24 Season 6: Inside the Writers' Room



24 Season 6: Inside the Writers' Room is a special feature found on the Season Six DVD.

Inside the Writers' Room
Evan Katz, Howard Gordon and Manny Coto talk on April 10, 2007 in what is known as the "Writers' Cigar Room".

The Writing Process
Gordon begins by saying that the process of writing is awful as you are bound by what has come before and what you imagine will come next. He says that they have become increasingly "group written" because of this. Coto references the breaking of stories, saying that often stories are broken down, then written, then broken apart again and rewritten. He says that he thinks about the characters and what they could do next, whereas Katz says that he finds the process more story-driven, where, using the death of Edgar Stiles as an example, something dramatic happens such as nerve gas being released at CTU and someone had to die, and several storylines had already centered on Edgar so it seemed like his time to die.

Gordon then talks about Jack Bauer and Audrey Raines's relationship, hinting at the implications that rose because of it in terms of her ex-husband, her father and her brother, and giving Jack something that made him happy, which is unusual in 24. Katz talks about Audrey in Season 7, saying that they do not have a desire to get darker, suggesting a possible rekindling of the relationship.

The Politics of 24


Coto expresses unhappiness about the controversies over torture that has been raised because of the show. He says that he thinks it stemmed from the article that appeared in The New Yorker Magazine' on February 19, 2007, quotes of which are shown:

...it had become increasingly hard to convince some cadets that America had to respect te rule of law and human rights even when terrorists did not. ...Misperceptions [were] spread by 24, whcih was exceptionally popular with his students. As he told me, "The kids see it, and say, 'If torture is wrong, what about 24?'"...

Coto says that people who read the article came away with the impression that 24 was condoning torture because of the politics of Joel Surnow. He says that he thinks 24 "goes out of its way to present the downside [of torture]", and Gordon continues, saying that the quote that West Point Cadets were learning methods of torture from 24 was blown out of proportition and the general of West Point met with several writers and the issue was easily resolved.

Katz explains that when Muslims are used as terrorists, patriotic Muslims are also shown so as to not portray them in a bad light, referencing the character of Walid Al-Rezani in Season 6, opposed to Abu Fayed. However he says more often than not the main villains tend to be white Americans running cooperations and after oil.

The three discuss the spirited debates that took place in the writer's room regarding the nuclear bomb that Vice President Noah Daniels was going to drop on an unnamed Muslim country, and whether his actions were psycotic, which some writers felt they were, but others did not. They then discuss what would happen if something like that actually did happen in America.

Season Six and Beyond
Coto says that it is difficult to see how many more losses Jack can go through to harden him anymore. Coto reveals that at the end of Season 6 after his speech to James Heller and walking outside, he hears a gun click, and turns around to see Tony Almeida. Gordon intercuts, saying this could happen, just at a later date.



Howard Gordon expresses his happiness with bringing Audrey back for Season 6, something he felt strongly about. Coto credits his wife for this, saying that the original idea was for Audrey to have moved on, and have a family and a child, but his wife felt that Audrey would never do that and she would have gone to China looking for Jack, which the other writers agreed with.

The paternity of Josh Bauer is also discussed, with for the long run he being Jack's son, but Gordon coming up with the idea that he was the son of Phillip Bauer, Jack's father, after he raped Marilyn Bauer. However, they said that it became too much for the final episode (when it would be revealed), and did not make dramatic sense to introduce the storyline.

Gordon then begins to talk about Season 7 and how it will be a large change from Season 6. Coto reveals that the disbandment of CTU is something being considered, with the writers being "tired" of the current position 24 is in and therefore feel a need to change things around.

Background information and notes

 * The writers talk about the return of Tony Almeida for the end of Season 6, something that occurs in the premiere of Season 7. They also talk about the possible disbandment of CTU, something that does occur during Day 7.