This collection of essays sheds some light on the underlying issues in 24, one of the most gripping, dramatic, and addictive shows on television. With contributors drawn from fields including philosophy, psychology, political science, and counterterrorism, the essays reflect, distort, and comment on our modern political landscape. Using our current political climate to enrich viewers’ experience of 24, this book addresses how much of the show is realistic and what it has to say about modern politics and foreign policy in America’s fight against terrorism. Essays look at issues including the show’s images of terrorism, the ethics and effectiveness of the characters’ counterterrorism practices, the portrayal of government and politics on the show, whether it takes a terrorist to fight a terrorist, how much “the people” have a right to know in life-threatening circumstances, and how effective we really want our heroes to be.