The article linked to above now cites Howard Gordon stating that Jack might become a regular visitor to the big screen:

“Our idea is to make Jack Bauer someone we can revisit on a regular basis.”

I’ll leave you to judge for yourself whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I’m approaching it with mixed feelings. While I will probably miss the show on TV, I’m not sure how a show that fundamentally depended on real-time and a 24-hour time span can even successfully transition into 2 hours of screen time. Sure, we had “Redemption”, but I’m not a big fan of it, either. Redemption worked as a sort of a prequel to the following season, but a movie would be a stand-alone story and a whole different ball game.

The other reservation I have is about trying to raise Bauer to an indestructible status of James Bond, and that’s essentially what would happen if he became a serial movie killer. Is this really necessary? Won’t Jack become just another action  hero? Won’t the essence of “24″ get lost in the process? Knowing that Jack will come back for another movie would make any real tension impossible because you’d know he can’t die (once I stopped believing they’d ever kill Jack on screen, that seriously dampened my “thrill” watching the seasons). Kiefer Sutherland has been saying for quite some time that he believed that Jack could go on as a character even if someone else played him. I suppose this might be the beginning idea of that transition. Just like Bond.

Nothing is etched in stone yet, of course, as a “revisit” will likely depend on how well the first movie does. So we’ll see.

In the meantime, let’s try to look forward to the movie and the return of

“…some familiar faces”

in the (first) movie, notably Chloe O’Brian. I’m still hoping for Tony, too.

More details on the film include “cold war themes”, and Jack’s remaining status of a “fugitive from everyone”, at least at the start of the movie. So it’s probably safe to say that Jack still has it in for the Russians. Suwarow is still alive, after all.

How did this happen? Wasn’t I one of the advocates of the “It should have ended years ago” and “It’s time to stop the clock”-credos? Didn’t I firmly believe myself past my 24 addiction?

And why exactly am I crying?

There’s no easy answer to that. The simplest and most detached explanation would be “because Howard Gordon wrote a damn good script and the actors did a damn good job of acting it”. But that reply doesn’t tell you why it has made me cry. I can try to dissect things a little. I know that I’m sad over “24″ ending, despite everything, because it has been a part of my life and the best thing on TV for the last 9 years. I’m sad because back in 2001, when “24″ first happened, I felt like I’d been searching for that very TV show to come along for more than two decades of my life; never before had a TV show so completely and thoroughly consumed me, engaged me, made me wonder, fear, tremble with anticipation and want more like a junkie in desperate need of his next shot. Never before had a show (re-)awakened the writer in me and inspired me to write hundreds of pages of fanfiction, pushed me to create my own storylines, fill in the blanks for existing characters, spin the thread further, create my own world beyond the show. But most of all, it was so bloody entertaining to watch.

‘The moment of truth’, a friend just told me as I revealed to her that I had much more than just watery eyes when the yellow ticking clock counted the final three seconds of “24″ down to zero (sorry if you consider this a spoiler, but it was a really nice touch and I had to mention it). I suppose that’s what it is. The simple truth is: Yes, I’m still a fan. I admit it, no need for coersive interrogation.

And yes, I will go out and buy the season. In fact, I will go out and buy all the seasons again, even those that I already own (some of my DVDs are kaput, so that’s why). Whenever that S1-8 DVD box comes out, I’ll get it. Even though I might never watch S5 or S6 (which I haven’t hitherto owned), now that “24″’s clock has ticked and died away, it does not feel appropriate for a fan who’s shedding tears over the finale not to own the complete DVD set.

Do you consider my reaction hypocritical, taking into account that I have been criticizing a good part of the 8th season earlier? Have I been lying to myself when saying that “24″ was better off dead? Maybe. Or maybe I have been preparing myself for this, inevitable, painful moment that comes about when you finally realise that “Never again” has just gained a new meaning. But on the other hand, I think that my criticism was also a way of demanding that things get better. I do believe that true fans have the right to criticise; the only people who don’t are those who actually have no idea what they’re talking about. I myself have never really given up on the show, even though there were things I didn’t like. I watched each season as it aired, even when the show was at its worst, and I hoped that when it finally went away, it would go out with a bang.

