Nah before it was original because it incorporated things that have never done before on TV and especially because of 9/11 people were really perceptive to someting like this.

And it was expremely gripping and exciting all the time all the way IF you watched it in one sitting. I myself didn't watch anything up till the start of season 4 and then got the DVDs and saw all the episodes in a week. Man what a great week that was :-)

But the most important point is that Jack Bauer had the potential this season the really reflect on what he did and what has happened to him in the past. The "almost breakdown" in hour 4 was a good start but this was the first time of many this season they started something and immediately shot it down while in the past seasons they always re-visited storylines within a maximum of three to four episodes (hours) with additinally re-visiting something really story-changing in hour 21 or 22.

So I understand C C for hoping that they will still come up with something good in the remaining episodes but at the moment I don't see anything that is left to re-visit because they shot every little story down within minutes. Everything went *poof* that was even mildly intersting. When that terrorist cut his arm off I thought this would lead somewhere - but in the end he dropped dead into the ocean after the next commercial break

Something like this would've never happened in days 1 to 5, and that's the main problem with this season.

it is funny that people are complaining about 24 now, after all these seasons. I agree - this season has been full of clichés and bad plot twists - but then again, so has every season before this. So I don't really get what's so special about this season besides the fact that they started with a bang then slowed down...

I guess people are just getting tired of 24 - Maybe it's time to cancel it then? Or at least set a date for the ending.

Oh, I wanted to add this above,but I forgot.

I'm a fan of "Waking the Dead", a crime drama that airs on BBC America. As you know, before each episode of 24, we see the "This program may contain graphic violence" warning. Before the last episode of Waking the Dead, which was pretty gory, they ran a similar warning, except they used the term "simulated violence". For some reason, I prefer "simulated violence" to "graphic violence". Because it IS simulated violence-it's not real. Graphic makes it sound like it is real, not fictional.

To be truthful, I'm not sure what the final four hours are going to bring us. My optomism that this season would come together well in the end has waned. I'm still convinced that this season was some kind of con job. But I'm not seeing the conclusion I had in mind materializing unless the last episode is a logjam.

I've been sharing my theories with my parents, who are also fans of 24. Halfway buying them, they brought up the possibility that the writers wanted to postphone the explanation for this season's events until next season. Which is conceivable. But that scenario would leave this season hanging-leaving a bad taste in the fans' mouths.

James Heller is not a good guy. That I'm 100% certain of. But I'm kind of glad that it appears they're not going to do away with the character just yet. There's too much story potential there. Although I'm starting to think he's NOT a "Patriot". He's possibly got his own conspiracy going on.

This reads like some cable channel: all C.C. all the time.

So, C. (if I can call you that, it's just that I feel I know you after all your postings), do you still think there is some sort of Patriots-oriented scam in the works, or has that gone the way of the dinosaurs?

More importantly, do you think Heller is going to emerge as a villain? I personally hope not, but he could fit the bill in your "they're out to trap a bad guy" theory. His animosity towards Jack might bolster such a possibility --maybe Audrey found out something he is anxious to keep hidden.

Any thoughts?

What are you talking about. There is no tension between Nadia and Doyle, except sexual tension.

No, I think Meredith spelled Chloe's last name right. It's
O'Brian, not O'Brien.

Spoilers apply to things that have yet to air, last I checked.

O'Brien. With an 'e'.

Stupid. I meant to say who was the EW reviewer.