24

one more perfect episode. I was first caught by surprise with Walt's confession - did not expect that he would play that ball and guess what president actually considered it and ordered for Jack's arrest. Best scene was when Aaron listens to Jack and works with him. His action is just perfect. Aaron has been one of the characters i felt most professional or just fit into the role. I guess this is the only episode where he had some dialogues. He was brilliant. I could feel my heart thumping when Aaron and Jack entered Presidents office, Aaron warned president that he disabled phone line while Jack kicked --- out of Walt. That was the highlight. You can watch this episode again
Now that first 6 episodes presented the best I started to think what may be there in store next -i hope it does not go into its previous dull mode.

This episode was Jack crazy episode. How is possible to a single agent acomplish something impossible.



That is exactly the answer that this episode provides. You have to suspend yours believe to be able to enjoy the show.



The conversation on the phone between Jack and Audrey was great, one of the highlights of this episode Derek mother says goodbye to Jack and talks to Audrey was nice too.



McGill and Bill working together was nice, aside that, nothing relevant happened in CTU.



Martha Stays in the White House, but since the conspiracy plot phase one is over, I really don´t know what she can do in the next episodes.



Walt Cummings was finally caught by Jack and he confess all. But of course, this don´t Stop the terrorists. Aaron participation was cool too.



Overral, a great way to end this Conspiracy Plot Phase one and to resolve some romance drama for JAck for now. This is why I gave a 8.5, this episode was necessary to build the next plots, and to end others plots.

Oh, things are going fast.. Jack is going to meet Novick and it goes wrong.. but all the pieces are falling together and and with help Jack manages to get to the president and they manage to get information out of Cummings.



And it is was not only exciting there - in CTU Buchanan and McGill have a interesting situation. They know that president administration has been compromised.. they get order to quit. Buchanan is ready to not to follow it.. but it's a problem to McGill.. But it gets solved when Jack gets to president.



It was intense, action packed episode. Liked it..

This episode is insane. Not so much when it comes to action, but who needs action when we've got David Fury?

Instead of action, we get a huge revelation about the Sentox nerve gas and what Cummings' exact role and motivation are. And despite a little similarity to the plot of S2, I wouldn't have been able to guess at the big scheme if you waved one of those big honkin' canisters in my face.

But the quality doesn't stop there. Jack's plot merges with Logan's, and it all culminates in a vicious physical attack on Cummings. I'm sure that's one sight that we all wanted to see since the S4 finale.

Aaron Pierce once again proves that he's da man. Martha gets her vindication. Diane and Derek leave the picture, drastically increasing their life expectancies. And Audrey cries. Let us all ignore that one.

I SHOULD have seen that last twist coming, but nooo. I was as shocked (and giddy) as any puny novice when Erwich and the canisters were gone. But after that final scene, it all made sense to me how the writers were gonna manage to stretch this nerve gas thing out for the season. All right, it's pretty much the main normality of this show, but upon hearing Erwich's plot to gas the US, my only response was: "OH, SNAP!" Fury, we are in your debt.



Hourly Highlight:

Cummings' beatdown (that sounded extremely dirty for reasons I can't quite grasp).

I can't believe this show! It's just so damn good. This episode in particular was amazing. Jack and Audrey break my heart, they both love each other so much it's painful. The whole thing about Martha wanting to run away so that she wouldn't be sent to the physc facility was a little lame but it was still alright. And OMG that scene where Jack and that other special agent guy walk into the President's office and then Jack starts hitting Cummings to get the information about the nerve gas out him, was just the best I've seen in the last few episodes. Jack Bauer is so intense. I love this show. Can't wait for the next episode.

I liked this episode as well. Bauers capture + enlisting the help of Aaron was a good side effect of the impact that President David Palmer had on people. I liked Jacks torture scene, then again part of the reason this show is so good is because scenes with him tortuting someone always seem to outshine the rest of the show. Jack + Audreys phone conversation was one of the highlights of the episode and I really enjoyed watching her "love" for jack come back into the forfront. I think Jack will return to CTU at some point and they will have a moment alone together. Annnnyways, the episode was good...I just wish Martha Logan would have kept on going.

