Some hints about '24' Day Seven

After an excruciating wait of almost two years - TWO YEARS! - 24 finally returns for its seventh season next week. I've had the honour of seeing the first four hours of Day 7 and.. well... it's amazing. Read on for some trademark Tube Talk teasers - and if you're a spoilerphobe, go away NOW!

• CTU has been "recently disbanded" and, as we start the season, Jack is in Washington for a senate hearing into the organisation's unconventional and illegal methods.
• Shortly after his examination begins, Renee Walker (Annie Wersching), a Special Agent with the FBI, arrives to extract him.
• Jack is taken to FBI headquarters and told that they are dealing with a terrorist threat from a gang lead by Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard).
• Jack is understandably in denial at first - after all, he watched Tony die - but then Renee shows him a recent photograph and informs him that she ordered the exhumation of Tony's body. It wasn't his.
• Meanwhile, President Taylor (Cherry Jones) is preparing to take the nation to war with Sangala over the genocide caused by General Juma's reign.
• Henry Taylor (Colm Feore), the First Gentleman, is looking into his son Roger's apparent suicide. Through a PI, he discovers that Roger's girlfriend Samantha received a payment of $400,000 just days after Roger's death - so starts to go off the books to investigate further.
• For the first couple episodes - and this is a theme that will recur throughout the season - we see a notably restrained Jack. In the wake of the senate hearings he faces pressure from the FBI to do everything by proper procedure. So that's no torturing of suspects, please. By episode three he's back on form though - and watch out for a spectacular high jump at the end of episode two.
• Other key FBI personnel to keep an eye on this season include Larry Moss, the Assistant Director in Charge (a real stickler for the rules); Janis Gold, who's the FBI's version of Chloe; and Sean, Janis's number two.
• Speaking of Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub), the good news is that she's back this season, along with Bill Buchanan (James Morrison). The pair are obviously no longer working for CTU, but they are working together. All is revealed in episode three.
• What exactly is the terrorist threat that Tony and his gang are scheming up? It involves something called a CIP device, which gives the bearer access to key US infrastructure - think water, power, Air Traffic Control.
• The dearly departed Teri Bauer is referenced, as is wayward daughter Kim (returning later in the season).
• Tony's "death" and subsequent resurrection are explained properly by the man himself - and thankfully, it is plausible.
• Deep Sky.

Check back in with Tube Talk later this week for an exclusive chat with 24 exec producer Evan Katz. Meantime, read our interview with Carlos Bernard by clicking here.

Are you looking forward to 24 Day Seven? Are you hopeful that the new season will turn things around? Add your comments to this entry below!