10 Silliest Things On 24 (And The Lessons To Be Learned From Them)

2. Tony Almeida Comes Back From The Dead; Is Evil (Day 7)

Tony Almeida was a beloved character on 24 who met a tragic end during day five. Through a series of complicated circumstances, Tony was locked in a room with Christopher Henderson (the man responsible for killing his wife, Michelle) and an unsuspecting CTU guard. Quickly dispatching the guard by knocking him unconscious, Tony moves towards the hospitalized Henderson and prepares to pump him full of a lethal dose of 24's magical interrogation drugs. At the last minute, however, Tony can't do it €“ he's not a murderer, despite what happened to his wife €“ and when he hesitates, Henderson takes the opportunity to turn the syringe and plunge it into Tony's heart. Henderson escapes, and a few minutes later, Tony dies in Jack's arms. That is, until the producers realized that killing of Tony Almeida was a huge mistake. Not only was he beloved by the fans, but he was one of the few characters who could carry the show when Jack Bauer was off-screen. So, they went about contriving a way of reversing Tony's death. Moments after his "body" was carted off screen, they decided, a group of mercenaries resuscitated him and convinced him that the government should pay for what it did to Michelle (never mind Tony's realization moments before this that he couldn't seek revenge). Tony makes his reappearance at the beginning of day seven, decidedly evil (he causes two passenger planes to collide over the skies of Washington, D.C. early on). For a while, it seems like this was all a ruse, but eventually, when he kills Larry Moss, an FBI agent, Tony's intentions are made clear. You see, he's found the man ultimately responsible for Michelle's death (who, it is now revealed, was pregnant at the time) and wants revenge at any cost. In the end, Tony's vengeance is foiled, and he is carted off in police custody. The Lesson: Don't kill of a character if you don't mean it. Tony's death in season five was tragic, but viewed with the knowledge that it's all a ruse, it only feels cheap and empty. Bonus Lesson: Don't bring a beloved character back to life if your only plan is to make them evil, ruining what people liked about the character in the first place. Tony died because he was, in the end, a good man who couldn't commit cold-blooded revenge. When he was brought back, the writers decided that he was a bad man who wanted nothing but cold-blooded revenge. What a waste. Rumor has it that Tony might return in 24: Live Another Day. If he does, let's hope the writers remember what was best about the character.