24

So, this started with the a great play - Jack brother tries to kill Jack and their father but they manage to get off and get Graem.. so it is from there to find out what he hides - and what he hides is a big secret - he reviles that he ordered the assassination of Palmer, Almeida and Dessler... and how Jack reacts.. that was stunning - we have seen him being angry but not like that.. He is ready to kill his brother..



But I think even more surprising is the end when it comes out that Jack father is behind it too - and it has all been an act..

There is a lot to like in this episode. Despite the fact that we have seen it numerous times in this series, it's always good to see Jack doing his job and getting info from suspects. That is one part of the show that is consistently exciting and very entertaining. I had a bit of trouble with the coincidence involving Morris' capture. Just as he finds out he has been set up McCarthy shows up and captures him. Talk about perfect timing! Peter MacNicol over acts a little but overall this is a very good hour of "24." Watch it.

The Graem arc comes to a close. Though I'd barely consider it an arc; pretty much all he ever did was sit around on the phone with Logan or get pushed around by his smarter, tougher, prettier brother. So how 'bout just…Graem comes to a close?

Jack escapes his predicament and heads back for a little brother-to-brother confrontation. More pharmaceutical torture courtesy of CTU? Why not?! As usual, it doesn't prove all that useful, at least not for anything regarding S6. But hey, Jack now knows how wrong Henderson was about the whole "touch them/touch you" thing.

So the Sandra plotline turns out to have been less significant than originally thought. But as much as I despised it to begin with, I cannot discredit it completely. One phone conversation with Wayne sparks a plot development that'll take the DC storyline quite a ways through the following hours.

And McCarthy finds a second engineer, whose identity CTU tries to decrypt. In the meantime, Morris gets a suspicious alert about his brother being exposed to radiation. I wonder where this is going…?

An alright episode apart from the excellent Jack plot. A big loose end from last season is finally tied up here, even if Jack doesn't make any progress in stopping Fayed. After multiple seasons without any mention, not only are Jack's other relatives introduced, but some of them are Bigbad material. If the big S5 scheme to make Jack the assassination patsy reeked of cockamamity to you (no, that's not a real word), then take great satisfaction in this, the most rational explanation that Joel Surnow could come up with!



Hourly Highlight:

Graem's confession/Jack's conniption.

Okay, so Graem's the bad guy, right? Right. But does it stop there? Apparently not. Though this episode did have some good plot twists, especially regarding Jack's father and brother, the entire plotline still doesn't appeal that much to me. I like 24, I think it's brilliant, but there's just something about this episode I don't like. The entire family thing is a little weird and seems a bit off-beat to me. Anyways, the Morris thing I kind guessed. I love when I'm right, but at the same time... You'd think Morris - or ANYONE else at CTU for that matter - would have pointed out that he had the qualifications and should not be allowed out of the building. I mean, terrorist is looking for someone to arm bombs, you are able to arm them, you get a weird call saying your brother is in the hospital bc he was somewhere where he wasn't supposed to be... You can't verify the information... Overall, it was a good episode, and the particular twists involving Morris and Jack's dad were nicely done.

I don't know... on one hand the episode had some great moments. On the other it had some really lousy moments as well.



One of the great ones was that Sandra Palmer (aka Kate Warner squared) finally did something good and didn't annoy me at all. Her speech to Wayne on the phone was great; finally I saw some Palmer in her. Which leads me directly into the second thing I really liked about this episode, namely Wayne Palmer's statement to the cabinett. I really hope they won't do a reprise of late season two with the vice president here, but aside from that, everything about this scene was awesome. 24 has often been criticised for being anti-muslim, so it was great to see them take a stand and prove that they're not.



Interestingly enough, this episode also provided the only torture scene I've ever seen which moved me. It was Jack's reactions throughout the scene and how he held Graem which I found really moving. It was good to see that in Jack - that he still hasn't lost his humanity and that he hates having to do these kind of things. This was the first scene where I really got the feeling that he cared for his brother.



On the downside, the big revelation towards the end was a downer. It felt kind of cheap, and especially what Daddy Bauer did towards the end of the scene. For some reason I can't picture that man having raised Jack. I wonder what Mommy Bauer was like... I was actually suspecting that maybe the wife had something to do with it all, but alas, they went for the more obvious one with the dad.



I was also quite annoyed by the whole "who is the mystery computer guy?" storyline. They barely even bothered to try and make it a surprise that it was Morris. Actually he pretty much had a sign on his forehead saying "It's me". I had expected a whole lot more. And as a side note... It really annoyed me to surf on to this site today and see huge headlines screaming out that a certain someone is still alive. I didn't even know that certain someone was supposed to be dead! I mean, I get that on this site there are spoilers for those of us who don't live in the US, but is it necessary to have it on the starting page so that it's the first thing you see when you surf by? I stay cleer of most forums to avoid spoilers, since I live in Sweden and we're usually half a season (at the least) after America. But I can't very well stay away from the main page. Ugh...

