For me, one of the interesting things about Season 7 was the casting of Bob Gunton as Ethan Kanin. Normally, Gunton is cast as a villain. Watching him play a character in shades of gray was an especially rich experience. Unless you’re right about the White House codes, his behavior was no worse than any politician’s and better than most. If fact, if he does turn out to be a villain in Season 8, I’ll be disappointed.

I started to take ‘24′ more seriously as ‘must watch’ TV when the show was mentioned on televised U.S.Senate hearings — Sen Jay Rockefeller and Dennis Blair, National Intelligence Director, got into a discussion that the show was hurting America’s image overseas and that it seemed to give a ‘green light’ to bad conduct (torture).

Overall, Season 7 was fun to watch with Cherry Jones, who was terrific as President Taylor (and for which she bagged an Emmy Award), and for other great characters: some superb villains (Rhys Coiro, Jon Voight), and of course super-agent Annie Wersching/’Agent Walker’).

I do part company with you, however, regarding Bob Gunton’s role as “Ethan Kanin,” the president’s Chief of Staff. Ethan Kanin oozed duplicity.

He left us certain that he MUST be the one of the conspirators in the ‘Siege of the White House’ and other episodes. (Who else could have leaked the code to the White House Safe Room — unless President Taylor did so herself –ha ha. That would be a good story line.)

Anyway — Bob Gunton will be back for a few episodes in Season 8 as “The Secretary of State.”

We can only hope VILLAINY awaits!