24

The promise of Jack being the hunted rather than the hunter is fulfilled for a good three or four minutes. But afterwards, he's out of Fayed's reach and free to save Assad. And go rogue, natch. Following the tense race against the air strike (and the explosion that caps it off—yeehee!) is the tense race against Fayed's next attack (and the explosion that caps it off—yeehee!). Fayed's after the American citizens, Jack & Assad are after Fayed, CTU & the White House are after Jack & Assad, and Tom Lennox is after a little civil rights destruction.
The Oval Office accentuates the contrast between the President and Jack, to an extent not seen before on "24." I guess that's unintentional, because why wait six years? But now that the room is finally being shown to us, the scope of this season somehow feels larger.
Something about Wayne's sister.
The writers are just biding their time before getting down to the actual threat at hand (ain't they always?), but they weave in the obligatory plot threads that'll take us through these next few hours. Not to mention the edginess between the new allies Jack and Assad. This is something else that the show hasn't done to such an extent before, and the fascination is all too irresistible.

Hourly Highlight:
*kick* *shatter* *KABOOM!* Yeehee!

Presentation Phase - » (8/10). Jack try to convince the President by telling him who is been responsible for the attacks, but nobody believe in him.



Complication Phase - » (8/10). Jack has to save Assad, because the President doesn´t believe that Fayed is the man responsible for the terrorists attacks, later Jack as to prevent another Terrorist attack.



Climax Phase - » (10/10). Jack has to prevent one of the three attacks, good action and this was unique, fighting a bomb suicidal.



Suspense/Tension - » (10/10).Great tension in the train. Also the scene when Jack came to save Assad was great too.



Drama - » (8/10). Jack psychology states is more explored here. Ahmed betrays is supposed friend.



Action - » (10/10). You have a fight and explosions, I think this is enough for this episode.



Ending - » (9/10). The ending was good, but I think what is great here is there was more successful suicidal attacks and Jack was the only one that prevented one attack. I like when the characters are knowing that they were wrong.



Surprises/Shocks/Twists - » (8/10). Sandra Palmer appearance and More successful suicidal attacks.



Time and Scene Management - » (9/10). All Jack scenes was necessary to the Main plot. Until now, only Sandra Palmer scenes is pure filler, even Ahmed filler role here is important here because is well tied to the main plot.



Plot Details/Holes- » (8/10). Fayed lets jack escape but that was justified for now. Sandra Palmer attitude was justified too. Only the situation in the train (about the explosion) was unreal, because it could be worse.



What I liked -» All Jack scenes, even this new filler family drama became interesting.



What I Didn´t Liked -» The filler scenes like Sandra Palmer, nothing to do with the main plot, only tied because Wayne is her brother.



Another great episode, that the only letdown is some fillers like Sandra Palmer and this Ahmed plot, but at least, Ahmed plot is well tied to the main plot, so it became interesting.

So, Jack is right - he said Assad is not behind it and he manages to find him, reveal the traitor and get out before the attack. But CTU ofcourse finds out that Assad was not killed and they are confused until they get that Jack was there.. but he is doing good job - following the lead of a terrorist who has bomb with him - they end up in metro and in a train where Jack has a great fight.. and he worries he do not know how to do it.. and in the end, even CTU gets who was behind the attacks.

Picks right of and is still going great.The abrupt action continues on 24 during the second hour of the workday. Jack has intel that Assad has flipped as a good guy and Jack is able to convince and befriend the former-terrorist by preventing the president ordered attack and eventual destruction of Assad's now anti-terrorist headquarters in an Inglewood ghetto. Together the two now have to track down Fayed as quickly as possible and end the bombings.



Jack, in this episode has convinced everyone that 20 months of torture cannot keep him from the fight. Although it is a little fetched that one man is able to prevent terrorist attacks, disprove government information and remember the longitude and latitude of a location overheard while being tortured, I think we can all agree that Jack also shows human qualities other than his conviction to the protection of humanity.



During the getaway, Jack faces a challenge that has not experienced. He finds that he cannot torture that well anymore. He doesn't know if he can do 'it' anymore. But two years in a Chinese prison will make you second guess yourself here and there. Thankfully he has his new former terrorist buddy is there to give him the self confidence he needs. That's what friends are for right.