This episode is like the best one from the 6th season...It shows Jack as a guy with a lot of determination...The part when he tortures his own brother, to find out where McCarthy is, shows what Jack is capable of to save his country...Although Graem has a tough personality, he can't resist the interrogation and he admits his involvement in Palmer's assassination...This I thought a very big mistake because he may have told Jack something less grave, something that would not have put him behind bars for the rest of his life...But the most unpredictable character was Phillip Bauer, the father of Jack and Graem, who seeing in what danger he was of being discovered for his involvement in the terrorist affairs, has no other choice but to sacrifice Graem, and then make it appear that Jack is the responsible for his death...I think he was right, when he told Jack that he didn't deserved a family like that...Another unpredictable moment, was when President Palmer decides not to put into practice those measures that suspended some rights of the American people in general, and of those of the Muslims in special...10/10.

Alright, lots of stuff to discuss here. Normally I review Prison Break first but had too much 24 thoughts and needed to write them all down before I forgot. So anyway, definitely more heart racing than the past two hours, but still think all four hours of the premiere have still been the shining moments of Season 6 so far. But there were plenty of instances in Hour Seven that I really believe can make or break the rest of the season. The way I see it, there were three really good things about this episode and three really bad things about this episode. To end on a positive note, we'll start with the bad.



THE BAD



1) Major Disappointment in Karen Hayes



Not happy at all with Karen's departure from Washington. Especially now that Palmer has denied Tom's proposals again, he now has no support to back him up. But I guess that's how own fault for barely putting up a fight an hour ago for her to stay. Just this whole story in general makes me mad. I find it so hard to believe that someone occupying a government position in the White House as the President's National Security Adviser would just cave in so easily and resign. It just made Karen look so weak which is a shame because I like Karen's character a lot, and this really reflects so poorly on her. If they were looking for an excuse to get Karen back to CTU to be with Bill, there had to a better way than this that wouldn't reduce her character's credibility. But who knows, still 17 hours to go for Karen to get her hopeful redemption. However, anything less than Tom dying a slow, painful death isn't redemption enough.



2) Season 2 All Over Again?



So after President David, I mean President Wayne, refuses to go to war based on evidence Jack believes is fabricated, I mean refuses to lock up every American Muslim, his Chief of Staff Mike, I mean Chief of Staff Tom, conspires with Vice President Prescott, I mean Vice President Daniels, to overthrow Palmer from office so they can implement their own plans. Some of that you can say is merely speculation at this point, but I think it's painfully obvious that's the direction this storyline is heading. The only difference really is that when Palmer was removed from office second season, Mike's betrayal was a jawdropper. Tom's already a douche bag and we wouldn't expect anything less from him. Also of course the circumstances by which Palmer was overthrown in Season Two were different than what they would be here, but the basics of the storyline are ultimately a carbon copy from Season Two. Don't get me wrong; I love Season Two. It's probably the most complex and well written season 24's ever had and I realize when a show has gone on for this long it's nearly impossible to not recycle some storylines, but this is a major one. I also realize the day is still young and this storyline has only begun to unfold, but I hope for the show's sake they take a drastically different approach to it than second season. Because recycling old and major storylines like they would be doing here is usually the first indication that a series is getting stale.



3) Twists Becoming Too Predictable



For a series that's known for their unpredictable twists, this episode in particular made it seem as though they were losing their touch. One, it became increasingly more obvious throughout the episode that Morris would be McCarthy's engineer. I'm just glad that Morris isn't actually in on it or even kind of in on it like Season 5 Spenser. There's only so much our poor Chloe can take. Predictability aside though, I thought the execution of the twist was brilliant. I'm sure there was a nationwide string of groans when we were told that Morris' brother would join Adam's sister and Edgar's Mom on the list of CTU family members killed by the threat and creating annoying subplots and insensitive Chloe comments. Now that we know it was just part of the setup to kidnap Morris, it'll be Chloe hearing insensitive comments and putting whatever jackass who says something (probably Milo) in their place. Then there was the twist of Jack's Dad still being involved. Well him killing one of their executioners before Jack could question him and having a few shifty facial expressions throughout the episode didn't help in hiding the secret shocker at the end. On the subject of twists, I'll say this. I've been in agreement that the huge amazing bombshell twist they usually drop once a season is unnecessary at times (the shooting down of Air Force One in Season Four was definitely the most overrated and overhyped twist they've ever had... mainly because it seemed pretty clear the idea was only thought up a few episodes in advance, much like all of Season 4 in general but that's besides the point). But in other times however, I think the big shocking twist is very necessary and I feel this season needs it. But I'm not talking the big bombshell twist of "OMG! Nina's the mole!" or "OMG! Logan's behind the conspiracy!" The big shock of someone being bad that you never thought could be bad is a road they've taken too many times. The twist they need is the kind of twist that occurred in Season Three. The sting operation twist might have been the most creative and unique twist I've ever seen in any TV show or movie. It was just executed so perfectly and provided a complete swap to the story that the season really needed at the time. THAT'S the kind of move this season needs to make. I really hope the ex-Russian general that Jack's Dad and McCarthy got the nukes from is somehow connected to last season's conspiracy. That would really shake things up a bit and add another element to the story instead of the season turning into another finding Marwan before he blows up America. Ok sorry I'm rambling a lot right now, onto the good...



