A Farewell to Ryan Chappelle in Season 3 of 24
The Season 3 of 24 marked the death of Counter Terrorist Unit director Ryan Chappell. I was only first beginning to like Ryan Chappell before the writers on 24 wrote him off the show. It seems like every time the viewers of the show start to get attached to a character, he is killed or dies. That was also the case with CTU agent Guyel who helped put together the covert operation with Jack Bauer and Tony Almeda.
Ryan Chappell’s death comes at a time in the middle of Season 3 of 24 when the terrorist named Steven Saunders threatens the security of the United States with 11 biological chemical devices that can kill millions of people in the United States. He hijacks the presidential office of President David Palmer and order him to bring him the body of Ryan Chappell or else he will release the chemical devices and kill millions of people. The president has no choice but to comply with the terrorist’s demands to buy more time until Counter Terrorist Unit Agent Jack Bauer can find Steven Saunders and stop him.
Ryan Chappell was a CTU director who abided by the rules of protocol and regulations. Ryan Chappell played a very similar role to the former Counter Terrorist Unit director George Mason who was killed in season 2 of 24. George Mason before he died followed regulations and protocol just like Ryan Chappell. Both men have much in common and that is the way that the directors wanted the direction of show to go in. While both men followed the rules of their superiors, they broke some rules before they died.
Both men also died as a result of putting their life on the line for their job and fighting terrorism. George Mason died by going on a police mission takedown of criminals and in the process was exposed to radiation from the plutonium used to make a nuclear bomb. The doctors gave George Mason 24 hours to live and even though he knew he was dying, George Mason still wanted to stay on at CTU and spend his last dying hours stopping the nuclear bomb.
Even in the final episodes of Season 2 of 24, a pilot was needed to fly the plane with the nuclear bomb to prevent other people form dying. Despite George Mason volunteering to fly the plane, Jack Bauer flew the plane. At the last moment, Jack Bauer discovers that George Mason sneaked on board the plane. George Mason takes over and flies the plane into the ground while Jack Bauer is able to parachute safely away. George Mason saves the day in the end as a result of his death.
The death of Ryan Chappell is very similar to George Mason in that the only option that the president had was to sacrifice Ryan Chappell. As a result of his death, CTU was able to get the necessary time to find the terrorist and save millions of human lives.
