Haysbert was against the killing of David Palmer and refused to film the scene. He relented after a meeting with the showrunner, though he still disapproved of the storyline. Spoilers released by Ain't It Cool News revealed that two major characters including a politician would die in the premiere episode. Guest characters who died were Walt Cummings and Lynn McGill. The life of Aaron Pierce was threatened, but Martha Logan helped save him. Reception On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 100% with an average score of 8.8 out of 10 based on 22 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "24 defies the law of diminishing returns with a spectacular fifth season that features White House intrigue, some of the most harrowing set-pieces in the series yet, and a heroically committed performance by Kiefer Sutherland." "7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m." was the most watched episode and premiere in 24s history. Reviews of "7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m." were almost universally positive, with a score of 89/100 from Metacritic. In a positive light The Hollywood Reporter called the episode, "heart-pounding, mesmerizing adventure unlike anything else up or down the dial." while praising the new and returning actors. likewise USA Today gave the episode a positive review, and praised Kiefer Sutherland, who portrayed Jack Bauer. The New York Times also reacted positively, saying, "all the villains, be they Islamic fundamentalists, drug smugglers, American oil brokers or Russian separatists, keep picking Los Angeles as a target for attack." The Boston Globe praised the returning performances and strong plot. Season five of 24 was nominated for twelve Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the most nominated series. Award nominations Home media releases The fifth season was released on DVD in region 1 on and in region 2 on . References External links 24 (TV series) 2006 American television seasons