"24": The truth hurts...

If there was a theme to last night’s “24,” it was this…

The truth hurts.

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night's episode of "24."

Just ask Vice President Daniels, who had to face the fact that Lisa was sleeping with another man. I was a little surprised that such a proud man would spill his personal secrets so quickly, but the show was trying to make him a more likeable guy—trying being the operative word. If they succeeded at all it was because of the brilliance of Peter MacNicol (Tom) reacting to the news (The chewing on his folder was classic!)…

And what about Lisa, who had to face the fact that she had been tricked into committing treason. But I think I’d rather take on a firing squad than a scorned Noah Daniels…

Chloe and Morris had to face the truth that their relationship is over, but I think that was more painful for us than them. Chloe sobbing like a baby? Do the writers even watch this show?...

Then there was Nadia, who became the latest in a long line of CTU officials who finally saw the light (i.e. realized Jack is always right). But it took the one-two punch of Doyle and Milo to do it. Doyle, who had already seen the light when he allowed Cheng to escape with the component, decided to help Jack protect Audrey from the psychiatrist (J.C. McKenzie, yet another illustrious “Murder One” alum). And then Milo delivered the crushing blow by telling Nadia that if she’d just let Jack talk to Audrey she could have avoided the entire mess she had created…

But what about Audrey? I was starting to get the feeling that this was another case of wasting a familiar character just for the sake of bringing them back (the Logans, anyone?). Granted, Jack and Audrey got a terrific scene and Kim Raver was brilliant as the catatonic Audrey, but it all felt so forced…

And then, the hammer fell, as Jack had to face his painful truth…

“You’re cursed, Jack,” Audrey’s father told him. “Everything you touch—one way or another—ends up dead.” It was a classic “24” scene that made your stomach churn as you saw both the anger and realization in Jack’s eyes.

Yes, the truth hurts. But the most painful truth was the one that I discovered—that my beloved “24” is in real trouble.

The critics have been telling me that all year, but I continued to defend it. I believed that the show was just falling back into its familiar pattern and that it would turn things around for this last batch of episodes.

I truly believed that last night too until the moment the truth slapped me right across the face—the moment Rena Sofer appeared in the previews, signaling the return of Marilyn Bauer (If everything Jack touches dies, I hope he puts his hands all over her.).

Do the writers even have a clue what’s going on anymore?

The truth hurts…