Poor Jack Bauer.

The put-upon main character of 24, played by Kiefer Sutherland, has gone nearly as many rounds with the U.S. government over the years as he has terrorists. One minute, our country is punishing Bauer for ignoring procedure on matters of terrorism and national security. The next, he's being summoned from [insert one: a Chinese prison, his job with Secretary of Defense James Heller, his work at an oil refinery, etc.] because he's the only one who can save the American people from evildoers.

In other words, he's Batman with more guns and better instincts, minus the goofy outfit.

And when 24 finally returns for its four-hour, two-night season seven premiere extravaganza (8 p.m. Sunday and Monday nights on FOX), things haven't changed much.

After having turned himself in to the U.S. government in order to save the lives of African children in November's prequel, 24: Redemption, Bauer is now in a Senate hearing regarding his inappropriate actions during his time with CTU. And he's questioned for approximately three minutes before FBI Agent Renee Walker (Annie Wersching) retrieves him.

CTU has been disbanded, so the feds are handling terrorism threats and -- surprise, surprise -- they need Bauer immediately.

The current threat: Bauer's old CTU buddy, Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), has miraculously risen from the dead and is thought to be operating a homegrown terrorist group that is allegedly working with/for a dangerous African militia. (Almeida's resurrection will be explained in the premieres.)

As is fairly typical of the show, the first couple of hours are filled with various storylines that will inevitably intertwine. And they're all the kinds of things that always make 24 so action-packed and edge-of-your-seat exciting.

Kidnapping and deep-seeded government corruption? Check. Snipers, rapid gunfire eruptions and secrets kept from the President? Uh-huh. People stupid enough to think that they know better than, or can control, Bauer? Of course. Bauer escaping a highly secure government facility in the most ridiculous manner imaginable? You bet.

And oh, how I've missed Bauer's catchphrases: "We're running out of time!," "Dammit!" -- and my personal favorite -- "DO IT!" which usually follows a command such as, "Drop your weapon!"

Now, you can never get too attached to people on 24 because so many of them bite the dust, but season seven introduces some intriguing new characters that we hope stick around. Janeane Garofalo shows up as slightly neurotic Agent Janis Gold, who appears to be the FBI version of CTU's Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub). Agent Walker looks like she'll be a total rogue/badass -- a female Bauer, perhaps?

The decisive leadership style of new President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) also shows a lot of promise. Early on, she proves that she's willing to go head-to-head with her advisers, focus on solutions instead of problems, and follow her gut instincts. What remains to be seen is if those instincts are any good.

As for throwback characters, it's great to see Almeida back. He was always a fan favorite and for the ladies, a nice bit of eye candy. (He's got a gnarly scar above his left eye now -- sexy!) But other popular CTU alums will also make their way back come Monday night. CTU may be shut down, but several old staffers are still in play.

Ultimately, 24 fans will be pleased come Sunday and Monday, especially after such a long hiatus between seasons. While the intense, fast-paced formula is the same, several fresh storylines (the competence of the FBI vs. the CTU, in particular) will invigorate the series.

So mark your calendars or set your DVRs right now.

DO IT!

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