Spent the last 2 days binge-watching season 9. Really liked it even though they fell back on the "mole within alphabet-organization-subplot". They should have dragged out the Margot plot (take her back, interrogate her and reveal the link to Cross or something like that) instead of making Navarro the bad guy. Since Kate's husband was dead anyway there was no subsequent rescue-attempt to mount, so while it adds a tragic element it doesn't justify 2 episodes chasing Navarro/Cross.
Audrey: While it was stupid not to expect a backup-shooter (why not have the car come around to the bench instead of slowly walking? Or why not take to the trees while getting her out of the park?) and it was even more stupid to call Jack in the middle of an operation, I was heartbroken by Heller's reaction and his talk with the Prime Minister. So devastatingly sad. Heller really has made an impact during these 12 episodes.
Mark's jealousy really had catastrophic consequences - hadn't he interfered, Cheng might have been captured earlier and all this might have been prevented. And don't give me that "Jack's a liability"-BS as a reason for making that deal with the Russian. And I'm not even sure why everyone blames Jack for Audrey's getting captured by Cheng years back - it's not as though Jack had any saying in that as he was being tortured right then. I think it spoke highly of her character that she went looking for him when the official powers just sat on their collective fat behinds and only got him out to play the sacrificial lamb.
Jack turning himself over... I'm a bit ambivalent about that. I understand his reasons but during the 12 hour-gap something could have been arranged to get Chloe out. But judging from his expression he was at peace at the end (or rather suicidal enough not to mind that he's likely walking to his death).
Margot - what a sick family. But I like the fact that she would have kept the deal and sunk the drones. Actually that would have been a nice ending. As I said hour 9 with Jack throwing them all out the window was an ending not worthy of that plot, especially with another 3 episodes to fill.
Chloe - another tragic figure. I liked her trying to do what's right and being played for it. What's next for her?
I'd really love to know what happened after season 8 - there were some mentions (such as Chloe's stint in prison for helping Jack), but no real mention of the bigger picture: Did Logan survive? What happened to President Taylor? And while Jack went on a ramage he did as some kind of sideeffect uncover a pretty big conspiracy - how did that get explained away?
I see quite a lot of potential for a season 10. I'd prefer for them to keep it in this 12-hour format because it cuts back on stupid storylines (even if it doesn't prevent them from happening entirely) and focuses on the main story. Chloe knows what happened with Jack, so she'll try to get him out. I'm not sure whether Kate offers enough material to have her continue: the conspiracy around her husband is now in the open, she has resigned from the CIA, so I guess her part as a main character is over. But she could help, of course. I just can't see them ending the Bauer-storyline with him in a foreign country, enduring torture, maybe being executed in some black site because I can't see the Russians officially making a statement and the US not trying to get him out. So either they get him out or have him on an official trial for his crime, but not in this secretive way.
Whether with or without Jack, I really like the format of this series and definitely would welcome another season.