24

The second terror threat of the day comes to an exhilarating close (and of course, holds the door open for the next threat). This be the situation: Jack is being held by Anton Beresch and his separatist buddies, and must still somehow coordinate a rescue plan with CTU.
Newly introduced is Sean Astin's Lynn McGill. You know those characters who you're questionable or suspicious about at first, then grow to dislike intensely, only to forgive them in their redeeming final moments of life? Yeah, I won't say any more.
The Logan storyline is split into two plots—one linked directly to the airport and CTU, the other not so much. While Logan and Suvarov are busy signing the treaty, Cummings tries to get the file transcript back from Martha. It's good, even though it may seem like slight filler. I mean, all that boob for nothing?
So the obligatory twist is that one of the hostages at the airport isn't a hostage at all. Yellow Tie will serve as the main enemy, alongside Nathanson, in the next few episodes to come. And the next main threat? We don't quite find out in this episode, but it comes in these scary canisters stamped with biohazard symbols. This intriguing deus ex machina both puts the first few hours of S5 in perspective and beckons the audience to come back for more. Hey, it worked on me.

Hourly Highlight:
The shootout. You don't see these in enough airport terminals.

Compared with the previous episodes, this episode is more weaker.



After a strong beginning, it is normal, since we had to see the beginning of the terrorist plans and the beginning of the conspiracy plot.



Speaking of Conspiracy Plot, all start again, after the end of this episode.



This Airport Stoyline is only over near the end of the episode, until than, the writers use the situation and created a lot o scenes to fill this episodes.



What saves this episode a little, is the introdution of the new regular or temporary character, and is not difficult to predict that he is there to make Jack life harder.



Overral, this episode seems more like the end of the introdutory Phase, that build up the new Threat and the conspiracy plot. That is why a 7.5 is more appropriate.

The time is running out and Logan has to make decision - sign the treaty and let the hostage killed or back off and he is not doing it. So it is all in Jack and he is captured and doing his best to keep that boy (whose name I do not remember, again) alive and getting message to Curtis who does not get it as some codes have been change, but then there is a new man in CTU, a very arrogant and thinking he is superior but he sees the message where noone else does and they manage to save the hour (if that can be said)... and Logan's wife does not manage to get the paper to her husband and in the end, that is taken from her by force.. what...

This episode was very good but I have seen better episodes than this one. 24 is such a good show that great episodes like this one often don't measure up to previous episode that have been even greater. I did like very much the whole rescue of the hostages thing, I think it was very well written and portrait. The hidden message thing in Jack's conversation with the rescue guy was kind of predictable though, when I first heard it I knew right away that it would be some sort of code. At then end when Martha got drugged by the guy working with the terrorist was a shock.

I liked this episode. It had some action and some pulse pounding moments, the main one being that Jack was trying to send a distress call into CTU and having them finding out only 2 seconds before. The inside man at the white house looks to be losing his cover very soon, likely within the next 4 episodes. The situations at the white house are kind of boring, but thats the way they have been since season 1. Anything without CTU and Jack Bauer just really has never been able to get off the ground. With Jack on his way back to CTU, things should get exciting as he sees his old love for the very first time since his fake death 18 months ago.

The CTU tac team prepares to infiltrate the airport as jack gets captured by the terrorist. Things get complicated inside the airport as the terrorist gets the upper hand after they are fed intel coming from walt cummings. Things happen in this show, the terrorist really do kill innocent civilians. After all this is a show, the bad buys must do bad things so it becomes interesting. 24 does the unexpected, bad guys really go for it. So do the good guys, they break rules so they can do their jobs. This episode is a good one, it's full of action.

This episode was a complete filler, a LITTLE better than the last one. The whole airport situation could have been merged in one episode.



Logan did fantastic acting. Martha was annoying once again, and the final scene was lame.



Still nothing about Michelle or Tony, this is really funny... or sad.



Buchanan had great dialogues with McGill, who was extremely annoying.



Thank god at least he discovered what Jack wanted to say.



Curtis was cool, as he is cool always.