And boy, did it do that.

No, fear not, nobody got blown to pieces in the final moments. But Gordon came awfully close to ending the show with something that I and other like-minded fans have believed from Day 1 would be the only real way, the only fitting way, of wrapping things up. If I hadn’t known about “24″’s plans for the future, I would really have gotten worried. But even so, it had gripped me. I was right there in the midst of it. I was anxious about Jack, Chloe, Cole, I was yelling at Taylor to finally do the right thing, I was wishing that Logan would just drop dead, and for Dalia Hassan to stand up to Taylor…

But even though I knew that the remainder of the season rested on Jack’s revenge spree (hell, he gave us Darth Bauer ©TheJackSack) and although I wanted Logan to finally die and pay not only for his role in this season, but also for what he’s done to David Palmer, Michelle Dessler and by proxy, Tony Almeida, I couldn’t make myself root for Jack to kill Logan, or President Suwarow. Ever since Renee was killed, the path that Jack took made me feel very ambiguous about him. He chose to race down this road to ruin, and as much as I sympathised with him, as much as I understood his anger and pain, I couldn’t in good conscience side with him. There are limits, Jack, even for you.

I won’t give away how things eventually played out, you’re going to have to watch the eps yourself if you want to find out. I’ll just say the ending has left me torn. Okay, I can’t end this without addressing a couple of things that are definitely considered spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the finale, DON’T READ the rest of this until you have.

Obviously, I’m torn on the Logan issue. While I couldn’t sanction Jack’s taking him out, I’m also not really happy with him potentially surviving the season, and possibly getting away with another slap on the wrist. However, kudos to him for finally having the balls to do ‘the right thing’, put that gun to his head and pull the trigger. That was the perfect way to give us all what we wanted, and keep Jack out of it.  Now, I don’t believe in suicide, but in Logan’s case, I had no problem with the death penalty – by his hand or the government’s. death was the just punishment. It was just fitting that he’d try to take the coward’s way out and kill himself rather than facing another public humiliation. But I was in fact surprised that he killed his watchdog. Not bad for a wuss! Funny, though, he blew his own brains out and the EMT’s were able to say just a couple of minutes later that he will probably survive (at least we got the mention of permanent brain damage). Way to go, Charles. You can’t even commit suicide right!

I’m also torn on the Jack issue, though. If there had been no movies planned, I would have really wanted to see Jack die on screen. I believed that it was the finality of Jack’s death that “24″ needed in order to really call it quits. We’d discussed the options numerous times in forums, and the finale almost got us there three times. It was almost as if Gordon was going through the possible death scenarios in his head and then decided to include them all: a) ‘killed by a friend’, b) ’suicide’, c) ‘killed by a foe’. But since neither Chloe, nor Jack himself, nor his executioner actually put a bullet in Jack’s brain, Jack survived. Now, I’m surprisingly okay with that – in fact it feels a little comforting to know he’s still out there and ready for a day at the movies. But he was also given yet another free pass – and that makes me feel a little betrayed.

I understand that Alison Taylor felt the need to give Jack a head start, and I applaud her for not just granting him a pardon. He was, after all, about to assassinate some very high-ranking politicians just minutes prior. But why is it that Bauer always gets to flee the country and go dark while Tony gets slapped over the head with the rule book and the law book and left to rot in a federal penitentiary? I know, because Jack is the star of the show. But it still doesn’t sit right with my Almeidaist heart. There, I had to say it.

However, I did love the episodes. They were so well written. Never, not for a moment before Jack and Chloe began to say their goodbyes, did it feel like we were heading towards the end of the series. It just moved on, pushed on, raced on, and made you wish there was more than just the 7, 6, 4, 2 minutes left. And I guess what really made me tear up in those final moments was Jack’s mention of Kim, and when he made Chloe promise him to protect her. His family has always been his soft spot. And now he’s once again left to run for his life and forced to disappear from Kim’s life after just having reconnected with her. Poor Kim, she must have gotten used to it by now. And Alison Taylor, she proved to be very much like David Palmer. Not only won’t she seek re-election, but she’s stepping down and turning herself in. Finally. I’m glad she’s found the way back to where she used to be before that snake Logan started slithering around.

