Rebecca Dana

In its first five seasons, 24 was a massive hit that tapped into the zeitgeist of the United States immediately after 9/11. In a paranoid time, the show provided a hero in the form of counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer, a man willing to do whatever it took to protect his country — including unspeakable acts of torture. But now that public opinion has turned against the Bush administration and war in the Middle East, the producers of 24 have been faced with a dilemma: How can the show go on when its hero doesn’t look so much like a good guy anymore? Rebecca Dana recently wrote about this for The Wall Street Journal about 24’s search for a new direction, and she’s here to discuss it on Fair Game with Faith Salie.