Nothing really happened, except finally we are out of the airport. The whole thing was just to get the key... oh well. I hope next episode will be better.

I just watched this show because it was on after Lost, and that was a lucky decision. I found myself on tenterhooks the whole way through the episode. 24 has a ruthless reputation for killing off characters, and I never knew whether one of them were about to die or not. Other series have that comfort zone where you know they'll succeed and the good guys always pull through, but there was a real element of uncertainty here.



It's very frustrating to see how all these characters don't gel together in the face of the hostage crisis. One would think that would make people co-operate in order to effect a successful resolution, and yet politics taints the whole affair. The President was more concerned with the political ramifications of signing the treaty with the Russian Prime Minister than the lives of the hostages- oh, wait, that's unfair, their lives were important to him; as long as they survived, he looked good to the general population.



The First Lady was a revelation, how blatantly manipulative she is, threatening to scream and accuse a man of assaulting her- pulling down her blouse to expose her bra and pulling up her skirt- in order to access his keycard to get into the archives for information. And at the same time, I feel sympathy for her, desperate to prove she was not making up a conversation with David Palmer that for some reason, has been erased from the records.



I hate traitors in shows! You want to scream at the camera and alert everyone else to their duplicity, but are forced to watch helplessly as they maneuver around freely and wreak their havoc. I felt sorry for the poor woman with the First Lady, forced to cover up for her disappearance while ransacking the archives, told that she would be held responsible if anything happened to the First Lady, that she would be prosecuted for aiding and abetting her accessing of confidential information. The traitor played her expertly, getting her to reveal what the First Lady had been up to. Before she could go with her information obtained from the archives, the guy headed her off with a genial expression, and I wished I could warn her that he was not to be trusted! It does nag at you...



The woman, Diane Huxley, is a nuisance, and I've heard of another woman creating a love triangle between Jack and Diane and herself, which is a relief. The stupid woman kept screaming, running towards the building with the terrorists holding guns and strapped with explosives, kept crying out to the agents trying to co-ordinate a rescue, whining and whimpering...I understand anyone would be upset in that position, but if I were unfortunate enough to be in her place, I hope I would have the sense to just let them do their job and not interfere, for the risk of causing them to screw up and get everyone killed.



I was so nervous, and felt for Jack, caught between trying to save the kid, Derek, and having to lie to Curtis and the rest of the team, feeding them false information at gunpoint. It was so annoying that he was telling them, 'I'm in a flank two position', like it meant something important, a secret code, and they didn't get it. Funnily enough, the agency rat sent in to monitor the goings on at CTU, the guy everyone felt was a real irritant, was the one who spotted the duress code, and realized Jack was trying to alert them to a trap. Hearing the abort command was such a relief to me! Of course, it's not over yet...



A great episode, and I can't wait for more!

The hostage scene was done excellently. The look on Jack's face as he repeated the duress code and realised Curtis hadn't recognised it. Blowing the planned wall to distract the terrorists then blowing the wall behind them was brilliant. Elegantly executed.



Annoying as McGill is, he saved the day by recognising the duress code, question is: how *did* he recognise it? He works for District, not CTU, how does he know 2 year old codes out of his head?



Chloe is always one of the most interesting characters in the series. She's being her usual obnoxious self yet not only doing her own job, but supervising Spencer and Edgar at the same time.



The terrorists' plan was a complete bust. Not only did Logan sign the treaty, but he gets to announce how he authorised a rescue operation which was a resounding success. They have bungled this badly, they've actually made Logan look good.



Derek is growing on me, felt sorry for the kid, sniffling miserably to himself. "They were going to kill me, Jack saved my life, he saved all our lives." Hopefully that buys Jack some good will, this whole thing should heavily support the frame-up. Jack's been in custody before, never lasts long.



Walt, our traitor, is fascinating to watch. He realises Martha Logan has the transcript of the real phone call, bullies Evelyn into telling him where it is then when the terrorist plan falls through, goes to a hasty plan B. Has Walt lost his mind?! Martha is either dead or unconcious, this will amp up security unless Walt can find an excuse for it. Then again, Logan's had a sleeper in the White House for two years, but this could blow Walt's cover.