It's another great 24 episode. It's really fun to watch. It's entertaining, it never gets dull. Each episode has some surprises waiting. In this episode, Jack asks Mike Novich for a meeting with the president. Things get really complicated when Walt Cummings have them arrested. The CTU gets a lead on the terrorist, or maybe not. Walt Cummings may have gotten himself in a situation that he couldn't get himself out of, it takes Jack Bauer's skills to make him realize it. The president meanwhile becomes his must trusted aide for the crisis. This is another great episode, it's awesome.

I love David Fury! He wrote my favorite Lost episode, too(Walkabout). And now this.



WOOOOOOOOOOW. Intensity at its BEST!



Lets start with cons of the ep(there arent much)



- Mike. I was a little sad about him, we never seem him getting released

- Bit predictable ending.





Pros.



- Aaron!!!!! WEEE. Officially one of my favs! OMG I so loved how he talked with Jack. This man ROCKS.

- The President! LOL! I was LAUGHING so much, his facial expressions are incredible!

- Walt redeeming. Finally, he confessed his sins, but I wish Jack cut his eye.

- Martha! Finally, she had a non-annoying episode.

- Buchanan... and Lynn. They rock! Well, they especially rocked in this episode.

- Audrey's phone call with Jack. Very touching.

- Excellent pacing!

- omfgwtf twists

- Incredible music performance



24 at it's best.

Great twists in this episode - AARON PIERCE is the man. I love the guy. I still wish he could have a major part in an episode, that would be awesome.



Tony's gotta come back soon... and I'm pretty happy CTU is finally going along with Jack's plans for once and not calling in the marines to arrest him.



PRESIDENT LOGAN"S AN IDIOT! I really hope Mike would do the same thing he did Palmer and call the cabinet together and get rid of him. Palmer was the best so, if he did it to Palmer, he could do it to Logan.

So far I'm really impressed with season 5. After 6 episodes (1/4th of the season) there hasn't been a single filler-episode yet.



In honour of our Agent Hobbit I'm naming this episode after a chapter from the Fellowship of the Ring: A Conspiracy Unmasked. I must admit I did not expect Walt Cummings to confess everything to Logan and then use it to his advantage (or, well, try). I expected him to try and pin Mike as the traitor and use his meeting with Jack as "proof". But luckily Agent Pierce (I so want to be a part of his fanclub) intervened and everything could be SORT OF sorted out.



I still have to say I'm getting more okay with Logan. Maybe he's growing on me. Oh the horrid thought...



I hope Audrey does leave Jack alone. Diane deserves him, Audrey doesn't.



Did anyone notice btw how Audrey early in the episode sprouted glasses out of nowhere?



Looking forward to hour 7!

Having David Fury on the show certainly adds to the artistic integrity of the show. With experience on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and the first season of Lost, he knows how to build seasonal arcs along with character development, both important to the show. Some may worry since those other shows were much more fantasy than 24. However, 24 is an escapist fantasy as well, except they don’t have monsters or fictional creatures. His influence on the show has been apparent in these first five episodes, as the show’s dialogue and character development has improved immensely. Now we have his first credited script, and he certainly put a brick on the gas pedal with this one.



Walt’s end game wasn’t quite as nefarious as initially speculated, which works a lot better. 24 couldn’t pull off Walt having some secret Russian lineage like Alias could. In the end, why he did it is similar to Spenser’s reason. Unfortunately, Walt is a sociopath who hides behind the flag. Walt’s lack of moral integrity, along with the fact that he wasn’t smart enough to play this chess game with the terrorists, opens a new problem for everyone. Many wondered where this season was heading as the end game didn’t concern America, now we know.



Although Walt’s explanation to Logan made sense, there had to be more to it than that. It would be rather anti-climactic to have him as a mole since the second episode only to have him reveal it easily. There was no way they’d let the man responsible for Palmer’s death get off like that. They don’t, as his treason makes the terrorists turn the tables on him and America.



Seeing Schaeffer “checking” on the cases raised suspicions to what was really going on, and Walt lets us know that this is a part of their plan, to get the nerve gas to the terrorist camp and release it, killing all the terrorists and exposing them as having weapons of mass destruction. This sting operation draws comparisons to Jack’s infiltration of the drug cartel in season three. There were obvious moral problems with both, but this one was obviously worse. Jack’s plan didn’t entail flat out killing innocent people. Cummings’ plan is responsible for eight deaths in the first five hours alone: Palmer, Michelle, five people at the airport and the doctor at CTU.



