I am – Hercules!!

“24” 6.1, airing one week from today, lives up to expectations.

The first big surprise is Mary Lynn Rajskub is now the star of “24.” Kiefer Sutherland is not listed among the first episode’s opening cast credits!

Here’s who is:

Mary Lynn Rajskub
D.B. Woodside
James Morrison
Peter MacNicol
Jayne Atkinson
Carlo Rota
Eric Balfour
Marisol Nichols

GUEST STARRING
Roger Cross
Michael Angarano
Megan Gallagher
Tzi Ma
Adoni Maropis
Kal Penn
Raphael Sbarge
Eric Bruskotter
Steven Schub

So we’re left to wonder, how long till we see Jack Bauer again?

As season six begins, America is a different place.

David Palmer’s kid brother, Wayne, has been president of the United States for 13 weeks. For 11 of those 13, America has been under siege. Nine hundred Americans murdered by terrorists in 10 cities.

And the frequency of terror is increasing. Mere hours after a devastating attack in San Antonio, a suicide bomber makes his mark in Los Angeles.

America, understandably, is freaking out. And it’s not a good time to be a swarthy guy with a Mideast accent. We meet one of these guys trying to get to work and he is denied access to a bus by a scared white driver. Later, we see a couple of white guys kicking in the door of their Arab neighbors. “We just want to talk,” says one, with little conviction.

Karen Hayes, who worked for Homeland Security out of CTU last season, is now national security advisor. Peter MacNichol, doing what sounds at first like a Dr. Phil accent, is a presidential advisor building “detention facilities” Hayes categorizes as “concentration camps.” The MacNichol character, Tom, even goes on to defend America’s Japanese internment camps of World War II.

The first hour, loaded with gratifying twists and revelations, suggests the crazy pace of the series will not be compromised by its many changes.

We’ll cloak the big news for longtime fans (whom one suspects will go nuts over this episode) in invisotext:

* We all know that the Chinese made a deal to return Jack Bauer to the United States. But Jack’s not back for the reason many are thinking.

* When we finally return to CTU for the first time since May, the first voice we hear is that of Milo Pressman (Eric Balfour), whom we’ve not seen since he was the Chloe of season one. Milo is now “middle management” at CTU bossing around Morris, Chloe’s bald Brit of an ex-husband.

* Eerily reflecting discussion in this column and its talkbacks, there’s the briefest of conversations about whether or not Chloe is hot. Chloe has traded her librarian sweater for a tight business suit and has gone brunette. She has, for the record, never looked hotter.

* Chloe and Morris are back together. Bill and Karen are a thing as well.

* Chloe now reports to another hot brunette, this one named Nadia. Nadia is played by Marisol Nichols, who 10 years ago played Audrey Griswold in “Vegas Vacation.”

* Seven minutes in, we learn the U.S. negotiated Jack Bauer’s release from Chinese prison two days ago.

* Jack was not well-treated. He doesn’t know Wayne Palmer is president.

* Jack’s first three words in two years are, “Audrey. My daughter.”

* Chloe does something really bad.

There’s so much more we want to tell you about this installment, but – trust me - it would be ruinous to your enjoyment. Seek out more spoilers elsewhere if you must – believe me, they’re out there – but know you’ll regret doing so.

8 p.m. Next Sunday. Fox.

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