Our biggest concern right now is those cannisters - obviously they're planning a bio-warfare attack.



Great episode.

The best episode of the season - so far. The pace was great, the plot exciting and the acting top notch. Really good episode!



Even Logan was almost good in this episode. Almost. He didn't do his usual 99%-yelling-and-blaming act and at least that's something. I like the actor and he did a great job in this episode. I kind of almost sympathised with Logan there for a while... never thought I'd see the day...



Martha Logan was however not as good. I loved her last episode but not in this one. She just keeps falling into more predictability traps than a season of Lost.



Hobbit spotting - finally paid off! I'm happy to see Sean Astin among the 24 gang. I've always disliked Sam in LotR but Astin is a wonderful actor and it's so exciting to see a Hobbit at CTU. I loved McGill, he's an odd combination of got-promoted-at-a-young-age, sass and arrogance. You kind of get to dislike him while you like him, if that makes sense. And he saved Jack's behind which is always a good way to start. I'm going to be so disappointed if he turns out to be a bad guy.



I have to say the entire main storyline of this episode was awesome. It was perfectly directed and edited, and with the music to go with it they really made it as good as it could be. I was really on the edge of my seat, they built up the tension really well. One of the best episodes throughout the course of the series!

Jack has been captured again - poor guy... He gave up the info very easily to the tangos, but then again, there was no point in not giving them what they were asking for.



Still waiting to find out what Walt Cummings has to do with the terrorists - besides being the not-so-moral backbone of the President.



Has to be rough for Martha - when she's totally lucid, she knows that she's unstable and prone to flights of fancy, and thus knows that a lot of what she's said and done is judged by that instability. Too bad that Logan doesn't realise for once that his wife is not actually in the middle of one of her phases.



IT"S SAM!!! I'm sorry, but as with Elijah Wood as Frodo, Sean Astin will always first come to mind as Sam Gamgee. Hmm, seems to be an evil little bastard so far - very smooth, but evil... lol



What was the "flank two position"?



Derek is going to turn into a whiny little bastard, now, isn't he? Cope now, whine later, bud. Okay, I'll give him credit - didn't freak until *after* the rescue was accomplished. You're allowed to flip after something like that, certainly - just glad he didn't do it during the crisis.



The Russian President's statement about the treaty becoming a mockery if the rescue attempt is not successful is a very valid point, and the look on Logan's face is priceless - he's such a twit. So much more concerened with his reputation than anything else. I don't think he should negotiate or capitulate in any way - no government should ever deal with terrorists - but the fact that he's showing more concern about the reputation of his Presidency than the lives of the hostages is disturbing.



Who is Lynn McGill and what is his purpose at CTU, besides causing tension and dissent? According to what Spencer is saying to Chloe about McGill losing about twenty percent of his staff upon taking over a new office, it would appear that Buchanan is being edged out of his position as head of CTU Los Angeles.



So now we know we have a sneaky guy in the midst of the hostages. There's that emphasis on flank two position when he talks to Curtis again. There it is... thought so, it was a signal to say he was under duress - too bad that it was McGill who caught it, and not Buchanan.



I love Jack shooting the lead terro in the wrist to disarm him before he can commit suicide - trying to keep him alive to get some answers out of him. Then he goes and blows himself up with one of the explosive vests they were wearing. So much for that plan...



I tend to read a lot into this show - wondering how the writers have managed to twist the ending to finish it with the traditional cliffhanger.



Just to throw a wrench in things, Jack now has to go back to CTU for debriefing/interrogation courtesy of McGill, while Yellow Tie goes to check out tubes of biohazardous material... hmm...



Off to find episode five - I know I have it around here somewhere...