Walt’s scheme parallels Kingsley’s from season two. Conservatives may moan over this as being “too liberal”, but then again, they must remember all the conservative friendly stuff from last season and we can’t forget Jack’s threat to gouge out Walt’s eyes and continue to mutilate him until he gave him what he wanted to know right in front of the president, which the audience cheered for.



Logan’s character is poised for an interesting arc this year. Palmer’s final words to him (“See no evil”) were awfully prophetic, and they have finally caught up to him. Thanks to his blind eye, his chief of staff conspired with terrorists and as a result, the terrorists have the US in their cross hairs. While he needs to forgive himself and deal with the current situation, it is truer for his character, who has focused more on how the future will see him rather than the present.



We still love Martha, even if her running away in the last episode wasn’t nearly as big a story point as we may have believed. She is finally vindicated, but the news isn’t as sweet as it should be. The price of this situation is the state of her marriage. It is in shambles, no matter how much he tries to gloss over his lack of trust earlier. Logan didn’t help either by not visiting her before she left for the institution. There are certainly similarities between this marriage and David and Sherry’s, which fell apart due to lack of trust. Is there any chance that this marriage can be saved?



Aaron rocks! He has had a decent sized following among 24 fans because of his loyalty to Palmer, and this episode let him shine. His involvement, along with Novick’s, helps Jack get to Walt without having the situation be too contrived or over the top. Aaron is a man of loyalty and honor, so it is fitting that he would break his protocols for Palmer, and accept responsibility when it was over. I loved when he put his badge and gun on the table with Jack! They had to be bluffing, because that makes it so much cooler.



After hinting at it since the premiere, they addressed the reason why Jack went into hiding and how they’ll deal with it when the crisis is over. It would be very bad if they had Jack go back to living an ordinary life as if the Chinese incident never happened. This certainly brings to question Jack’s fate when 24 ends, if he doesn’t die. Since 24 is coming back for season six (the renewal came out last spring), what are they going to do that will bring Jack out of hiding next year? Is there any way the Chinese would grant him clemency (24’s done less absurd)? They still have eighteen episodes to explore this issue, which will be important one for a while.



Buchanan and Lynn’s relationship hits a new point as Buchanan makes an unprofessional snap at Lynn’s age and its affect on his performance. This is likely to continue to be an issue throughout the season, as it was indicated when Lynn came on the show. Jack’s return must’ve influenced CTU’s decision to continue with their investigation despite White House orders otherwise. Considering the assumptions they were operating under, this rule breaking is fitting.



Audrey needs to learn about timing. Learning that Jack still loved you is a big deal after the revelation that he is still alive, but why couldn’t she wait until after he was through with his mission to deal with the on going issues? Also, she must realize that they can’t be together unless she wants to give up everything and go into hiding with him. The Chinese will want justice and the faking of Jack’s death would likely lead to an international incident.



This was one of the most satisfying transitional episodes in a long time. With the plot in overdrive, 24 is a blast to watch. Although I'm not at the stage of many of my friends who gushed about how good this episode was, it was still a well made, fun episode with many good character moments, especially from the beloved Aaron Pierce and Martha.

If McGill takes much longer to make a decision than he has already, I'm going to start calling him Mr. Dithers.



I suppose I'll have to give Logan at least some credit - he does seem genuinely concerned that his wife is missing, but whether that is due to affection, or just paranioa about what damage she could do to his administration remains to be seen.



Jack is getting Mike Novick involved - does this mean he finally gets to redeem himself for his betrayal of David Palmer so long ago? To be sure, he had the best interests of his country at heart, but it was still a crushing blow to his relationship with Palmer.



What a lovely break up scene... lol Jack usually has problems enough with one woman, now he has to ditch one for another - hehe.



Walt seems to be unravelling a little - couldn\'t happen to a nicer guy.



I'm glad it's Aaron who found Martha - she might have a shot at staying out of the nuthouse with him on her side. At the very least, she's got him intrigued enough to do some wondering about whether or not her story is true.



