24

I remember when I watched this episode for the first time and then realizing that this season would probably be my favorite one. I love the concept of a deadly virus in a show like 24. It gives even more suspense to a show that is packed full of suspense already.

I especially loved the hotel scenes in this episode. The little quarantine and the fact that they (we) didn't know if they were gonna get out of there or not. Like every episode a lot happens here. I love the way Jack Bauer handles things in these clearly stressful situations. This entire episode was a rollercoaster ride and exactly why i watch this show!!

Logic/Details - » Since the virus is out, the writers would have a easy task, since this was one of the climax of this season, so all they had to do were create significant scenes in the Hotel Plaza and this would be enough. This explains why Jack screen Time was not important this time.



Progress -» Is all about event management and Again Jack has no clues.



Emotions/Stimulation/Highlights -» The best scenes of this episodes were in the Hotel Plaza, there are very good details there, so if you never saw this type of scenes you may like a lot. Other than that, it was just the usual Jack pursuit that end with nothing.



Ending - » Good way to end things, after the example of the Hotel Plaza.



Overall - » This episodes can be impressive if you never Saw this type of scene played in the Hotel Plaza, other scenes is the usual 24 way of doing things.

The virus is out and now it is all about containing it and it is not easy. Michelle gets most of the action this episode as Gael gets symptoms and some angry people in hotel gets even more angry when employee who wants out pushes fire alarm. We had some great moments with Michelle when she and that man who came to let the virus out said - just kill me when symptoms start and I will tell everything.



Jack did what he did but mostly nothing what developed. We saw the man behind this and Palmer did something I thought he could not - he lied to get himself out of the mess Sherry has made.



The all thing in hotel was the real pearl of this episode.

Oh my, the Chandler Plaza Hotel arc is truly the climax of season 3. I didn't mind the storyline in Mexico, but this just blows that away!! It's as great as season 1 and 2 now, thank god!! Unfortunately, Jack did absolutely nothing in this episode, but it didn't need him anyway.



There were several highlights of the episode for me:

*When Tony found out Michelle was in the hotel, "Are you inside!?!?"

*The moment we realised that Gael was dead meat, poor Gael =[!

*When Alvers begs Michelle to kill him when the symptoms start.

*When the man eavesdrops on Gael and freaks out.

*When the guests in the hotel start bleeding from the nose.

*And finally, when Michelle is forced to kill someone.



Everything involving the hotel in this episode was just........ perfect.



I'm quite surprised at Palmer for lying to the police for Sherry? That's not the President Palmer we've come to respect! But now he finally gets dragged into the main storyline, and is now under the control of the main villian, eek!! I've got no idea he is going to demand from Palmer, but I think it's going to be some kind of massive twist that nobody will be expecting.



Quote of the hour! Steven Saunders: "You are no longer in control of your country. And if you do not use the full power to execute my wishes, the virus will be released."

I always found the Chandler Plaza story arc a little overrated. It's not the worst "24" has been, and the tension of Gael trying to stop it from being released in the last episode was good, but I think it soon gets somewhat repetitive and tedious, almost to the point of being annoying. However, since the arc only gets going here, we're good.

While Michelle's dealing with the situation over there, Jack and Chase are stuck with the job of covertly following Amador. Not all that exciting, actually. It's pretty obvious filler for Jack, especially since Amador gets cremated at the end. That's right, I said it.

One good thing that this episode sees is Palmer getting rid of Sherry and the whole Milliken mess (for the time being) and finally participating in the virus plot. How convenient that he kicks Sherry out right before Saunders begins blackmailing him. Blackmailing the President? Madness! Or good television.

The hotel guests eventually wake up and become aware that there's an infectious substance inside the building. The danger of mass panic in the Chandler Plaza Hotel seems to be the hour's main focus, and that danger becomes a reality in the last few minutes. Too bad the arc gets kinda lame from here.



Hourly Highlight:

Michelle shooting that dickwad.

There wasn't a whole lot of Jack Bauer in this episode, though the parts that he were in was pretty explosive. I thought the idea of Jack and CTU to let Micheal Amador think that he escaped was really well done. Im still waiting for the connection between Bauer and Saunders. The situation at the hotel took a surprising twist when one of the htoel employees creates a massive panic that results in everyone asking a lot of questions. I thought this part was very well written as it creates something for the next episode to go on. I thought the situation with David Palmer was very out of character for David, who usually does not let people get the better of him. Sherry threatened the president of the United States and got away with it hands down it seems. Im sure this isnt the last of this storyline, though it seems like David and Sherry might have a bit more to talk about in the next couple of episodes. The scene between David and Sherry near the end of the episode was very well done. The two characters have a fantastic on screen connection when they are fighting and I thought the scene was great.

Jack and Chase track down Amador's location. Amador is contacted by a man who might be behind an incoming biological attack in Los Angeles. Michelle and Gael are trapped inside a hotel after the area have been quaranteed. Sherry makes David Palmer's life really complicated when she forces him to lie to the press so his reelection campaign will not be affected. Michelle faces a mob of angry tourists as they demand to be released from the hotel. This episode shows so much stuff. It's a really exciting episode, the writers made a good one. It's really exciting to watch, I had fun watching it.

The Virus has been super accellerated, and after only 24 minutes of exposure, Gael is already hemmeoraging. And everyone in the hotel...including Michelle...is now suffering an impending doom. And Tony is beginning to lose his mind from the amount of tension building up. A riot also begins.



This episode was really the mark for where this season began to pick up and started becoming real interesting. And a shock -- Michelle finally commits murder for the first time in her life, and like her...I stood in disbelief and was shock that the first casualty from the hotel was actually from another person.

This is the first episode in the season that didn't show much of Jack & he really didn't do much anyway. But still the episode was great.



The virus is loose & Gaiel is the first to show symptoms.



Tony finds out that Michelle was inside the hotel when the virus was let out.



One of the security guards try to get out of the hotel but can't so he sets off the fire alarm and now everyone in the hotel is awake & suspect something is wrong, when a few of them start to bleed from their mouth & nose. They all start to panic & Michelle is forced to shoot one of the guests who breaks a window trying to escape.



I really can't wait to see what happens in the next episode.

This episode originally aired after a FIVE week break back in 2004. While that's an incredibly long and painful length of time for a new episode of 24, this episode was well worth the wait. The scenes with Michelle, Gael, and Craig Phillips taking charge in the hotel were absolutely gripping and poignant.



Strengths

-Every single hotel scene

-Tony finding out that Michelle was inside the hotel

-Michelle being forced to kill the idiot Danny

-The incredible score



Weaknesses

-Every time the episode cut away from the Chandler Plaza hotel, it seemed to slow down a bit



To elaborate on that weakness, Jack and Chase had nothing to do for this episode except for driving around in a car. But this episode was so strong that it really didn't need Jack Bauer to save it.