As some may have heard, this season features yet another cast overhaul as many (READ: all) of our usuals have been put out to pasture. In fact, aside from Jack, the only returning cast member is Chloe, our favorite CTU ninny who's traded in her ugly vest and dowdy brown hair for the standard 24 upgrade of blonde highlights and a nice purple blouse. Gone from the show (although sure to return with a few guest spots - the IMDB already has a few spoilers on that front) are Michelle, Tony Almeida, President Palmer, Wayne Palmer, and thankfully, Kim and Chase (Jack quickly explains that the two have found a house in Valencia, CA and are working at a private security firm - which I'll just assume means they're doing the night watch at Six Flags Magic Mountain).

New to 24 is perennial hipster/misfit/geek Lukas Haas as a computer nerd, Knots Landing alumnus William Devane as the Secretary of Defense, Third Watch hottie Kim Raver as his daughter (and Jack's new secret lover), and deep voiced Alberta Watson as the standard CTU bureaucrat who just always focuses on the wrong leads. Damn her! Oh, and there's Shohreh. She plays the matriarch of a lovely, suburban Persian family that just so happens to be hatching some evil internet virus on the world. Truthfully, the show establishes her as #2 to her stern husband, but if there's anything we know about 24, it's that the women always wear the pants on this show.

There wasn't much plot in the first twenty four minutes, but here's what we have so far: the show kicks off with the traditional 24 transportational disaster — in this case a train exploding in Santa Clarita. CTU is soon abuzz with the sounds of phones transferring (you know that sound: "do do doooo do") and before long, Chloe is snapping at some poor sap (who just happened to be Big Pussy's FBI liaison in The Sopranos). Jack gets cozy with his new girl, and he of course shutters when she tells him that she's falling in love (Oh no! Everyone he's ever loved has been hurt, raped, or killed! Anguish!!!). Elsewhere, the Persian family sees the train wreck on the news over breakfast. The parents speak slowly to each other with deep bass in their voices, as if to say "They shall all die. Mwahahaha!" But alas, their teenage son seems to be cavorting with an American girl. A kink in the plan? Those interracial romances haven't panned out so well on 24 — to date, the non-white people have lost a leg, suffered a biological attack, and well, died (Miguel, Palmer, and Reza - for those of you keeping score).