Keep waiting to see if Schaeffer is going to go squish while playing with the canisters, but I suppose not. Since he has to wait an hour for his payment, though, you can be fairly certain that *something* is going to happen to him.



Audrey certainly has remarkably bad timing - if I remember correctly this is not the first time she's called Jack right when he's about to go into the middle of something exciting, possibly fatal, and of course she wants to tie him up in little emotional knots.



Okay, confusion reigns - why is Walt telling Logan about this - ah, no more deniability... He is an evil man - let things play out or Logan's presidency will be implicated, cool.



Ooo - a new method interrogation - threaten to poke the suspect's eyes out to get him to talk - I LOVE Jack Bauer!!!!



Logan's backpedalling about how he was lied to and coerced by Cummings, and supposedly is in no way connected to the events of the day - sign of a sad, pathetic, weak man - how the hell did he end up as the PotUS? Is he still serving out the end of Keeler's term?



I feel bad for Martha - she was right all along, and now he believes her, but she still has the realisation that Logan no longer values her opinion, or even necessarily as a person - just regards her as an inconvenience and an embarrassment.



Nicely done Edgar - good hacking job to find the cargo container number... Well, Schaeffer didn't go squish, but he did end up dead all the same.

NO CHLOE in the epi - low rating follows. chloe shows up in the last 5 minutes!!!

Oh man chloe in her undies!! Oh yeah!!! I love that platform bed - oh the fun fun fun!!!!!! Too bad she had to pick that LA-typical face. But it is TV, except for CHloe - the hottest chick on television!! I hate it when she isnt featured, love it when she is in the field packing heat and running around!!

After last weeks superb episode I thought it was hard to top it so soon. But boy was I wrong... The 6th hour of Day 5 was one amazing ride!

In the last hour Jack decided to take on Walt Cummings, president Logan\'s chief-of-staff, on by himself. So it already promised an action packed episode for us.

This week it dealt with three topics : Jack vs Walt, the Audrey-Diane-Jack love triangle and offcourse the nerve gas.

24 always amazes me...but it\'s been a long time that it amazed me like it did this week. The moment where Cummings comes in to talk to the president about Jack coming to accuse him of helping the terrorists was a first \"wow\". I was expecting him to come up with some dirt scheme to counter that accusation, but when he just totally admitted it right away I was blown away. But when he explained why he did it i was completely like : What the f**k! But Cummings wouldn\'t be Cummings if he didn\'t try to frame Jack (and Mike Novick as well) in the meantime. And he would have gotten away if it wasn\'t for the hero called agent Pierce! Already suspicious because of Martha Logan\'s conspiracy story earlier on, he decided to help Jack get to the president to do his job.

That part is followed by easily one of my favorite 24 scenes EVER! Right in front of the president Jack tortures his chief-of-staff to get all the info he needs : \"I\'m done talking to you! You\'ve read my file... You know what I\'m capable of\" That was Jack Bauer\'s ultimate Hour of Power moment since long...

I contrary with lots of fans, I quite liked all the \'drama\' with the love triangle. We saw it last week, but now Jack & Audrey are really confronted with the feelings they have for each other. Audrey deciding to give a big tear-scene in the middel of the crisis and Jack telling her that he has never stopped loving her, while Diane only gets 2 thank you\'s... It was deep :)

One problem solved, but another already surfaces again. Some things about 24 are (luckily enough) never a surprise ;-) Cummings plan to let the nerve gas loose in the terrorists camp backfired when his \'man on the inside\' got caught and killed by yellow-tied Ivan. And now he is pissed, and America will pay....

Walt Cummings confesses to President Logan that he is involved with the terrorists. He convinces President Logan that he is doing it for the good of the US. He says he doesn't know where the nerve gas is, but Jack comes in and threatens to cut his eyes out if he doesn't tell him. Meanwhile, Martha is about to be moved to a psychiatric ward. She finds a way out, and gets some minor revenge.