THE GOOD



1) Very Little Sandra Palmer



My uncertainty towards Sandra Palmer in the premiere went to a strong dislike an episode later and went to thinking of cool ways for her to meet her demise soon after that. There's really just nothing I like about her character and just about everything I don't like about her character irritates the crap out of me. I really hope in the end Karen is the lead contributor to taking down Tom and not Sandra. Karen needs it for the revenge. Sandra would probably whine and brag about it in that annoying screeching voice. Did I mention how much I don't like her? Well anyway, her minimal amount of screen time this episode was very rewarding as it eliminated the last two episodes' insanity of her having a bigger role than Chloe (who I might add finally got some more screen time this episode and now that Morris is kidnapped should definitely have even more next week). But yea, little Sandra time is always good. Maybe I'm being harsh, but whenever she's on screen I feel as though it puts me in a bad mood for at least the next five minutes of the episode. Jack could be asking for a hacksaw again and I'd still be frustrated over Sandra's most recent whine.



2) Wayne Finally Proving He's David's Brother



After six hours of seemingly Logan-ish decisions, it seemed as though Wayne was was just the second black as President, now finally we can refer to him as the second Palmer as President. Though David would never have even let it get this far, it's good to see that Wayne isn't bringing disgrace to the Palmer name (he just leaves that job to Sandra). But if there is a developing plot to overthrow Wayne from the presidency, it'll be interesting to see how many David-like qualities he really has. More importantly, it'll be interesting to see if the one and only Aaron returns to help him like he did with David. Of course he won't have Karen by his side to protect him after letting her resign with less of a fight than Rex Grossman in the Super Bowl, but I'm not gonna be bitter about Karen anymore, I promise...



3) Kiefer Clinching Emmy # 2



Topped only by Jack's goodbye to Kim in the plane in Season Two and the sacrificing of Audrey's husband in Season Four, the interrogation of Graem might have been the best acted scene Kiefer's ever done on 24. The whole scene from start to finish was emotionally intense on so many levels. The return of Burke torture specialist prompted Jack to order 4 CCs of hyocine-pentothal injected into his brother's nerves while at the same time cradling him in his arms as he screams in pain. Kiefer nailed it to perfection. For whatever reason though, Graem is protecting something more than just his involvement and won't give up McCarthy, but instead gives up perhaps equally making-Jack-mad-information when he admits to directing last season's conspiracy and ordering the assassinations of David Palmer, Tony Almeida, and Michelle Dessler, AND forcing Jack out of hiding to take the fall. "We are not the same!" Jack screams at his brother while pushing his chair back after Graem claimed that everything he has done has been out of love for his country. This sets Jack into scary angry mode and he nearly kills his brother till he sees his father standing in the doorway. "Ok, I won't kill your other son," Jack thinks to himself. "Yea, save that for me," Daddy Bauer thinks to himself as he prepares to kill Graem at the end of the hour to prevent him from saying anything else that would hinder whatever involvement it is they have with the nukes. I'm still so confused as to what their involvement could possibly be if it's more than just covering it up yet at the same time "doing what's best for the country" as Graem (and Jack's Dad?) did last season. All I do know is that the inevitable Jack Bauer meltdown might take place sometime soon. He is going to snap worse than ever before once he finds out his father is involved.



So yea, things definitely picked up a bit this week compared to the past couple episodes. And I do like the slow build up into the bigger climax as shown in the first three seasons versus the insanely fast pace without that big of a climax of Seasons Four and Five, but I don't know, there still seems to be that extra jolt of excitement missing from this season. But two hours next week and I have a feeling this might be the catapult into the big thrill ride that this season's mysteriously been lacking so far.



Overall Episode Rating: 8.6

Jack and his dad are brought to an abandoned quarry by Graem's death squad. Just as they were about to be executed, Jack and his dad overpowers their captors. Jack contacts CTU and he goes back to Graem's house with back up so he can be apprehended quickly. This episode goes by so fast, but it feels like it's a full episode. There's enough content in it to make it really exciting. I had a really good time watching this, plots twists are shown in this one. Jack Bauer's day becomes complicated when the bad guys are plotting to get people killed. Awesome episode.

