'24' Day 7: S07E01/2 - 8am to 10am

The wait was most definitely worth it. The first two hours of Day Seven are 24 at its thrilling best, full of intrigue, twists and nailbiting moments.

"What the hell happened to you Tony?" asks a distraught Jack Bauer when reunited with his old pal, echoing our own thoughts. However the plot pans out, Carlos Bernard makes Tony's shift from hero to villain utterly convincing, and the build-up to the pair's reunion is expertly handled and well paced.

The plot certainly bears similarities to Die Hard 4.0, in which terrorists gain control of technology, but it's nonetheless a terrifying scenario. Given the bloodshed in past seasons of 24, you never know whether the planes will emerge safely from the ordeal until the final moment when Tony asks the pilot to pull up.

Recent television movie 24: Redemption has nicely set up a few simmering subplots, most notably involving the mystery surrounding the death of President Taylor's son and the influence of General Juma and the Sangalese regime. Furthermore, Annie Wersching is a superb addition to the cast as Agent Walker, who complements Jack superbly.

The underlying premise of Jack Bauer's trial also adds an extra dimension to the show, as in many ways 24 is in the dock after the poor quality of the previous season. On the evidence so far, the resurgent drama is definitely guilty - of being damn fine television.

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