Anyhow… I think I’d better stop. I think what I’m going through is no different from what the people on the set were going through when shooting that final ep. One more shot of Kiefer’s knee, another shot of his ankles, another shot of his elbow… Dragging it out just so that ‘the next one’ would be that last shot of the series. So… I will stop dragging things out on my end.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed the season. It has done what it had set out to do – entertain me. I hadn’t been as invested and as addicted to it as I had been in some earlier years, but at the end of the day (literally), it has managed to move me. And that is a good way to remember it. Thank you, all.

00:00:03 — 00:00:02 — 00:00:01 — 00:00:00

The article does not really contain spoilers, so don’t be afraid to read it.

Below are a few excerpts from the article, answers to questions you might be asking yourself.

Q: When’s the soonest that fans could realistically expect a feature film?
A: … It could be as early as next year depending on how things come together.

Q: How do you want “24″ the series to be remembered?
A: We loved this show from the very first hour to the last hour, so I hope people think of it being consistently at that quality and that it’s never dipped too terribly – except for Season 6.

Q: Can you tease to the rest of the season?
A:  We’ve taken a risk in the last eight episodes. It was challenging to the writers [and] to the actors. [...] Without spoiling what’s to come, it’s pretty dark and complex and a place that was uncomfortable for us to write and for some of the actors to act. We really swung for the fences. [...]

Q: How has this decision creatively impacted the ending?
A: There have been a couple other season enders that would have been spectacular series enders – Season 4, Season 5 and last year [Season 7]. I was more aware this time of ending something that really felt surprising but not cheap; emotionally consistent. Some will throw their shoes at the screen, inevitably some will be angry, some will say they hated it the last three years. [...] I’m hoping the first feeling people have is, “Damn, I miss it, I want more.”

Read the full article at: hollywoodreporter.com

Below is an article that appeared a couple of days ago in the New York Times. It containes no spoilers, so feel free to take a look. The writer had been invited as a “consultant” on s8 and had spent a month with HoGo and his team of writers in Hollywood.

The article takes us inside The Writers’ Room (or building), in the early stages of planning Season 8 and depicts some of the difficulties the writers have been facing every single year. First of all: the real time format. Second, the fact that everything you could possibly think of has already been done, in one way or another. Thirdly, the continuity of the story. And finally, the sheer amount of writing necessary to write a whole season.

It always starts plain and simple: with a blank page. One minute of screen time requires a bit more than a page of script. One season means 24×42 minutes of screen time. That amounts to 1′100 pages per season. A tremendous task, indeed.

Brainstorming sessions don’t always come up with solutions, and the process is tedious and exhausting. In fact, when the writer of the article leaves the writers’ room after a whole month, not one line of the season has been written.

The real-time format and the mandatory continuity of the story make things increasingly difficult year after year for the writers… The article actually confirms the feeling that some of us have been getting from Season 8: that the storyline feels somewhat contrived, the writing isn’t flowing, that it seems like the writers had to – as opposed as wanted to – come up with a story arc. Indeed, seen from this angle, it comes as no surprise that Howard and his team have come to a “creative consensus” to end 24 after the 8th season. They probably would have, even if FOX hadn’t considered the cost/benefit factor. In closing, the writer of the article tells us:

“…when Howard told me a few months ago that he couldn’t imagine coming back for Season 9, I understood.”

I guess after 9 years of repeatedly sending Jack to hell and back, the writers really did get too exhausted to go on. It’s for the best. Though TV will definitely be less exciting without 24.

Read the full story here.

Stuff happened, y’know? Chloe  saved CTU, Renee saved Jack and heck, Jack got yet another chance at a Suicide Mission and then managed to cheat death by the skin of the teeth (or by the Bullet of Renee). Though I doubt that anyone watching truly believed that Jack would be offed by terrorists, I suppose it was nice to be reminded again of Jack’s willingness to Die For Something. Some might call it The Death Wish: one of Bauer’s character traits that have been following him since Day Two.

