24 Rundown

First, I must say that last Monday night was the first time I really actually realized that 24 is a for-real man's soap opera. It contains all the essential elements: love triangles (Milo/Chloe/Miles or Jack/Audrey/Tony), evil doings, backstabbing, illegitimate children (you know there's got to be some floating around somewhere, and people coming back from the dead (like some kind of Marlana-is-possessed-Hope-is-buried-alive-Stefano-has-a-billion-lives kind of stuff from Days Of Our Lives, back when it was good. Now it's just ridiculous.)

In honor of the four-hour start of one of my most favorite shows, I'd like to do a little rundown of the surprising, maybe shocking, and new happenings on said show.

1. Tony's back. Tony Almeida is back, people. And if you don't remember, he was shot in season five. (And yes, I shed a tear. Such a waste of man-ness.) Shot and killed. Or so Jack thought. It turns out that Tony was rushed from CTU to the hospital just after Jack saw him (ready for the air quotes) "killed". He's back and he's bad. Or so Jack thinks, again. Nonetheless, Tony's got too much patriot in him to plan terrorist attacks on the U.S. He's just undercover, trying to slowly but efficiently foil the terrorists' plots. So yay for Tony's return.




2. This chick. (It's Janeine Garofalo. And she's skinny. I almost didn't recognize her.) She's the new Chloe. No worries. The old Chloe is still here (and just as feisty as ever, might I add). Janis (Garofalo's character) is just the FBI version of Chloe. Just as quirky, and just as feisty. It's almost like they are twins separated at birth (just not identical). She's already made me love her and hate her at the same time (in true Chloe fashion). We shall see...





3. This guy. His character's name is Sean Hillinger. And he's totally Milo incarnate. (If you don't know Milo, go here. Basically, he was a victim of his own demise. Poor naive little Milo. He tried really hard to be a hero. Fail.) He's an FBI agent, too. Like Janis. In fact, Janis and Sean have already had words (a la Milo and Chloe in Season 6). But dude is already making fake phone calls and tricking the FAA into beleiving he's got orders from the White House to do certain things. You, sly dog, you. Watch yourself though. Don't let Jack find out. You're playing with your own fate, amigo.




4. Bill Buchanan's new look. The guy looks like he channeling Tim Gunn from Project Runway except way more manly. I'm so used to seeing him in a suit and tie, but since CTU has been debunked, Bill's got no style restraints as far as work attire goes. He and Chloe have housed their underground/rogue CTU operation in a warehouse and nothing screams warehouse couture than a black turtleneck (a la Simon Cowell). He's scruffy too. I'm guessing when you are trying to thwart evil doings in order to save the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, there's no time to stay clean-shaven. Or maybe he's just getting a headstart on No-Shave November, um, 10 months early. But I digress. Either way, it's good to see him back and any moment I expect his "lovah" Karen Hayes to pop out from behind a stack of crates and take over the operation.

That's all I've got for right now. 24 and LOST are about the only two of my favorite shows that I end up being depressed by the end of every episode because I want to see more. See, I started watching each show being able to watch one episode after the other. We bought my mom the first season of 24 for her birthday back when I was in college and I watched all the previous seasons of LOST last year online. At work. While I worked on my volleyball media guide. I'm telling it passed the time so quickly. Anyway, so now, after an hour, I crave more.

I think I may have to investigate Charter Cable's DVR package. I can't handle the possibility of missing an episode of work.

It's okay when work interfere with my social life, but the line is crossed when I miss Jack Bauer saving the world because I'm stuck at a women's basketball game. I mean, c'mon!