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Three years ago fans of Fox TV's "24" were told that Day Eight would be the series' last.  The show had been on auto pilot for years and after the writer's strike and a particularly disastrous sixth season a definitive end date seemed both smart and merciful.  But with renewed fan interest following Day Seven, "24" insiders have become a bit cagier about when, or if, the series is ever going to wrap.  Executive Producer Evan Katz recently spoke with Michael Ausiello on the subject of Jack Bauer's possible end game. Hit the jump for the highlights.

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First, and definitely most important for readers EW, Jack will not be hooking back up with Audrey (Kim Raver) at any point during Day Eight.  "Some of the things we're doing this season preclude [her returning]," Katz says. "So I think not."  I don't know about you but I'm all broken up about that...

As for new "24"scoops that will interest everyone who's not a 55 year old woman, Katz says that they're "remaining flexible" about writing Jack off into the morally ambiguous sunset.

"We have a scenario that would work well [if it's the end]," he says. "But we also have a bunch of scenarios where the show could go on in different ways."

"Different ways" is most likely code for that "24" movie the producers have been hinting at as opposed to a Day Nine on television.  The problem with going past Day Eight?  Kiefer Sutherland's contract is up in May.  Even when ratings were low Sutherland was one of the top two highest paid actors on television.  Bauer's trip to the Big Apple next season would have to be "American Idol" huge for Fox to re-commit to a paycheck that size and, seeing how things worked out for Paula Abdul on that front, I'm not feeling it.