Ironically, it was in Day Two (episode 15, wasn’t it?), when George Mason took over the Cessna and Jack parachuted out of the Death Plane, that some of us stopped believing that Jack would ever die on screen, except, maybe, possibly when the clock tick-tocked for the very last time. And that, despite Kiefer Sutherland’s constant statements about how no one was safe on 24, that even Jack could die. But seriously: the moment the writers made Jack such a central figure that 24 couldn’t go on without him was the moment they decided they could never really kill him. And the fact that Bauer couldn’t die was part of the reason that tension and suspense have declined for me over the years. It’s not because I’m a blood-thirsty Bauer-hater or something equally annoying. No, it’s because the show’s suspense hinges on keeping you guessing, on putting people in peril and getting them out – or not. And the suspense lies in you actually believing that they might not get out.

With Bauer, it’s become increasingly clear that he’ll live to see the end of the show with all limbs and organs intact and his heart beating. So, at least for me, it’s come to the point where a Jack In Danger storyline just couldn’t get me to the edge of my seat anymore. What’s the point? I know that Jack will live. It’s everyone else around him that dies.

And so, as Jack offered Cole to draw fire so that Cole could get a chance to make his way to the landline and call CTU, I appreciated the gesture, but wasn’t really worried. Cole, on the other hand, might have bitten the bullet. Because, remember, this was episode 13 after all. The episode number that has cost us Tony Almeida (season 5), Bill Buchanan (season 7) and rung in Paul Raines’ death (Season 4) on the good guys’ side, and killed one of the show’s best villains, Ira Gaines (Season 1), got rid of  that annoying chap, Alan Milliken (season 3) and at least for now, done away with Charles Logan (Season 6). I’m saying “at least for now” because we have not really seen Logan die, the last I remember is him being rushed off to an ER, and so, technically, he could still be alive (not that I wouldn’t love to see him rot in hell!) Yeah, one could assume that he’s dead, but hey, stranger things have happened. For example, Christopher Henderson purposely missing Tony Almeida’s artery in the heat of the struggle . And if 24 has taught us anything, it’s not to assume anything. Right?

Anyhow, back to the ep. In many ways, it was a classic 24 episode.

We remember: In the 12th hour, the terrorists took out CTU with an ingenious, non-lethal, all-electronic-equipment-frying electromagnetic device called the EMP. (Allow me to mention that we saw the first use of the ElectroMagnetic Pulse Bomb in the 12th episode of Season 4. Coincidence?) Jack, having been-there-done-that, instantly understands what’s going on, and evokes a classic 24 element: the takeover of CTU by another agency. Since poor Ryan Chappelle is dead (and that bahstid Brad Hammond probably still in L.A.), CTU New York is subjected to a hostile takeover by the NSA.

As usual, the Other Agency boys come in with the often-seen attitude of “We’re here to clean up your mess, so get out of the way, shut up and let us work.” Are we to be surprised that everyone’s favorite techie, Chloe O’Brien, has a quicker way of restoring CTU? In ten minutes? Of course not. But the NSA won’t listen. Why would they? They don’t have agents in the field and the nuclear rods on their way into Downtown New York really aren’t all that pressing a matter.

However, Renee, on her way to find and save Jack from the real hostiles, disagrees. “Do what you have to do,” she tells Chloe and boom: Chloe’s got a gun! Although she “doesn’t even like guns”, she ushers the NSA dudes out at gunpoint, and starts to work her magic in the server room. More classic 24 follows as the CTU director finally puts his trust in the Magic Techie and Chloe restores CTU all by herself.

Another gal has got a gun, too: Renee. And lucky for Jack that she does. Cause if it hadn’t been for her, that evil sniper dude would have put a slug right into the defenceless Jack’s forehead. Saved by the gun. Thanks, Renee. Aww, that romance that’s building up between those two! The fear as she runs to Jack’s body on the ground, the relief as wakes up, as she sees that the armored vest had held, the gentle image of her cradling him while he struggles to breathe… (*sighs as memories return from ep 5×13… Tony… Jack… Brothers*). And let’s not forget that Jack had promised to be there for Renee “when this is all over.” That’s love, people! Jack has found a soul mate. We’ve known that since Season 7, haven’t we?

