This review contains spoilers
To pinpoint one major plotline in the season is pretty simple: Tony's return and plot for revenge. The whole season relied more on Tony then it did Jack: he was the reason Jack was pulled out of court hearings to get the CIP device, the reason Jack knew of the White House attack, the reason the canisters didn't get launched, and the reason a dying Jack had to continue his exploits to pursue the traitorous Tony.
The hardest thing to except this season was the fact that Tony is even still alive, considering he was "killed" in Season 5. The explanation that Henderson missed his artery is a bit lame, and that David Emerson revitalized him so quickly is probably just a little too preposterous, but there you go. However, after 7 of these hellacious days, you have to except that everyone in the 24 universe moves on speed.
Tony really was a bad guy, even though he was pursuing his own means. Probably what pleased me most about this season was how it was able to revitalize the whole "evil people who rule everything" thread that season 6 squandered away with a horrible Jack Bauer brother-brother-father thing. The revelation that he was working for his own means and playing both sides was actually quite brilliant, as he seeks revenge for the dead Michelle.
This season saw Jack's character handled expertly, as Jack is first seen on trial for his many questionable actions in the past. Throughout the show he carries out his duty with no remorse, no question, and it is here that the show really shines. It provides us with a great character, Renee Walker (who sheds tears maybe one too many times), who can react to what Jack is doing and display dismay at her actions. Early in the day, she threatens to kill a woman's baby in order to get information, and the look on her face as she does this is priceless.
After 6 days of hell, plus all the years in between, Jack Bauer has finally be reduced to nothing more then a shell who moves and thinks accurately. Gone is the compassionate Jack who cared for his daughter and his wife, for Audrey, and for the President. This season finally changes Jack's persona expertly, which the writers horribly failed at in Season 6. On that day, he had just returned from 1.5 years of Chinese torture, and instead of giving up, he immediately jumps on roofs and saves people. The Jack here still retains his training (conveniently) but what he does isn't cool anymore. He has no outstanding badass moments like he has had in the past.
24 also featured the first female president, Allison Taylor, who's family life can be compared to that of David Palmer's in that it is completely shattered by the end of the day. Her son is murdered in the prequel to the Season, 24: Redemption, and her husband spends a lot of time proving that his son's "suicide" wasn't real. Taylor was a welcome president, though highly frustrating at the beginning when she refused to draw out of Sangala and instead allowed two passenger aircrafts to collide right outside her window. But she did display the right amount of confidence and was a huge improvement over last season's president, Wayne Palmer.
Taylor's daughter, Olivia, was another interesting character. Supposedly she did something during the campaign, and returns here when her father is attacked. She is really a horrible person, greedy, malicious, and crafty, stopping at nothing to ruin careers and lives. Her ultimate crime, though, is one against her family, and the condemnation that Allison receives from her husband after she makes her decision is one that will make you want to strangle the damn fool.
This is the first time FBI has been directly involved with anything in 24, and Larry Moss and Renee were great characters, Moss especially. Janeane Garofolo as Janis Goldman, however, was kind of a stupid character, the frumpy Chloe-surrogate we had to put up with. Chloe thankfully returns with Bill Buchanan, aiding Tony is his initial hunt, and the CTU servers are returned to aid in finding terrorists.
24 is always so expansive that you can't help but also talk about the various villains, and this season had a ton of them. First was Colonel Iké Dubaku, a mere stepping stone in retrospect to what was going on. He controlled the CIP device, and was a threatening and satisfying villain. The only lame thing about him was his weird relationship with a DC girl, and how he tries to get her to go with him back to Sangala. I guess even cold-hearted-bastard-murderous villains love as well.
After his end came, General Benjamin Juma stepped up and sieged the White House in probably the most thrilling hour of 24 that season (definitely one of the best). Though his entrance is implausible (unguarded water systems? What?) it still provided the thrills that Season 6 of 24 lacked, that real fear and pounding of the heart that 24 is really known for with it's ticking clock.
And after Juma came Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight), a delightful villain who's relationship with the main party comes from the shipment of bioweapons they get. It is this bioweapon that drives the rest of the season, as Hodges owns a private military company named Starkwood. The infiltration of Starkwood is one of the best double-agent schemes I've seen in awhile.
And it all comes back to Tony, who really isn't a bad guy, he just wants to kill the big kahuna: Alan Wilson, who seems to be the one responsible for Season 5's happenings. However, Tony betrays his friends, and he really can't be forgiven for that either.
One major plotline I haven't discussed is Jack's exposure to the bioweapon, which basically leads us to believe he will die soon. However, this is nicely solved with the fact that they can get stem cells from Kim Bauer's tissue (yep she comes back). The ending of this season, though, with Jack in a coma and Kim coming to his side is note perfect. Jack also confesses to a Muslim Priest about his past sins, and actually seeks forgiveness for what he has done, if only because he believes he is about to die.
But of course Jack Bauer will be back for Season 8 next year, although Kiefer Sutherland may cause production to be delayed after headbutting some dude. Kiefer needs to keep his temper in check. Still, this was a thrilling season, a welcome return to form for 24. It ain't the best season I've ever seen, but it contained enough solid thrills, great characters, and interesting plotlines to pull me through the whole day.
