Tonight's episode of 24 was brought to you by Cisco and Hanes "Action Man" Briefs...for the action hero in all of us.
Well, if we learned anything from tonight's episode of 24, it's the answer to the age-old question "Boxers or briefs?" For Jack Bauer it's definitely boxers.
But where exactly are we going with this new turn of events, which sees Jack infected with the deadly bio-weapon and given just a day or two to live? Is 24 about to be starring Carlos Bernard? Or was that whole thing about star Kiefer Sutherland signing on for next year's Season 8 (see below) just a clever bit of misdirection from the producers?
Mother of God...is this the end of Bauer?
It's hard to tell from next week's previews, too, as the one scene with Jack shows him collapsing in FBI headquarters. With daughter Kim scheduled to appear in four short episodes, is she returning to the show to be with her dying father? Or does Jonas Hodges have a cure hidden away in the Starkwood compound, just waiting to swoop in like a hero and save his beloved country from a heinous attack?
I'll bet on the latter. There is no 24 without Jack Bauer. But tonight's episode was an interesting turn of events, having Jack sit out on the sidelines, possibly dying. And gee, Madame President, can you demonstrate that nifty Cisco™ digital signature software once more for us, please?
About Season 8: much ado was made last week about Kiefer Sutherland returning next year for another season of 24. I'm not quite sure why. Sutherland signed on for multiple seasons a few years back, which extended the show through seasons 6, 7, and 8, so the news was hardly new to those of us who remember that. I think the big question now is whether or not they'll go on to Season 9 and beyond. As a top 20 show this year, and such a re-energized one to boot, it would be foolish to go off. This all depends, of course, on whether or not Sutherland and the producers and writers feel they have more stories to tell. I think 24, the series, always had to end with the "real" death of Jack Bauer, not something fake he could be revived from with an adrenaline needle to the heart. With the continuing talk of a movie franchise, that now seems unlikely. But I think 24's true strength--and Jack Bauer's forte--is in 24 hours of story, not 2 or so. If Season 8 turns out as good as this one, I'm all for going on to Season 9 and beyond.
Added Tuesday morning: I woke up wondering if the whole Jack on the sidelines thing was something planned eons ago when it was apparent Sutherland was going to jail for 48 days for DUI. This season was filmed almost 2 years ago, and then interrupted by the writers' strike, during which Kiefer served his full time, quietly and--I'm guessing--somewhat embarrassingly. Could this have been written in to accommodate him being in the pokey, I wonder?
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