But how long will it last? Relationships with Bauer tend to be deadly to those who dare enter. “Everything you touch, one way or another, ends up dead.” Has Jack forgot James Heller’s words? Watch your back, Renee.

Finally, another classic 24 element: WE HAVE A MOLE! I don’t think I want to count how many there have been over the years, but Jennie a.k.a. Dana being in bed with the terrorists is one of the least surprising twists. The writers have basically done the same thing with her as with Sean Hillinger last year. From the start, Sean and Dana both had something to hide, and tried to make us believe it was just something personal, when in fact they were The Inside (Wo)Man, working with the bad guys. But at least now her story can finally become interesting. We’ll see!

In fact, the season just might get better as a whole from now on. It took forever to get to a place where I actually wanted to watch the episode again right after first seeing it – this 13th episode was the first that had that effect. But from interviews I’ve read in the past 48 hours, since the announcement of 24’s cancellation, it seems like Kiefer and Howard Gordon are actually proud of the second half of the season. One of them actually said that the remaining eps are up there with the best the show has ever done.

So we’ll see. At least now I’m interested again.

If HoGo proves right, and if, once those final seconds tick away, I do end up on the edge of my seat, wanting more, it will be what I’ve always wanted for the show. To go out with a bang.

Many of you in the comments are very disappointed, while others are obviously sad that the show is coming to an end (atleast on TV)…

“I am mourning 24 in real time.” – Damon Lindelof (Co-creator of Lost)

Others are slightly more philosophical about the cancellation…

“I think it’s time myself. I have loved this show for years but even I can tell its time has come.” – Melia (24addict.com)

And I would have to agree that it’s time. Ofcourse i’d thought that during seasons 4 & 6, and in reality i’d thought after the excellent first season that a second was unlikely. The format was completely geared to being “unique” and different, and that a second season obviously won’t be, and there would be no way for them to replicate what made the first season so gripping. In many ways they have never been able to get back to the highs of the first season, although they got very close with Day Five.

With every season there has been a feeling that the clock truly was ticking on the format, that it was getting harder and harder to come up with the original ideas to drive the show forward.

The Eighth season has had it’s critics, me and J_A have been two of them. And so I think it’s time had come, they’ve taken this decision at the right time and we can have some solace in it appearing to be a creative decision by Kiefer and the other Executive Producers and not a decision taken by Fox, which hopefully means the second half of Season Eight should build towards a fitting climax which can serve a series finale whilst laying some foundations for future movie adventures.

Personally i’m very excited at the possibility of a 24:Movie, because i’ve held the opinion from very early on in Season Eight that strip away some of the annoying sub-plots and rearrange a few things and the core story of Day Eight could have been a kick-ass storyline for the Movie.

As an addicted, wouldn’t shut-up about fan of the show since Day One, Hour One, Minute One (The show had me hooked inside 30 seconds) I’m sad to see the clock stop ticking on TV, but the future is still bright with a Movie now more likely than ever before, and you can rest assured the site will continue to be here as a source of news and views for the foreseeable future.

Not long after Jon Cassar, Rodney Charters and Mary-Lynn Rajskub broke the news about 24’s run ending after 8 seasons (see the article below), news about the movie have been twittered.

The news come from an interview with one of the showrunners, Howard Gordon. The article states that the movie is still essentially a go (although it gives no time frame on that), and discusses the possible fate of Jack Bauer. Also, it explains that ultimately the decision to cancel “24″ was made because:

“…from our point of view, the story was done.”

Now, that may be true, since the writers have been approaching the finale with the thought in mind that it will possibly be the series-ender, not just a season-ender.

But it also may roughly translate as: “We’ve had so much trouble coming up with ideas for THIS season, we can’t possibly imagine doing one more year of this, without it being another carbon copy of earlier seasons.”

You can find the full article here. It may contain mild spoilers, depending on your definition of the word.

Another article was just posted (yes, again, twitter), on L.A. Times online. Aside from giving a more comprehensive take on the show’s past, present and future, the article cites Kiefer Sutherland’s reflection of the series run:

“We’ve done eight years we’re very proud of, and we’re very excited about going into the film world with this” …. “It’s very sad, the only thing tempering this from being all-out heartbreak is the fact that we have this sense of accomplishment. That’s the only thing holding people up. Because, for me, and all these people who’ve been with us since the beginning, it’s a very special thing and it’s very sad to see it end.”

