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When you think of the TV show "24," do you think of a testosterone-heavy guy show with lots of things that go boom? Well, yeah, it is that -- but "24" has also had some kick-ass women.
Star Kiefer Sutherland is of course the linchpin of the show. He plays counterterrorism expert Jack Bauer, a guy who'll do just about anything for king and country -- or rather, president and Congress.
Like pretending he's had a bad guy's family killed so he can squeeze him for information. Or like volunteering for a suicide mission to prevent a nuclear holocaust.
But "24" is not just a guy show. Over eight seasons, the producers have been smart enough to cast some fabulous actresses in some seriously awesome roles. Since it now appears this will be "24's" last season, I thought it was a good time to look back at some of the show's memorable women.
Image: 20th Century Fox
In season 1, there were the women in the Bauer family: Teri (Leslie Hope), Jack's wife, and Kim (Elisha Cuthbert), Jack's daughter. In fact, Kim was the woman who kicked "24" into high gear when she got herself kidnapped so some bad guys could force Jack into betraying the good old US of A.
Teri was sweet, and tough in her own way, but so out of her league that she ended up dead by the end of the first season finale. She was killed by Jack's main nemesis in season 1, Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke), a Counterterrorism Unit operative who turned out to be a dangerous mole.
Kim Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert) was a flighty teenager when we first met her, but by season 8, she was a retired CTU employee -- yep, she had a job there for a while -- and a happily married mom of a cute little daughter named Teri.
Kim's most memorable moment had nothing to do with CTU, however. It had to do with a cougar: The great Kim/Cougar Faceoff, as I like to call it. It's a classic example of how "24" can be laughably weird if allowed to run amok, but those moments mercifully are few and far between.
Image: 20th Century Fox
Next up is Sherry Palmer (Penny Johnson, pictured above). Sherry's the kind of black woman character I'm always talking about wanting to see. Married to the first black president of the United States, her role had nothing to do with race and everything to do with the fact that she made Lady Macbeth look like a shrinking violet.
Sherry was obsessed with grabbing power for her husband and herself, and if I had a nickel for every time she stabbed her husband in the back so that she could "protect" him, I'd be writing this on a beach in Hawaii.
One of her machinations eventually backfired and she got shot for her trouble, but man, she was delicious to watch.
Michelle Dessler (Reiko Aylesworth) was tough, capable and a loyal CTU operative, but sometimes felt compromised by her love for coworker Tony Almeida. She died in the bloodbath at the beginning of season 5, which also killed President David Palmer.
And what can I say about Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub, pictured below left)? She's a brilliant CTU analyst, but as a co-worker and an employee, a surly pain in the ass. She wears a permanent scowl, blurts out blunt, inappropriate comments, and can be totally infuriating. But if you need someone to collate top secret information or break into a sophisticated server, she's your gal.
Image: 20th Century Fox
Dina Araz (Shoreh Aghdashloo, pictured below) was part of a family terrorist cell working to bring down the U.S. in season 4. But when her teenage son decided to back out of the plot and her husband ordered him killed, Dina did everything in her power to protect him, even working with Jack to bring her husband down. Dina could be ruthless. When she discovered her son told his girlfriend a little too much about the family's activities, she served the girl a lethal cup of tea.