It is very gutsy for the writers and producers to have half a dozen fictional attacks on American soil within the first couple of hours of one fictional day. I can't remember any other television show or movie that created such a threat to the standard of living in America that was not based on true events. The only thing that comes to mind is The Sum of all Fears. What will they do next to the people of 24? Perhaps block all wireless connections west of the Colorado River?

For all the pressure that 24 was getting in the forums about season 6 being a dead season...I must say that I for one am not seeing any such decline. I think that both episodes that were shown tonight were very very solid episodes, with the second episode being one of the better episodes of 24 I have ever seen. I think that they are distributing the camera time around well and all of the storylines are fresh and entertaining. The scene in the train and the aftermath afterwards was a great 10 minutes of television that had me glued to the TV the entire time. I think that season 6 has started off on a great foot and I cant wait to see the two new episodes tomorrow. The presidents sister storyline is certainly the weakest at the moment, but I like how they are using a brother-sister bond instead of a husband-wife like David Palmer was using.

A great episode, with a really interessting storyline and a good and focused cast. And like all episodes it has it's great wave in the storyline and a good cliff hanger at the end. A great episode, with a really interessting storyline and a good and focused cast. And like all episodes it has it's great wave in the storyline and a good cliff hanger at the end. A great episode, with a really interessting storyline and a good and focused cast. And like all episodes it has it's great wave in the storyline and a good cliff hanger at the end.

This is an exiting episode that builts on Jack's 20-month absence. Jack seems to have lost his credibilty, which is not the only thing he has lost. Again, we witness Jack's vulnerability and loss of concentration, a direct consequence of constant torture.



Despite the smooth development of the episode's plot and the introduction of new characters and situiations, it's sad how some things suitably happen, i.e. a car is always conveniently found when is needed. While people do park cars and leave them unattended quite often - which is normal -, what is not normal, is those cars to be equipped a GPS device and a mobile phone of the latest technology - devices that people usually unloads when they get off the car.

"24 Day Six 6:00AM-8:00AM"

Airdate: Sunday, January 14th 8:00PM-10:00PM





Twenty months have passed in 24 Land since our hero was last seen being taken away on a free all-expenses paid trip to China. Wayne Palmer is now Commander-in-Chief and America is suffering from an eleven week string of terrorist strikes. But there's no need to fear for much longer, because thanks to the new President Palmer's willingness to order Chinese takeout for dinner every night, China has agreed to give Jack back. But this time, Jack being the terrorist-killing-machine he is won't be what's going to save us.



Bill: "We're asking you to sacrifice yourself."



Apparently Jack wasn't too kind while interrogating Abu Fayed's brother years back and Fayed wants to extract revenge. But Jack doesn't seem to mind all that much, as his Jesus-like beard combined with the scars on his back from what looks to be very painful chopstick whipping foreshadow his later remark of "To be honest with you, it'll be a relief."



There's some new faces at CTU, along with the usual crew. News of Jack's soon-to-be sacrifice doesn't sit too well with Chloe who already is breaking protocol with her ex-husband-new-boyfriend Morris to try and help Jack and in doing so jeopardizes the operation. Good 'ol peanut eating Milo from Season One is randomly back, a new hot girl named Nadia is there I guess to replace Michelle (RIP), and Bill Buchanan is still leading the charge, closing in as the longest running CTU Director. He's also got a long distance relationship to deal with, now married to last season's Homeland Security Director Karen Hayes who's now situated in the White House.



"I know how hard this must be for you," Karen says to Bill regarding Jack's sacrifice. Well, not really, considering he and Jack first met in Day Four and Bill has assumed Jack to be dead and/or in a Chinese prison after that making this the third day they've ever seen each other. But in any event, Bill and Curtis leave Jack handcuffed to a fence for the terrorist bad guys to duplicate to Jack what he did to Fayed's brother.



