i love this show--sometimes i don't quite know what's going on, but you can bet your ass i'm right in front of the t.v. jack bauer, you are the man. oh yeah, by the way--CHLOE IS HOT

As someone who watched Season one, Episode one & has literally never missed an episode since, allow me to interject at this juncture:

Bah.

Look, people, it's 24. It's the most ludicrous thriller on TV and if you don't buy into the ludicrocity (oh, man, but I love THAT word!), you should be watching something else.

It's one of the reasons I adore this show: NOTHING is off-limits or beyond the realm of "possibility" (at least on the show).

The people bellyaching about the "unbelievable" twists? Go wash the dishes.

Torture scenes out of hand? Go mow the lawn. They KILLED Jack once with out-of-hand torture. He's fine.

Read a book to yer kids. IT'S 24!!

If the season-long conspiracy turned out to be masterminded by an 8000-foot tall lightbulb named Walter, I would probably say, "Hmm...didn't see that coming..."

Seriously, the creative team has to fashion 23 cliffhangers a season. Place that in your cerebral Jell-o mold and let it set for a while.

That they have JUST gotten around to Jack's extended family after how many years is thrilling & a great payoff for fans.

And "jump the shark"...has officially jumped the shark.

Peace.

I wouldn't exactly say this season's particularly bad or weird or anything, but I almost expect the season finale to end with Teri Bauer walking out of the shower, and Jack saying he's had a horrible nightmare.

I loved the first four episodes, and thought this was going to be a great season. The action was tough, and the stakes were really high. But, I quickly lost interest when it became about Jack's family. I'll watch this season, but not until it's on DVD. Heroes is better television and something new.

I am sure by the end of the "day" 24 will get better, but it's got to be hard to sustain the excitement.

I keep expecting to find Jack in the ocean on water skis... jumping a shark (with a terrorist-implanted nuke in its gills).

The reason the dialogue is dumbed down? Because all the main characters are play-acting to prevent their scheme from being discovered by moles (yes, they have finally learned not to share information!). I remember hearing a story about the FBI staging a phony movie shoot as part of a mob sting. This year's plot is sort of like that. I think the early episodes will appear a hell of a lot better in retrospect once the season has concluded and we know what was going on.

#3... Sorry, I should have clarified... They introduced a bunch of characters, then shelfed over half of them, then have barely brought anyone else new in to the picture. Since the premiere we've gained one Chad Lowe and Gredenko, and that's that. And we've gotten rid of the Suburban Family, Kal Penn, Sandra Palmer and her boss/boyfriend, Karen Hayes (howbeit temporarily), and Curtis.


The beginning of the season had some energy, in part because it had multiple storylines. This season is the "Jack Bauer Power Hour", as somebody already mentioned, with CTU sprinkled in here and there. Except CTU is back to it's old tricks, focusing more on personal demons than on national security issues. Shoot, even the villian for the first half+ of the season, Fayed, barely gets 5 minutes anymore.

But again, my theory is that we've shortened the cast early on - and kept it short - because they are using all the money on BIGGER explosives.

Far be it from to agree with a critic, but I think the analsysis is correct. Something jsut doesn't seem "right" this season. I think a lot of it has to do with weak supporting characters and a presidential plot reminiscient of previous seasons. However, I'm not ready write off 24 just yet. The series has a history of weakening after a strong beginning and then picking up as we near the end.

Definitely off a little bit. But after last season, waht do you expect?
Wayne Palmer, the campaign manager and chief of staff for his assasinated brother is president? That's a little weird. I'm not even sure he was chief of staff. And, wait, didn't he shoot someone? Or have a crazy wife?
In what america does an unmarried African American with little or no political experience become president? And with a goatee, no less?
The last time I had a hole drilled into my should I found it very hard to type, you know. But that's just me.

Last season was good? Yeah this "dumb" president was a terrorist and had planned the last sevral days. Oh brother, and people say this seeason is bad.

Anyone know how many more seasons are left?