Review: 24

Well, what can I say about the best show on TV that hasn't already been said in a dozen places? This show is fast, challenging, well-written, well-acted, and a hoot to follow. And I mean follow-you can try and guess where the show is going, but you'll probably be wrong. This show introduces and kills off MAIN CHARACTERS with frightening regularity - just last night, we lost two: one was beaten to death by a gang of rednecks, and the other was being taken away in an ambulance after falling three floors onto concrete. And this body count doesn't include the four bad guys shot and killed by a naked and drugged Jack Bauer. I'm telling you, if you're not watching this show regularly, you are missing out on the best thing to happen to TV (and pop culture) in a long time.

Here's what happened: The commandos force the doctor to revive Jack. Jack convinces the doctor to help him get free, and he kills the commandos. The leader of the commandos tells Jack who is the mysterious voice on the other end of the cell phone conversation. Jack gets dressed and drives to where Yusef is dying (in a Phone Booth, a nod to Keifer's new movie in theaters now). Yusef tells Jack that Kate left with the rednecks and give Jack her location. Yusef dies. Jack bursts through the door and kills one of the rednecks. The other two rednecks hide in a back bedroom, and Jack tells them to come out and give him the chip. Lynne is locked in a room by Mike, the newly-evil Presidential chief of staff, who is cooperating with the VP to help him assume power over the President. Lynne sets fire to her room, the guard opens the door, she rushes out. Guard chass Lynne, who falls over a railing and falls three floors onto concrete. Lynne is taken away in an ambulance, but not before she tries to tell the President about Mike. She manages to point at him, but then Mike takes her hand (ARGH!) and tells her that everything is doing to be fine.

At CTU, Michelle and Tony try to figure out where Jack is. Chappelle comes in and orders Tony to 'keep his eye on the ball' and not pursue or assist Jack. Tony and Michelle continue, and Carrie threatens to blow the whistle on Tony if he doesn't give her a promotion. Tony waves Chappelle over and says to Carrie: "You have something you want to tell him?" Classic moment. Tony tells Chappelle that Carrie was trying to blackmail him into a promotion. Tony and Chappelle discuss Jack, and Tony says that it's important to find out the truth. "You want me to drop this - then remove me now." Chappelle backs down, but says that the only reason is "because there is no one else around who can do this." At the end, Tony calls all of CTU together to put them on Jack's trail. President Palmer is suspicious of the fact that he can't reach the VP and that Lynne is not available. At the end of the episode, the VP convenes a middle-of-the-night meeting with the President's cabinet. One of the attendees says "I'm uncomfortable with starting the meeting without the President," to which the VP replies, "The President won't be joining us. In fact, that's the point of the meeting." And the preview reminds us that there are only 4 episodes left and teased us by saying "you'll never believe who's behind the conspiracy." They also showed Sherry Palmer and the creepy murderer that Kim used to work for.

The website "Is It On Yet" has a fairly-up-to-date body count page where they're trying to keep track of all the characters 'offed' from the show. I'm glad someone else is keeping track of this list.

And finally, fans of the show will be pleased to hear that FOX Entertainment President Gail Berman has officially announced a third season of 24, following the same format. But will Palmer still be the President?

In the News:

Some stories from around the web, including a Terminator-like "super" dog that survives car injury, a bullet to the head and freezer storage, a Dog saved from death row that survives a jump from a car window at 70mph, a Policeman's mouth to mouth saves 'dead' pit bull, and a band of thirsty baboons that attacked villagers in Africa.

A seven-year old boy tries to rob a Hollywood Video store in Annapolis, Maryland. The boy, whom police did not identify, was charged with attempted armed robbery and released to his mother, who went to the video store twice to threaten employees, according to police and store employees.