The April 9th issue of Entertainment Weekly (as part of a larger article titled ‘The Clock Runs Out on 24’) has some interesting comments on the finale from 24 showrunner and executive producer Howard Gordon.
Death to Bauer is clearly not an option–though the producers did consider a tragic ending for TV’s favorite antihero. (Hey, stranger things have happened. Tony Almeida did come back to life in season 7, after all!)
Ultimately, Gordon and his crack team of writers ended up penning a finale that will tee up the movie but still provide a definitive end to the action franchise. “All that has happened in previous seasons weighs in, particularly in the last six to eight episodes,” Gordon teases. “We took some risks, and I think the show has earned the chance to take those risks. It definitely feels like a series ender.”