24: Season 8 (2010)

24 is surely one of the five best-written dramatic TV series in recent decades (along with Lost, The X-Files, and what have you). It may have its detractors from season to season but no other series is so disciplined in structure yet also layered (with parallel and overlapping timelines) and risky (when writing only six episodes ahead). What's the 411 on Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) this season? Seeing how he's been through hell and all (and caused some himself) in past seasons, well, he's not so keen on torturing people anymore. (One government guy says "We don't do that anymore.") Jack has "retired" and plans to get into being a grandfather, chilling out, and napping the day away. (This is not the Jack we knew! Maybe instead of "taking a chill pill" he needs a "blue pill"? The guy who used to be awash in testosterone and constantly screaming "Drop the gun! Drop it *now*!" wants nothing more than to move to L.A. and babysit his granddaughter. Granted, he now values what is really important -- but you just know he is going to get sucked back into CTU by the crisis du jour.) A pre-emptive assassination attempt in New York City on the history-making architect of a Palestinian peace treaty reveals a second threat of nuclear weapons on U.S. soil. The current (and somewhat tepid) CTU director puts former FBI agent Renee Walker (Annie Wersching) back undercover with Jack to infiltrate a ruthless Russian mob -- against Jack's protests because she cracked once and he thinks she'll crack again. She assures Jack she has everything under control -- but gradually learns how little that is true -- while the infiltration progresses with setbacks and switchbacks. Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is back as the technical analyst whose loyalty to Jack always saves the day (with that worried furrow so frozen into her brow that she looks schizophrenic). Dana Walsh (Katee Sackhoff) is Chloe's erstwhile supervisor who endures sexual harassment from an underling as well as a manipulative stalker from her past. [This review will be updated as the season progresses. Episode 7 airs Feb. 9.] So far just 4.5 stars.