User:SignorSimon/Hopes for Season 8

Season 7 has come to a close, but it left many questions open ended. There are numerous things the writers have left to viewers imaginations until the series resumes in January 2010. The information explored here is merely musings as to my ideas of what might come in the next season; I haven't read any spoilers or have an insider working at the 24 HQ, it's just a list of things I'm interested to find out about. Will Kim's treatment work to save Jack? The next season may be set days (or even hours) after the last and show Jack slowly recuperating from the pathogen, or maybe it will be set years afterwards and show him fully recovered. And what will be the repercussions of Renee Walker torturing Alan Wilson? Will she be suffering a life in prison but see it as a necessary result of revealing the other members of his cabal?

Just to reiterate, this page contains no spoilers, just speculation.

Jack's treatment


The fate of the protagonist of 24 is clearly the main thing that many fans want to see the result of. It is all but certain that Jack will survive because, as fans of the show almost universally agree, 24 would not work without Jack Bauer. He is the character who we have seen sacrifice so much and achieve so much in the name of protecting the general population of the United States and it seems that Kim's words to her father mirror those of all the fans of 24 who have been watching Jack fight crime for seven years, "I'm sorry daddy, but I'm not ready to let you go yet" (maybe minus the "daddy" part).

Not only that, but it would seem unfair for the writers to leave the fate of such an important character unknown. It would be grossly unwise for the writers not to revisit the result of Jack's treatment, but I don't think we need to worry too much about that. Hey, we don't want another Charles Logan on our hands!

The result of Renee Walker's interrogation
Maybe this title should also include "...and the fate of Alan Wilson". Who knows what extremes Renee went to to get him to talk. One of the two (see above) main cliff-hangers at the end of Season 7, the results of what Renee did to Wilson will no doubt resonate far into Season 8. When she was first introduced in Day 7 8:00am-9:00am Renee was portrayed as one of the most by the book and straight agents the show had seen since Ryan Chappelle. She was unwilling to bend the rules, shaken by the fact that Jack was willing to physically torture Gabriel Schector despite the fact that torture was the reason that Jack was being questioned in the Senate hearings.



The main theme of this season was all about choices. Every single major and minor character had to make a choice and then live with that choice. You are defined by the choices you make, and Jack's advice to Renee was perfect; you have to make choices you can live with. She evolved from a character who was strongly against the use of physical coercion to one who understood its necessity to get the job done (see Alan Tanner, Carol Vossler, and of course the implied threat against Wilson).

As Jack hypothesised, if he saw a bus with fifteen people who were going to die, he would have no problem with torturing the terrorist until he could save the people. And by the end of Day 7, Renee is certainly on a good way to heading in the same direction as him. She now, thanks to Jack, understands that it is her duty to do whatever is necessary to save everyone she can and if begins to spend more time with Jack (in the most highly anticipated, hinted towards and hoped for relationship by fans of 24 since Tony and Michelle!) in the future, she was grow more and more towards the "Jack Bauer" way of life (however, there is the possibility that Jack will change considering the events of Day 7; see below for more.

President Taylor's estrangement from her family


I think the writers did an excellent job with the ending to the story of the Taylor family. With great resonance to the Palmer family of Season 1, they were dispersed and disunited from the strong family seen in Redemption. Roger was killed, Olivia incarcerated, and poor old Henry was shot up and pissed! It sets up a good situation for something to happen in Season 8 forcing the family to have to reunite for one reason or another. Maybe Henry has an old contact who needs to be called to bring down the threat? Or maybe Taylor couldn't cope with divorcing from her husband as David Palmer was more than willing to do in Day 1 11:00pm-12:00am.

One thing's for sure, I'm glad that bitch Olivia is all jailed up.

The relationship between Larry Moss and Renee Walker
Upon Larry's death, Renee said that she should not be the one to tell his ex-wife. Does this hint at a possible former relationship between the two in the past? Who knows. And I'm sure this is something the writers won't ever really consider. In fact I can't even see Larry being mentioned in Season 8 to be honest. The only need for him to come up would be if Tony comes back (see below) and Renee wants to have another go at him for killing Larry.

I was thinking about this after the episode aired and considering what Renee could have meant by her comment. Personally I don't think Renee is Larry's type, and I thought up a scenario where her comment could make sense without her being interesting in him. He could have brought her into a high ranking position in the FBI with the hopes that he could spend more time with her and seduce her. However his plan failed and she was clearly uninterested, so he married someone else but was never truly happy, always secretly in love with Renee (who can blame him?), something that his wife was always aware of. The marriage broke down because of this and he was never able to move on from her.

