Next year, 24: Live Another Day will air on Fox, with four years having passed both in real time and in the 24 universe. When we last saw Jack Bauer, he was on the run from both the United States and Russian governments for his role in assassinating the government conspirators who had been behind the days events. With assistance from Chloe OBrian and President Allison Taylor, Jack was able to avoid the authorities and presumably leave the country. As someone who will have been a fan of the show for eight years when Live Another Day airs, I can say that while I didnt hate the finale, I didnt think it lived up to the shows legacy. It was way too open-ended, and while I get that they were setting Jack up for the now-defunct 24 movie, those last seconds of Jack fading away on the video screen left me uttering, Wait...what? We get eight seasons and a TV movie, and you end it so ambiguously? No, no, that was a bad move. So while I watched my 24 DVDs fondly over the past couple years, I had a feeling of regret every time I watched the last episode because I knew it could have been better. Still, I guess Im glad they left it open because now were getting this mini-series with its 12 episodes and skipping over several hours each episode. Obviously Id rather get a full season, but Ill take what I can get. I was concerned at first when I heard that the main cast would mostly be new characters. I understand that with its high death count, 24 is a show that thrives on new main characters because the old ones kept getting killed, but I didnt want the limited series to forget its roots and just drop Jack into a new environment with no familiar faces around. With his skills I have no doubt he could survive (he once killed a guy vampire-style for Gods sake), but as a viewer I like to see allies and friends appear to help him out. Thats why I was glad when Chloe was announced to be coming back, even though it was obvious she would appear; you cant have a post-season 2 season of 24 without Chloe. However, I was especially surprised when I heard that Audrey Raines and her father James Heller would be appearing as well. I had assumed that book had been closed at the end of season 6 when Jack left Audrey to keep her safe, so itll be interesting to see the two of them reunited after almost a decade apart. There will be more casting announcements made in the next couple months, but most of them will likely be for the new characters. For all we know, Chloe, Audrey and James will be the only past characters making an appearance alongside Jack. Dont get me wrong, I look forward to seeing the new allies and enemies Jack will be meeting while hes running through London, but this is not the revival of 24 on television, but depending on how well its received, it might be the last time we see 24 again. With only 12 episodes, we need to take advantage of every moment we have. Thats why more past characters need to appear again. Granted, most of Jacks loved ones are dead, but there are still a few still hanging in there that deserve to be revisited. I dont expect them to have large roles or even appear in more than one episode, but it would be nice to see some of the fan-favorites again and see what theyve been up to after all these years. So after perusing the list of people still alive on 24 (which isnt that long), here are my choices for characters who should come back for 24: Live Another Day, whether its in a minor appearance or as a main character.
Adam Holmes is a writer who loves a good story whether it's fact or fiction. When he's not day-dreaming about time travel, he's usually immersing himself in all things film, television and comic books. He hopes to one day break into the entertainment journalism industry. Yes, he is aware of his resemblance to Clark Kent and McLovin. Keep up on the latest geek news by following his articles at Unleash The Fanboy: http://www.unleashthefanboy.com/author/adam-holmes
