# Do you have to watch 24 seasons in order? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 9, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-watch-24-seasons-in-order/584888 "2011-06-09T18:09:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-watch-24-seasons-in-order/584888/1 "2011-06-09T18:09:52Z")
Title pretty much says it all, should you start with season 1 and work your way through or can you start with season 7/8 and not be lost by lots of references to old seasons? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-watch-24-seasons-in-order/584888/2 "2011-06-09T18:12:51Z")
You won’t be lost, but you’ll miss the significance of certain recurring characters. I remember I started with Season 3, and a certain nemesis from earlier seasons reappeared. I had no idea who she was supposed to be, but everyone else was all OMG NINA! Still, they’ll usually give you a little bit of backstory to catch you up, kind of like they do at the beginning of every hour each season :). ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-watch-24-seasons-in-order/584888/3 "2011-06-09T18:18:01Z")
I’d recommend against skipping around seasons - significant plotlines and characters carry over into subsequent seasons. Watching Season 2, Episode 1 first, for instance, would spoil the entire plot of Season 1. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-watch-24-seasons-in-order/584888/4 "2011-06-09T18:26:42Z")
I agree with **Skammer** but if you really want to do the whole thing right, you need to dig up the threads here and follow along with the commentary. For as good a guide as I have found, check out [24: Season 8: Episode 23-24 (2:00pm - 4:00pm) SERIES FINALE](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=564434) started 05-24-2010, 06:15 PM by **Monstre** and containing in its OP: > [@](#): > > SPOILERS AHEAD! > > Season 8 threads: > 1-2 3-4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15-16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23-24 > > Season 7 threads: > 1-2 3-4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11-12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23-24 > > 24: Redemption thread > > Season 6 threads: > 1-2 3-4 5 6 7 8-9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23-24 > > Season 5 threads: > 1-2 3-4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11-12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23-24 > > Season 4 threads: > 1-2 3-4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23-24 > > Season 3 threads: > 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 > > Season 2 threads: > 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 > > Season 1 threads: > 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 with links to the threads with episode commentary. Even if you skip watching the show, these threads are some of the best entertainment at SDMB! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-watch-24-seasons-in-order/584888/5 "2011-06-09T18:27:54Z")
Since the issue is spoilers, please avoid using open spoilers when you answer the OP’s question. Thanks, **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-watch-24-seasons-in-order/584888/6 "2011-06-09T23:31:52Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > You won’t be lost, but you’ll miss the significance of certain recurring characters. I remember I started with Season 3, and a certain nemesis from earlier seasons reappeared. I had no idea who she was supposed to be, but everyone else was all OMG NINA! > > Still, they’ll usually give you a little bit of backstory to catch you up, kind of like they do at the beginning of every hour each season :). Seriously? Her? Again? Now I know I’m not going to bother to watch the third season. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-watch-24-seasons-in-order/584888/7 "2011-06-10T00:12:04Z")
No. You only need to watch the first 5 seasons (and play the PS2 game between seasons 2 and 3). And then you can stop. Season 6 feels like a bad clip show of seasons 1-5, and I never watched the last two seasons but I’m sure they were terrible too. Don’t worry, they didn’t have 24 seasons, only 8. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-watch-24-seasons-in-order/584888/8 "2011-06-10T00:20:34Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > No. You only need to watch the first 5 seasons (and play the PS2 game between seasons 2 and 3). And then you can stop. Season 6 feels like a bad clip show of seasons 1-5, and I never watched the last two seasons but I’m sure they were terrible too. Well if you’re going to stop early, stop at season 4. It’s a logical finale for the series as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-to-watch-24-seasons-in-order/584888/9 "2011-06-10T05:30:42Z")
Just watch 'em in order. You won’t want to stop watching after each episode. Just know that by the time it reaches season 4, Jack Bauer is a super-human… roll with it, and have fun!