Anyway, this is all just speculation, and as I said I don't imagine it will actually be brought up.

A change in Jack considering the events of Day 7


The interesting scene with Muhtadi Gohar at the climax of Day 7 was undoubtedly a shock for all viewers watching. Everyone was expecting Jack's visitor to be Kim, there to say her final goodbyes before, as she did, realising that she was not ready to let him go and so decides to go ahead with the experimental treatment.

But it wasn't Kim, it was Gohar. The scene a few episodes before when he told Jack that it was "never too late to turn to God" was a strange one for 24, a show that has never really looked at the religious side of fundamentals, just their extremist views. Gohar shows the sort of Muslim that has not been shown on 24 before; the regular Muslim who does not hold terrorist views and simply worships a God. When he arrived at Jack's bedside he appeared to wash him of all the sins he had committed throughout his life. Despite being at each others throats a few episodes before, Gohar here comforts Jack, saying that "We live in complex times, Mr. Bauer. Nothing is black and white." He understands what Jack does is a difficult job and sometimes he needs to do what is not right to achieve what is.

Strangely, Jack appears to believe everything Gohar says and feels himself cleansed of the sins he has committed. He very sincerely thanks Gohar, then tells him it is "time". He realises that he no has no time to make up for what he did, something he was planning to do in the future. So now he has been cured of the pathogen thanks to Dr. Macer's experimental treatment, I think Jack will pursue these virtuous tasks that he mentions, in a desire to make up for all the sin he has committed over the years.

One of the key things Gohar says to Jack is that he sees a "a man with all his flaws and all his goodness. But simply a man." Jack is a man like every other, and he can be forgiven for everything he has done. It is this that suggests to me that Jack has the capacity within him to change and be a different person next season, working to assist those in need rather than fighting to stop something that is about to happen (although he will undoubtedly transfer to the latter at some point within the season as it will make for more interesting viewing).

Kim Bauer's skills as a mother
Well, she did learn from the best.

Finally, clear evidence of the fate of Charles Logan


One of the most irritating oversights in the history of 24. But is it even an oversight? It seems that the writers are deliberately not telling us specially what happened to Logan for some reason, but whatever it is baffles me. Charles Logan was one of the greatest characters of 24 when he revealed himself in Day 5, a person you truly loved to hate. But what happened? He became a shell of his former self in Day 6, turning to God and helping the authorities, and for no personal gain whatsoever. And then he went and got himself stabbed.

Throughout all of the rest of Day 6 not a word was heard about him again. A few small references were made to him in Day 7. In Day 7 8:00am-9:00am Renee appears to refer to him in the present tense, saying that living under house arrest isn't what he deserves for the crimes he committed. Tony makes passing references to him as well on several occasions indicating that he was still alive, but it would be nice to know in what condition. Did he suffer long-term damage because of his injury? It would be nice for a character to at least mention it definitively.

Aaron Pierce's position after Day 7
I know he was retired, but someone tell me truthfully that you don't want him back! I could see Aaron taking over as head of the White House Secret Service, or at least working as the agent assigned to protecting Ethan Kanin in his new-old role as Chief of Staff.

A Jack and Renee romance
C'mon, we all know it's coming.

Things that should NOT be explored
There are several things that I think the writers of 24 should not look towards, but I expect they might at least make passing references towards:


 * The Day 5 conspiracy. We've been hearing more and more about this for years now, and I feel its simply been enough. I know it's interesting to peel back the layers more and more on the massive cabal that was responsible for many calamitous events, but I mean, seriously, how many times can we meet the killer of David Palmer? Conrad Haas, Charles Logan, Graem Bauer, and now Alan Wilson.
 * Leave Tony Almeida in jail. I'm sure I'll be beaten to death by soulpatching Almeidaists everywhere, but what more could be done with Tony Almeida's story? Similar to the reason that they killed off Edgar Stiles and David Palmer, Tony has been through everything. The only thing I can see him coming back to do is to kill Alan Wilson (or maybe even the super-leader behind him, Satan himself, maybe?) *

* ''I can't take credit for this joke myself; a shout goes out to Smila at the TwentyFourForum for that one! ''

If you have some thoughts regarding Season 8, or have anything you want to raise about what I've said here, please feel free to let me know about it on the talk page.