Last we saw of Jack Bauer he was beaten and taken hostage by the Chinese government. Where does the anti-terrorist phenom come from? Who shaped him into a man that a foreign government would be interested in capturing? Season six of Fox’s hit real time drama ‘24’ will answer that question. We are finally going to meet Jack Bauer Sr., well actually Jack’s father is Phillip Bauer.
Sure, as Bill Paxton said in True Lies, it’s the training. But I’m betting daddy played a large role in shaping Jack the Boy into Jack the Terrorist Terrorizer. The man tapped to play the role of Phillip Bauer is none other than James Cromwell (Babe, The General’s Daughter). If his past work was any consideration by the casting department, then look for Cromwell to either be a sweet old man or a shifty and corrupt bastard. Cromwell joins a growing cast of new, returning, and expanding ‘24’ members.
The other big casting news is that British comedian Eddie Izzard has been cast as a villainous sidekick. A role he is perfect for. While I’m interested in Jack’s dad, I have a feeling that Izzard will be stealing nearly every scene he’s in. If you’re not already anticipating the premiere of ‘24’ in a few months, then you may want to read the next paragraph.
In addition to casting news Fox has also given a more thorough description of what season 6 will be all about. The show picks up 20 months after last year’s finale. Wayne Palmer, brother to slain David Palmer, is now President. His sister Sandra Palmer is an advocacy lawyer. Multiple terrorist attacks start happening and President Wayne Palmer must work with his advisors and the trusty CTU team in Los Angeles as they ”begin an unthinkable, nail-biting day.”
President Palmer and his team will begin running out of time in January 2007.