But of course as all evil villains do before killing their arch nemesis, he confesses his plan and tells Jack that the so-called terrorist leader CTU is about to kill is actually a traitor trying to stop the attacks. Well, telling Jack Bauer he's about to die for nothing can only result in something very very cool (or gross I guess depending how you look at it). Fayed then proceeded to make a second major mistake and went to take a phone call allowing Jack to escape by fake flatlining and biting into a guard's neck and ripping their artery out.



Just like 24 wouldn't be 24 without a moment in the premiere to establish the fact that Jack Bauer is the man, it also wouldn't be 24 without his superiors believing what he says. Despite informing CTU and the White House that Assad is not behind the attacks but rather trying to stop them, Palmer still wasn't convinced and went along with the air strike to kill Assad.



"I'm sorry, Jack. I am," Palmer says. Or in other words "I know you've always been right about everything in the past, but I'm still not going to trust your judgment just so we can create a really dramatic scene."



Because now not even 10 minutes after escaping from Fayed, Jack's already stealing cars from innocents, disregarding presidential orders, and saving the only lead before his house goes KA-BOOM.



But despite all that, we'd soon find out it's not same Jack we've known from before. "I don't know how to do this anymore," he says to Assad after he got information from a terrorist that Jack couldn't. Oh, don't worry, Jack. You'll be back dropkicking suicide bombers out of subway trains in no time.



Overall, I'd say it was a pretty satisfying opening two hours. I like that the presidential setting is actually in the White House for once. The problems brewing between Karen and Palmer's chief-of-staff Tom look to already be making for some controversy. CTU is already filled with tension and sarcastic Chloe comments (who's gotten even hotter again this season). And with a release from China, a sacrifice to the terrorists, some early morning torture and near death all within the first hour before going back to saving the world the next hour, looks like those eight long Jack Bauer-less months will be answered with another thrilling season.



Overall Episode(s) Rating: 8.8

This episode continues with Jack escaping from Fayed and his men...He tries to convince the President that Assad is not the one behind this attacks...Unfortunately he doesn't succeed, so he goes there in order to save the only man that can restore the peace in the country ...He saves Assad and finds out where is Fayed and his men, and in the process he prevents a terrorist attack from taking place...The President,Tom and Karen find out that Jack was right all along with Fayed being behind the suicide attacks...Due to the state of the country, the FBI obtain an warrant in order to get hold of the personal records from the Islamic-American Alliance, but the President's sister manages to erase the data before it could be handed and for this she gets arrested...Great episode...9.5/10.

The plot thickens. Fayed should have realised you can't keep Jack Bauer captive for long. And he really should learn a thing or two about villains monologuing. Bad move, bad move.



I really like the new president Palmer so far. I love the way they've written him and the way DB Woodside plays him. He is a lot like David Palmer, the connection is evident, yet he is also very different. He makes different choices and has a different temper. They've done a really good job to make him like David, yet his own character. I love the guy's voice btw. They should have Woodside record audio books.



Anyone notice how Assad is real friendly looking, while Fayed looks like he eats puppies for breakfast? Interesting choice of name, Fayed, kind of reminds you of Sayed Ali doesn't it?



It's interesting to see that Chloe has begun to actually show things to her superiors. And even more interesting to see Buchannan allow her to help Jack.



Yet another torture scene... I'm glad to see Jack couldn't go through with it. I can't stomach torture, and I'm far from convinced that it can be worth it sometimes. It was pretty odd though to see Assad comfort Jack, saying "it will come back to you". Although it's nice to see Jack working together with someone again, someone who is almost as skilled as he is. Since Chase and Tony went bye bye we haven't really seen any of that.



That kid who wants to help his Arabic friend seems like a real good sport... too bad all I can think of is how much I want to give him a haircut.



I have a sneaking suspicion that Palmer sibling #3 is up to no good. At the very least her romance or her arrest is going to cause problems for Palmer sibling #2.



I liked the scenes where Jack and Assad split up to get Fayid and stop the bomb. Though I have to say I seriously doubt that a terrorist would walk around in public and talk on his cellphone about how his friend will blow up a train in five minutes. Seems a bit obvious, nay? VERY cool scene on the train however. Really great! It's a gutsy move for this show to actually have several terrorist attacks carried out this way. Usually they always manage to stop them in some way or other but this time they're dealing with a different kind of situation. I have a feeling that the Palmer faith in Jack Bauer will return full scale from now on.