Bauers Jack and Phillip thwart Graem's attempt to have them killed and then return the favor. The analysts back at CTU decipher a file that will tell them who Fayed plans to use to reprogram the nukes, only to be suprised at what they find. With Karen gone, Tom Lennox tries to make his move. Walid continues to be useless.



I think the continued melodrama with Jack and his family is really hurting my enjoyment of this storyline. I continue not to care about Graem, but considering that he dies by the end of the hour, hopefully it will start to get more interesting.



So far, the only payoff we really have from this storyline is Jack discovering his brother's involvement in the events of last season (and not even the full extent of them). I figured that this was going to happen eventually, but considering that Graem dies a little less than a half hour later, what's the payoff? Jack can't bring himself to kill Graem, and I doubt we'll have Jack reflecting over these revelations in the coming episodes.



There's been some speculation online about the possibility of Graem's son (Josh) actually being fathered by Jack. I personally don't think that it'll go this way (and if it does I'll be severely disappointed), but I can't help but feel the same way about Josh that I did about Kim in Seasons 1 and 2 - as in, whenever he's on camera and actually has any lines, I feel like shoving something hot and sharp into my eardrum. The kid can't act, folks. Not too thrilled with the revelation that Papa Bauer is actually in on whatever's going on, but I suppose it was to be expected. I'll say one thing though - it makes a lot more sense than President Logan's turn initially did last season.



The one scene with Walid and Sandra was boring and pointless. Walid is the "bravest, most principled man" Sandra's ever met? Sure, it sounds good and makes him feel all fuzzy, but is she serious? I guess she never met her other brother. You know, President David Palmer?



Speaking of the Palmers in general - I'd like to make a quick digression here. Did you ever notice how almost every Vice President is either evil or somehow otherwise shady? You had VP Prescott in Season 2, who wanted to start a war. Logan wasn't so bad when he was VP, but then he became the President and went all evil. His VP, Hal Gardner, ended up not being so bad, but he was still pretty shady until the big reveal about Logan. And now we've got this skeeze of a VP, Noah Daniels, who seems to have some kind of eeevil plan. I mean, come on, 24 writers - I know that Dick Cheney is a pretty evil guy, but that doesn't mean that every Vice President in the history of the world is, am I right?



This new direction with Morris and the nukes actually makes me sort of interested with the character. I never bought his introduction last season and I've never really fallen for this charm that seems to have endeared him to so many fans in such a short amount of time. This new story could go a long way in making me not so indifferent about him.



I'm still not really sure how I feel about this season. The first four episodes were explosive and great and (for the most part) everything that makes 24 a great show. I've been pretty mixed about every episode since, though. Hopefully with this "long lost brother" subplot out of the way, things will start kicking up again.

This episode was more than just a filler episode, which I'm not sure even exist on 24, because each episode is revealing and action-packed. I was surprised that Graem was the one who ordered the assassination of President David Palmer and was responsible for Tony's death and Michelle's death. I figured that Phillip Bauer was a bad guy. I can't wait till the next episode which will be a two hour event, and hopefully be great. I think that this season is just as good as last so far, and will probably get even better, I'm sure that the writers have something up their sleeves that will really surprise us .

24 always was preposterous. However they are starting to jump the shark on a regular basis.



And why is James Cromwell in every tv series that has ever been made. He's too identified with other shows. Plus he does NOT look like either JB or the guy who used to play Romano. Plus, hello, in what world were those two ever brothers?



Too many conspiracies going on, it's doing my head in.



And having seen footage of the streets of New York in the aftermath of September 11th, I do not believe that there would be anything other than complete and utter pandemonium if a nuke exploded in Los Angeles. The streets would be jammed with cars, people would be running around screaming.



On the bright side, I sincerely hope that knob of a guy who is Chloe's boyfriend comes to a sticky end. Chloe was endearing, this guy is just plain rude.



Why is it that everyone who works at CTU is incapable of the most basic courtesy to their co-workers. A bomb has just exploded. Petty ego driven arguments would not happen.

The show is at last getting back to its best after a poor start to the series. However, having said that, some of the plot lines are so contrived it makes me wince. Morris being the only engineer who can set up the nuclear device? Jacks father being the evil mastermind who Jack implicitly trusts? Then again, thinking about it, 24 has always had some very construed plot lines, but as long as they keep the action coming thick and fast in the end it will always turn out tops. The interrogation of Graem was the highlight of the episode for me, but the Presidential commentaries on civil liberties is getting a bit wearing. I hope that part of the story starts getting a bit more interesting.