And it offers a light at the end of the tunnel considering the show’s development in the second half of the season. At least there’s a promise of improvement. Howard Gordon promises that:

“We’re taking some risks and it’s going to a place that I gotta say is pretty challenging. My feeling is that when the seconds tick down, I hope people are sitting forward saying they want more. How it ends is far grayer and more complex and more ‘24′ like than anything else.”

And Sutherland adds:

“What I do like about the ending and what I can say about it is that it’s very definitive about where Jack is going to end up.” …. “It can be perceived as a cliffhanger on some level, but there’s no questioning his options. That’s something we’ve never been able to do in the context of this series.”

Hello, my name is J_A and I’m an addict. A 24 addict.

Or well, I used to be.

I have been addicted to 24 from the first second of season 1; actually, even before that. I saw a commercial for it and instantly knew that this was my show. Then, when the pilot actually aired, bang, I was hooked. Addicted. Going down a one-way street into a very cool habit.

I was indeed one of those fans who’d live, breathe and bleed 24, whose ­weeks would run from 24 to 24 instead of Monday to Sunday, who’d turn off their phones whenever watching the show, bore people to death with talking about how great the show was, I’d spend my spare time re-watching 24 episodes, eventually knowing all dialogue by heart; I missed 24 during the hiatus so much that I started my own chain of 24-like events by writing fanfictions, I would have applied for a job at CTU if it hadn’t been a fictional agency, and I most definitely would have elected David Palmer into the Office…

What was so addictive about it, apart from its complexity and the breakneck speed with which it raced through the season? When 24 first hit the screens in 2001, it was simply the most innovative, gripping and thrilling series to ever air on TV. The format was unique, the writing superb, the casting perfect, the acting motivated, the characters had depth and the storyline was one big arc, revealing itself little by little.

It revolved not solely around Jack but involved the cast as a group, making them all interesting to watch. I still appreciate Jack Bauer’s resolve and committment to always do the right thing at all costs. But somewhere in the course of season two my religion became Almeidaism, a concept developed and introduced to the collective consciousness of Almeidaists by the team behind aig.com, a concept that Carlos Bernard liked to remind his on-screen wife (Reiko Aylesworth) of by whispering to her, in the dull between-takes moments, “Almeida is God.”

Since then, I must have gone through rehab. The addiction is gone. I watched season six while ironing, and for entertainment purposes only. It never really pulled me in. Despite the first four episodes which had some of the best acting on Kiefer’s part to date, the season as a whole was just a relatively good series that used to be great, didn’t quite succeed in achieving its past glory, yet still managed to tell an entertaining story. What’s changed?

During the past couple of seasons, depth has progressively been sacrificed for the sake of bigger explosions, more action, more gore and less character development. In this new, 24-part Hollywood action movie everything revolves around Jack, while everyone else is secondary. What’s more, old storylines have been rehashed so many times they’re predictable, the casting (especially on the wrong side of the law) has been less than satisfactory (with some notable exceptions), and the writers have executed so many good characters that it hurts. I know that characters do have a shelf-life, but I demand that their deaths have a purpose. If they just die for the sake of killing them, or worse yet, are brought back to the show just to be terminated a few episodes later, then I can’t and won’t approve of it.

And now, season seven is upon us, along with the breaking news: Tony Almeida is alive, he’s back – and… he’s evil! The first question is, why?

Has Howard Gordon finally understood what a gross mistake it was to kill Tony off in the first place, and is Tony’s imminent return a desperate cry for the fans to return to the show, too? Probably.

Ignoring for a moment all the strongly negative feelings that all of us Tony fans had lived through following episode 513, setting aside all the doubts concerning Tony’s truly being evil, and disregarding the slim odds of him surviving the season if he indeed is working against Jack, I am asking: Is Tony Almeida’s resurrection enough to pull us back in?

For some of us, yes. If you’re one of those lucky ones (or if Jack is enough for you), you may stop reading now and happily wait for season seven to start airing. If you need more than that to make a decision, read on.