Jack escapes from the diabolical terrorist leader Fayed and tracks down Assad before a white house sanctioned air strike goes underway. Jack gets there just in time. Ahmed gets discovered at his house and he takes drastic action to deal with the predicament that he got himself involved in. Wayne Palmer's sister obstructs an FBI investigation to defend the rights of his client. This episode deals with issues grabbed from current events and gives it a 24 spin. Things are shown in this episode, Alexander Siddiq plays a forward thinking ex terrorist and he does it well. This is one cool episode.

No more than two hours back on US soil and Bauer already kicks some serious terrorist butt. Alas, still no relief for you, Jack. Someone up there must like you either very much, or not at all.



Not to spoil too much, but I’m really excited about the casting of Alexander Siddig. Sort of reprising his role as ambiguous anti-Western activist (ok, here he really is a terrorist) from Spooks, he immediately joins up with Jack to form the strangest odd couple – buddy team since Xander and Angel had to go patrolling together one night. To see them two pursuing the suicide bomber towards the subway made me wish they could team up for the rest of the day. I seriously doubt it will last, but it gave season six a kick-off start. I want more, and I’m sure I’ll get plenty.

Man, I might have a new favorite show! I can't believe how well this show keeps your heart rate up the entire episode. Most drama shows have some down time for character development. 24 doesn't seem to use that time, but nor do the characters feel like 2D characters. Such a good job. This episode shows exactly why America does not negotiate with terrorists ... cuz you get screwed. Everyone realizes a little too late that Jack was right all along, and they let Abu get away while destroying all the information Hamri had gathered on Abu. Meanwhile Ahmed's slight moral tingling seems to have dissapeared as he has taken Scott hostage and is ready to do what it takes....

And just like that Jack Bauer is back! He is the best he follows what he believes without ctu help. He saves the life of the one man who just might be as usefull as Jack Bauer himself and that man is a terroist! This episode is amasing as Jack Bauer runs from that house as it completly explodes! Explosions = Good Tv I just cant believe that after all the times that Jack Bauer has been right, ctu still goes by the facts, but that doesn't matter, as long as Jack Bauer will fight for what is right, no matter what the law is or what he is told to do!

While much of the season's first episode (6:00 am - 7:00 am) seemed to be building back story and settling in, 7:00 am - 8:00 am appeared to be much more about the frenetic energy and suspense that 24 is known for. The stupor Jack was in during episode one vanishes once he escapes from Fayed and sets out to find Assad. He is very much on top of his game for the entire episode.

Plot: A series of escalating terrorist attacks has gripped the nation and we are Bauerless to stop them. Jack has spent the last two years in a Chinese prison and upon his return we are left to wonder if he is still the same man. Did I say man, I meant God!



Over the break, CTU has undergone some personnel facelifts. With Tony, Michelle and the loveable, yet mentally challenged Edgar gone, CTU was in bad need of some new blood. Enter Milo, Chloe\'s ex husband and Sophia. Don\'t worry though; while these three may not be our usual heroes they still maintain an adequate level of mistrust, animosity and superiority to keep the office functioning well. I would hate to be in charge of HR in that office. \"God damn it another mole, you have got to be **** me? Who is screening these guys?\" While Human Resources at CTU may have made some questionable choices in the past, they seem to have adopted a new hiring policy; only gorgeous women need apply. Seriously, did anyone else notice the extras walking around that place? I suggest this new policy be implemented throughout all government agencies; DMV I\'m looking really hard in your direction.



The lowdown this season is that the new President Palmer is forced to make a deal with the Chinese to get Jack out of prison so he can sacrifice his life for the good old US of A. Jack begrudgingly accepts his fate with only one request. \"I\'ve been gone two years and I need to know, is Gilmore Girls still on the Air? Oh dear lord, you mean WB and UPN merged. I must end my life as quickly as possible.\" Jack’s burning hatred for the CW TV network despite hours of quality programming does not appear to be the only problem with his mental state. The Chinese definitely worked him over good. Jack seems timid, his reactions are slow and believe it or not his thirst for violence may have at last been quenched.



