Jack Is Back

WARNING: If you haven't watched the first episode of the seventh season of 24 STOP READING NOW!!! Otherwise...

I have three words for you...Tony is alive! And this time it appears he is on the side of the bad guys. That's so typical of 24, the people you think are dead aren't always really dead. Anyone remember when Jack "technically" died and was brought back to life.

And the best line to start the season came from our new female President for this season, Allison Taylor, "If getting through this day won't be hard enough." I already like this President. She reminds me of myself by asking lots of straight, tough questions. Why is TV ahead of society? 24 was the first to have a Black President and at the time it was groundbreaking. President David Palmer was the best President to ever be on the show.

If you haven't seen the the 2-Hour season prequel, 24:Redemption let me help you catch up. The special bridged the gap between the sixth and seventh seasons of 24. Set partially in Southern Africa, Jack finds himself caught up in a military coup while trying to find somewhere he can hide from the United States. Meanwhile, in the U.S., it is Inauguration Day, where Allison Taylor is being sworn in to office.

Season 7 begins at 8:00 AM as a major national security incident occurs when the firewall responsible for protecting America's government computer infrastructure is breached. But this is 24, you gotta have one main story line and then a bunch of subplots.

The subplots I think I have identified are the rouge warlord named General Juma Jumba has overthrow the government of Sangala and is in the midst of a genocide. The President is getting ready to send troops to deal with the coup in Sangala but we learn that her son recently died under suspicious circumstances. It was labeled a suidide but the First Man thinks it was something else. And anyone who saw 24:Redemption knows the son's death is related to the situation in Sangala. The First Man is waging his own investigation in to the death of his son. Jack started the show appearing before the Senate to testify about what he did as an agent of CTU and on the governments behalf. He is to be indicted by the Justice Department for things he did in violation of the Geneva agreement when dealing with terrorist suspects.

And there is always some random person in each episode that says what the audience is thinking. In this episode it was a random FBI agent. How dare the government put Jack Bauer on trial given all that he has done and sacrificed for them and the people of the country. But Jack also says profound things throughout each season. And he responded to the agent that it's time the people know the truth and the people decide how far we should go.

Random new character would be Janeane Garofalo as Janis Gold. She's like the Chloe O'Brian replacement character. But we all know Jack can't survive without Chloe and she is really his behind the scenes side kick. So expect to see her back this season too and maybe she can help this Janis Gold character grow some (if you know what I mean). You can't be a punk and work with Jack Bauer.

What I LOVE and HATE about 24 is that they come up with the most realistic plots; actual areas of our government that are weak. This season has not played out yet so I don't know for sure but I think the best plot was Season 4 involving the takeover and possible meltdown of nuclear power plants and the stealing of a nuclear warhead and Air Force One being shot down.

Do you like the beginning of this season? What's your favorite season of 24? Do you have any predictions for the season? Am I the only one excited about the return of 24? Who is your favorite character (dead, supposedly dead or alive)? Do you have any favorite villains (dead, supposedly dead or alive)? I forgot to do a death count...anyone know how many people died in the course of this episode? Times like this I wish I had a DVR...I would go back and check.