TNMC
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24
Episode 2.22, "5 AM to 6 AM"
Written by: Virgil Williams and Dumpy Detmeir
Directed by: Ian Toynton
Well if last week was the David Palmer episode, this one definitely belongs to Jack Bauer. Not that he does anything especially insane or outrageous, it's simply a greater focus on the sheer intimidating and bad ass persona he can project. Throw in great moments for Palmer, Tony & Michelle, and even Kim (you're shocked I know) and you have yourself a humdinger of an episode.
I have to tell you that watching the interaction between Sherry Palmer and Jack Bauer is worth the price of admission alone. Sherry has always been the single greatest weasel of a character this show has ever had, hiding it behind a sense of righteous fury and power play leverage. So seeing that bluster crash up against Jack's single minded determination and impatience makes for some great on screen chemistry between the two characters.
Apparently Sherry sought out Alex Hewitt, the hacker responsible for creation of the Cypress recordings, because he possesses information which could implicate her as well. She's trying to save her own neck. He's not there though, and instead Jack ambushes Sherry and her bodyguard in an attempt to find out what she knows.
Turns out that Sherry was working for Kingsley from the beginning. She was blinded by anger and hungry for revenge with the way that David Palmer had treated her. Approached by Kingsley, she saw a way to exact the vengeance and help herself rise to power in his stead. Now some people might have trouble believing that Sherry could be so driven in her quest for vengeance that she would willingly agree to placing a live bomb in the hands of terrorists in the middle of LA. Now according to Sherry's own words, which are dubious under the best of circumstances, she was led to believe that the bomb would not be allowed to detonate. I'm actually willing to believe her on this one, and if that's the case, then this seems perfectly in line with Sherry's code of behavior.
Let's note forget that this is the woman who was prepared to let Kim die last year rather then risk any harm coming to David Palmer's political campaign. Hell she worked behind David Palmer's back and personally put Kim's life in danger. And she did it without caring. She's also the woman who had a woman try to seduce her husband into an affair so she could gain control over his actions. Clearly Sherry Palmer has never been a woman fettered by the chains of morality.
As Jack is talking to Sherry, he realizes that there's a hidden room to this apartment building, and sure enough Hewitt is inside. He's scared out of his mind and looks towards Sherry for comfort and protection. So naturally she winds this man around her finger like a piece of string. She cuts a deal with Jack stating that if Hewitt comes forward and disproves the Cypress recordings, she will receive a full pardon for her actions. Refusing to back down on this, Jack has no choice to consent and Sherry soothes the hacker's nerves and sends him to work.
Jack calls Tony to let him know what is going on and request a chopper to pick them up, but Tony has his own problems. Chapelle is obviously a part of the Prescott conspiracy, and he wants no time or resources wasted on Jack, who could stop a war the now President Prescott so desperately wants to see move forward. Tony challenges him on this, and goes on helping Jack out. Carrie rats him out to Chapelle (and oh does something bad need to happen to Carrie at the end of this season), who reassigns Tony and relieves him of duty.
Stunned and without any means of helping, Tony receives a phone call from Jack which confirms that the Cypress recordings are false. Having no options left, and realizing that Chapelle hasn't spread the world that Tony has been sacked, he arranges an ambush for Chapelle. Michelle calls him into a conference room, and when Chapelle enters the room, Tony steps out from behind the door and knocks him out with chloroform. Which, considering Jack shooting Mason with a tranq dart at the beginning of last year, seems perfectly in line with a CTU's directors actions. Tony orders a helicopter to go pick up Jack, but it's only a matter of time before Carrie gets suspicious and discovers what happened.
Over at the CTU Division headquarters, Palmer is still being held under guard until the attack has been launched and Prescott can announce to the nation his ascendancy. The scenario makes me wonder what would really happen if such a situation occurred. How America have reacted if Dick Cheyney suddenly came on the television and stated that George W. was removed from power due to his inability to handle the current war situation. Would people just accept this, or would there be a sense of national outrage at this usurpage of power? Truth is I don't know.