The President has agreed to trade Jack\'s life for the location of the man they believe to be behind the recent attacks. Jack is handed over the terrorists (Abu Fayed) and is forced to begin his torture anew. Seeing as how he is about to kill Jack, the terrorist leader decides to spill the intricacies of his fiendish plot to him. You see the man he sold to the American\'s for Jack was a fake out. He is actually a reformist, come to America to stop the real head of the terrorist groups; Fayed! And now that I have told you everything let me just take this phone call. I\'ll be back in a second, all guards leave the room, except you, Ensign Jimmy, I mean Ahmed. Refusing to die a meaningless death Jack morphs into a vampire and rips the guy’s aorta out with his freaking teeth. Cause of death; Jack being a badass! Jack contacts President Palmer and tells him that they are about to kill the wrong man, but as usual, the President has surrounded himself with snakes and decides not to heed the gospel of Jack. Honestly, he has saved the world like 6 **** times already. Give him a little credit! Jack goes rogue and manages to save (Assad) the reformed terrorist right before the US military strike his base of operations; which by the way appeared to be a suburban house. I\'m glad the government decided to trust the word of a terrorist to give up the location of another terrorist enough to just blow up what could have been a normal house in the middle of suburbia. With Jack teaming up with the Assad and a Palmer back in the White House, this season looks very promising. In addition, 24\'s decision to run the entire series without interruption is a brilliant idea that I hope more shows start adopting.



Parting Thought: Kal Penn why do you hate freedom so much?

by preventing the president ordered attack and eventual destruction of Assad’s now anti-terrorist headquarters in an Inglewood ghetto. Together the two now have to track down Fayed as quickly as possible and end the bombings.



Jack, in this episode has convinced everyone that 20 months of torture cannot keep him from the fight. Although it is a little fetched that one man is able to prevent terrorist attacks, disprove government information and remember the longitude and latitude of a location overheard while being tortured, I think we can all agree that Jack also shows human qualities other than his conviction to the protection of humanity.



During the getaway, Jack faces a challenge that has not experienced. He finds that he cannot torture that well anymore. He doesn’t know if he can do ‘it’ anymore. But two years in a Chinese prison will make you second guess yourself here and there. Thankfully he has his new former terrorist buddy is there to give him the self confidence he needs. That’s what friends are for right.



It is very gutsy for the writers and producers to have half a dozen fictional attacks on American soil within the first couple of hours of one fictional day. I can’t remember any other television show or movie that created such a threat to the standard of living in America that was not based on true events. The only thing that comes to mind is The Sum of all Fears. What will they do next to the people of 24? Perhaps block all wireless connections west of the Colorado River?



Read this review and other at www.mikeontv.com

Oaky, this episode was a little more along the lines of what I was hoping for. After Jack manages to escape from Fayed (and I have to admit, I was a little queasy from the vampire impression Jack did to manage his escape). I did find it nicely convenient that the baddies gave up their search just feet from discovering Jack, but, hey, Jack couldn't die in the opening minutes of the decond hour, now could he?



So Jack manages to steal a car that happens to have a cell phone with GPS and navagational capabilities. Not only that, but after 20 months in a Chinese prison, he knows exactly how to use it. Once again, I digress.



So he manages to find Al-Assad (a welcom return to TV for Dr. Bashir - Alexander Siddig). So Jack and As-Assad go on the hunt for Fayed, and track a suicide bomber who's planning to blow up a subway train. Nice action sequence with Jack giving the bomber the boot out of the back of the train. Still not 100% sure of Al-Assad's intentions or loyalties, but I was impressed with his dedication to the interrogation of the mole. For the first time, there is evidence that Jack might be losing his 'taste' for what has been his life for years. I suspect that will change soon.



The sub-plot about the President's sister getting arrested is a bit hokey, but at least it's not Kim!



And does there always have to be a teenager in crisis storyline to start every season?



