User blog comment:Doobiesister/Changes from Season 4 - Season 8 - HELP WITH MY DISSERTATION/@comment-118736-20100806180812

Heya there. Many of these questions are rather difficult so please do not be surprised if people fail to take the time to address them. This project/website was strictly for the improvement of Wiki 24 until Wikia recently rolled out the blog feature, extending the purpose into the region of general 24 discussion (a little unfamiliar here) so also, please do not be surprised if other editors don't quite even know about your blog posting.

19) The world of "24" is outlandish compared to real life. And I'm not even addressing terrorism yet: in seasons 1-6 and 8 of the show, murderous American mercenaries are never more than a quick phone call away. The picture painted of America is depressing and bleak: it's brimming with armed men who will supplement any terrorist mastermind for a price. In minutes you can "assemble a team" of murderers. It's politicians are either downright evil (Charles Logan, Walt Cummings, the voluminous amount of politicians were on the Sangalan payroll), disgustingly misleaded (Roger Stanton, Eric Rayburn), or generally unsettling characters (Noah Daniels, Mitchell Hayworth).

The terrorism of 24 has little connection to real life. The Islamist terrorists of Seasons 2, 6, and 8 were simply "pawns" being manipulated by Europeans, former Soviets, and Russians, respectively. I've never seen an iota of evidence to suggest this is how the arrangement is in reality.

Second I have some input that might be useful about your general topic as you presented in your introduction. I see little difference between the scripts of the show which would relate to the change in presidencies during which they were written. This is something that only the writers could ever tell you. Anything else from fans like us here is pure conjecture.

Regarding the differences between Season 4 and 8, I have noticed something rather important. Disregarding Season 1 because there was no "WMD" threat then, there is something of a sea change between how the terrorist WMDs were dealt with finally at the closes of Seasons 2-4 and then Seasons 5-7. Of course Jack "saves the day" in each, but in 2-4 there is a point where Jack has to sit back and let the apparatus of the government take the reigns. In 5-7 Jack has to follow through entirely himself. The nuclear warhead of Season 2 must be piloted to a point determined by careful government analysis —not Jack Bauer's gut instinct, and Peter Kingsley is not felled by Jack Bauer, but by some unnamed CTU sniper from a helicopter. In Season 3, Jack only foiled 1 out of 12 total "virus couriers"; one was killed earlier and as for the remaining 10, Jack simply had to stand back and observe the crisis-response apparatus of the government coordinate a brilliant and flawless counter-attack against these men. Finally, in Season 4, who could forget the tension when Jack and Curtis helplessly stared at the night sky until a relatively small explosion signaled that an Air Force pilot just blew up the nuclear stealth missile threatening Los Angeles.

Season 5 marks the sea change: Jack has to eliminate the bulk of the nerve gas himself, disarm a stolen Russian nuclear submarine with little help, and then bring down the most corrupt president of all time. Season 6? Forget about it. After 1 of 5 suitcase nukes explodes, Jack personally disables the remaining 4 and then counters a Chinese plot to steal a valuable component that threatens Russia. Season 8 heralds the return, in some ways, of a less-important Jack Bauer, as the "dirty bomb" threatening NYC is disarmed not-at-all through Jack's efforts.

Many of your questions are unanswered, I know, but this is the best I could do for the moment. I've always noticed this difference between Seasons 2-4 and 5-7 so I hope this helps.