Plot: Jack gets over his aversion to interrogation by working out some aggression on his younger brother. President Palmer convenes his cabinet of military extremists to debate the merits of Tom’s racism. Sayid finds a new programmer for his nukes and the true face of evil is finally revealed. Hint it’s a Bauer.



This episode will stand out as a low point in what has so far been a very strong season. The main problem is the writers have been completely overlooking the nuclear issue. Oh, they throw us the occasional mushroom cloud in the distance shot, but there is so much more they could be focusing on. Pandemonium, riots, anarchy in the streets: Attica! Attica! For all that was revealed in this episode, I felt that it was lacking and won’t remain nearly as memorable as the first four hours have been.



At the White House, we are once again treated to Wayne Palmer’s ineffective presidency. Why do these presidents persist in surrounding themselves with insane advisers and Vice Presidents just waiting to stab them in the back? The Vice President might as well have been sitting in a recliner, stroking a white cat, for all the subtly he portrayed. Even George Bush has the common sense to surround himself with intelligent advisers. He just chooses not to listen to them. Oh topical humor, you have no place in Jack Bauer’s world. The writers are setting up some sort of coup to get rid of Wayne, completely rehashing season 2. Also, it was season two that had the nukes: coincidence?



Thankfully, the Walid storyline has been shoved to the sidelines. However, the writers have contrived to have yet another family member’s life at stake. Sayid needs a new programmer and Morris O’Brien fits the bill. He doesn’t even follow orders from his boss, how much help is he really going to be to the terrorists? Of course his boss is Milo and the terrorists could always threaten to make him have sex with Chloe again. A torture no man, not even Jack could endure. Constant nagging and sighing, just picture it and you will go flaccid.



Jack and his father manage to escape being murdered by Graham’s hired goons. The bad guys were ultimately defeated when both Bauer’s fused together into some form of super being. After interrogating the crap out of Graham, Jack forces him to confess to all of the crimes of season five. You are so going to jail Graham, based on all the evidence Jack just got out of your illegal torture and confession! Watch out constitution, Jack just took a huge dump all over you. In the end, none of this really matters as the true face of evil is finally revealed to be Jack’s father! How he intends to cover up killing his own son is beyond me. Clearly, the doctor won’t notice the empty syringe and the missing poison. Why would anybody notice a little detail like that? Parting Thought: The Osbournes have nothing on the Bauers.

www.lifereviewed.com

Plot: Jack gets over his aversion to interrogation by working out some aggression on his younger brother. President Palmer convenes his cabinet of military extremists to debate the merits of Tom’s racism. Sayid finds a new programmer for his nukes and the true face of evil is finally revealed. Hint it’s a Bauer.



This episode will stand out as a low point in what has so far been a very strong season. The main problem is the writers have been completely overlooking the nuclear issue. Oh, they throw us the occasional mushroom cloud in the distance shot, but there is so much more they could be focusing on. Pandemonium, riots, anarchy in the streets: Attica! Attica! For all that was revealed in this episode, I felt that it was lacking and won’t remain nearly as memorable as the first four hours have been.



At the White House, we are once again treated to Wayne Palmer’s ineffective presidency. Why do these presidents persist in surrounding themselves with insane advisers and Vice Presidents just waiting to stab them in the back? The Vice President might as well have been sitting in a recliner, stroking a white cat, for all the subtly he portrayed. Even George Bush has the common sense to surround himself with intelligent advisers. He just chooses not to listen to them. Oh topical humor, you have no place in Jack Bauer’s world. The writers are setting up some sort of coup to get rid of Wayne, completely rehashing season 2. Also, it was season two that had the nukes: coincidence?



Thankfully, the Walid storyline has been shoved to the sidelines. However, the writers have contrived to have yet another family member’s life at stake. Sayid needs a new programmer and Morris O’Brien fits the bill. He doesn’t even follow orders from his boss, how much help is he really going to be to the terrorists? Of course his boss is Milo and the terrorists could always threaten to make him have sex with Chloe again. A torture no man, not even Jack could endure. Constant nagging and sighing, just picture it and you will go flaccid.



Jack and his father manage to escape being murdered by Graham’s hired goons. The bad guys were ultimately defeated when both Bauer’s fused together into some form of super being. After interrogating the crap out of Graham, Jack forces him to confess to all of the crimes of season five. You are so going to jail Graham, based on all the evidence Jack just got out of your illegal torture and confession! Watch out constitution, Jack just took a huge dump all over you. In the end, none of this really matters as the true face of evil is finally revealed to be Jack’s father! How he intends to cover up killing his own son is beyond me. Clearly, the doctor won’t notice the empty syringe and the missing poison. Why would anybody notice a little detail like that? Parting Thought: The Osbournes have nothing on the Bauers.

www.lifereviewed.com

I know many watchers express some doubts regarding Jack's family plot... after watching this episode, my opinion is that 24 is winning its bet... I really appreciate writers's effort to develop new plotlines and characters. We don't have only threats and bombs. This season is built like a shakesperian tragedy and is totally about Jack. Just back from China hell, he's forced to confront himself with his deep past... Graem's torture scene was simply great, one of the most touching and powerful in 24 history. And, last but not least, Kiefer's iterpretation was simply superb!

