10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

I'm so happy my homework is now to talk about the awesomeness that is 24. Tonight's episode pretty much blew me away.

The hour started by showing the aftermath of the nuclear bomb being detonated in a suburb of Los Angeles. We learn that at least 12,000 people were killed instantly. Both CTU and the White House are momentarily rendered immobile by the events and are shown watching the news of the blast. I think this was a good move, to show the characters shaken and vulnerable, because it gives them a vulnerability. President Palmer is quickly moved to the bunker with his cabinet and calls a press conference to address the nation. CTU begins looking for the other suitcase bombs with Assad's help. Assad gives Bill Buchanan the name of a man one of his former partners used to possibly get weapons. When the name is cross-checked, Morris finds out that he has had contact with Jack's father, Phillip Bauer.

Buchanan calls Jack and tells him the new information. Jack convinces Bill to try and talk to his father alone. Phillip's butler (? maybe not really clear, but how very Clue of him) in the house tells Jack that his father is away and did not bring his cell phone and is told to call Jack's brother. When Jack does this, we see that his brother is the man who was behind President Logan's shading acts in season 5, thus making him the ultimate bad guy. It quickly became clear why we never learned that this man's name was Graham Bauer through all of season 5.

Jack gets in contact with his brother and Graham tells Jack that he does not know where their father is but will help him get in contact with him. Jack calls Chloe and has him find Graham's address and goes there unexpectedly. We see Graham's family and learn that Graham's wife was romantically involved with Jack before Graham. We also meet Graham's son, Josh, who looks suspiciously like Jack.

Jack asks Graham for information about there father and Graham evades Jack's questions. Jack punches him in the face (!!!) and ties him to a chair. Even before this, it is obvious that Jack and Graham have a bad past, and barely speak. It is also obvious that Jack Bauer got ALL of the looks in the family. The show ends with Jack suffocating Graham with a plastic bag to try and get him to talk.

All of this new information is enough to warrant a nap after watching. And that's not even close to everything that happened. I think one of the things that keeps the show great is their attention to the personal lives of the characters. We do not know a lot about Jack's past, but with the introduction of his brother, and next week father, I'm sure at least a little more will be revealed. Jack will also have to make tougher decisions now that his family is involved.

A lot happened in this episode, none of which I expected. I have to applaud the writers of 24 for writing increasingly complicated scripts in an age where viewers seem to be attracted to shows that don't involve a lot of thought and don't need to be watched every week to be understood. I'm sure that some people will say that the writers are trying to keep your attention and keep viewers guessing by doing whatever possible and that this might be too much of a stretch, but these people are foolish and wrong.

There are a couple of things that I do have a problem with this season. Karen Hayes and Bill Buchanan are supposed to be married but Bill is in Los Angeles at CTU and Karen is in D.C. with the president. I'm thinking maybe Karen is only in D.C. because of the crisis but I wish I knew more definitively what that whole deal is. I'm also not believing Wayne Palmer as the president. I guess the writers figured that everyone liked his brother so much as president that everyone would vote for him, but I am not really buying it. I think DB Woodside, who plays him, is a good actor, I just don't see the character as the president-type, especially after some questionable moral calls in season 3.

In conclusion, I no longer look forward to the weekends, I look forward to Monday's when I can watch Jack Bauer.