It's against the rules for a character to walk into a dark room and simply turn on the lights. Using a pencil-thin flashlight is more dramatic, and makes it possible to build up the suspense before tripping over the corpse in the middle of the room.

I'm with you, Lorie, on the dark shows. I think it would be kind of nice to see what's going on, too! I'm watching "Dancing With the Stars" tonight and taping "24" so I can zap through the breaks while I'm watching it.

This episode of 24 has to be the darkest ever. Turn some freakin lights on. I am begging. How many government offices have you ever been in that are lighted in such a manner? Where are the flourescents? Haven't they heard of global warming? Give me some ugly bright flourescent lights.

I'll buy the idea that using a flashlight at a crime scene helps to notice the small bits of evidence in the spotlight that might be overlooked by the visual clutter otherwise.

Dark offices and, most of all, dark *labs*... argh!!

I'd get... cranky if I had to work without light and I get cranky when I have to squint at the television because I can't see what is on the screen.

(I don't like romantically dim restraunts either... I want to see my food.)

I stopped watching about three weeks ago. Upon until this season, I'd never yawned through 24 before.

One more thing...I say it over and over, but it really bugs me. What is it with all the dark scenes in television shows? It started with The X-Files and continues today on CSI and 24 and other shows. Come on guys, just turn the lights on once in a while.

Lorie: Some might say it's because dark shadows suit the dark subjects shows like "24" and "The X-Files" (although I suspect the naturally overcast, Seattle-like climate of Vancouver had something to do with why the latter show looked so dreary).

I have, ghowever, a snarkier theory to share: the darkness has to do with the advent of HDTV. Who wants to brightly lit when the camera magnifies every nook and cranny of one's face? I mean, I hear Terry Hatcher looks like the swamp thing under HD's glare.

I have to agree with Timmer. This season has been a total snoozer. Just compare the comment threads on the various boards and blogs. Not much activity this season, because there isn't much to discuss. Jack gets arrested, Jack escapes, Jack gets caught, someone lets him go, Jack surrenders. Yaaaaawwwwwwn.

I still think the writers need to just sit-down and watch the first couple seasons over again. The first two seasons were far better at creating suspense, and had more of a continuity feel to them than this season. They have completely lost the sense of continuity with this season.