The clock strikes out for 24

Lost is not the only show I'm mourning this spring. I've also had to say goodbye to the CTU gang over at 24. Over the past eight seasons, the Fox drama has provided tremendous action and was unique for its real-time storytelling. Perhaps most of all it has given us one of the most iconic characters in television history - Jack Bauer. While the show had its eye-rolling moments and came under controversy for its views on torture, it was remain of the most intense shows ever on network television.

As the show came to a close, I wish it had been able to do under better terms. While not the worst season (that honor goes to a dreadful season 6), it was at best uneven. The central storyline just never had the sense of urgency which hampered the action. This season also features some of the recurring characters doing things that went against their character. Worst of all for me was seeing them kill off the Renee Walker character. I'm not an overly sentimental person that needed to see Jack finish the show with the love of his life. I simply wanted to see her live because she not only loved him, but because she was just as badass as he was when it came to taking down the bad guys. The lone bright spot for the season was seeing the return of Gregory Itzin as former President Logan. His manipulations of others is downright Shakespearean at times, so it was fun to see him play off of the other characters once again.

The final hours of the show were not as dramatic as they could be. But they also did leave a lot of doors open, which is good since there is still plans to make a feature film involving these characters at some point. Flawed as it was, I stuck with this show until the end and I'm glad for it. Oddly enough, I actually was late to the game in becoming a fan and have never seen the first season. Thankfully it's now available on Netflix's instant view, so I plan on watching that at some point over the summer. Just as I was thankful to the Lost producers, I am equally grateful of the people behind 24 for giving us such a thrilling show that will be remembered for the rest of time.