Just I can't imagine how Jack'll survive this family mess and go forward...

First of all, i am shocked that so many people are rating this episode poorly, It was a freaking great episode, i know that Jack's family is getting a little tiring to deal with, but its still an important part of the story. Especially his brother and his dad, well at least his dad at this stage, who are involved in the days events. I'm glad to see that the 24 i love is going strong again, i must say that i was a little irritated with how it was looking after the fifth episode, kind of cheesy and irritating, but this makes up for it in my opinion.

I usually love the show so much but the show needs to focus and get back to terrorism rather than focus on Jack's personal problems. Sure it was ok to focus on his now deceased wife and daughter. But with his father and brother, that crosses a line. Jack really has some problems that make him not able to get the job done. He needs to put those aside in order to concentrate on the job at hand.

Please note: While my rating is still low, it's higher than my other ratings for this season. Believe me, I'm waiting for the day I can give it a 10.

First, I'll give the thorns before the rose. BIG THORN: At what point did Graem and Philip Bauer conspire to kill Jack at the construction site? Did they use some baseball hand signals, that I missed, during the time they were all together in the office building? Also, why did the guys at the construction site want Jack and Dad to kneel before shooting? Could it have been because it would be easier to drag the bodies into the hole rather than just let them fall in? Good thing they tried doing this during lunch when nobody was at the quarry! Also, why did Philip turn around and ask the guy about looking him in the eye if he were in on the shooting? I mean, just shoot Jack and then get the heck out of Dodge. Of course, I realize if they shot Jack there would be no series. So, forget everything I've just said. Even with all the excitment at the end, did you still notice a strange lack of intensity permeating this episode? I'll site 3 little things although there are more. Next time you have occasion to see the episode notice, when Bill B. takes a call from Jack at the quarry, how the CTU staff in front of him appear. The guy to the right looks like he's talking to someone about last night's superbowl ads and the girl to the left appears to be in the middle of a tough hand of solitaire. Later during the scene where Jack busts into Gray's place with 1400 SWAT guys the writers chose to have the kid say, "what are you doing to my Dad?" I don't know... it just sort of takes the air out of the drama that just occurred. Finally, speaking of the SWAT guys. What are they all doing standing around behind Jack while he's sitting on the brick wall talking to CTU? Are they all out there just hangin' around on a smoke break? Don't they have some other house they should be busting into? Seein' Jack just sittin' there too seems a bit out of character. Kinda like seein' batman standin' in line at an ATM or somthing.

Someone in another review mentioned that they actually yawned for the first time during an interrogation scene seeing there have been so many similar over the years. My daughter wasn't too involved in the scene either. In fact, at the most "intense" moment while Jack was yelling and holding a gun to Graem and then noticing his Dad at the door quietly standing, my daugher said, during the dramatic pause, "that'll do pig."

Biggest thorn of all: Am I the only one who's a little troubled by nearly all of the bad guys on this show stating they did their evil due to the love of their country? What's the idea being presented here? I'll think I'll post my first forum message on this one.

Now for the rose of the episode: Graem has a new theme song and it goes something like this...

"Na, na, na na. Na, na, na na. Hey, hey hey! Goodbye!" May Sandra soon follow.

The way this episode opened was great: revisiting the nuclear attack and continuing to see how the public and media are reacting to the nuclear detonation. I was also glad to see the early quick scene between Karen and Bill which showcased their frustrations with the way the day is going.



We were only subject to one Sandra Palmer scene, and actually, it was quite necessary in compelling Wayne to not sign the order. For once, her screentime seemed warranted. Although DB Woodside's acting this season has been inconsistent to say the least (probably one of the weaker members of the huge cast), his performance in this episode, however, was pretty solid. As always, however, Peter MacNicol's Tom Lennox stole every scene he was in. He continues to be a most welcome addition to the cast.



While a little predictable, the ongoings on C.T.U. were necessary and helped to progress Morris into the field to set the stage for next week's two-hour event. I really enjoyed Chloe and Morris' scenes together, especially when she convinced him to stay. Great performances by both actors.