This is the 100th episode, a huge feat for any show, especially one like 24, which almost didn’t live beyond its first season. Many shows like to offer some major event or events to coincide with their milestone, but this one didn’t have that “event” punch to it. Of the episodes this season, the premiere was most like a 100th episode, with two major deaths and tons of action. This episode is a lot more restrained, partly because our hero is on his knees for most of the hour (not that the rescue sequence wasn’t fun). With the four hour premiere event, the 100th episode’s significance is downplayed to the point where none of the promotional ads bothered to mention it.



Considering the terrorists could’ve blown Jack away to end the last episode, they needed to explain why they kept him alive, especially since he is highly trained and eager for some payback for what has happened so far today. As the only person inside with access to CTU, he has control over where to direct the agents and for the terrorists that is a major advantage. It is lost on repeat viewings since Jack knows how to maneuver around this dangerous situation. In the past, we’ve seen some good dramatic results when Jack is in a position where he doesn’t know how to proceed.



Derek isn’t nearly as annoying as would be expected of some younger actors. He has had a rough morning, learning the truth about Jack and being plunged into that world. It’s tough for him to let go of the guilt he has of making Jack, their best hope, give up and become a hostage. Accepting that guilt helps us sympathize with him. Jack, despite whatever bad blood Derek had against him, forgives him because the situation is far greater than anything they expected. When it’s over, Derek’s sobbing testimonial to his mother fits in with a boy who feels guilty about pegging a guy as a jerk when he proved to be something truly heroic and clever.



Sean Astin, as boy wonder Lynn McGill, adds an interesting piece to Jack and Buchanan’s characters. His introduction is more profound on Buchanan. Since Lynn is half Buchanan’s age, Buchanan resents having him as his boss, especially when Lynn flexes his district muscle into Buchanan’s office and second guesses the plans Buchanan has authorized shortly before they were to be executed. Even when Lynn attributes part of the victory to Buchanan, it doesn’t do enough to gloss over their differences.



Lynn seems to be an overachiever whose ambition paid off early for him, but he must deal with people who think he is too young for his role. Perhaps Buchanan and Lynn have spared in the past over this issue. Although I don’t think Lynn is taking over CTU full time as Spenser hinted, his comment about firing 20% of his staff fits that character.



Lynn also seems to be Jack’s match at CTU. While Jack breaks every protocol possible, Lynn remains by the book, but both get results. Because Lynn is the only one aware of the duress code, they work together in a way to foil the terrorists’ plans. It’s interesting that the first major thing he does is prevent a major blood bath, since many CTU Directors have shown bouts of incompetence.



Speaking of incompetence, Logan shows the same character that quickly took all the credit for preventing the warhead from going off when the hostage crisis was averted. One may not be ready to admit it, but Beresch assertion that Logan was weak was accurate. Logan is being set up as a type of tragic figure. His incompetence, his obsession with legacy (something he has in common with Suvarov, who also has a lot invested in this) are all heading towards a very unpleasant conclusion. Whether he falls entirely or tries to redeem himself would be a good candidate for the rest of his storyline.



Since the first episode, Martha’s instability has been toned down from a woman who dunks her head into a sink full of water to a woman strategizing on how to tell her husband about the Palmer phone call. This works to help us be willing to believe her story, especially since it is true. One thing I mentioned in the last review is that I would hope that Martha would have made some back up copy of this crucial piece of information. With her concerns this would be an appropriate action.



I wonder when Evelyn will be fired. Considering the facts that she hasn’t been able to keep Martha in her room and was unaware of Walt coming in and attacking the first lady, this doesn’t bode well for her performance. Anywhere the president or anyone close to him go should be extremely safe.



I almost thought that when Derek was being handed over that Jack would inadvertently hand him over to Yellow Tie Man (this was before I recognized YTM from his work on Firefly), who happened to change into one of CTU’s uniform’s during the raid. Now I know that would be too ridiculous even for a show that pushes suspension of disbelief like 24. There is no way that Jack would hand Derek over to the man who he stared at for some time. Derek is in some ways similar to Kim, but 24 has thankfully tried to distances themselves from the infamous Perils of Pauline plotlines as often as possible.