Yet again we see the yellow streak that pollutes President Logan's veins. This is a man who only became president by accident and his actions time after time bear a sorry testament to this fact. If a man cannot make wise decisions on his own then he needs good counsel, possessed of uncompromising ethics. Unfortunately for President Logan - he seems ill-equiped to even surround himself with persons of this ilk. The result is that he has potentially irreparably alienated the two people most willing and able to help him in his current crisis - the First Lady and Mike Novic. How much impact his betrayal will have, remains still to be seen. However we are left yet again with this president of the United States of America once again being manipulated into a course of action that he would not have necessarily chosen of his own free will. Fortunately its Jack doing the leading, and he unlike Walt Cummings, the self-professed "patriot", believes not only in the United States as a global entity but also the values that icons such as the Statue of Liberty have come to stand for. It would be nice to think that this experience has changed President Logan for the better, but his exchange with Jack suggests otherwise. His first concern was not how to support an man who has on innumerable occassions been of incredible assistance to his country, but instead how this man might still prove to be an inconvenience. The sad thing is he doesnt even have the grace to appear embarrassed.

The same thing over and over again. I think the title of the show and the concept gives the writers so much to work with. When the show first came out, I thought it was one of the most original ideas ever. It took viewers away from the soap opera TV has become lately where the same point in time is replayed ad nauseum. How disappointing that the producers have pigeon holed themselves into an apply, rinse, repeat cycle with this show. How about exploring 24 hours in the life of another person. Each season, new person, new city, new situations.

Okay I have to start this off by saying, I do not like President Logan. He is such a weakling!!! I was so happy that Agent Pierce showed some leadership, and was willing to put his career on the line to help expose Cummings!!!



Am I the only one who was screaming at their television, "Go on Jack, cut him, cut him, go on cut him!!!"



I also wanted First Lady Logan to just hit her husband!! She was trying to tell that man, things are not right, but he did not listen. When she turned her face when he tried to kiss her I simply applauded.



I was not surprised when the cannisters were not where they were supposed to be. Come on, that would have been too easy!!! Everytime I think there can be no way for this show to get better, it proves me wrong.

Never a dull moment. Cummings tells the truth, but now the terrorists want to use the gas against the USA. Uh-oh. I really liked Buchanan this episode, and the way he disregarded that order and what he said to McGill. "That's because you don't have the experience to know any better!" Great writing. We got to see Jack threaten to chop out Walt's eyes. It was just so great, and I don't think i've ever had anything bad to say about any episode of 24 (except for the mountain lion in season 2). Can't wait till next week.

Comparing this episode to the last few episodes, I'd say that this is the best. It seperates itself from the rest of the episodes because it really surprised me.



I didn't expect that Walt Cummings to do what he did. I really thought that Jack's plan have failed, but it didn't!



What an exciting episode. Another great installment of a great show.

This episode was written by David Fury, who cut his teeth under Joss Whedon on “Buffy” and “Angel”. Some fans were somewhat concerned over the idea of a “fantasy” writer coming on board a series like “24”, but it wasn’t the content of his previous material that got him the job. It was the fact that Joss Whedon’s series were highly structured, often incorporating several ongoing plot threads within a relatively self-contained episode. Also, Fury himself had gained a reputation for pulling together a complex script in a matter of days, which is the kind of timeframe that “24” producers apparently consider the professional norm.



When it comes to “24”, it becomes difficult to separate the sins of one episode from the merits of another. One hour can end on a ludicrous plot twist, which then sets the direction for the next hour. In this case, the idea of Jack Bauer hunting down Walt Cummings to answer for conspiracy charges was a bit over the top. It was Fury’s responsibility to make sense of it and carry the story forward.



Logically, both Bill and Lynn object to the idea of exacting revenge on Walt, since that sort of vigilante justice is largely frowned upon within anti-terrorist circles. Once again blurring the lines between lawful action and apparent necessity, the writers present a number of cases where individuals act out of sense of “ends justify the means”. Jack seems to be the good guy in all of this, but without any lawful authority, how are his choices any different from Walt’s choices?



After all, Walt claims to have worked with the terrorists towards the goal of detonating the nerve gas within the terrorist compound and eliminating a global terrorist threat. Consider that in comparison to Jack’s secret operation in the third season, which was also conducted without the knowledge or consent of the President. In that case, Jack wasn’t planning to use the engineered virus to kill Salazars, and he didn’t kill innocent people to get the job done, but he was operating in questionable territory with potentially catastrophic consequences.



