I certainly think 24 is back. It was a fast-paced two hours! Just a few plot loop-holes here and there. A professional sniper doesn’t have a back-up plan when trapped?? But I digress. The Senate hearing scene looks like it was scripted by Ollie North and Dick Cheney. The ends justifies the means! And yet, I bought that logic when delivered by Keifer Sutherland. And what about Keifer’s hair. It looked fuller. Did he get implants?? Loved Janeane Garafolo. She seemed like a spazzier Chloe.
Finally, when looking at tonight’s TV line-up my choice was made easier by the reality show crap alternatives. And… I can record Big Bang along with How I Met Your Mother.

Also, this is the first time I have watched 24 in high-def. Cool stuff!
Which brings up another question - Does Fox have better high-def transmitters than the other guys. their high-def signal, especially sports, just looks crisper. I get TV via ATT-Uverse. Discuss…

I’ve seen the first two hours, and so far I like it. I think taking it out of LA and putting it in DC was a good move. I also like how it ties into “Redemption”, especially the subplot about the president’s son, I’d like to see where that’s headed.

A couple nitpicks: I like Anne Wersching’s character too, but why is it that every woman in CTU and, now, FBI, is apparently romantically involved with her boss? It’s getting annoying. And second, I’m going to say Jeanine Garofalo is a spy, or somehow working against the FBI. Why? For one thing, the character seems a bit timid, and Garofalo is a relatively well-known actress. Why would she take a part that only involved staying in an office and being worried? There must be more to her character. That’s a very practical assessment, we’ll see if it holds up.

Still, it’s good to see Tony again. And I like how they had a brief explanation for Jack, and for the audience, to explain away the implausibility. (”He was rushed away by EMTs after you left, then you were taken to China for years.” Hmmm… OK, sure!)

I couldn’t watch the last “day.” It just seemed to be lacking something the previous “days” had. One thing that’s bothered me since about the 3rd season though–How many really really bad days can one guy have? I like Sutherland as Jack Bauer, but I think they would have less difficulty with “re-inventing” the premiss if after 2 or 3 “days” they started changing the focus to a new agent (whether CTU, FBI, CIA or whatever).

I also agree about Garafolo. I can see some flashes of future comic relief. Is it just me, or is she much hotter in this role than anything she’s ever done before?

Did anyone else have MAJOR problems with the video from last night’s episode? I have DirecTV and it was HORRIBLE. Talked to some people who had Charter and they had the same issues. Seemed like it kept skipping and cutting in and out.

Hey, “D”, I have Charter and recorded “24″ last night. Major, major digital interference the entire show! “24″ was almost unwatchable in many spots.

I recorded other shows at the same time on my DVR and no problem with their transmission.

I know what happened to the tv signal last night: Chloe hacked it!

Gail–I tend to agree with you…the first four hours were certainly entertaining but the audience was asked to suspend a LOT of disbelief–and it is sorta ridiculous how EVERY female in the show who encounters Jack falls madly in love with him.

I really don’t like the political undertones of the show–which have gotten more “hawkish” as the seasons progress, but I am willing to overlook a lot if the action and suspense is retained. The torture crap last season was nauseating–and I don’t just mean the violence–I mean the rhetoric that justified it–every time Jack tortures someone, it’s that Dick Cheney scenario of the “ticking timebomb” where the fate of the US depends on extracting a confession or details on am immediate terrorist attack.

It’s no coincidence that the creator of the show (Surnow)is good pals with Rush Limbaugh.

Oh well-as I said, I can view it as “entertainment.”

You still think she loves Jack? I think she wants to kill him.

I, too, like the move from LA to DC. I found the skeleton crew from CTU and their odd location slightly cartoonish. Did enjoy seeing Tony back. Have never liked Chloe and her smart mouth. Bill’s just a filler. The couple of twists were unsuspected, and I like the interweaving of the mess in Sangala mixed with a snitch on the President’s senior staff, including her son. I think we all had extremely high expectations after not seeing it for a whole year, and this didn’t quite measure up, but I still enjoyed it, and it will probably improve as the season moves along. I’m just glad to have my Jack fix!!!