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24
8 PM to 9 PM
Written by Joel Surnow & Michael Loceff
Directed by Stephen Hopkins
Well this was the first of the final four episodes of 24, and as such it had just as much excitement and action as you would suspect. All the plot threads in the air are being tied up now, and they even introduce a new one (or an old one depending on your point of view).
The episode begins with Palmer’s victory party, and the fact that he swept the primaries on this day. His poll numbers are through the roof, and everyone around him is happy and in party mode. The growing rift between him and Sherry of course still bothers Palmer, but he puts on a smile and tries to raise the spirits of his staffers.
At the underground prison, Jack and the others are in full retreat mode, trying to stay one step ahead the Drazen mercenary party. Jack phones Mason at the CTU and demands immediate backup in this situation. Mason is reluctant at first to sidestep authority like he’s going to have too, but Jack talks him into it and Mason goes over Division to order in a field unit. This further blows my Mason is evil theory out of the water. They guy may be a creep, but he also seems like he’s on the level as well. So once again we’re left wondering who the second mole is.
Nina is getting hyperemotional over this because of the danger that Jack is in. In fact Mason actually calls her on it, and demands to know if she has the ability to handle this case objectively and put her emotions aside. Nina is actually put into place by this and insists that she can. Tony enters with Teri, who’s still worried about Kim. Tony logically explains that if the assassin was asking Teri about Kim that obviously means that he had no clue as to her whereabouts either. This calms Teri, and then she asks about Jack. However, in this Teri is stonewalled. Neither Mason nor anyone else will tell Teri where Jack is, or what he’s doing.
Jack and DeSalvo move back into the building as the Drazen team rushed forward. Jack backs up against a wall and holds a gun to Victor’s head, threatening to kill him. Andre brings forward a DeSalvo, and puts a gun to his head, threatening to kill the prison warden if Jack doesn’t let Victor go. He counts down to three and at the last second Jack lets go of Victor. Andre smiles and proceeds to shoot DeSalvo anyways. Poor Lou, he can’t get any respect. Probably less painful then his wife running off with an unattractive lesbian though. The Drazen’s don’t kill Jack though; they figure they can use him as a bargaining chip to escape the facility now that the field team is descending upon them.
Kim is sitting in the holding tank, surrounded by all the tough girls. There’s a definite gang mentality going on, and it’s one that Kim does not fit into. Melanie enters the cell, and after looking around for a bit her eyes settle on Kim. She walks over to the call and tries to pick a fight with her, but Kim just avoids it and moves to the other side of the cell. This calms Melanie for a bit, but eventually she tries again and this time Kim snaps and goes off on her. She threatens that Melanie is nothing compared to the people she’s dealt with today, and that if Melanie wants to test her then just bring it on. This was practically like a wrestling promo in its delivery, but was good for a chuckle. Taken aback by Kim’s sudden ferocity Melanie does what all-good bullies do and slinks away.
Palmer is getting ready for his victory speech, and goes to see if his assistant Patty has finished up on it. Patty hasn’t finished it yet, but she gives Palmer a compliment that makes him smile. However he appears to be a tad too dense to see that this girl has definite Monica tendencies in mind.
Back at the prison, Jack and Victor are having a heart to heart about Victor’s intentions and his plans. Jack asks if Victor plans to kill all his enemies and those he believes wronged him. Victor says yes. You have to admire a man with goals. Andre comes forward with a cell phone, and Mason is on the other line. Mason says that he refuses to deal with Victor because Victor is a terrorist, plus he has no proof that Jack is alive. Victor puts Jack on the phone, who quickly blurts out the tactical ability of his captors. The phone is jerked away and Mason says that he will consult with his superiors. Jack and Victor talk some more, and Jack points out that if Victor was using a decoy, he had to know that his wife and daughter could be in danger. Victor gets emotional for a moment, and admits that he did know the truth, but he didn’t think anything would happen on the one day he let his guard down. Of course why saying this he lets his guard down and Jack immediately leaps on him, trying to grab a gun. Andre comes out of nowhere and cold cocks Jack, and Victor is really pissed off now. He tells Jack that he accepts his part in the death of his family, and now it was time that Jack accepts his part as well. Andre then proceeds to beat the crap out of Jack.
Kim is still sitting in the holding cell, when a bunch of girls start beat the crap out of a girl (lot of that going on in this episode) and steal the joint she had on her. I thought weed smokers were supposed to be mellow? Anyways, they start toking up, but one of the guards walk in and the leader of the gang quickly tosses the joint to Melanie. The guard smells it and starts to blame Melanie, who denies that she was smoking and insists that it was the others. The guards don’t believe until Kim speaks up on Melanie’s defense. The gang leader snaps and threatens to start beating ass before she’s dragged out of the cell. Melanie is a little shocked at the selflessness of Kim, and then asks to speak to the officer who brought her in. She tells him the truth about Kim, and the officer then checks the number that Kim gave her.
Obviously the CTU is relieved to know that Kim is safe and well, and Tony lets Teri know the good news. Mason is on the phone with Chapelle, and the District Director is not happy. Mason brings up the point that Victor would have gotten away if it wasn’t for Jack, and Chapelle says that nobody would have known or cared since nobody knew that Victor Drazen was alive and in custody. Now this has the ability to turn into a media circus. Chapelle orders that Victor be taken back, no matter the cost to Jack or his safety. Mason reluctantly gives the order, which Nina overhears. She rushes to Teri and tells her the truth, for all the good it does. I actually have to agree with Mason on this one. It just seems stupid to work Teri up in suspense until they have an answer about Jack’s safety one-way or the other.
Palmer is reading his victory speech by himself when Patty enters and makes her move. She starts giving him a full back massage, which he enjoys for a few moments before taking her hands off of him. Whatever he might feel in his heart, he is not going to fool around on his wife. I swear that Palmer might be the most moral man on television. He leaves the room and Mike talks to him. There’s a definite temptation scene as Mike lets Palmer know that he can have anything he wants once he’s elected president. Palmer shakes his head, beginning perhaps to see the true depth of what he’s sunk in.
The CTU commandoes charge forward, finding the dead bodies of DeSalvo and his men. There’s no sign of Drazen or Jack though. They finally come to a section of the facility where there’s a hole blown into the wall, a hole that leads to a sewer access. They can’t follow either, since the entry way has been booby trapped with plastic explosives and motion detectors. On the outside there’s vehicles waiting for the Drazen’s and once they’re clear Victor orders the death of Jack. He pleads for his life though, and brings up the point that Alexis is still alive. If they want Alexis back, they’re going to need Jack. Victor relents for a bit, and Jack is stuffed into the back of a car.
The officer that arrested her is driving Kim to the CTU, and he apologizes for all the confusion. She nods her head in understanding, when a car suddenly rushed into the squad unit and crushes it against a wall. Masked men swarm the car, and the police who try to resist are shot. Kim is hauled out of the car kicking and screaming, seemingly kidnapped at the hands of the Drazen’s once again.
When Kim was kidnapped my initial reaction was "Oh Crap!" followed shortly by "Again?" But it does make sense. Victor Drazen is not planning on letting this thing go, and it wouldn’t be hard for them to find Kim on a police scanner. Although you have to wonder, just how many mercs did they pump into the L.A. area? Still an exciting episode and a great setup to the last three episodes. And I still haven’t been able to figure out everything either. The second mole in the CTU and Palmer’s ultimate fate are two plot threads about which I’m clueless. I look upon that as a sign of good television.
Episode Rating: 9 out of 10
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