TNMC

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Episode 2.06, 1 PM to 2 PM
Written by Elizabeth Cossen
Directed by Jon Cassar

I'm thinking the subtitle of this episode should be "Return of the Bitches." This episode not only further reintroduced the character of Nina Myers, it also saw the return of Sherry Palmer. Not to throw out a cliché or anything, but these two women really are people you love to hate.

First off, Nina serves as the absolute perfect foil to Jack. Not only due to the history that exists between the two characters, but also due to the ice cold performance that Sarah Clarke imbues the character with. The seething rage that so permeates Jack seems magnified to an ever greater degree when compared to the cool precision with which Nina sees the world. Both are greater together then they are apart.

This episode also further cements the fact if Keifer Sutherland doesn't win the Emmy this year he's getting robbed. From the boiled over rage he exhibits when interrogating Nina to the chilling smile he gives her at the end of the episode, everything is nuanced perfectly. As for what he'll do with Nina, well obviously he'll try and force her into helping him end the nuclear threat, but after . . . well I don't think Nina should be investing in any long term plans. Then again the time that Nina will have to mentally chip away at Jack should be fascinating to see; nobody knows Jack's weaknesses and how to get at them like Nina does. It'll almost be like a Hannibal Lector/Will Graham style relationship.

The Presidential storyline is also improved by the reintroduction of David Palmer's ex-wife, Sherry. For those who didn't watch last year, I just want to point out that she's evil. And I mean E-V-I-L. There is no low that Sherry won't stoop to in order to get ahead politically and nobody she wouldn't trade for gain. Actually that last statement isn't completely true, Sherry is fiercely loyal to her family, and that still might extend to David. That's what makes her reintroduction so exciting; it's unclear just where Sherry's true loyalties might lay. It was a brilliant way to reintroduce the character, as David can not reject her out of hand due to the enormity of the crisis he faces.

The rest of his staff is interesting as well, with Roger Stanton already making the obvious mistake and Lynne still seeming a bit too good to be true. That's another thing about having watched the show last year; it raises paranoia to new heights. Somewhere there has to be a serpent in Palmer's nest, and the growing complexity of this truly reflects how to difficult a position the President has to be to occupy. Just who can you truly trust? Makes you glad we have someone like W. in office right now doesn't it . . . oh wait.

The wedding scenario became more interesting as well. Carlos Bernard turns in an especially good performance during his interrogation scenes. He comes across as an actually intimidating presence, which is a far cry from the somewhat whiny backstabber that we saw last year. The turning over of Bob Warner by Reza hardly comes as a surprise, but the way it plays out should be worthwhile. It's actually a nice little moral lesson to see Kate, who was so sure that Reza was a terrorist, now deal with the fact that her father might not be the man she thought he was.

Which leads us to Kim. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but this is still the glaring weak point of the show, although it was somewhat more action packed this week. I have one request to the writers of this show, ditch Megan quickly. Hopefully by painful death, but anything will do as long as we don't have to watch her any longer. The little girl is an absolutely atrocious actress, turning a bad storyline into something almost unbearable. The introduction of Miguel is rather interesting, guess Kim finally got over Rick from last year. The real payoff will come when he inevitably warns his own friends about the impending nuclear doom. The panic that Palmer and CTU have been trying to prevent will inevitably be caused by Jack and Kim. It's a rather nice ironic twist. Oh, and Kim is in a world of trouble now. She really did just kidnap somebody, as it doesn't matter if Megan wanted to go with her or not. Without direct permission from either parent, Kim will have to face some serious charges for what she's doing now.

So this was an exciting episode, with some truly nice character moments. But then again it did seem to lack that jaw dropping twist that has so marked this series. I wonder sometimes if 24 hasn't dug itself into a hole with that, as a viewer can't help but expect even more out of this show then simply an hour of compelling character drama. Then again the writers of this show have proven themselves time and again, and I remain confident that plenty of twists are still waiting to rear their heads.

Episode Rating: 8 out of 10

-- Tim Ritenour

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