24 season 8

(S08E19) "I just want the people who are responsible for this to be held accountable. All I need to do is expose them." - Jack to Chloe

Jane here, filling in for Mike. I was actually reviewing '24' at the beginning of the season, but found the storyline so preposterous that Mike graciously agreed to take it off my hands.

Somewhere between then and now, the show has gotten much better -- more interesting and less ridiculous. In fact, last week, my nephew emailed me and said the show's gotten better lately, especially with the return of Charles Logan. I wholeheartedly agree. Not that Logan's any less of a weasel, but that's what I love about him.

Jack Bauer fights baddies on the domestic front. But '24' showrunner Howard Gordon's next Fox drama will focus on soldiers who've gone global with their efforts to protect America.

Gordon is writing and producing a U.S. version of the hit Israeli drama 'Prisoners of War,' about a trio of soldiers who return home after being MIA for a decade. In the Israeli original, the three soldiers were kept in captivity in Syria for 17 years before reuniting with their families. But in the American revamp, three U.S. soldiers who were presumed dead after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 are found to be alive in a cave, and are sent home to try to start their lives over.

"They come home greeted as heroes, but they are traumatized by the treatment there, and their families have become collateral damage to their captivity," Gordon tells the Hollywood Reporter.

(S08E07) I'm going to whine a lot about this episode, so that's just a little warning to anyone absolutely loving this season of '24.' But first, let's talk about the great scene where Renee goes ballistic, stabs Vladimir, then accidentally stabs Jack. Then Jack takes the knife out and hurls it at the other guy coming in the door. Awesome!

Ok, now for the bad stuff. For one thing, I thought we were going to get to see Renee kick some major butt this season. So far, she's just a wimpy female with a big fat vengeance chip on her shoulder who still gets knocked around by the bad guys (excepting that awesome scene noted above). Come on, Renee! I want a female Jack Bauer, not some sniveling sap!

'24' season 8 premiered last night, and it took all of about 15 minutes before Jack Bauer was getting in someone's face and watching a helicopter blow up on a rooftop -- even though he's "retired." Oh, how we've missed you, Jack!

What's more, he actually has something to live for, now that he's back in daughter Kim's life and scoring one-on-one time with his sweet granddaughter. Last season was just meh for us, but we can't wait to see what happens this season.

Watch the video from TV's Top 5! after the jump.

Hang onto your hats because '24' season 8 premieres this Sunday! The new season begins with a two-night, four-hour premiere on January 17, and star Kiefer Sutherland told TV Guide that it will be "absolutely mind-blowing."

"Jack Bauer is going to have a bad day," said Sutherland. "He's going to face impossible odds and moral dilemmas. And in the end, he's going to triumph." Of that, we have no doubt!

If you'd rather not be spoiled for the new season, we suggest you stop reading here. Those of you who want to know about all the upcoming terrorists, explosions, gunfights, and torture scenes, follow us after the jump.

I wasn't particularly impressed with season seven of 24, partly because I really want Jack Bauer to be the kick-ass character he used to be, rather than the sickly guy struggling to survive (well, he's always been struggling, but in more of a kick-ass way).

The show took some heat for some of the earlier implausible plotlines (Really, Jack? You escape from the Secret Service guys and steal a helicopter to save the President? And say what? You spring back to life after being "dead" to find the bombs and save the world?), but that's what I loved about the show.

But could the Jack Bauer era be coming to an end? Kiefer Sutherland recently told Contact Music that he fears his character might be killed off.

Three actors have joined the cast of 24: Rami Malek, Julian Morris and Hrach Titizian have landed multi-episode arcs on the eighth season of the Fox drama.

After last season, I've been hoping that Jack gets back to being the kick-ass agent I fell in love with during the first few seasons. I understand that storylines and characters need to evolve over the course of several seasons, but I don't like seeing Jack weak and dying. I like seeing him kick ass and take names.

Hopefully, these characters -- a suicide bomber type, a SWAT agent, and a security guy for President Hassan -- will bring the series back around to its early-season goodness, while still letting the characters evolve (the ones who haven't perished along the way, that is).