"With all due respect, Madame President, ask around."

That's Jack Bauer telling President Taylor why she should trust him, and it's the best line I've heard in this show in a long time.

I watched 3 episodes of 24 last night, got all caught up, and now I take back what I said before about feeling bored with the show. Yes, I did watch the DVR'd eps out of a sense of obligation, but by the time I got halfway through the second one I was a goner and they had me hooked. They're doing a good job of ratcheting up the tension and drama this season, and they certainly aren't shying away from the shocking developments (the image of the 2 planes colliding mid-air, the First Dude getting injected with a paralytic drug and then trussed up and tossed in a car trunk and then getting his finger chopped off and THEN getting shot in the chest!). The implausibility factor can still be somewhat jarring - Jack, Bill and Renee can have a private audience with the President without having to pass through White House security and the President would not only take a personal call from the terrorist but would also put it on speakerphone in front of her guests? - but that's sort of what makes this show such fun.

And instead of complaining about it, now I'm really wanting know who the moley-mole-mole is. The simpering chief of staff Ethan is way too obvious...