RIP Edgar Stiles

The folks over at "24" have done it again.

As you all know, Jack Bauer is my favorite character on the show. Whatever danger he is faced with, he figures out a way to get things done. I've given him plenty of kudos in this space these past few weeks, so let's move on to what has been troubling me all night: Edgar Stiles.

I loved Edgar. We all did. He saved millions of lives in season 4 by shutting down the nuclear reactors before the terrorists gained control of them. As an intelligence analyst at CTU, he has played a key role in stopping the terrorists this season. Sadly, in tonight's second episode, he was killed when nerve gas was released into CTU's ventilation system.

I can't believe it. He was my second-favorite character on the show, along with Special Agent Curtis Manning. Edgar was a portly fellow -- ok he was fat -- but he had so much heart. He broke down in season 4 when he found out his mother was going to die in the nuclear meltdown near her home. Him and Chloe got along so well, even though Chloe sometimes had a strange way of showing her admiration. At any rate, Edgar was a great guy and I am going to miss him terribly.

Seeing him running toward the conference room tonight, yelling for Chloe, and seeing tears streaming down Chloe's face as she called out to him ... wow. I took that one pretty hard.

When the gas was released and the fan started blowing it into the air ducts, I had a feeling Edgar was doomed. He had run down to check on Kerry, who was last seen checking out some suspicious activity in the basement. When he stumbled upon her body, he obviously knew something was up. He ran back to the main level of CTU to save himself from a quick yet painful death, but he was too late.

I still can't believe it. One of the main characters on the show is dead, along with countless other CTU personnel. In a clip from next week's episode, it was revealed that the agency lost 40 percent of its personnel in the attack. What will happen now? With the surviving members of CTU holed up in the sealed-off conference room (and some still out in the field), what the heck can they do?

We love you Edgar. I know you are just a TV personality, but this fan will miss you. And I'm sure millions more will too.

-Jason