Season 7 of '24' to Take Place Four Years After Season 6

Posted: Jun 22, 2008 11:29 am

We've received some clarification regarding the timeline for the upcoming seventh season of 24. Whereas it was initially reported that Day 7 of 24 would take place a year or year and a half after the events of season 6, Zap2It is now claiming that, according to sources, that it will take place four years after season 6. The significance of this probably won't be too huge, and will only make itself known in a couple of ways. Chloe's baby, which was in her belly at the end of season 6, will be three or four years old now, instead of a newborn. Also, the new president won't be as new as previously thought. Perhaps that will have an important part to play in season 7's plot.

24 has been liberal with its timeline since the series began, often jumping multiple years into the future between seasons. I know the series already requires a suspension of disbelief, but the accelerated timeline means that season 7 will take place a whopping thirteen years after the first season, meaning the date will be 2014 for season 7. It's the future, man.

It will be two years into the new president's reign, but more importantly, it means that Jack Bauer is turning into an old man right before our eyes. If we are to assume that Bauer was roughly Kiefer Sutherland's age in season 1 (it's never been specified as far as I can tell), the first time we saw Jack Bauer he was around 35 years old, which seems about right. In season 7, Bauer would then be 47 or 48 years old.

I was fully prepared to say that this is ridiculous, and that Kiefer Sutherland looks far younger than the late forties we now have to assume he is, but that's just not the case. Bauer, by nature, is a grizzled man and, similarly, so is Kiefer, likely thanks to his hard-living ways. I totally buy Jack in his late forties. In fact, it almost makes it better.

In addition to season 7, which will premiere in January of 2009, a two-hour season 7 prequel, set and shot primarily in South Africa, will air on November 23