17 Years Ago, Sean Astin Gave a Gripping and Unforgettable Performance in the Best Season of ‘24’

Based on the fact that he starred in one of the most beloved adventure films (The Goonies), sports classics (Rudy), and movie trilogies (The Lord of the Rings) of all time, Sean Astin has seemingly earned the good graces of the industry forever. Astin was recently elected SAG-AFTRA president, signifying that he had earned the trust and respect of actors who worked in both television and film. Admirably, Astin has always used his success to continue working on different projects that showcase his range, as he’s proven to be a far more versatile performer than some may have expected. Although his cinematic credentials speak for themselves, Astin also has a history of giving incredible guest performances on acclaimed television shows, as he appeared in the fifth and most acclaimed season of the Emmy-winning espionage series 24.

Although 24 is among the rare shows that retained a fairly consistent level of quality throughout its run, the fifth season is largely agreed upon to be its finest installment. After the former President David Palmer (Dennis Haybert) is assassinated, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is forced to go on the run in order to root out the real conspirators; at the same time, Jack’s allies Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), Edgar Stiles (Louis Lombardi), Bill Buchanan (James Morrison), Audrey Raines (Kim Raver), and Curtis Manning (Roger Cross) monitor the situation from CTU. Astin is introduced as an unlikeable, narcissistic character named Lynn McGill, but eventually becomes a heartbreaking hero within one of the show’s most breathtaking moments ever.

Lynn McGill Is One of the Most Surprising ‘24’ Characters

Although the internal politics of CTU are always a complicated affair, the fifth season of 24 shows the department at its most chaotic due to the conspiracy by President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin), who is revealed to be complicit in the assassination of Palmer. Astin appears as the Division official Lynn McGill, who is assigned to take over command of CTU from Buchanan during a crisis in which a lethal nerve gas is released throughout the city of Los Angeles. Astin may be known for playing likable, kind-hearted characters, but McGill is about as different from Samwise Gamgee as possible. McGill is dogmatic, controlling, and refuses to trust anyone, regardless of their work ethic; although he initially appears to have respect for Chloe because of her expertise in the field, he begins to criticize and torment her when she starts to disagree with his orders. While this sort of toxic behavior would always be obnoxious, it makes the strenuous events of the season more suspenseful.

McGill’s behavior may be a thorn in the side of all of Bauer’s allies, but Astin is able to make the distinction between being wrong-footed and completely evil. McGill’s greatest weakness is his pride and confidence, as he is unwilling to admit his faults and often blames others when he makes a mistake. While this shows that he may not have been the best person to be in charge during such a sensitive situation, it also indicates that McGill does care deeply about doing the right thing, and is at times a bit too committed to his job. 24 is able to brilliantly show a more sympathetic side of McGill deeper into the season when it is revealed that he is caring for his sister, Jenny (Penny Balfour), who he is trying to protect from an abusive relationship. The knowledge that McGill is trying to balance his responsibilities as a patriot and a family man helps to create an interesting parallel between him and Bauer, as they are both emotionally closed-off heroes who have a hard time expressing their feelings in an honest way.

Sean Astin’s Performance Is One of the Most Emotional in ‘24’ History

Given the real-time format that 24 had perfected, Astin was allowed to show the drastic changes of heart that McGill makes during an incredibly strenuous time period in which everyone is already on edge. McGill’s breakdown and removal from command is a thrilling situation, as it’s clear that he has been too blinded by ego to make any rational decisions, especially when it comes to Bauer; at the same time, Astin is able to indicate the immediate feelings of regret that McGill feels, as he ultimately wants to be aiding the CTU effort in any way that he can. Astin has a few incredibly powerful moments when he speaks to the security guard Harry Swinton (Peter Holden) about the guilt he felt after his key card was stolen by one of the terrorists. It’s a remarkable moment of tender masculinity that feels dolly reminiscent of Sam’s best moments in The Lord of the Rings, and helps to set up one of the most dramatic instances of heroism in the history of 24.

After it is revealed that McGill is the only person who could restore control of the ventilation system once gas was leaked inside the CTU building, he doesn’t think twice to complete the mission, even though it means sacrificing his own life. Astin’s performance showed just how much a character could evolve over the course of a single day, as he went from an unlikable stooge to a hero who saved the lives of all the main characters. Although there had been many interesting allies in 24 that Bauer had worked with, none of them were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in such a valiant way like McGill.

It was an important moment for 24 in which the side character subplots grew just as compelling as what was happening to Bauer. McGill was one of the rare characters who was responsible for completely reshaping the arc of the season, despite the fact that his interactions with Bauer were few and far between. It speaks to Astin’s depthful performance that he was able to have such a significant impact on 24, despite appearing in only ten episodes. It may not be as iconic as The Goonies or The Lord of the Rings, but Astin’s role as McGill deserves to be heralded as one of his best performances.