24 is one of my guilty pleasures. Thanks to Bill Keveney, of USA Today  I now understand why Edgar, the fat geek played by Louis Lombardi, had to die.

His sparring with ubergeek Chloe, played by Mary Lynn Rajskub, was touching and entertaining, so like many viewers, I mourned his passing. But he had to go.

Chloe's man is now Jack Bauer. She has been promoted to the inner circle of characters. She's popular with female viewers, among others.  Rajskub told Keveny gets it.

"I think viewers liked me when I started working with Jack and for Jack."

Executive producer (and Rush Limbaugh friend) Joel Surnow tells Keveney

With Chloe's technical skills and Rajskub's popularity, it made sense to increase her inside—outside relationship with Jack, he says.

You can give (the scenes) to her and get that extra value ... It's a great way to give some of this exposition in a fun way.

I think Rajskub is terrific in her role, and the Chloe character oddly engaging. 

Lou Lombardi has lost his gig and may never be able to escape identification as Edgar, barring major weight loss.

Which leads me to wonder if Lou was wearing body padding, to bulk up Edgar's frame. He looked insanely fat this season, and I recall wondering what was up with that.

Maybe Lombardi wisely wanted to redefine himself as more than just Edgar in his post—24 career, and plans on a role in which his bodily habitus is visibly different than the memories of Edgar.

Maybe he's been working out?

Hat tips: Susan and Richard

Thomas Lifson   4 23 06