Bidding adieu to 24 is harder for me than saying sayonara to Lost. For all of 24’s faults, the show has been good to us loyal fans over the years.

The final two hours of Day 8 gave viewers everything 24 fans could have wanted – a rouge Agent Bauer, tons of action, a devious governmental conspiracy, and plenty of Chloe face time. Jack crossed lines from which he’ll never be able to return. He killed Russian government agents, he kidnapped a former U.S. president (the slimey Logan, expertly portrayed by Gregory Itzin), and he almost sniped the Russian president! Hey now, Jack!

Even though Bauer said his final goodbyes to his friend and colleague Chloe O’Brien, we’re still seeing him again on the big screen (This interview with Executive Producer Howard Gordon shines some more light on the upcoming film). Perhaps this was why last week’s finale felt more like a season finisher than a series one. Was it a great two hours of television? Absolutely. Was it as epic as a series finale should have been? Probably not.

24 will be missed. It was a show that broke all the boundaries of the conventional hour-long action drama. It took chances even when people thought it was a format doomed to fail. It’s originality and performance by Kiefer Sutherland were not only exemplary, but also unprecedented.

See you at the movies, Jack.