24 – Season 8 Predictions

For the last 6 or 7 years, 24 has been my favorite show on television. I follow it like I follow my favorite sports teams. I was devastated when Teri died in season 1, cheered when Jack finished off Nina in season 3, really cheered when Jack killed Christopher Henderson in season 5, and was annoyed when Tony was revealed as a villain last season (albeit a tragic one). I cried when Jack was telling Kim goodbye in season 2, when David Palmer was assassinated in season 5, and when Michelle was killed just 5 minutes later on screen. I can’t help it, I love the show. I loved it through the great times (season 5, season 2) and even the bad times (season 6…stupid Bauer family plot…grrr).

Heading into season 8, I wonder if we’re looking at the farewell tour for Jack, or if the show will find yet another way to wow me and keep me excited about the show. Whatever happens, I have 24 predictions for season 8. I follow the motto of ESPN’s Gregg Easterbrook: All predictions wrong or your money back. Here we go:

1) Season 8 will start in the morning. Only season 1 and season 3 did not start between 5 am and noon.
2) The sun will go down during the 6 pm – 7 pm hour. Never fails.
3) The new CTU boss will seem incompetent at first. Hopefully, he’ll get his act together or surprise us. Still, he won’t be Bill Buchanan v 2.0. Sigh.
4) Chloe will hate her co-workers. And she will still hate most of them by the end of the day. So what else is new.
5) We will have at least one mole from CTU…sigh.
6) …but we will not have another CTU raid. If they do, I think I’ll be done with the show.
7) Jack will be single when the day starts…
8) …and Jack will be single when the day ends.
9) Kim will be safe (no kimnappings….NO KIMNAPPINGS)…
10) …and so will her family (husband and baby Teri).
11) We will not see Tony this season. And the show will be better for it.
12) We also won’t see Audrey Raines this season (and this saddens me).
13) Jack and Renee will kiss on screen this season.
14) Renee will start the day in a dark place, continue her downfall…
15) …and Renee will be dead by season’s end (and this also saddens me).
16) President Allison Taylor will remain president throughout the entire season (if this seems like an obvious prediction, you must’ve forgotten about season 4 and season 6).
17) She will also begin mending relations with her husband.
18) The Prime Minister will survive any attacks that come his way.
19) We will not be introduced to the main villain until episode 6…but no later than episode 9
20) Jack kill count (over/under): 20
21) Innocent civilian deaths (over/under): 15,000 (I’m guessing an international disaster of some sort, otherwise this count’s under 500)
22) Jack will be living AND OK at the end of the day.
23) Also, Jack will be on good terms with the government and his family.
24) Season 8 will not be the last we see of 24. If it’s the last season, we will have a movie, but 24’s not done after this season. I just hope they continue to make it fresh. That’s getting harder to do.