it was awesome episode
9.5
"Superb"
8:02 P.M.-8:03 P.M.: The polls close in California. A television reporter announces that Palmer appears to have swept the state, as well as all others that
held the Super Tuesday primary. In the company of himself, Palmer soaks up every last drop of the news, no doubt waiting for the right moment to let the
bragging begin. Kimberly, meanwhile, is biding her time in the women's group holding cell. An estrogen-challenged black officer brings Melanie around,
and drops her off so Kimberly can have a familiar face to keep her company. Melanie walks right over to Kimberly, and tells her she's in her seat. Kimberly
says fine, gets up, and sits elsewhere. Melanie then walks over to Kimberly's new seat to tell her that too is her seat. With daggers in her eyes, Kimberly
gets up again and goes to stand by the bars, where she has to contend with a mental patient hopeful who uses her presence to float like a bee and sting
like a butterfly.
8:03 P.M.-8:08 P.M.: Palmer has rejoined the party. He receives a hearty congratulations and toast from Mike for sweeping all 11 states. And to think he
did it all by not listening to a single word his chief-of-staff had to say. But that's not all -- FOX News took a poll, and 83% of the population approve
of the way he handled the Ferragamo crisis. An elated Palmer says that is great, because if FOX News took the poll, then it's agreed it's as fair and balanced
as he is. Changing the subject, he asks Mike if they've heard from Frank Ames or his angry mob. Mike figures they're all laying low, but advises him not
to get cocky. After all that has happened in the last twenty hours and with all that is known about David Palmer, one can't help but think that suggestion
will be heeded as closely as every other one Mike has ever offered. Palmer stops the party to tell the crowd of people that he has to make a speech soon.
And that even though there are a lot more primaries left to deal with, and a lot of rednecks left to win over, he intends to make the speech sound like
a victory speech. The entire crowd cheers wildly -- including Mike, who might have possibly contracted amnesia recently, as this conflicts wildly with
advice he gave Palmer, oh, a minute ago. Palmer continues about how although this has been a difficult day for all involved, he's confident that, just
like they said in the America's Choice polls, being honest was the right thing to do, and he's sure everything will work out for everybody in the end.
He then proceeds to pile on the horn-blowing that he simply could not hold inside him any longer. Over at CTU, Mason preps Nina to handle Division's request
in reassessing the threat, which he presumes is minimal now that Alexis is out of commission. Jack calls asking to speak to Nina, but Mason takes the call
for her. Jack gets Mason up to date on where he is and whose acquaintance he's made and whose acquaintance he's about to make. Mason doesn't have any time
to ponder how Victor Drazen was brought back from the dead, since Jack needs him to send in a field unit now. He doesn't have any time to ponder that either,
but ponder he does before telling Jack that he'll call Division about it. Jack chastises Mason, making it clear that Andre and company aren't going to
sit around and play cards while they wait for the request to go through the proper channels. He leaves Mason with an ultimatum before hanging up. Mason
decides to comply, and orders an assistant to dispatch the field unit, which he'll clear later, and get in touch with Chappelle immediately. When Nina
worriedly wants to know if Jack is alright, Mason sidesteps the question and derides her for wasting her life on a married man (that would be Jack) and
subsequently fooling around with Tony on the rebound. Mason says it in the guise of being a friend, but he walks away from Nina without ever answering
her question. Her attempt to follow him down and beat the truth out of him never comes to pass, as Mr. Rebound in the flesh returns to CTU with Teri. Nina
thanks God out loud that Teri is okay, though this is probably just a formality since she says it with all the conviction of a lobotomized Al Gore. Teri
asks if they've gotten any word on Kimberly. When she hears they haven't, Teri then asks about Jack. Nina lies, and tells her that he doesn't know about
what happened at the safe house because they can't get a hold of him. Teri demands to speak to Jack, but Nina defers to Mason's judgement on the matter.
To help CTU and Jack -- or just to waste time -- Nina requests that Teri join her and Tony in the conference room to go all over she knows, even though
she already did that with Tony on the way over in the car... and there really hasn't been any evidence that she knows something. Teri stops complaining
long enough to say she'll redo the interview, but only if they agree to keep her up to date on Jack and Kimberly. Nina promises she will -- a promise that's
certainly as good as coal.