This week marked the end of 24, a series that had a good run for eight seasons, but was ultimately drawn out for far too long. Why am I sad to see it go then? Seems pretty ironic, no? I honestly can't figure out why I feel this way. The eighth and final season was incredibly banal, with storylines seemingly recycled from previous seasons, albeit with minor changes. President Charles Logan even returned this season, who is possibly one of the most hated characters ever to appear in 24. At first, this may seem like a clever move to create tension and conflict, but it ultimately failed because his character wasn't developed any further from previous seasons. He was simply inserted into the eighth season for two purposes: first to anger us, then to throw us into fits of jubilation when he killed himself. But he didn't kill himself, did he? That was honestly the final slap in the face for me. It fits with the spineless, cowardly nature of his character, but continuity doesn't put a smile on my face; I wanted him dead.

Speaking of closure, I can't be the only one who wanted Jack to die...right? I almost feel evil wishing death upon these characters, but I feel that Jack's death would have made him a more venerable hero. I wouldn't have been satisfied with him dying at the hands of Logan's thugs, but surely the creative team on 24 could have come up with some dramatic, fatal sendoff for Jack. I would have been satisfied with Jack entering the UN compound to confront President Subarov face-to-face, and going down in a barrage of gunfire before reaching his target. But no, the creative team opted for the ambiguous, non-fatal sendoff that was completely devoid of any closure. Apparently, there will be movies based on 24, which is probably why Jack couldn't die, but there is no reason why the movies couldn't be prequels. Prequel films would give the 24 team a chance to look back on Jack's past, to shed light on events that transformed him into a raving lunatic -- besides the events that took place during the series' eight seasons. For instance, they could have explored Jack's early days in the military. I really wish more thought was put into the series finale, but it seems like the 24 team was quite content with making the final season of the series infuriatingly predictable from start to finish.

Most of the series finales that I have watched in my lifetime have been tinged with disappointment, but I guess I expected more for 24. Perhaps I was kidding myself in believing that Fox would end the series on a bold note; instead, the series ended cheaply, effectively proving that 24 overstayed its welcome. I will watch the 24 films in hopes that they restore the franchise to its previous glory, but I won't hold my breath.

Perhaps for myself anyway. I just began watching the show this week and so far I'm impressed. What the show does best is depict lawyers as human beings, which does not happen often in television/film. Jerry is the warm hearted, good intentioned defense attorney who cares for all his clients and the rich guy -- his name escapes me right now -- also plays the same role. Of course this has to be balanced by the cold hearted prosecutors who want maximum penalties and justice, though they do reveal their humanity on certain occasions.

Also, the casting is top notch. My opinion of the show may be a bit biased because I was a Saved by the Bell viewer during my childhood and it's good to see Mark Paul succeeding. I'm not sure if this is the role that will take him over the top, but he does a commendable job. Also, Judge Trudy Kessler played by the mother from Malcolm in the Middle is a great character and someone who has definitely grown on me over the first few episodes.

I hope this show is a success for TNT. Between this and Saving Grace, I think TNT has some winners on their hands and I hope they recognize that.

Unfortunately, I am Canadian and probably won't see it until next week :evil: . After a bit of google research, I found that USA network shows cannot be aired here by law. That really drives a nail into my plans of sitting in front of the TV tonight to watch the greatness that is Monk. Oh well, guess I will have to catch up on some 360 games that have been collecting dust on my shelf.