And now, onto the main event. The interrogation scene between Jack and Graem was Emmy-worthy. Kiefer Sutherland and Paul McCrane turned in incredible performances, with the highlight coming when Graem was trying to explain to Jack that they were "the same" and Jack's subsequent reaction "We are not the same!" This scene was the best written and acted scene, definitely this season, but perhaps even in the history of the show. Jack's mixed feelings, ones of anger and of grief, were displayed in Jack's facial expressions in a way which made the audience cringe (someone please handover the Emmy to Kiefer Sutherland right now). I didn't think the episode could get any better until the final scene between Phillip and his son. Another triumph by the writers and a beautifully-crafted twist allowed for this cliffhanger to be both shocking and believable at the same time. Just wait until Jack finds out about his father being involved!



Also of note: Cheers to Powers Boothe for a great first impression as Palmer's potentially dissenting Vice President. Here's hoping it won't turn out exactly like Season 2's removal of the President from office, but we'll see. This episode has renewed my faith in the writers that Season 6 could become the best of them all.



My only quarrel of this episode came when Jack and Marilyn shared a scene which treaded dangerously close into soap-opera territory. As someone on the 24um said yesterday, I hope she and her son don't get "Behrooz"-ed and disappear. I am looking for a payoff here, unlike the disappointing one that came last episode after having to endure several scenes with the whiny Sandra Palmer, whose portrayer, Regina King, is being unfairly wasted as she is a very talented actress.



Final Comments: While this episode won't be remembered as a "series classic" unlike the nuke episode earlier this season or the one in Season 2, this episode will always be thought of in my mind as a great character-driven hour of television. The writing in this episode was phenominal, as were the performances, especially by some of the weaker members of the cast. Jack and his family have become the backbone of this season in terms of relationships, and it should stay that way. God knows we don't need C.T.U. and its relationships within to dominate the story telling. Although some may see this episode as transitional in nature, it turned out to be pivotal for giving heretofore unexplored characters some depth and establishing a sense of continuity and re-establishing faith in the writing staff.



10/10

First off i must say some good writing by making it look as though Graem was the evil mastermind and that Phillip was totally oblivious to his younger sons actions. When in reality it turns out Phillip is the one who is really calling the shots. That part of the show really intrigued me and kept my interest. However this whole situation with the President , his advisor Tom Lennox, and the vice president is driving me up the wall. As someone who over the holidays watched season 2 again on dvd this is blatant rehash of that storyline. It definitely seems like their barking up the tree again of overthrowing the President cause some people on his staff are absolutely nuts and want things done their way. Really David and Wayne both really dropped the ball on their selection of advisors and especially on the selection of their running mates. It really is messed up when a show doesnt ripoff someone else's idea but redoes one of their own previous ones.All in all thougn a still somewhat good episode that just has me worried and wondering where the show is headed.

Wow, so Jacks Dad quietly suffocates his own son, kisses him on the forehead then tries to blame his death on the government. This is one seriously screwed up family. At least the ER one armed surgeon bit the dust early. Even on ER he was annoying.



One person has already pointed out that it was unrealistic to have a government agent interrogate a member of his own family and the leave him alone so his father could lovingly snuff him. But then again, alot of things on 24 arent realistic when confined to a 24 hour day.



Next week will focus on Fayeds attempt to get Morris to arm his 4 remaining suitcase nukes. Will Jack ride in and save the day yet again? Or will they suprise us and another nuke will go off? Though this season is probably one of the weakest, its still excellent TV and theres still plenty of time to thrill the viewers with an unexpected twist or 2.

Wow, so Jacks Dad quietly suffocates his own son, kisses him on the forehead then tries to blame his death on the government. This is one seriously screwed up family. At least the ER one armed surgeon bit the dust early. Even on ER he was annoying.



One person has already pointed out that it was unrealistic to have a government agent interrogate a member of his own family and the leave him alone so his father could lovingly snuff him. But then again, alot of things on 24 arent realistic when confined to a 24 hour day.



Next week will focus on Fayeds attempt to get Morris to arm his 4 remaining suitcase nukes. Will Jack ride in and save the day yet again? Or will they suprise us and another nuke will go off? Though this season is probably one of the weakest, its still excellent TV and theres still plenty of time to thrill the viewers with an unexpected twist or 2.

This episode was co-written by Howard Gordon and Manny Coto. This is an unusual combination, but perhaps a good one. After all, Gordon is infamous for bringing good ideas to the table, but falling short on execution. Coto has gained a great deal of respect for his ability to take good ideas and make them better. The question is: which side of the partnership will dominate?



The Bauer family politics are still convoluted and astonishingly weak. The writers appear to be asking the fans to accept that Jack has always been the favorite son, but his withdrawal from his family after Teri’s death in the first season led to Graem’s rise as the Bauer heir apparent. So how many of Jack’s incredibly bad days were orchestrated behind the scenes by his own brother? Will this finally be the glue that ties the series together, given all the hints and innuendo of such connections?