Well, bring on hour 3 and 4!

i love jack...ya'll know hes my uncle and olivia bensen is my sister!! (jk) any way it was sooo hard to see uncle jack like that he couldn't even look nobody in the eyes and he hadn't talked in 2 years!!! i sho couldn't do that i talk way to much and way their were soooo many explosion every where boy at first i was like poor jackie came back but by the second eps. i was like jack is back jack is back. but when he couldn't torture that guy it was soo sad he said he don't know how he could do this anymore!! i was like nooooooooooooo jack and way the beginin was real good it started off good unlike lost and way i love 24!!!!!

Everyone\'s favorite detached federal (or not) agent Jackson M. Bauer has returned for yet another action-packed, slick, stylish thrill ride day. While this season has not started anywhere near the adrenaline rush that Season 5 did, I pretty much expected that. To come firing out of the box like Day 5 did would be repetitive and cliche. You need to keep your audience hooked, but don\'t repeat things. \"24\"\'s writers are very skilled at this, and that\'s why they were recognized as TV\'s best drama for 2005 and not anyone else.



First things first: we have a domestic terror plot. Cells are located within the nation and are detonating themselves in very public places. Now, before you stop and say \"oh it just another terror plot\", let it develop. Seasons 2, 3, and 5 are prime examples of this. But what is also unique is the hint of racism and fear that is spread throughout the country. These first two episodes play up the civil liberties aspect, and decide who is right and who is wrong in the \"24\" world. I think it adds an interesting element to the viewing experience, and adds another layer of sophistication to \"24\" to balance out the action and suspense.



Secondly, Wayne is president. For all those wondering, Logan was in his election year, which is the whole point of Day 5 if you paid attention. Gardner may have taken over the office during Logan\'s resignation, but was aptly crushed by Wayne and the Democrats. As far as his character goes, he plays a convincing president who is struggling in his first year of office. You can visually see the strain in his face when he\'s backed into a corner. He lacks the patience and resolve of his elder brother, but that is to be expected of someone who has lived in his elder\'s shadow for so long.



Thirdly, I hate Sandra Palmer. I despise Regina King in all her forms and am still questioning where all these Palmers keep coming from. I wouldn\'t be surprised if Keith showed up again as a terrorist. It is very obvious that her ACLU ideology will be tested when her husband is found out to actually sponsor terrorism, and she\'ll fall for her stone cold FBI investigator played perfectly and bluntly by Scott William Winters (famously known as Cyril O\'Reily from HBO\'s \"Oz\"). Next, our side characters. The sexy but mysteriously subordinate and quiet Nadia will probably be more of a role than she is now. CTU always has to have the **** woman in power, and so far she\'s been tame when trying to push Chloe. I\'m not claiming mole, since the writers threw in that little red herring of her speaking Arabic to Fahed. Morris was a nice addition to 24 in those final few hours, but too much of him can be a bad thing. His challenges to Milo (played by Eric Balfour: see Season 1) can an entertaining side dish, but too much of it can be annoying. His smugness should have him removed from the building, but I have a feeling he\'ll be kept around long for comic relief. The best addition to the show so far has been Kal Penn (The Rise of Taj, Harold & Kumar). His character is very conflicted, as he must choose between his racial allegiances and his friends. I don\'t see him surviving throughout the entire season, but he\'s been a gem so far. His \"my name is ACCCHHMMEEDD!!\" line was priceless.



All in all, we have the building blocks for another jam packed Day of mayhem, twists, and turns. This day will only get better people. \"24\" has never disappointed, and there\'s no reason to believe that Network TV\'s best show will. I guarantee you that you will be bored with some scenes in Heroes, and if you haven\'t already, will curse the day you got yourself addicted to that dreadful Island show, which has turned out to be nothing more than old, fat men holding stupid people hostage. If that\'s what floats your boat, then you probably need a little more Bauer in your life.

President Wayne Palmer is really dumber than I thought. So is all of his White House Staff. And some in CTU. You would think after all this years of knowing what Jack Bauer is capable of that they would know better than to disagree with anything that Jack would discover. Go figure.



Regina King plays the President's sister. And she is a diva, which is typical of the roles that she plays.



