'24' showdown looms

Jack Bauer has faced nuclear bombs and chemical weapons and assassins and terrorists and government conspiracies. But on tonight's fifth-season finale of "24," Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) will face his most formidable foe ever.

The president of the United States of America.

"He's never had a more formidable opponent. . . . It's like Superman and Batman," said executive producer Howard Gordon.

Agent Bauer, of course, isn't going up against just any commander in chief. President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) is responsible for multiple murders (including the assassination of former President Palmer), he's violated multiple laws and he's conspired with terrorists.

When first we saw Logan last season, he wasn't a good president but he wasn't a bad man. As vice president-turned-acting president when Air Force One was shot down, he was spineless and indecisive, but Gordon and his team of writers didn't start kicking around the idea of making him a "willful villain" until about Episode 4 or 5 this season.

"I was just getting tired of writing — and I think people were getting tired of watching — this merely weak president," Gordon said. "I know that Greg Itzin, when I brought it up to him for the first time, was very reluctant."

But by about Episode 9 or 10, the writers committed to it. And Logan's treachery was revealed in Episode 16. Which precipitated one of those big shifts in focus that "24" is famous for, including a shift in Logan's relationship with his rather unstable wife (Jean Smart).

"This relationship between him and his wife has been, creatively, such a terrific story for us to tell that we wanted to take it to another level," Gordon said. "To have him have been hiding behind this persona of weakness — to be this guy with such intent and will — was really an interesting place to go. And once Greg got his head around it, I think he's done some of his best work since that turn."

Gordon, of course, isn't saying how the big showdown between Jack and Logan will turn out, except to say, "It's big. I have to say, it's a pretty epic showdown."

And he and the writers didn't pick a plan and stick with it.

"What you're going to see is not how it was going to end as recently as a month ago," Gordon said.

Which is also something "24" has become famous for.

Gordon is promising the outcome will be "satisfying from an emotional perspective," although he's not promising that viewers won't be "outraged" by it. He did, however, let it slip that Logan won't be allowed to quietly resign and slink off, as was suggested by his secretary of defense (William Devane) earlier this season.

"No, it's more decisive than that. Either he gets away with it scot-free, or he's going to go down," he said.

But don't get comfortable with what you think will happen. You've got to expect the finale will contain a shocking surprise of some sort.

"Hey, this is '24,' " Gordon said. "We wouldn't be doing our job if it didn't."

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com