The endgame for this hostage situation was to pass this access card to Yellow Tie Man, who was among the hostages. If they raided the terminal and the terrorists killed themselves, then how would the card find its way to the terminal containing the canisters of doom? There is some fault there, but we must remember that there was an inside man. Since he was away from the terminal when they hit, he was in perfect position to head to the canisters of doom because everyone would be focused on the hostage situation. However, there is a small fault as far as what they would do if they were attacked and all of them detonated their vests. Whether they had a back up plan is unclear, but had it played out differently, the crucial piece of their plan would’ve failed.



This episode wraps up the introductory arc fine, but there are some errors in the writing that make the episode fall short, such as the reasoning behind the hostage situation to Martha keeping a valuable piece of information in a place where it could be easily jeopardized. It is also a bit odd that despite the sensational route often taken by 24, this episode doesn’t hype up its milestone status.

While the President proceeds with the signing of the Treaty the Terrorists continue their plans within the Terminal.



The White House Staffer handling Martha Logan is revealed to be another bad-guy (seriously, if the White House is that unsecure I'm glad I don't live in the 24 Universe).



Bill Buchanan, Head of CTU, has to make a difficult call and the new Liason, played with style by Sean LOTR Astin, saves the day in the nick of time.

Jack is trapped by the terrorists who threaten to kill all of the hostages if either CTU comes in to try and stop it or if President Logan signs the Arms Treaty. Meanwhile, Martha Logan tries to prove that her call recieved from former President Palmer was altered. She gets the transcript, but Walt Cummings, associated with the terrorists, gets in her way.

Seans entry into this show is not only interesting but pretty cool. Originally I thought he was a mole, but unless they are distracting attention via his actions, he isn't one since he was pivotal in revealing that Jack was under duress. Not too sure that I like the idea of a new night but time will tell.

The first four hours of 24 where excellent.

Action packed and new characters are introduced.

I think this is exactly what the creators wanted.



At the fourth hour the greatest threat so far has introduced itself.

Nerve gass, and jack bauer is the only one who can stop them!

Of course he needs help of other people like Chloe, I love her in this show, Jack and her are a great team and I think we'll be seeing a lot of them working together.



This is going to be a good season.

I dont doubt that for a seccond.

Like most people I think I cant wait for the next episode.

So far the episodes seem to be wavering between strong storytelling and the issues that have plagued the series since the middle of the first season. Coming on the heels of a very strong episode, it only makes sense that this would seem weaker in comparison. It was still quite entertaining, but it wasn’t on the same level as the third hour.



One of the most immediate problems with the story is the decision by the terrorists to keep Jack alive. While he does have some general value as a means of dealing with the CTU response, but that doesn’t seem to be in mind when the terrorists first take him in hand. Why leave a seasoned counter-terrorism agent in the room when the goal is to pass off a keycard to one of the hostages as quietly as possible?



It would have been more logical, in terms of the terrorist plot, for them to shoot Jack in front of the media. For one thing, he was being used as a dupe in the assassination, and his death would prevent the truth from coming to light. Second, even if the terrorists didn’t care about that anymore, he would have been a high-profile victim, someone to kill to embarrass Logan even more. Leaving him alive, in the same room where the handoff is meant to take place, is an incredibly stupid decision.



The producers seem to find every opportunity to show Jean Smart’s bosom, which is somewhat odd. But they are also dialing back from her nutty side and showing a more calculating and focused individual. Can someone, however, explain why the supposedly mentally unstable First Lady has such light security that Walter can drug and assault her without anyone noticing?



Lynn McGill comes from the “politics is king” school of management. In other words, if it works to make one look better politically within the organization, it’s something worth doing. His attitude with Bill is intolerably smug, but the writers also go to great lengths (in this episode and the two previous episodes) in showing Bill as just a little too willing to accept new information with little or no scrutiny. There’s also the hint that Lynn used to work for Bill, perhaps as a protégé.



