(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.

(S08E16) The second hour of Fox's '24' double-bill kicked off with the hunt for the CTU mole. This was probably the stronger episode of the two that aired last night, considering the shocking development that ended the hour. This season still feels like its rehashing old plots and twists, but a few of tonight's scenes and images will probably be burned into the memories of fans for some time to come.

Head after the jump for the spoils.

(S08E15) The sun finally came up over Jack Bauer and crew last night on '24'. And with it came the first of two exciting if ultimately empty-feeling hours of the veteran real-time drama.

I use the word empty to describe these episodes because I'm no longer very invested in the story. '24' lost me a few weeks ago, even before Dana so inelegantly stuffed Stephen Root's dead body behind a CTU wall panel. Like I typed last week, the twists feel cheap, the stakes arbitrary, and the real-time gimmick has gotten stale.

At this point I'm mostly watching for the tightly edited procedural elements, the action scenes, and Kiefer Sutherland's sturdy performance. That stuff is solid -- so solid that it almost makes up for the lack of compelling drama and the unbelievable plot developments this season.

Head after the jump for spoilers, and remember to check out our recap of the next hour when it goes live.

(S08E10) This episode hat it all – action, suspense, tension, and dead bodies on parade. The plot is really heating up now that Jack is "all in" and motivated to stop the terrorists from detonating their "dirty bomb."

But saving New York City from a radiological nightmare isn't the only thing pushing Jack to nab the baddies. The man is smitten. He wants to keep Renee safe and sound and free from government prosecution. I guess everyone needs some personal motivation, right?

Take Samir and the IRK terrorists, for instance. Detonating the bomb would be a huge win for them. Not only will they demolish NYC and leave the area uninhabitable for 40 years, but they'll also plunge the US into a war with Kamistan, successfully thwarting Hasan's peace negotiations.

(S08E09) Now the clock is really ticking.

Farhad's crew raised the stakes for the season with a plan to set off a radiological bomb in New York. And things finally erupted in a big way with the Dana/Kevin/Cole storyline. Jack got Renee out of the hot seat, but it cost him his plane ride back to his family (again).

The moral of this episode? You just can't trust anyone these days.

Josef stabbed his daddy in the back by stealing the nuclear rods, only to get gunned down by Farhad and friends. Looking to make a big bloody statement, Farhad's goons double-crossed their boss with a plot to use the rods as a weapon. And Weiss set Renee up to take the fall for the mission's failure (I never trusted that guy). Let's talk about that last development.

Oh man, Jack Bauer is getting tortured – again! That poor guy has had enough shock treatments to be in a 1950s insane asylum. Not only that, but he's already been stabbed in the gut this season.

We feel for the guy, but he always manages to spring back into action and overpower the bad guys. If '24' (Mon., 9PM ET on FOX) is on its last legs, we suggest that Freddie Prinze, Jr. take over the saving-the-world duties. We love you, Jack, but let Freddie carry some of the burden! And Cole Ortiz is a really cool name, too.

Watch the video after the jump.

With '24' in its eighth season, the future of the show is up in the air. E Online has an article summarizing all the potential futures of the show, including that '24' movie we keep hearing about.

This entire situation sounds like Fox is hedging its bets. '24' remains a big ratings winner and they want a few options available. In their perfect ideal, Fox would likely want to continue the series with Kiefer Sutherland in the lead, possibly having Freddie Prinze, Jr. in a spin-off series.

As a consolation prize, they would continue '24' with Freddie rather than Kiefer and possibly have Jack Bauer move to the movies (although that didn't work out so great for the final seasons of 'The X-Files'). If it is decided to kill off Jack Bauer (as has been rumored before), then the movie could always take place before that happens.

For now, enjoy season eight!

What is going on with Jack Bauer? Have you been watching '24' this season, the first time set in New York City? There were high expectations that this might be the best season yet for '24' because we'd be seeing a lean, mean, older Jack who has been through the wringer and knows all the tricks and turns of the business. Comparisons were made to Jason Bourne, but with the Bauer edge.

Unfortunately, we're not seeing the vim and vigor of 'The Bourne Identity' or any of the other Bourne pictures. We're not even seeing the quality of '24' from seasons past. Instead, '24' has turned into something else entirely -- an empty shell of its former self. It's time to call it a day for '24.' The show has definitely jumped the you-know-what.

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.

Freddie Prinze Jr. will be joining the cast of 24 for the eighth season as a recently-returned marine and Jack Bauer-wannabe named Davis Cole. I think this is an example of Fox either wanting to expand or continue the franchise without Kiefer Sutherland.

Think about it. Sutherland is only getting older. He can't be Jack Bauer forever. Prinze is a younger, recognizable face (much as all of us want to forget the Scooby Doo movie franchise). This could be the set-up for one of three things: the retirement of Jack Bauer from 24, a spin-off series, or an opportunity to have more negotiating power for Kiefer Sutherland's next contract renewal. It could even be a combination of the three.

So the question to ask is: could the series continue without Jack Bauer, or would that be the beginning of the end? Since the name of the show is 24 and not Jack Bauer, I would think so.

Here on TV Squad we already covered the launch of In2TV, a new service that lets you indulge your nostalgia for old shows via the magic of streaming video. Last night, I got to indulge in a little nostalgia first hand at the In2TV launch party. I am the worst person to send to events like this; I'm a lurker, too shy to talk to anyone and not the best with a camera, but as the only L.A.-based member of TV Squad, it was my honor to check out the scene.

The  event took place at the Museum of Television and Radio in Beverly Hills. Gabe Kaplan took the stage, made a few jokes about the new Welcome Back, Kotter movie and showed off the In2TV concept. He was a good sport and even brought out a paper airplane to put on his head, joking that it didn't stick as well as it used to (aw, Gabe, you're thin on top but we still love you.)  He introduced George Lopez who gave a heartfelt tribute to Freddie Prinze, showing clips of the comic's career and snippets of episodes from Chico and the Man. Somehow, in George's speech, he managed to reference the fact that he has one kidney and his wife gave it to him (is there anyone who hasn't heard this story yet?) He announced the In2TV Influencer Award and handed the strangely shaped trophy to Freddie Prinze Jr. Freddie made a brief speech, then Jose Feliciano was brought to the stage to play the Chico and the Man theme (with just a bit of "Light My Fire" thrown in). The crowd was full of old favorites from the TV days of long ago. After the jump, a few familiar faces.