This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Jack Bauer: Kiefer Sutherland
Tony Almeida: Carlos Bernard
Renee Walker: Annie Wersching
President Allison Taylor: Cherry Jones
Larry Moss: Jeffrey Nordling
Chloe O'Brian: Mary Lynn Rajskub
Janis Gold: Janeane Garofalo
Bill Buchanan: James Morrison
Juma: Tony Todd
Ryan Burnett: Eyal Podell
Jonas Hodges: Jon Voight
Tim Woods: Frank John Hughes
Ethan Kanin: Bob Gunton
Agent Aaron Pierce: Glenn Morshower
Olivia Taylor: Sprague Grayden
Senator Blaine Mayer: Kurtwood Smith
Vice President Hayworth: Cameron Daddo
Beware spoilers.
"Now we're having some fun." - Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight)
Spoilers. After the mid-season spectacle of a White House attack, a note of relative calm washes over 24. That is until the show regains its breath, gathers itself, and steams ahead looking for new direction. Anyway, the first third is a continuation of last week's siege on Pennsylvania Avenue, with President Taylor (Cherry Jones) now in General Juma's (Tony Todd) custody and forced to deliver a speech condemning American action in Sangala...
The biggest threat to Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) this season has been liberal politicians and spineless agents who block his efforts and only cause problems to snowball -- exemplified by Larry Moss (Jeffrey Nordling), Senator Mayer (Kurtwood Smith) and now Vice President Hayworth (Cameron Daddo), who refuses to authorize a bilateral attack on the White House until he can be sure the President is safe. Inside, Taylor is preparing to give her anti-American speech (streamed live on the internet), while Jack and Bill (James Morrison) plan to ignite gas Jack filled the saferoom with before the President surrendered herself.
The President's speech is swiftyly interrupted by the planned explosion, although Bill alters the plan at the last-second -- opting to become the sacrificial goat because he knows Jack's the man to find Juma's co-conspirator. While it was shocking to see Bill go out in a blaze of glory, the moment did feel a bit rushed and anticlimactic. Still, it's always oddly stirring when a 24 regular is "silent-clocked". Following the explosion, Moss ignores the hesitant V.P's orders and agents storm the White House, with Jack rescuing the President and killing Juma in the melee.
Crisis avertered, the episode does its best to keep the story alive. Jack knows that Juma was speaking to a partner on his sat-phone and brings this intel to Larry, who predictably still doesn't understand it's best to believe everything Jack says and follow whatever plan he has. Renee (Annie Wersching) is more supportive of Jack's hunch, and goes behind Larry's back to speak to Chief of Staff Ethan Kanin (Bob Gunton) directly -- resulting in Jack's arrest once again being delayed, so he can interrogate their only remaining lead about Juma's partner: Ryan Burnett (Eyal Podell), currently recovering in hospital from Jack's last interrogation/torture.
Undoubtedly the episode's best moments are spent inside the hospital, as Jack prepares to interrogate Burnett, while promising Larry he won't lay a finger on him. Concurrently, Juma's partner, Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight), sends an operative named Quinn to eliminate Burnett before Jack gets him talking. Quinn himself is set-up as a man as the Anti-Jack, and seeing his plan unfold is one of this episode's biggest delights -- he gainsaccess to Burnett's room via ceiling panels, messeswith the security camera feed Larry is using to keep an eye on Jack, drops nerve gas into the room to paralyze Jack, kills Burnett by slashing his throat, and then frames Jack for the murder... just as the camera feed is restored and Larry sees the carnage.
It felt like the episode should end with that ready-built climax, but the story rather oddly continued for a few minutes more and cleared up its own mess! Jack regains mobility and crawls after Quinn through the ceiling panels to the outside, before calling Larry to explain he's been set-up for Burnett's death. Consequently, this episode ended on a slightly less exciting note than it might have, but the storyline as a whole felt quite robust and the hospital sequences were gripping to watch.
The only subplot of note revolved around Olivia (Sprague Grayden); thanking Aaron Pierce (Glenn Morshower) for protecting her during Juma's attack, start rebuilding her relationship with her mother (after we learn Olivia almost cost the President her election for using dirty tricks against her opponent), and being asked by Ethan to rejoin the administration. In relation to this latter development, Olivia reveals a sharper side to her personality by blaming Ethan for the situation her mother's facing -- as the government conspiracy has arisen during his time as Chief of Staff. As much we've come to like grandfatherly Ethan (particularly because he trusts Jack now), you have to admit that Olivia has a point!
Overall, this was a re-staging episode that allowed us to catch our breath once the White House story was put to bed, and the direction is still unclear for the rest of Day 7, but it was a great example of how to poke the storyline in an exciting way. I'm disappointed Tony Todd was killed off after just a few episodes (even counting 24: Redemption), but looking forward to seeing how Jonas Hodges factors into events. You can't beat an elderly gent sat behind a desk ordering minions around and calling the President a "bitch", can you? Bill's death could have been orchestrated better for maximum impact, but Jack's reaction to the death of another patriotic, selfless friend was handled better.
But what the hell has Tony been doing during all of this?
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Season 1-6 Boxset:
