Eric Balfour

In the end, it was love that did Milo in. In Monday night’s episode of Fox’s 24, CTU’s Internet protocol manager (played by Eric Balfour) took a bullet to the head from the Chinese terrorists as they raided CTU. By claiming that he was in charge, he saved Nadia Yassir (Marisol Nichols), the real chief. "Milo was basically in love with Nadia and so, afraid the Chinese would hurt her, he put his life on the line," says Balfour, who sounds weirdly chipper about his alter ego’s execution.

It turns out the actor asked to die. "About two months ago, I got an offer to do a CBS cop show that sounded really exciting, and I felt it was a golden opportunity," he says, referring to Protect and Serve, a pilot about LAPD officers costarring Dean Cain. (Next week CBS will announce whether or not the show has been picked up.)

Balfour is also in Quentin Tarantino’s next movie, Hellfire, sings in the rock band Born as Ghosts and is newly single. (He has most recently been romantically linked to Day Break stunner Moon Bloodgood.) "I’m rockin’ the whole thing, so I felt like I needed a change from 24," Balfour says. "The show is incredible, but Milo was just one pillar in that structure. As an actor, it didn’t give me much room to show my colors."

Balfour may have slipped by revealing one shocking spoiler about the show he’s leaving behind. "We’re probably not going to see CTU next season," he says, echoing recent reports that the six-year-old drama is planning to "reinvent" itself. "Jack’s going out in the field and they’re moving locations. It’s time for a new look and a change of scenery. That’s another reason I thought Milo needed to get out of there."