HALF-WAY POINT: 24 Season 7

Well we are half-way through season 7 of 24, and time for a bit of a recap of what has happened so far.

Storylines

1. Juma regime. This storyline is shaping up quite well with the invasion of the White House, a completely unexpected move. Ike Dubaku was a great villain earlier this season.

2. War on Sangala. Linked to the above, this storyline has calmed down recently. The President had to make some tough calls, and it was good to establish her character.

3. The mole within the FBI. This has now been discovered as Sean, but I can't believe that that's it for Sean within this season.

4. Investigations into Roger's death. Certainly the reintroduction of Hodges, who seemed to sanction Roger's death, may well bring this storyline back.

5. The trial of Jack Bauer. The fact that Jack is now effectively locked up with the Senator will make for some interesting turns.

6. The Bauer-Walker-Moss love triangle. I think this storyline can get a bit ridiculous; Renee has only known Jack for 12 hours and already she seems to be in love with him.

Locations

1. The White House. The set is well constructed and has a bit more style than the one used on The West Wing; more time is spent there too. However due to continuity, they weren't able to customise this one too much.

2. FBI Washington Field Office. I've moaned about this set before. It's a bit of a stupid set as it is so closed and appears incredibly small, so we can't get the big action sequences.

3. "Counter Terrorist Unit". This set has been under-used; I imagined a big operations panel with plasma screens on the wall and so on. The crew have only visited it twice; they didn't stay rogue for long.

4. Ritter Building. This was Dubaku's base during the first part of the season. Since it was dark, it was hard to tell what was going on, which was almost a bit of a cheat for the set designers.

5. US Capitol. The first Jack Bauer scene was set here; another faithful representation and it would be nice to see again.

People

Already appeared

1. Jack Bauer. Jack's ruthlessness has now become commonplace, and he doesn't seem quite so affected by his time in China. In fact his experiences in India and Sangala haven't changed him too much either, he is just the same old person. I don't see much character development going on with Jack this season, much as Renee tries to force it!

2. Renee Walker. It seems more and more that Renee is there this season to be Jack's latest love interest. She is a good agent who works well with Jack though and I like seeing her in action sequences. Her character seems very different to early on in the season; then, she was a cool, calm person who was phased by nothing; now, she is a bit scared and not sure where she stands. I suppose Jack has that effect on people.

3. Larry Moss. Larry is a strong leader, if a bit naive. His introduction to this season is similar to characters like Ryan Chappelle, only he seems good-hearted. The involvement in the Jack-Renee love triangle also adds some extra depth here.

4. Bill Buchanan. Bill was one of my favourite character, especially in season 6, but here he seems too old and a bit past it. His refusal to co-operate with Jack's methods is borne out of a desire to do the right thing, which surely is a bit naive on a day like this. Buchanan still has potential though.

5. Janis Gold. As I've said before, I love the actress anyway from her appearance in The West Wing. Janis is sometimes quirky, sometimes funny, sometimes very straight-up and business-like; she has a lot of different sides and is a well-constructed character. Not to mention that she is hot!

6. Tony Almeida. Tony has had a similar assistance role this season to what he did in season 4. Seeing him back on operations is good; he hasn't featured recently though. The writers could do more with the "shock Tony returns" storyline moving into the second half of the season.

7. Sean Hillinger. Sean was a boring character to start with but the revelation that he is the mole is interesting. As previously stated, I hope he returns for a redemption storyline.

8. Allison Taylor. Taylor is a very morally upright individual, who has a different approach and aura than any other President we've seen on this show. I wouldn't say she is as good as Palmer or Logan, but she does take things in a different direction, which is always welcome in 24.

9. Henry Taylor. Henry was really involved in the "Roger didn't commit suicide" story, which got a bit boring after a time. The character does have potential, but right now he is sitting in a hospital bed and hasn't been seen for a while.

10. Ethan Kanin. Ethan was introduced in season 6 as a very minor role, but has been prominent in this season and Redemption. To be honest, I don't like his character, it's the least favourite of the new ones introduced this season. I suppose this is because he is just so straightforward, not quirky but just business-like and predictable.

11. Chloe O'Brian. Chloe returns for this season following the shock revelation in the season 6 finale that she was pregnant. This has hardly been mentioned at all and I think they could play this up more. Apart from that her character has faced off against Janis Gold this season, which makes for an interesting story that hasn't been told before. She's still involved with all the usual stuff though, like hacking, breaking rules for Jack.....

12. Morris O'Brian. Morris is one of my favourite characters in 24. He is awesome in season 6, and I'm glad to see him appear briefly here. Surely Carlo Rota will not be satisfied with such a short appearance though? I hope to see him back shortly...perhaps assisting Chloe in one of her operations. I'm not sure to what extent his involvement was in Bill's rogue operation but this would also be interesting to find out.

