Often, Kiefer's portrayal is riveting. He's really able to make these occasionally ridiculous situations feel extremely real, and more importantly, extremely personal.

We know in general we'll avert a terrorist threat, and we try to get the first four to six episodes down. But even as we're writing those, they change. And I think one of the reasons the show has the quality it does is we're so critical, and revise ourselves. We then revise it again.

This year is sort of about rebirth as well as the nature of vengeance and justice.

It's not a ridiculous contrast; it's more a man hiding a secret and being a little smarter about how he projects himself than we thought.

Making things feel real is one of our primary concerns in the way we write it. And it's one of the gifts that the actors who do the show really have to make ridiculous situations feel real.

We know we take liberties in that regard, but CTU clearly is a very efficient and effective (agency). And we're frankly honored and lucky to be working with them.