For instance, Bill should have been able to tell that Jack was trying to express that he was under duress. Why else would he toss out that line about “Flank 2” time and again? More importantly, why did it take so long for Chloe to remember that it was a term used for this very purpose? It seems a little convenient that the most annoying boss on the planet would figure out, in minutes, what experts on Jack can’t work out in almost an hour. For that matter, why didn’t Beresch figure out that Jack was trying to give CTU a warning? It wasn’t at all subtle, and they knew they were dealing with a seasoned agent.



Logan and Suvarov also fall prey to odd logic. If Logan were to give in to the terrorists and postpone, then he would be sending a message that the terrorists can use the lives of innocents as political capital. If he sticks to his guns, even if the hostages are killed, he sends a message. It’s a bloody and terrible message, but it’s a message. Both men seem way too concerned with the political legacy the accord will bring, more than the reality of what the accord should represent.



Once again, the terrorist plot is in and of itself a possible plot weakness. If the point was simply to cover the transfer of the keycard, why do something so public to get it done? It could have been quietly taken care of in a backroom without any issues. Was it just to ensure that any increased chatter would be attributed to the hostage situation and not the true goal? Or was it complete overkill? Time will tell, but right now, it doesn’t quite add up.



Returning for a moment to the question of Lynn McGill (and could his attitude have something to do with growing up with that name?), his character is very smooth with Bill, but he doesn’t have an ounce of sincerity in his voice. And he’s right too damn often! Letting him be the one to figure out what Jack was doing was too easy, definitely a way to maximize the smarm. Yet his interpretation of Jack’s status was perfectly legitimate and highlighted one of the major issues with Bill’s response to Jack in the past two episodes.



This is likely to bring about something that was predicted in the review for the previous episode: Bill will be taken to task for making pragmatic decisions to achieve success. Lynn seems to be the mechanism towards that goal. And more to the point, there always has to be some jerk from Division who comes in and tries to apply book policy to real world scenarios. Sure, protocol gives direction for a reason, but it doesn’t cover extreme circumstances.



It’s a wonderful change of pace, however, for Jack to concede the necessity of being taken into custody. It won’t last, but it’s a nice change for the character. After all, he’s not an agent anymore, and there are serious consequences that should follow from his return. The writers could spend a lot of time just on the topic of Jack as political hot potato, especially once the Chinese get wind of it all. Granted, those moments will exist only when the terrorist plot needs more time to build organically, but for now, the genie is out of the bottle and the writers have their work cut out for them.

This episode was fantastic! Had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I missed the first two hours of the premier, but I\'m up to speed now--ready and waiting for the next installment. As usual, great acting, especially the kid. Can\'t wait til Monday!

This show is exciting, thrilling, moving, and all of the superlatives you could think of. However, my 8.5 rating instead of 10 is because of the leadership. President Logan has lost his mind, his senses and a picture of reality. He still wants to go ahead and sign the treaty with Russia and does despite the situation at Ontario airport. Mike is such a great advisor. I think he should've actually been the president himself in place of Palmer not Logan. I laughed when he said, "Did you try talking to them( the evil terrorists)?" I mean come on! I don't know why he thinks that if he gets them to agree with him they'll stop executing hostages. The kinetic energy and emotion between Jack Bauer and his friends son was truly amazing. I think this episode was the best I've seen so far at the same time. The saving grace of this episode was that at the end Jack and CTU were able to plan a successful rescue and elimination of the terrorists. The leader there tried to kill himself but Jack shot him in the hand. That was dramatic! Next Monday I can say I will be able to watch this show live cause I'll be off then. Yay! Yes! We see Sean Astin come in in this episode and actually is a control freak. However, what I do need mention is that he did help steer the tactics of the successful rescue attempt. Jack saved the boys life! If you think that 24 wasn't good judging from the earlier seasons, I urge you to reconsider and watch season 5! It is different, far different than any other! It will blow you away!

These first four episodes have been great, I really hope that this kind of pace and excitement stays throughout the whole series, while i am still mourning the loss of michelle and palmer, it'll be interesting to see how tony will react when he wakes

I am glued to the tv wanting to see how this season will progress.