JT: So regarding this season, anything you want to tease about these final episodes?

CB: Everyone just works their ass off to make it as good as possible. It's just such a hard show to write. We actually wrapped before Christmas, but at the beginning of seven, I remember walking into the writer's room and they were all wearing season six t-shirts. Basically, it was motivation because they were all disappointed. These are the types of people that don't like to lose. It's got by far the best ending of any season yet. The last six episodes are even better than the front half of the season. There was a point with one of these final episodes where we halted production for almost a month so the writers could re-write some stuff. You've got to hand it to the writers and producers for doing that because it's expensive to shut down, but it paid off because from that hour on, the rest of the season is just fantastic.

JT: [Talking about Tony's death at the start of Season 5] Along with Palmer and Michelle and everyone else.

CB: Right, and I was like "OK, great," but I told them I thought they were wasting an opportunity. I pitched the idea of Tony surviving and going on this vendetta to find the person who killed Michelle. But this show is like a Rubik's Cube -- everything has to fit together perfectly and that's why I ended up in a hospital bed for half the season. They just couldn't figure out how to fit in that storyline. It came down to "we can't keep paying you for nothing" [laughs], and that's why the door got left open because they were half-heartedly doing it [killing off Tony].


JT: At the time, were you satisfied with how Tony went out?

CB: No, nobody was. But it was done in a rush and they were writing on the fly at the time. Season seven is the first season they finished writing before the show started airing, but that was because of the writer's strike. We had the chance to re-write things and stop if things didn't make sense. Because of that, from top to bottom, I think this is going to be one of our strongest seasons. Personally, this is my favorite since the first. But back to season five, they were just really under the gun. I don't think anyone was satisfied with it.


JT: Talk to me about the evolution of Tony's facial hair.

CB: [laughs] Season one, I had the soul-patch because I just came off from doing another show and I thought it might be OK for 24. Then we shot the pilot and I kind of realized, "Oh my god -- it all takes place in one day." You read the script and you get the concept, but it's not until you start shooting that you realize it. So the soul-patch was in. I lost it for season two because I was sick of it. It sort of came back with some stubble in season four. This season was a completely different story. We played a lot with how Tony was going to look. I really felt like his exterior should reflect his interior feelings. We wanted it to be a bit shocking. I know in my personal life, when things aren't going well, you aren't very well kept.


JT: Why do you think Tony and Jack work so well together? They share a similar patriotism, but they both have very different views about their government.

CB: There's a history of trust. They knock heads over things. I know in my life, people who disagree with me and that I can have arguments and debates with, those people, I just don't trust anyone who doesn't lose their temper from time to time. Think about grade school. You might actually trust someone more if you get into a fist fight with them as a kid. There's something about having it out with someone. That's how you know where someone stands and I think that's true for Jack and Tony.