during his time on 24, Palmer was depicted as a man of dignity and integrity – which made his surprise assassination in the opening scene of 24 season 5 all the more shocking. However, the decision to kill Palmer off may have hurt the series in the long run.

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24 season 5 eventually revealed Palmer was killed after discovering a conspiracy that ran all the way to the then sitting President, Charles Logan. His passing had a major effect on the fifth season that drove the main characters forward but his death was eventually avenged by Sutherland’s Jack Bauer by the time the day was done. However, Dennis Haysbert later revealed he was far from happy with the decision to kill Palmer, partly due to the love audiences had for the character. He felt it was a bad message to slay such a beloved figure, but was eventually talked around to filming the scene after resisting for months.

24 season 5 was a particularly bloody day for the show, with numerous supporting players being killed off. The constant death may have added to the season’s tension, but by the time the dust cleared for 24 season 6, it had few compelling characters or storylines to tell. Instead, later series started to cannibalize past plotlines and the focus on Jack in the field started to feel repetitive. Sadly, Palmer will never be among the characters who could return for a 24 revival and his presence was greatly missed in later 24 seasons. If the character HAD to die, this should have been saved for the final season.

While subsequent series of 24 had their high points, most fans would likely point to earlier seasons as the best. The two-hander approach between Jack and Palmer is partly the reason, as was the surprisingly sweet friendship that grew between the pair. Had 24 found a way to keep Palmer in the fold somehow, it would have been intriguing to see how he would have evolved, and at least Jack would have an ally he could always rely on. 24’s decision to kill David Palmer didn’t ruin the show by any means – but it did make it a little less interesting.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/24-david-palmer-death-mistake-hurt-show-why/

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