After being on the run for four years, Jack Baur (Keifer Sutherland) has been transported back to the states to face a subpoena. A Senate subcommittee has laid out charges accusing Jack of torture, something that wasn’t a part of CTU protocol yet that he practiced as an agent. With the clock ticking, FBI agent Renee Walker (Annie Wersching) gains a special subpoena releasing Jack into her custody. It turns out they need his help solving a case that could quickly become a national security issue. A local terrorist group is attempting and succeeding to take control of all air traffic after gaining possession of a top secret device. Once at FBI’s headquarters, Jack is in disbelief when he discovers Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) is not only alivebut working with the enemy. Unwilling to believe the facts, Jack refuses to cooperate by assuming Tony has betrayed his country, instead insisting that he must be undercover. He’s forced to probe deeper when Agent Walker informs him no major organization has a record of Tony working for them … and the body they buried wasn’t his.

Newly elected President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) is dealing with security issues of her own when she decides to send American forces to prevent any further bloodshed in Africa by a merciless African general. Despite her decision being firm, members within her own cabinet strongly oppose her choices. Meanwhile, when the President’s chief advisor Ethan Kanin (Bob Gunton) becomes suspicious of her husband (Colm Feore), things quickly spiral out of control in Henry’s quest to prove their son was murdered. Despite its being delayed due to the writers’ strike, believe me this is well worth any wait. It starts off with an explosive first episode in both action terms and shockers with a surprising twist in Tony’s return. That alone was an intriguing start to an already marvelous show. As usual there are fantastic interlocking plots that build till the end. I missed a couple of seasons and so was sometimes lost, but was able to follow along better than I expected. Most television shows do tend to answer their own questions, and 24 is no different, just when you cannot “take” the mysteries surrounding Tony, everything becomes a bit clearer (not that it’s always logical, mind you).

Violence is on par with previous seasons, some of which is graphic. Jack threatens criminals with torture who are withholding information; much ado is made about his tactics. Early on, innocent people are the victims of a car crash (both survive); others die in a tragic accident. Numerous people are shot and injured, many die (three being prominent characters). In two separate sickening scenarios a man stabs a woman twice (she is shown lying in a pool of blood) and attempts to hang someone; later another woman is murdered. Jack stabs a man (we see blood gushing from his mouth), another man has his throat slit. Two men fall off a high landing (one dies; we see blood spurt from his mouth). A man’s finger is severed. A chemical scare is prominently depicted (a man is exposed to a fatal toxin); two planes crash in the sky (shown in a ball of fire).”12:00a.m-1:00a.m” implies a woman consents to sex in order to “kill” a news story (we see/hear intervals on a camera phone).  A homosexual is briefly glimpsed with a partner in bed.

For much of this season, Jack must yet again sacrifice by going undercover, only this time around it’s with a callous gang who “mean business” when American lives are at stake. Watching this makes you wonder if the ends justify the means. Jack while undercover helps arrange a kidnapping and even though he knew it might end in death. However, Jack doesn’t ask anyone to do something he hasn’t already experienced and makes genuine efforts to save anyone in the path of danger. Where this may simply be “fiction”, it hints at a gritty realism while bringing about a renewed sense of gratitude to those who are protected by secret service agents. As many of you saw in promos, there is a fantastic moment between Jack and his senate panel where Jack respectfully puts the senators in their “place” for accusing him of misusing procedures. A sense of patriotism is strongly depicted (in one instance an FBI agent sincerely thanks Jack for his sacrifices) and the screenplay is impacting, while allowing its viewer to cheer on a worthy hero who is often vilified and ridiculed, after saving invaluable lives. A tender moment in this series occurs when Jack finally sees his daughter again -- it was a touching scene that was superbly shot and acted. Seeing Kim again was lovely as I’ve often wondered what became of her (yes, I was one of the few who liked her character). It was especially nice to see the difference in her character: she is altogether a much more mature, smart character that was a wise reintroduction. The most poignant scenes happen in the finale, both between Jack and Renee (“mind vs. heart”) and what follows.

This won’t be to everyone’s taste, especially when you reach the end and are overwhelmed by the experience. Jack goes through more than any one person could take and the sheer amount of threats that take place in a twenty-four-hour period is not only consequential but highly unrealistic. The series of events that lead up to a breath-holding conclusion are certainly action-packed, yet somehow among all the stunts and fantastic gadgets, they’re still “real." They portray disturbing pictures of deceit, evil and a “desire” to harm innocent people. Seeing Almeida back turned out to be disappointing. His appearance is more sinister and looking back you may see reflections of his betrayal, making it worse when driven by revenge. Still, it’s unfortunate to think one of the “good guys” turned sour, but it’s Jack who the audience feels sorrow for. Computer geek Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is just as marvelous as before. It was fun following a renegade band of former CTU employees (a disbanded agency), which will tie into season eight, which begins immediately following “Day Sevens’” events. Favorite newcomers include Renee (who plays her role very convincingly) and Ethan. While I didn’t immediately “like” either of them for different reasons, both proved their loyalties before the dramatic finale, even Larry Moss eventually proved his merit. Veteran Jon Voight likewise gives a stellar performance as an evil villain.

The characters of 24 are always an interesting study, partly because of the pace at which this is set and partly due to the fact you rarely can decipher who’s trustworthy; characters often prove viewers wrong. The writing is fantastic in that you never really know whom to trust; scriptwriters throw in new shockers nearly every episode. Take nothing for granted: I was certainly thrown for a loop numerous times.