It's official. According to Entertainment Weekly, one of my favorite TV shows will return after having had its final season in 2010. Throughout its eight seasons, the TV show called 24 had won 20 Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes, and deserving of every one of them, will return again in May 2014.
The fact that 24 is one of my favorite TV shows is not much of a secret. For I first mentioned this as part of my previous blog about America now facing a new era of asymmetrical warfare (Huffpost Politics), that is, facing a new era of unconventional terrorist tactics. Only on this go around, it'll be a 12 episode limited series titled 24: Live Another Day. But limited or not, hell, I'll take it.
Since it will be a year from now, which means the show is currently in production, I have a wish list. And it is as follows.
This first one should be easy, for it should go without saying that former CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit) analyst turned CTU head (season eight) Chloe O'Brian acted by Mary Lynn Rajskub should be back. When she made her debut appearance in season three, day three, I had a strong dislike for Chloe O'Brian. Then afterwards that changed swiftly to a strong like and admiration, because she continues to always have the lead character Jack Bauer's back. So she should be back.
Now this next wish may be a tough one. But it is after all my wish. So please do bring back Audrey Raines. And when I say bring her back, I do mean bring her back as in healthy mind and body back.
The daughter of the wealthy and powerful Secretary of Defense James Heller acted by William Devane, I did not like how Audrey Raines ended up in season six, left in a catatonic traumatized state after being mistreated by the Chinese government, resulting after she devotedly sought out Jack's whereabouts. To me, that was a fate far worse than death for her.
It was tragic enough, that former FBI agent Renee Walker, acted by Annie Wersching, was killed near the end of season eight. Finally, here was a woman who knew what Jack was all about. She got Jack. And now that she's gone, I want Audrey Raines, acted by Kim Raver, back.
Also, bring back Jack's daughter Kim Bauer acted by Elisha Cuthbert. Yes, Kim Bauer did test the sanity of us most loyal 24 fans by getting into insane trouble situations in the earlier seasons. But she finally matured from season seven on. Before this she had distanced herself from her father. And of course she had saved her father's life by taking part in a stem-cell medical operation, to rid Jack Bauer's body of a deadly weaponized pathogen from having been exposed to a bio-weapon in season seven. She's matured, so she should be back.
Two more women characters from season eight should definitely come back, Dalia Hassan, widowed wife of the assassinated President of the Islamic Republic of Kamistan (a fictitious country) Omar Hassan, and their daughter Kayla Hassan. I first noticed the actress Necar Zadegan before her role of Dalia Hassan in 24, in an episode of another TV show called The Unit. I like how she looks and talks, the same as Nazneen Contractor who plays Kayla Hassan.
And since also Ms. Nazneen Contractor is in reality married to actor Carlo Rota, known for his role as Morris O'Brian the husband of Chloe O'Brian, he should be brought back, too. Also, his role had provided some humorous moments when needed during such a thriller show.
And then finally, former Secret Service agent Aaron Pierce, acted by Glenn Morshower, should be back. For like Chloe O'Brian, agent Pierce has always had Jack' back. So that covers my wish list of seven actors, five women and two men, who should reprise their roles when 24 returns in May 2014.
So why do I like 24 so much, one may ask? Perhaps the main reason why can be found by what always has motivated the lead character CTU agent Jack Bauer, acted by Kiefer Sutherland, who has also won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for the role. Jack Bauer is definitely an equal opportunity go-getter to see that justice is done. And that sole reason is what I believe, that has provided the jet-fuel that powered the engine for the TV show's eight successful seasons.
In other words to Jack Bauer's way of thinking, he doesn't care if you are a man or a woman, ugly or beautiful, a fellow American or of another nationality, or how high in the upper echelons of power you may happen to be. If you dare to cross him or his family or his closest of friends, or cause national or international harm, he will come after you.
Very good examples of this can be found in both seasons five and final season eight of the thriller TV show 24. In season five, Jack Bauer goes after the president of the United States, Charles Logan, acted by Gregory Itzin, who had covertly ordered the hit on the nation's first African American president in the TV show, President David Palmer, acted by Dennis Haysbert. For both Bauer and Palmer were also good friends.
Toward the end of season eight, Jack Bauer goes after two U.S. presidents. For the former U.S. President Charles Logan tries to convince the current U.S. president, the first female president of the United States, President Allison Taylor acted by Cherry Jones who also won an Emmy for her role in season seven, to take out Jack Bauer so that he will not expose a conspiracy that would also derail her peace talks. The international brokered treaty signing at the UN that originally began with President Omar Hassan before his assassination, would then be followed by his widowed wife and acting president of Kamistan, Dalia Hassan, who had been coerced to sign the treaty by President Taylor after Dalia Hassan learned of the conspiracy.
He is the most complex, innovative, relentless, cunning and unorthodox character protagonist in television history. And he's coming back. Welcome back Jack.