Racial profiling, searching without warrants, suspension of habeus corpus -- all I can say is, Bushisms, oh my!



The episode did get a little slow in the middle.



Jack Bauer is the only person on television who can torture and make you think it is believable but not wince. But I completely understand why Jack didn't continue the torturing. I do think that decision was based on more his instints than any flashbacks that he had.



The suicide bomber blowing himself on the tracks was a close call but I know once Jack got on the train that there was no way the train was going to get bombed.



Can't wait until tomorrow!

just like my other review for the previous episode or part one of the 2 part season opener. This was just as amazing. With Jack escaped form from the terrorist he tries to warn CTU not to attack the other guy who used to be a terrorist, they do not agree with him and still go on with the attack under orders from the president. This forces Jack to save the guy himself, which was very intense to watch, as 24 always is. The story with Ahmed continues as he shoots the neighbor that is attacking him and holds his friend at gun point. Overall great episode

(Note: This review covers the second hour of the Sunday night premiere; a previous review covered the first hour.)



As expected, this episode begins with Jack taking the first steps towards his true heroic form, despite the fact that he’s courting disaster by acting outside of the desires of CTU and the president. Even with his confidence shattered, Jack is the only one who seems to see the truth of a complex situation.



At the same time, the writers follow through on the promise of a more haunted Jack Bauer. In a critical scene, Jack finds himself interrogating one of the enemy, and while he starts the job without much hesitation, he falters. Immediately, the audience is reminded that Jack has been the victim of similar treatment for well over a year, and it’s impossible for him to overcome that in the space of days.



Jack’s struggle is likely to be an early highlight of the season, but it could be matched by Alexander Siddig’s portrayal of Assad. The writers of “24” have created an interesting connection to organizations like Sinn Fein, the political arm of the IRA in Northern Ireland. This is actually quite clever, because it highlights the fact that such a man (or movement) is completely absent from the “real world” scenario. Never mind that Assad is a man with a deeply violent past and present, making it very possible that his apparent goals are not what they seem.



This episode once again tries to strike a balance in the civil liberty/national security debate, and it generally works well. While the subplot involving Sandra Palmer (the sibling nobody discussed for a decade) is annoying, especially given the inclusion of yet another inter-office romance, it’s also necessary. After all, within the story itself, there are good arguments for and against handing over that information, given where it could lead. Sandra Palmer destroys the integrity of their side of the debate by destroying the information that she was required to provide. It’s a classic case of undermining one’s position through ill-conceived action.



On the other side of the debate, there are the clear actions of terrorism and fanaticism. Ahmed was initially shown as a young man conflicted, but by the end of this episode, his true colors are revealed. Much like the fourth season, the writers have given themselves an opportunity to explore the mindset of a terrorist. It remains to be seen if Ahmed will be around long enough for them to explore his rationale. Hopefully, the writers will avoid the ridiculous cliché that there is no rationale and that the terrorists are beyond reason; all humans who commit premeditated acts are acting out of reasoned motivation, however misguided or incorrect that reason may be.



The suicide bombing, foiled by Jack, was provocative for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it removes the remoteness of the exposition given in the newscasts. It’s one thing to say that terrorists coordinated suicide bombings in two other locations; it’s another to show people who barely escaped the same fate. It makes the audience think about the possibility of such a situation. In short, it strikes at the heart of the national security argument. Jack was there to save the day, but in two other cities, the damage was done. Doesn’t that justify the arguments of Tom Maddox?



If the writers remain true to form, the situation will continue to escalate until the debate becomes much more than an intellectual exercise. The plan to inter Muslims should remain on the table, and civil liberties should continue to be abused, so that the audience can consider whether or not a line has been crossed. Equally, the reality of Islamic terrorism should not be avoided. So far, the only complaint is that the civil liberty aspect has been hampered by cliché and silly plot devices.



One other weakness comes to mind. In the premiere episode, Chloe and Morris both broke protocol in a misguided attempt to save Jack. That decision was a horrible miscalculation, and it should have resulted in terrible legal and personal consequences. Instead, Chloe and Bill conspire to help Jack in this episode, despite the similar implications. That doesn’t quite track, and it makes CTU security and protocol even less impressive than in previous seasons.