Is bringing a character back from the dead stretching it a bit too far for a show that claims to have a grip on reality? Maybe. But if the explanation is solid, I’m willing to to turn a blind eye. The first seventeen minutes of season seven offer an initial theory. If true, the theory could mean that a higher power was behind Tony’s alleged death, and that his objectives aren’t actually evil. It would have been easy for someone working for the Government to fake his death, bury someone else’s body in his grave, fake all the necessary documents and make him disappear from the radar. Haven’t CTU Agents Almeida, Dessler and O’Brien done just that for Jack Bauer after season four? Granted, a “Tony is undercover working for the government” storyline would be the simplest top-of-the-head explanation, and thus probably the least likely to be true. I would accept it nonetheless, because from where I stand, Tony’s being on the right side of Jack would probably increase his chances of survival.

Many theories are conceivable concerning the How but this isn’t the place for them. As for the Why, that remains to be seen. When Jack is first shown proof of Tony’s being alive it is via a black and blue photograph on an LCD computer screen. Now that’s the one thing I would have set up differently. This setup reminded me way too much of Stephen Saunders, and I will not have Tony reduced to a Saunders type of terrorist (although Saunders was certainly one of the best villains ever on 24). However, there is nothing to criticize about Jack’s reaction to the photograph. The internal conflict and his refusal to believe in Tony’s having switched sides were mandatory;  anything else would have been wrong. After years of not seeing him, Jack still believes that his friend Tony would never hurt innocents.

So do I.

This is where Tony differs from Saunders. Almeida is too much of an alturist to sacrifice people as collateral damage to attain whatever objective he has. I believe that this is corroborated by the opening scene of the season. When Tony’s crew kidnaps a certain Michael Latham, an engineer whose help they need, they could just as well co-nap his daughter and later use her as a means to force him into co-operation, but they don’t; they leave the daughter behind. Maybe I am just a desperate Almeidaist, but to me, this is another sign towards Tony’s not truly being evil.

The truth is, Tony has always had a dark side to him which Carlos Bernard has always enjoyed playing, and is now allowed to fully immerse himself in. And he does. He plays Tony with the same perfection and godliness that had been with his character throughout the 4.5 years before he was granted a day off in season 6. The slumped shoulders, the soul patch, the sweet, low voice and the menacing whisper are all back, but now they’re part of a Class A Total Badass attitude, played coolly and without showing any traces of emotion. Tony’s scary! And he’s hot!

Be Tony good or bad, I am putting my faith in him. I think the one thing that I expect from the season is for him to save the day – not so much in the sense of season 4 when Tony’s entrance truly saved what was threatening to become a downward spiral of boredom – but because I have always felt that it was the chemistry between Kiefer and Carlos and the undying brotherhood of their characters that had carried the show over so many years, and across all obstacles in its way. The brotherhood’s absence in season 6 was what I felt was at the core of the season’s problems; no-one, no character other than Tony could possibly have such a bond with Jack as Tony does, no other character represents the human component, the soul of 24 like Tony does.

But let’s move away from Tony a little.

It wouldn’t be fair not to discuss the FBI. When I first heard that the CTU would be dismantled in a process of “revamping the show”, I was intrigued. How would Jack and co. fight (global?) terrorism without the gadgets and technology only available to the Government? After setting off a nuke in a residential area, 24 surely couldn’t start chasing little old ladies who set off metal detectors with their knitting needles. The writers’ solution was surprisingly simple: one just uses another agency with federal jurisdiction and makes Jack co-operate with them.

What worked for the CTU in the past will work for the FBI in the present. Familiar elements make up the new allied office. There is the character who brings Jack in because she believes that he can be of use (Agent Renée Walker), and the Bureaucrat in Charge who has his doubts (Agent Larry Morris). There is the sarcastic female character (Janice) who just might have a crush on her boss, and her male counterpart (Sean), who also seems to be deliberately set up as the prospective mole inside the FBI (note that the camera is on him in the trailers when the voice-over says “The FBI has been compromised, there’s a leak.” This immediately evoked season one and the camera on Nina Myers with the voice-over “And the people that I work with may be involved in both.” Of course, red herrings are common on 24. But I still thought this was worth noting.) There are differences, too, especially in the mood. As opposed to the dark and cold CTU bullpen, the FBI offices are brightly lit. But all in all, the two agencies are quite similar, only with different job titles. So what’s the revamp?

