Fanboys Anonymous

After the final episode of 24: Live Another Day finished with impressive ratings, I think it's safe to say that everyone's favorite spy thriller badass Jack Bauer will indeed live to fight on another day, battling terrorists around the world like he was built to. The long gap between Season 8 and this (4 years, while they were trying to get a movie together) helped super-charge the participants and give Jack and company some much-needed energy. This latest season, more of a mini-series of 12 episodes called Live Another Day, is a slam-bam action romp of the highest order, and Kiefer Sutherland has never been hotter and more intense as Jack Bauer. Believe me, that's saying something, because Jack is simply the most intense, hardcore TV character of all time.

This latest incarnation is further proof of this fact. After so many episodes, lethargy can seep into a show, and perhaps it has happened before with 24. By season 6 they had run out of juice. The Writers Guild of America strike of 2007–2008 gave them a break for a year and a half; when they came back with the TV movie 24: Redemption they got some of their mojo back and were off and running the last 2 years of the show. The sense of urgency they had in the last half of season 8, right after they knew the show was ending, gave us all a wild final ride. The 12 hours we saw with Live Another Day felt the same: passionate, powerful, and incredible.

You feeling luck, punk? Huh?

So if they go forward with these half seasons, it might work out well. There has been nothing definite yet, but the show runners have said that while they were worn out a bit 4 years ago after the go, go, go of the previous 8 seasons and 192 episodes, they felt like this last one was a breath of fresh air and gave them some energy. It felt that way for us fans too, like a fresh, exciting, nonstop thrill ride that should be compared to the same level of the best 24 ever gave us. The producers also said they would need another compelling storyline to follow that would excite them enough to want to do it This latest, dealing with global terrorism and drone strikes, was both topical and pulse-pounding. It worked in many ways as a deep, emotional, character-driven story from the perspective of the those people affected by drone strikes in other countries and how they might react if given the right resources. The villain in Live Another Day has my sympathy, because her husband was killed by a U.S. drone strike and, although I think she obviously overreacted, I totally get where she was coming from. How would any of us feel if our families were victims of collateral damage? I'd be pretty pissed off.

Jack's had a bad day; best to stay out of his way.

24: Live Another Day also reminded us why we love Jack Bauer so much. No one in the history of TV or film has sacrificed more for his country. If they move on with this story, Jack's own personal stakes should be the focus. The next season should be called 24: Jack Bauer—Out for Blood or something. Cheesy, sure, but you know what I mean. Part of what disappointed me about Day 6 was that they skipped over Jack's incarceration in the Chinese prison. The season started, and it was like, oh yeah, that's over. What? C'mon, I wanted to see Jack in there kicking some butt and trying to escape. I guess in the long run that made the travesty/heroism of his life all the more powerful. Bauer spent over a year in a Chinese prison and was tortured. Ouch. He has also lost countless people in his life, including a wife and other romantic interests. Jack has been through a lot, so why not follow up right where Live Another Day leaves off and see him in Russia, trying to either foil a terrorist plot or attempting to escape from prison. Yes, I've got the title! That's it: 24: Jack's Prison Break. Still cheesy, but screw it, it's 24.

Still, how long can it go on? Sutherland is great, but he's also a heavy drinker, and it's beginning to show. His face looks haggard and older than just a few years should have brought him, and it's a shame. You gotta call a spade a spade sometimes, and Kiefer is beginning to show the wear and tear of the job. For a show like 24 this part of his character makes perfect sense. Jack Bauer is all kinds of tore up. After what he's been through, it's a shock the man can even walk, much less run around and kick ass like a beast. So as a fan of the series, I want to see it continue, and this may be blasphemous to say but I'm okay if Kiefer takes a smaller part of the whole thing than he has been. Jack is amazing, but he's given us over 200 episodes of amazing and perhaps it's time to pass the baton, or 9mm, whatever the case may be.

Who is his heir apparent? No need to worry because the person to take over is already on the show. The character of Kate Morgan, played by Yvonne Strahovski, is as much of a badass as Jack is. Kate is simply a female version of Bauer and could take over the spotlight with ease. I'm serious. She has some serious baggage like Jack does, losing her husband to conspiracy and suicide before the events of 24: Live Another Day took place, and has plenty of skills to help her along the way. Jack could act as a mentor while she gets some more field experience in her own show. Let's call it 24: Kate Kicks Ass. Some counterterrorist unit is set up anywhere in the world and Kate is an agent there, just like 24 has always been; they have the machine up and running now, and although I would love to see some more with Kiefer, I don't see any reason why they can't spin it off with a great character for which they have already laid the foundation. They could make it 24: International.

Jack meet Kate, female Jack.

In fact, that's bloody brilliant. When they moved the location out of Los Angeles for Day 7 it was a good change of scenery, and moving it to London was a nice move too. What has been so great about this mini-series, besides the fact we get to see Jack kicking ass left and right, is the topical nature of the premise; drone strikes are a real thing these days, and nothing to mess around with. They are a controversial topic and something that should be addressed, the good and the ill gained with their use. 24 deserves to go on; I'm not saying forever, but when you look at the history of the show, this mini-series promises more to come and in a big way. When they ground their gears into mediocrity with Day 6, the Writers Strike caused a delay in Day 7. It was the best thing that could have happened for them. They did a 2-hour special called 24: Redemption and kick started the last two stellar seasons. With this recent 4-year break, they have recharged and come back better than ever. Why not more?

So should Jack come back? What are your thoughts about them spinning off without him?