More to the point of the episode, Jack is operating without authority to take down someone close to the President. Thankfully, the writers don’t make this some shadow operation. Jack tries to do it the right way, contacting Mike Novick to help get support. Given the extent of the conspiracy to date, it seems a bit foolish to think that cell phone conversations wouldn’t be recorded, but given the constraints, it’s not the worst plot convenience in the world.



In the middle of all this moral complication, there’s the emotional mess that Jack’s return has created. Audrey isn’t sure how to deal with the fact that Jack is back, but happened to be living with someone for six months. Diane is trying to get used to the fact that the man she was beginning to love, a potential father figure for Derek, is unlikely to ever come back. Jack is left with feelings for Diane and Derek, but more importantly, a desire for family and lingering feelings for Audrey.



Of course, when does Audrey decide to discuss her feelings with Jack? Yep, right as he’s planning to meet with Novick. Audrey wasn’t very good with the timing during the fourth season either, so this doesn’t come as much of a surprise. What is surprising is the fact that Jack is rather open about his emotions. Being out of the game has restored a bit of his humanity, which is likely to be an issue when the demands of the day force him to suppress those emotions yet again.



Meanwhile, Walt finds his situation crumbling when orders come down to kill Jack. Not surprisingly, this takes the central question of weighing consequences and transfers it to another level. Walt reveals the scope of his conspiracy to justify a wider American military presence overseas to safeguard oil flow. In other words, Walt was going to use terrorism as a pretext for an aggressive national security policy. (Gee, sound like a familiar theory?)



Initially, Logan is incensed at the idea of killing a former president and bringing his administration into an unlawful action, but then the question of necessity comes up. Walt draws the line between what should be done and must be done in a very different place than Logan or even Jack, and he drapes his actions in the necessities of patriotism. Walt threatens Logan with a disgraced presidency, and sure enough, Logan believes that he is trapped.



As weak and annoying as he may be, Logan is a character with a fascinating and even perfect portrayal. It’s hard to accept a leader who is so easily led by his advisors, but it makes for an interesting character study. Logan is a man in search of dignified legacy, continually struggling to live up to the demands of history. While it often leaves him in a position to be vilified, and rightfully so, it also gives him a haunted demeanor, which the actor portrays beautifully.



Score one for Agent Pierce! He’s been the go-to agent since the first season, a strong and capable supporting character, and he comes through big time in this episode. Like any good agent, he takes note of a situation and the context of orders. Does he step out of operational boundaries by choosing to help Jack? Of course he does, and he offers to fall on his sword for doing so. But he also demonstrates a distinct desire to live up to the spirit of duty above all else, and thus acts out of a sense of necessity, in keeping with the overall theme.



Bill does the same thing when he refuses to follow the order to abandon the search for the nerve gas. He recognizes that something is out of the ordinary, especially since Jack and Novick are out of communication with CTU. When Lynn balks at the idea of violating orders, Bill berates his lack of experience and operates, once again, out of a sense of necessity. Necessity demands quick and decisive decisions, the kind of decisions that Bill has made since the beginning of the season. (Of course, those decisions are also questionable decisions, providing another example of how the road to hell is paved with good intentions.)



Jack, of course, puts Walt to the knife out of necessity, despite the fact that Logan is standing not ten feet away. If any scene in this episode strains credibility (and of course, many do), this is the one. Jack gets the information he needs, but in the process, takes a big step back towards the man who couldn’t have emotional attachments. It seems rather obvious that this is going to be a main focus for the season: which way will Jack go in the future?



Logan doesn’t seem to understand the possibilities. In Jack, he has a person who is apparently dead to the rest of the world, with specialties in counter-terrorism and torture, and is completely at his mercy. Why not find a black ops position for him? For that matter, keep him out of the spotlight until the time comes for activation (each season of “24”, naturally!). That would be the most efficient and logical way to deal with the Jack Bauer crisis!



Of course, Logan is just feeling his way through his presidency, and so he wants every potential problem to simply go away. And in this case, he’s banking on the hopes that the Chinese will never discover Jack’s survival, despite the fact that the terrorist activities currently plaguing his administration will ultimately involve Jack to some degree. Especially since the terrorists have completely uncovered Walt’s attempt at using their fervor against them, and Jack must now prevent the terrorists from using the nerve gas against American citizens.