13. Aaron Pierce. Aaron appears in every season of 24, and currently is stuck within the White House; he has been shot in a similar way to how he was shot in season 5. He seems to have a wider role this season than before; some seasons he only appears in one or two episodes but he is a bit recurring here. In general I think Aaron is a bit of a cult-favourite character who doesn't have much actual substance to him, but has just stuck around due to his fanbase.

14. Iké Dubaku. Dubaku's recent death was a shame; he was a really great villain, both in his ruthlessness and character development. I don't think 24 has any villain to replace him for such dramatic effect.

15. Benjamin Juma. Juma's only started to appear recently. I don't think he is believable as the leader of such a cold-blooded revolution; he is far too laid back. He doesn't come across as such an evil villain as Dubaku.

16. Jonas Hodges. Hodges appeared in episode 12 for the first time since "Redemption". He talks of a shipment and it is quite likely that he will return as a villain. So far though we don't know much about him, except that he was financing some of Juma's operations during Redemption, and sanctioned Roger Taylor's death.

17. Tom Lennox. Tom only appeared during "Redemption" and it's unlikely he'll appear again. He is seen defending President Daniels in a still unexplained matter.

18. Noah Daniels. Noah also only appeared during Redemption. I think it would be interesting to see some explanation behind the strangeness in his scenes, but he is not a good enough character to bring back long term (in the way that Palmer asssisted Logan in season 4, for example).

Likely to appear

1. Karen Hayes. Karen is Bill's wife, and Bill is a key character, so I hope she comes back in.

2. Nadia Yassir. Marisol Nichols was a very important actor in season 6, so I think the time is right for bringing her back.

3. Audrey Raines. I hope that Jack hasn't forgotten about Audrey; hopefully he will realise his true feelings for her before things get out of control with Renee.

4. James Heller. If Audrey returns then so will James, we hope.

5. Martha Logan. Martha and Aaron are a couple, so hopefully this will be a ticket for Jean Smart to return.

Possible to appear

1. Kim Bauer. Kim is due for a return as she's never missed two consecutive seasons before. I hope she doesn't bring that awful boyfriend psychiatrist of hers though, and is a bit more forgiving towards Jack.

2. Mike Novick. Mike has served under different presidents and is a really great character. He left season 5 on a good note and I hope he returns.

3. Wayne Palmer. Wayne's status is still unknown, hopefully he will come back to give a conclusion to this season 6 storyline.

4. Chase Edmunds. Chase was a huge season 3 character but hasn't been seen since the season 3 finale (except in 24: The Game). It would be interesting to add him back into the mix.

5. Charles Logan. Charles's appearance in season 6 was shocking; this one won't be quiite so shocking but Tony has clear anger towards Logan so it would be good to face them off.

Unlikely to appear

1. Sarah Gavin. Sarah was a season 4 character who was fired by Michelle Dessler. She worked quite well and it's a bit odd that she disappeared without return. However there isn't really a way for her to be worked back into the story with dramatic effect; most fans have probably forgotten her.

2. Lynne Kresge. She worked for the Palmer-Prescott administration, and once again disappeared very suddenly. It would be nice to see her again but with Palmer's death, there's not really a way in.

3. Adam Kaufman. Adam was a CTU analyst who appeared in all but one of the season 3 episodes. His sister died and he is likely grieving for her.

4. Kate Warner. Kate's story came to an end in the season 3 premiere but she is still alive. There's not a way to bring her back, except I suppose if they want to give Jack a reason not to go with Renee.

5. Erin Driscoll. Erin's daughter died during season 4, and she is very unlikely to be in any fit state to return ever.

6. Sandra Palmer. Sandra was a credited cast member during season 6, but only appeared in a handful of episodes; it's unclear why. She is still alive but didn't have any particularly strong storylines to her name as of the end of season 6.

Dead (very unlikely to appear)

1. Rick Allen. Rick was a major character in season 1 but died. Since his storyline only affects season 1, it is pretty much impossible he would come back.

2. Teri Bauer. Jack losing his wife was the major source of his grief, so bringing her back would seem a bit false.

3. Nina Myers. Probably the most likely "dead" person to come back, as perhaps she had contacts at CTU who revived her, just like Tony. But she has been off the scene for so long that it's incredibly unlikely.

4. David Palmer. While I'd love to see Dave around again, the amount of scrutiny that would have gone into the death of a president is such that his death would have been hard to fake.

5. George Mason. In fact the survival of George Mason was put out as an April Fool's joke by the scriptwriters. It's very unlikely as he was so close to the epicenter of a nuclear blast.

6. Sherry Palmer. Again this one is possible...but who would want to revive Sherry Palmer?

7. Michelle Dessler. She died right in front of Tony's eyes, and he hadn't even been recruited then by Emerson, so not likely her body could have been moved.

8. Curtis Manning. His character's storyline has come to an end and not much to add.

9. Edgar Stiles. Everyone saw Edgar die, and again the character storyline doesn't have much to add.

10. Milo Pressman. A possibilty, but he doesn't really have the stomach to be a double-agent.