Palmer spends his time trying to talk to his guard Edward though, the secret service agent who has served under Palmer for a while now. Palmer states that he needs to get his hands on a phone in order to prove that the information Jack Bauer can get does exist. Because the alternative is warfare upon three innocent countries and thousands of innocent lives snuffed out. Edward caves into this and obtains a satellite phone for David Palmer. He gets a hold of Jack and is relieved when he hears that Jack has the actual proof they need. He's also shocked to hear of Sherry's involvement, but only slightly so. In the end he knows Sherry well enough to realize that she is capable of something like this.
Meanwhile, Hewitt is growing highly agitated and anxious with the situation, and can't shake the feeling that Sherry is going to try and screw him. Which, in point of fact, she is. And Jack being nice to him doesn't help things either, since he can tell Jack's natural state is not a nice one. Really, for only being involved for one episode, Hewitt has developed remarkably good instincts. His anxiety escalates to the point that he tries to escape, and when Sherry tries to stop him he sticks her with a shank and dashes out of the apartment using an escape hole hidden behind a tapestry.
Jack misses all this due to the fact that he's on the phone with Kim. His daughter has returned to the Matheson household to pick up her possessions, but as fate (and writers) would have it, this is also the time that Mr. Matheson returns to the house. He kills her cop escort, and then begins to stalk the girl he blames for everything that has happened. Kim lures him into a trap in the attic, but ends up being locked in the same closet as the temporarily unconscious killer. Panicked and scared, Kim's first instinct it to call her father.
Jack tells her to get the hell out of there, which is what Kim's common sense should have told her a long time ago. When Mr. Matheson moves though, the field changes and Jack has no choice but to tell her to shoot the man. Kim is horrified at the thought of killing another human being, but knows that it's the only way to stop her attacker. In near hysterics, she puts a bullet in the chest of Mr. Matheson. Then, providing the line of the night, Jack tells Kim to shoot the man again. To be sure. Kim has completely broken down, but does as her father bids her to do and shoots him again. Jack then tells her to go downstairs and wait why he gets help to come to her.
Jack knows that there's no way that Tony can get anyone from CTU to spare time to get his daughter, so he contacts Kate who was left under a cops protection. He needs her to let the police officer know that Kim needs help. Kate, who is taking a bath to unwind, states that she sent the officer away, but will go pick up Kim herself. Jack agrees. And I can only say that putting Kate and Kim together is a recipe for disaster. Each lady seems to suffer from acute victim-itis, so putting them together can only lead to bad things.
I do have one minor continuity quibble here though. Kate had said that she wanted to return to the CTU to be with her father, but in this episode she just seems to be trying to unwind. Perhaps she's not allowed to visit the CTU yet due to the high security situation, but a throwaway line to that effect would have been nice.
Actually make that two minor quibbles. That the police wouldn't have been staking out Matheson's house for him is a complete oversight of standard police procedure. Now I understand that the police force was probably busy trying to quell the riots due to the nuclear strike, but at least reference something akin to that. Otherwise it just smacks of lazy writing.
Now it's during this situation that Hewitt stabs Sherry Palmer and makes his bid for freedom. Jack is presented with a choice; he can try and save Sherry Palmer who is bleeding on the ground, or chase the only man capable of stopping America from going to an unjustified war. Not that much of a choice, but the look of shock upon Sherry Palmer's face when Jack leaves her did bring a smile to my face.
This episode was full of great character moments and classic performances. Keifer Sutherland, Dennis Haysbert, and Penny Johnson Jerald all turn in the classic performances I've praised them on all year long. The writing was a little lazy at some points, and right now the story seems to be lacking the personal edge of last year.
Still, there are only two hours left and things are moving at a frantic pace. Without the testimony of Hewitt, America will be going to a war it has unwittingly been manipulated into, and David Palmer will never regain the office of President. Not to mention Jack, Tony, and Michelle will be really screwed since Palmer is the only one who can stop any negative repercussions from falling down on them due to their actions. Two hours to catch the hacker, bring down Kingsley, inevitably rescue what will most likely be a kidnapped Kate and Kim, and make everything right with the world. Sounds like a good way to spend two hours of my life to me.
Episode Rating: 8.5 out of 10
-- Tim Ritenour
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