Could he have predicted the kind of success the show and the character would achieve? I didn't even start watching the 1st season until the 2nd season was already underway.

Season Five is REALLY back to the good old days, in my opinion.

If they can keep up the vibe they have THIS season, as opposed to falling into their Season 3 or 4 habits... and avoid any and all cougar traps, I wouldn't mind watching the show for another 3 years.

Aye.. I was thinking the same thing. I just can't imagine 3 more seasons with Jack going through this kinda sh*t for a 24 hour period. I mean he's a badass and all, but the any normal person would have a mental break at some point. I think it's time to end this season with a bang... and let someone else take the lead for the following seasons. (Possible Season5 spoiler stuff (what? You're not watching it? ) They've killed just about everyone else off from the previous seasons so far.. Chloe being the only other person hanging on (there's Audrey and her dad, but they're kinda new and for all we know they might not make it either).) Keifer is going to be running his own production company and doing his own shows, I can't imagine him acting and doing that all at the same time. Plus, now he's got movies coming out where he's basically playing Jack Bauer using a fake identity (The Sentinel - I bet at the end of the movie he shocks us all and whips out a badge and yells "Jack Bauer, CTU.. you're under arrest!" and then later the DVD comes out properly named "24: The Sentinel").

What worries me is that they may be forcing another three seasons. A show like this can only stay original for so long. I am hoping for more of a darker story line like Jack being forced to go rogue or going undercover in Europe without C.T.U. to back him.

I know this sounds a bit cheesy but I would like to see a season closer to a Splinter Cell like theme, more black ops less government involvement.

I'm surprised it's gone this long, simply because, shouldn't this plotline have gotten irreperably tired by now? What is this, season 5 of "Terrorists Are Going To Kill America And Jack Bauer Has Only 24 Hours To Save Us All!"

Three more seasons though? Can we safely say that it's going to jump the shark very soon, if it hasn't already?

Danjo and I often talk about a season where they show the day Jack Bauer and his team went to kill Victor Drazen. Him still in the field before C.T.U. would just be awesome.

I lost interest during Season 3 as well. 4 is somewhat better, though, and 5 is a return to the glory days of old.

You forgot the part where a bunch of terrorists mysteriously "disappear" at the beginning.

I'll leave that up to the Jewish Hollywood script writers.

*Spoiler*

Is season 3 the one where he attacked that guy in the airplane with his feet? Because that was just badass.

The Chinese don't give a crap about Bauer. They needed a scapegoat to save face, mostly as political leverage against the US his death, fake or not, closes their books on this one. Honestly I doubt the chinese will enter into it again.

Hmmm, I guess we'll just have to see. I don't think the issue is closed yet, although it may be one of those plot holes that just get swept under the rug.

In any case, it would be nice to see him doing some black ops stuff outside the US in a future season.