Considering how the series usually goes, this is not a huge shock. Jack could hardly be involved in an operation that left the local time zone! What makes the episode work, however, is the use of the recurring theme of necessity vs. morality. The theme is not a new one, but it elevates the episode above the average transitional installment.

24 can so deftly intercut between the goriest of violence and the most touching moments of character connection. And tonight's episode perfectly represents for me, what is great about this show. I feel I experienced just about every emotion I could feel in an hour's time. The recap of last week's episode left me breathless waiting for the aftermath of the failed attempt on Jack's life. And so once again this episode hit the ground running instantly, immersing the viewer in the most narrative dense story structure on television. We have the thrill of tracking down the nerve gas and the Russian terrorists, intercut with Jack, Bill, and Lynn hatching a plot to capture Walt Cummings, and the Gaslight-esque subplot of Martha Logan on the run from her disbelieving husband, and the touching conversation reestablishing Jack and Audrey's love for one another. What a packed episode!

The acting in this episode alternates from the mundane to the sublime. On the one hand we have the immensely disappointing Connie Britton as Jack's temporary lover, Diane, whose acting has consisted so far of asking frantically, "Where is my son?" and now, mournfully to Audrey, "Do you still love Jack?" She represents the worst representation of women on 24, that of the whiny peripheral damsel in distress whose heart is broken by Jack, much like Teri Bauer, Kate Warner, Claudia, and Audrey in the previous four seasons. On the other hand, we have the brilliance of Kiefer Sutherland, who tonight clinched for me that he is the best actor on television. In one episode he believably conveyed his undying love for Audrey, his platonic love for Diane, his affection for Diane's son Derek, his desire to avenge David Palmer, his awe at returning to life at CTU, his threats of torturing Walt Cummings, and his mistrust of the vile President Logan. I can't remember any other point on television when I was so awed by an actor's emotional range. That Kiefer can profess his undying love for Audrey one minute, and try to gouge out the eyes of Walt Cummings the next believably is a masterwork of characterization. Jack is a normal guy who cares passionately and deeply for his friends and family. ( I can't wait for his reunion with Kim, even though Elisha Cuthbert is the worst actress ever). And yet his desire to control everything around him leads him to commit unthinkable acts of violence, that put him on par with the threat of the terrorists themselves. He represents our present-day masculine fantasy of what it means to be a superman. In the past that fantasy meant dreaming about having superpowers, being physically and mentally perfect. Today, our superman utlizes the resources around him, technological and human, to the fulfillment of an elaborate endgame, in Jack Bauer's case, counter-terrorism. I think it is true that most men would rather be involved in an elaborate heist, than have sex. I know that my whole life has been building up to the moment when I can yell into my cell phone like Jack saying, "Where is the van?! Where is the van?!!!"

That being said, I think that Jack Bauer is so much more interesting of a character than James Bond. Whereas 007 is so much more indifferent to the world situation, Bauer cares desperately to master his surroundings, control his environment, so that he can make the world safe for his friends and family. That is why only the deaths of Palmer and Michelle could have brought Jack back into the world of CTU. His world had to be shaken up enough to make him desire to correct it once again.

I can't believe how Audrey is so much more professional this season as well, being able to actually work in addition to reciprocating Jack's declaration of love.

Another alternatingly weak/brilliant element of the new season is Jean Smart as Martha Logan. I find her performance to be so over-the-top as barely worthy of any credulity. But taken in the Gaslight-inspired context it makes some sense.

Once again, 24 is the most swiftly, efficiently edited show on TV, obviously as indicated by the emotional range of this episode. But the ending of tonight's show really came out of nowhere for me. I feared that Walt would remain our main villain for the entire season, but now to think his storyline has run its course. I never dreamed that he would actually tell Logan about his terrorist plot, but of course it involved a brilliant undercurrent of blackmail. Of course, Logan was swayed into believing Cummings. Basically, this entire terrorist plot is an allegory for the current war in Iraq. Cummings orchestrated a deal with Russian-separatist terrorists to supply them with military-grade nerve gas which they could use to destroy Moscow and attain independence in the aftermath. Cummings double-crossed the terrorists, however, sending his man Shafer to rig the gas with detonators to explode immediately when it reached the terrorist camp. Cummings wanted to kill these terrorists but also prove that they possessed weapons-of-mass destruction so that the United States could intervene on behalf of Russia in a military campaign against this rogue Central Asian, Russian province, a war that would have been started with the whole point of ensuring America's continued access to oil in that region. Essentially, this storyline of presidential corruption involving WMDs to launch an unnecessary war against an innocent nation to acquire access to oil is representative of the war in Iraq, an incredibly liberal allegorical slant for a show which hosts Rush Limbaugh at its wrap parties.