As so often, the Devil’s in the detail. In the little things. The camera work. The acting. And the dialogues. The writing shows signs of improvement. It seems to have regained quality and at the same time, lost the melodramatic soap-opera type touch (although it might be too early to tell after only seventeen minutes). There are several cracking one-liners and some very strong moments. So far, there were no explosions, and the only shots were fired at the very beginning. The explosions will come, of course, but so far, tension is built through dialogue. And that is what makes me hope. Maybe 24 is going back to the roots after all.

Two scenes stand out in particular: Jack’s testimony at the Senate hearing, and his reaction to Tony Almeida’s resurrection. During “24: Redemption”, I had the feeling that Kiefer Sutherland had somehow lost touch with Jack Bauer; he seemed a little beyond himself, a little unmotivated. In retrospect, maybe that was deliberate. Because before the Senate, Jack’s back, and Kiefer plays him flawlessly. Bauer is a man who’s been everywhere, who’s seen it all, and who will take no B/S from anyone, not even a smug US Senator. Unlike in the trailers, though, Jack is in control of his emotions. He speaks with calm, which gives his words even more impact. Right then and there, he owns the room. His speech about what it takes to be a successful combat soldier will enter 24’s history books as one of the most memorable moments of the series.

Despite all these improvements, out of self-preservation, I am trying not to expect too much from the upcoming season, even though – for the first time in a long time – seeing new 24 material and new Tony on the screen made me smile and cautiously relit the flame called excitement. I’m afraid of getting over-excited and then disappointed, I am scared of the writers’ ongoing blood lust and what it might lead to. I’m still inclined to believe that the show is past its best days, and that it probably should have stopped a couple of seasons ago. But I’ll watch it. If not only for the Tony factor, then simply because it will still be better than most things that the TV feeds us these days. Obviously, seventeen minutes aren’t enough to judge an entire season. But what I’ve seen seems promising. If “revamping the show” does prove to be a back to the roots voyage in terms of character depth and writing of a sustainable quality it will be worth it. When it returns to the screen after a much too long absence, I want my show to rise like the Phoenix from the ashes that were season 6. So as an ex-24 addict who doesn’t quite want to stay “clean”, I am willing to give my drug another chance to refuel the addiction.

I really need it to.

J_A is 31, a fan and active member of 24 forums since 2002, a co-admin of our very own 24fans.com forum and an avid writer of 24-related fanfiction. Her stories can be found at http://www.fanfiction.net/u/863385/JackAddict.

This is far from the first time production has stopped or been delayed on Season Seven, while in pre-production several different storylines and arcs where dismissed as “the wrong direction” or simply “too expensive”, which meant a delayed start to Production. Then came the writers strike which hit with only between 6 and 8 episodes written, which forced Fox to put back the season by a whole year.

It’s been extremely hard to judge the positives and negatives of the previous halts to production, but this one is entirely positive, and quite frankly was surely a no-brainer. Noises from the Kiefer and various Exec Producers have been very happy about the season they’ve produced up to this point, and what trailers we’ve been given certainly grabbed us. Hopes are high, the fate of a potentially lucrative franchise will live or die with this season. If it’s not almost pitch perfect it’ll be the swansong, get it right and a big screen outing is only a matter of time. And so if your not entirely happy with the last 6 episodes, then you’ve got to take a step back.

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or on the forums.

The TV guide article revealing the date has a few more details about the prequel.

… Filmed partially on location in South Africa, the “prequel” finds Jack Bauer battling an international crisis (yea!), while back home, the United States prepares to inaugurate a new president.

“We’re excited about the prequel because it explores Jack’s complex emotional state of mind and still has all the signature excitement and suspense that fans have come to expect from 24,” says executive producer Howard Gordon. “Shooting in South Africa affirms everyone’s commitment to making this season especially memorable for our fans.” …

source : community.tvguide.com