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24
Episode 2.10, 5 PM to 6 PM
Written by: Joel Surnow and Michael Loceff
Directed by: Jon Cassar
I'm not sure if I should be bitter at American Idol or not. Actually I'm pretty sure I should be, since its pre-empting 24 this week. On the other hand its giving FOX massive ratings numbers, which allows it to stick with the smaller ratings winner but higher in quality product like 24. And at least it's not Man vs. Animal part 50. But bitter English men aside, there's an episode of 24 to look at.
We begin answering a rational question a lot of fans were wondering, which is why the hell a sniper just didn't off Nina before she could take out Jack. The answer is actually fairly simple, they were waiting for Jack to get clear comes the response. Which he does in grand fashion by simply standing up and walking away from Nina, banking on the fact that she won't kill him since she doesn't have her pardon yet. For a moment it appears that she will take him out anyway, but a sniper takes her in the shoulder throwing her to the ground and subduing her.
And of course as she's being put on a helicopter and flown back to L.A., Jack whispers something silently in her ear. What, we don't know. I'm betting it wasn't a warm farewell though. Jack himself goes off to join the S.W.A.T. team that's going to take down Syad Ali and obtain the bomb.
At Ali's, we find out that the torturer hasn't killed Kate yet, he wants to work her over in order to make sure she doesn't have any information. Of course she doesn't, but that doesn't stop him for working on her. Of course he only manages to cut off a small piece of her ear before Jack and the S.W.A.T. team burst in and apprehend him. They believe that he's Ali before Kate is able to clue them in to the truth of the situation.
By the way I'm glad to finally see Kate and Jack's storylines really come together. You can definitely see the threads tightening as the show heads towards its mid-climax. Of course Ali is not there since he left for a mosque for one last prayer before being caught in the explosion, and neither is the bomb since Omar is presumably still driving around the city streets confused as hell about what he should be doing now. Jack recruits Kate though, to help him find Ali which she agrees to.
However, if Kate is virtuous we find out that her sister Marie is anything but. Turns out she was the one working with Ali to bring this plan to fruition, as poor Reza finds out before she puts one in his chest. It makes sense in a 24 kind of way, since she was the least likely suspect Marie had to be the terrorist contact. I'm still curious why she would plan her wedding day for the day of a nuclear explosion though. Maybe she thought she could be safely gone on her honeymoon before the blast hit L.A. It would still mean the death of her father and sister, but I guess Marie had come to terms with that a long time ago. She's a cold hearted bitch which there is no shortage of on this show.
Yet the title of Queen Bitch can not be given to Marie Warner, nor can it be given to Nina Meyers, no the title is singularly reserved for Sherry Palmer. Although they've been teasing us with her possible redemption, Sherry does in fact show her true colors once again in this episode. Turns out she's one of the people leading the conspiracy against David Palmer. Big shocker there, but it is a big leap in character to work with people who planned on blowing up L.A. We saw signs of this callousness last season when Sherry was prepared to let Kim die in order to advance David's political career, but this is bringing that to a whole new level.
The question is whether or not David Palmer is falling for it. Does he truly believe that his wife has reformed, or is he stringing her along in order to get at those who are higher up then she is. The way that Dennis Haysbert keeps his emotions in check, it's hard to see which way Palmer is leaning towards.
Oh, and since this episode saw Sherry turn back to the dark side and introduced Marie as a terrorist, I would like to point out that the writers of 24 don't hate women. They just think they're evil.
Actually, this year is far more balanced then the last when it comes to good vs evil amongst the fairer sex. Why Nina, Sherry, and Marie are the bad girls of 24, you've still got Kim, Michelle, Kate, and Lynn as positive role models. And some of them aren't even victims.
Speaking of Kim, she's on the run from the law again (girl has a lot of experience in that) after the cop car she and Miguel were in flipped over and crashed. Of course Kim got out unscathed, but the Miguel and the officer were badly injured.
I'm still not sure what they're doing with Kim yet, as she really doesn't seem to be adding to the overall greater plot. The only thing she's done so for has been to let the rumor spread about the bomb in L.A. And that's being rendered moot by Palmer's soon to be revelation that there really is a bomb in Los Angeles. So she's back to serving no purpose again except as eye candy when she's running. Seriously, I don't understand how women with large breasts can run for any long stretches. I would think it would get annoying when they flopped up and down like that. Not that I'm complaining over here.
Other then that, we get Tony and Michelle growing closer and Mason giving advice on the meaning of life. Nothing earth shattering or revolutionary. Still, it's nice to see the softer character touches on the supporting players in the face of the more epic plot and struggle. Lends the story itself a greater sense of depth and humanity.
Hopefully everyone has enjoyed watching bad singers be humiliated on public television by a snooty Englishman (are there any other kind?) and are ready for return of 24. The one show on television that Simon would have no grounds to call "dreadful."
Episode Rating: 8 out of 10
-- Tim Ritenour
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