When we first meet Jack Bauer at the beginning of Day 8, he's watching cartoons with his granddaughter, an inauspicious start for a man whose every day seems to be the worst of his life.
I have high hopes for Season 8 of 24 after the promising return to form of Season 7. Although I do have a soft spot for the much maligned season 6, in which Jack tortures his own brother and gives up the love of his life.
After the first 4 hours this day 8 is showing promise. About 20 minutes after his sofa bound sabbatical with Kim's daughter Jack is brandishing his trademark shoulder bag and a loaded gun, escorting an informant to the new and improved (even Chloe cant keep up) CTU to expose yet another assassination plot. The story so far is all a bit same old shit, but story was never the shows raison d'etre. Something that has always been one of 24's strengths is a supporting cast able to hold their own against the animal ferocity of Sutherland, and that is certainly evident here. Mykelti Williamson makes for a fine CTU chief and newbie agents Katee Sackhoff and Freddie Prinze Jnr. (yes, that Freddie Prinze Jnr.) add some much needed charisma to the largely stoic crowd. Elsewhere Chloe is, well, Chloe and president Taylor is still trying to be the new Palmer. As for the bad guys? At the moment thy're thugs from the Middle East or eastern Europe or....somewhere east.
Some decent action and an ever engaging Bauer heighten the early proceedings of this, the series most uncertain season (Kiefer hasn't renewed his contract). Perhaps the writers will forego the muddled storylines and trite philosophising that has marred recent seasons and give us an old fashioned tale of Bauer-centric mayhem.
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