Jack is Back

I have just finished watching the first 4 hours of the new season of "24"(Mondays at 8PM on Fox) and I think I may still be in shock.
Considering that the show had its best season yet, just last year, I really was expecting a bit of a let down this year(not of Season 4 proportions, but at least a mountain lion or two).

Season 6 picks up about 20 months after season 5, and instead of starting off with an assassination or a group of terrorists trying to get their hands on a weapon, we start in the middle of a nationwide terrorist attack. It is actually quite a realistic and very scary look at how this country would react to a series of bombings taking place over 11 weeks in 10 U.S. cities. I don't know about you, but there is only one person that I would count on to put an end to these attacks, and that's one Mr. Jack Bauer!

I really like that Jack is still in custody of the Chinese government at the start of the day, and wasn't here to help stop the initial attacks. The President has negotiated Jack's release in order to help find the head terrorist and hopefully stop future and more devastating attacks. Since the day starts after almost 3 months of terrorist strikes, the fear and desperation of the government and its people add a new layer of intensity that should help avoid some of the filler necessary to flesh out the real-time format. You still have to suspend some of your real world beliefs such as healing time, driving time and the need to use the bathroom, but if you can commit to the "24 world" this is easily one of the best shows on TV.
It's possible that 4 months from now Season 6 could make last year look like a warm up to what is starting out to be an unbelievable 24 hours.

There are some great new additions to the cast including Peter MacNicol('Ally McBeal' and 'Numbers'), Regina King('227' and 'Ray') and Kal Penn(from the fantastic 'Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle') to name a few that you may recognize in the premiere plus be on the lookout for a couple more great actors that will be appearing later in the season.
We of course have several returning favorites to catch up with at the beginning of the day. But we all know that you can't get too attached to any character in this show after watching Tony, Michelle and Edgar all die last season. To be honest with you, after seeing what Jack goes through in just the first hour(not to mention what happened to him in China), I am kind of hoping that the show is going to let him go out with a bang this year. Unfortunately, Fox won't let one of their biggest stars and one of their few hit shows go, so Jack is destined to endure even more pain and trauma for a couple more years.
Do not miss the 2 night 4 hour premiere Sunday the 14th and Monday the 15th.