Tonight's episode of 24 represents why this is the best show on TV: a psychological exploration of masculinity and masculine fantasies, the must swiftly, crisply intercut narrative with extraordinarily narratively dense exposition that sets people running for their Tivos, intense emotional acting range, with thematic elements containing contemporary relevance. What a contrast from the now sluggishly-paced Lost, which keeps adding new storylines rather than resolving old ones and leaving the viewer hanging and unsatisfied as a result. 24 on the other hand satisfies the viewer with its powerful narrative resolutions and swift pacing, which is why I think it is the best show on TV.

Waltman, Waltman, Waltman, you absolute moron. Who else would actually think working terrorists willing to kill a former President would be a good thing for the nation? While the subtle nod to WMD's was a bit much, it's nice to see Logan finally show some backbone dealing with him. And seeing Jack beat the hell out of the guy and then seeing the look on Cumming's face when he found out his plan backfired was one of the most richly satisfying sights the show has offered in a while.



I do fear that the First Lady may be pushed to the back burner for a while which is a shame as Jean Smart did wonders with what could easily have been a caricture and I hope she continues. It was awesome seeing Aaron risk his career to do his duty and right that he was recognized for it. I hope we see more of him too as the season wears on.



The stuff with Audrey and Diane seemed filler but hopefully it'll be grow into something more important. And I'm still waiting for Chloe to give the smackdown to Spencer on being used like that.



So now the terrorists have the nerve gas for real and Jack has to stop them. However, we know from experience that things in the early part of the season never turn out as you expect and we can bet there's a hell of a lot more going on, which makes the show so damn great.

Really enjoyed this episode, loved the scenes that involved aaron, that guy is just great with his legendary way that he says "Mr President". Loved it when jack beat up cummings, shame he didnt take out his eye. President Logan is getting more and more annoyingly stupid, and proved this by agreeing to go along with walt cummings. Overall great episode

Here are two items that crossed my mind while watching.



1) Kim Raver needs to get a nose job. Seriously, when they flash to her all I see is this crooked thing and it's really unattractive.



2) How long before Tony makes a miraculous recovery, jumps out of his bed. Then avenges Michelle's murder. I'm bettin' it's at the exact time Jack is in a corner w/ no way out.



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On a less sarcastic tone, I was surprised at Cummings outing himself. And once again the bad guys underestimate Jack.



Finally, once again it was clearly illustrated for us that Logan is a wuss. (Oh, he made me do it...boo hoo! It's not my fault...boo hoo!)



Roll on to the next hour!

This episode was a tad predictable. I knew the gas wasn't going to be there.



That said, it was classic. CTU countermanding authority, Jack being Jack, spies getting caught, then double crossed.



Really setting us up for some interesting developement. I wish it was over, so I could watch them all in order.



1. Diane - where is this going? Why would they keep her in the cut scenes unless she might be coming back?

2. Is this some plot to force President Logan to force the Russians to grant some type of seperation?

3. Aaron Pierce... my favourite character... Gotta love this guys loyalties, his beliefs and his devotion to what is right.

4. Martha Logan... poised for a real emotional beakdown?

5. Audrey still loves Jack. Can she get over the fact that he killed her ex-husband Paul Reigns?

6. Will we one again see the mass casualites from the last 2 seasons? (3 with the virus, four with the meltdowns.)

7. Will Chloe ever trust anyone ever again? Will/does Edgar have feelings for Chloe?

8. Seems like Spener knew they were going to kill Jack. What else does he know?

This episode reminded me of just how good Jack Bauer is. Though it isn\'t the best episode in 24 history, it was certainly the best of the season so far, and I can only hope that there is even better things to come! This is definately an episode that helps shape the rest of the season.