It\'s a little early in the season for a slow plot episode, usually this has occurred around the 18th- 22nd hour in past seasons. I guess it has to be done to introduce all these new characters in their new roles, but this late at night I need some stuff blowing up to keep from falling asleep. Apparently 20 months of torture in China has made Jack soft and he can\'t bring the pain anymore. Luckily he\'s hooked up with a terrorist who doesn\'t have such qualms. We continue to see the other characters more but there are no new secrets learned about who is betraying whom. Of course, something finally blows up in the end after a fight but a cliffhanger is lacking. I don\'t remember too many episodes in this show that don\'t leave me wanting more but tonight I\'ll get plenty of sleep and can wait for tomorrow\'s 2 hours.

There are many reasons why 24 is my favorite show on tv ever, and this episode is one of the reasons that makes it so. (pun not intended) You think Jack is truly back as he was able to outwit Fayed and his men, but then things get turned around quickly when it came down to his first interrogation after his return. He stopped because he believed he got all the information he could, then Assad turns around and was successfully able to extract what they needed -- as Jack looked in horror.



The best part of the episode I would have to say is when Jack kicked the terrorist out the back of the train, but I am curious as to why they picked the back of the train. You would think the middle or front of the train would inflict more damage once it had reached Union Station.



Other than that, I am anxious to await the next two hours tomorrow, and next week, and the next 20 weeks after that.

Coming in my expectations were high, and all I can say is WOW....just when you think this show couldn't get any better it does, what more can you say? 24 & Prison Break are THE best action shows on Television, its no contest. Kudos to FOX and network producers of the show, as they have once again outdone themselves. This season is going to be awesome, I would write a more detailed review but there is nothing more to say. If you watch this show you already know what I am talking about, and if you don't watch the show you should seriously consider starting to. Pure Excellence!

This episode was so very good im happy a buch of terrorits attacking the president very adventures wow all I can say is wow this was a good night for 2 new episodes of 24 both episodes were good so I review both theres another new episodes tommorow to I cant wait.

The first hour was set up but now 24 has kicked back into action. Seeing Jack racing the clock was absolutely wonderful but they also threw twists like the torture scene. You could see it, Jack not willing to press anymore since he now knew what it was like to be tortured like this. And then Hassan showing Jack's experience had hurt by getting the info. His whisper "I don't know how to do this anymore" was chilling given all we've seen of Jack in the past.





We get the usual nice twists and turns like the father being arrested while the son is the true terrorist. I also loved the irony of the racist coming to beat the kid down when he was actually right about the kid. Alexander Saddig is a fine choice for Hassan, showing the drive and determination but I suspect there's more behind this sudden change of heart of his. The CTU stuff in interesting, like Buchanan and Hayes now married. So far, Wayne seems over his head as President but I hope he grows as we go along. The subplot with his sister seems quiet now but I wouldn't be too surprised if it dies into the terrorist plot soon. The fight on the train was gripping and it was awesome seeing Jack kick that terrorist out before it went off. We're now hitting the ground running and that means more fun ahead. Can't wait for the clock to keep on ticking.

Season 6 is back with one of the most intense starting sequences ever seen on television. Obviously being a review im not going to ruin any story elements, but its an opening on par with season 5, suggesting the show is well on track for another season. The time element of 24 weakens further, which is a shame, but the new characters are fantastic and are definately an improvement on the character situation last year. The episode effects are just as you would expect from a 24 series, and the cliffhangers at the back of the episodes, a top episode, enjoy

"Drop the coffey" and negotiation with a terrorist to save his life, while the air strike is underway-one of my 4 favourite parts of this series yet. (with subway scene and 6x04 end...btw. 6x04 end..unbeliable!This is something, as 5x12, something, that i must see over and over again and still don't believe that; 6x04 the best episode ... yet)



Subway scene - that's a duty to see this ... i love it, they know where are my weakness ... 24 is back and better then ever ...



You don't have to be fan of 24, but I'm sure, your nerves don't stay calm...