Allowing Jack to question members of his own family, even under the time-sensitive circumstances, is a ludicrous idea. The personal relationship between Jack and Graem makes the interrogation incredibly hard for Jack, and that dynamic is mined for all its worth. It’s also precisely the reason why it would never be allowed. Jack might be on hand, but someone else should have been leading the effort.



Things get a lot more interesting when Graem starts confessing for his implication in the events of the fifth season. For just a moment, there’s a glimpse of the loss and grief that should have been more consistently depicted in the fifth season, and it’s entirely genuine. But it leads to the anticipated moment when Jack steps over the line, in essence, proving Graem’s assertion that he and Jack are willing to do whatever it takes from what they believe. Had the writers taken more time to build up Graem’s rationale, making him less of a two-dimensional villain, that might have held more water and generated stronger drama.



Thankfully they didn’t have Jack interrogating Graem with the rest of the family in earshot. Of course, no one thinks to keep Phillip Bauer from walking into the middle of the situation, which is rather hard to believe. One might suspect that Phillip’s silent role in stopping Jack was evidence of Coto’s superior writing ability, giving more credence to Gordon’s likely idea of the interrogation. Unfortunately, nothing was going to salvage the predictable scene at the end. Phillip’s involvement, and his decision to take out Graem, was telegraphed from the moment he walked back into the house.



One problem with this plot twist is the lack of proper build-up to the reveal. This episode cements the idea that the multi-national interest Graem was running in the fifth season was, in fact, the Bauer family legacy, masterminded by Phillip. Yet there’s not one shred of detail in previous episodes to suggest such a thing. It all seems very contrived, as if scribbled out on the back of an envelope. In fact, it’s hard to internalize the implications, because the audience was never given the time to process the possibilities. This is one of the worst plot progressions on the show in quite some time.



For all the faults in the characterization of CTU agents this season, in just a handful of episodes, there is a solid core of competence. Bill is canny enough to recognize when things aren’t adding up with Jack, and he didn’t question Jack’s advice (though he could use those instincts more often). The rest of the team is also working together well, at least before the personal issue retread. The situation with Morris’ brother is remarkably similar to the situation with Edgar’s mother in the fourth season, and it was played up in much the same manner. Thankfully, the final result was far more interesting.



The revelation that Morris is the engineer with the skills necessary to assist Fayed with the next stage of the plan is relatively predictable, but it does offer the potential of some dramatic twists in the next few episodes. Certainly Chloe should be in a different frame of mind than usual. Hopefully this won’t lead to any accusations based on the silly love triangle theatrics in the premiere.



It’s surprising that some in the TV critic community have chosen to disparage DB Woodside as President Wayne Palmer. No, he’s not David Palmer, but he shouldn’t be. He manages to project his own set of strengths and weaknesses without seeming like a simple copy from his brother’s mold. It may have been an unlikely choice for president, but I think it gives the writers interesting material to work with, and that’s a necessary element at this point in the season.



For once, Sandra Palmer’s subplot is placed in reasonable perspective. Instead of foaming at the mouth, Sandra makes a good argument for why Tom’s initiatives violate the principles of the nation. Wayne makes an interesting call, and it will place him in direct conflict with the Vice President and Tom’s other allies. Wayne may not be the best speaker in the world, but he has plenty of gravitas in his own way.



The first major turn in the season arc usually comes around episode 8, and sure enough, the next installment is a two-episode event. Most likely, this will focus on saving Morris and preventing the next nuclear attack. One would also expect the fallout from Graem’s death to play an important part in the story. Given how easily Phillip seems to manipulate Jack, it would be interesting to see if Phillip starts to play on Jack’s lack of confidence, something dropped since episode 4.



More to the point, if the writers manage to salvage this plot thread, they will have to keep Phillip alive and in the middle of the action for as long as possible. The writers need to establish a clear and reasonable rationale for why Phillip would sacrifice Jack and Graem for the sake of the family business. They also need to develop a strong conflict for Jack within that context. The elements are there, but so far, they haven’t been developed as well as they could have.

It was nice to see Wayne stand his ground for once and actually prevent the slimeball Lennox from walking all over him, I also got the impression that Wayne is suspicious of Tom. I like the President's storyline in this episode as it raised to another level and actually started takin shape. The fact that the vice president seems dodgey has certain connotations that I think will have interesting repercussions, including the fact that he told Tom that he doesn't think Wayne "has the stomach" to run Presidency.



The scenes with Jack and Graham were brilliantly shot. It really sucked me into the drama and I was cringing in my seat, sympathising not only with Graham, but mainly Jack. The acting when he grabs Graham's head to try to console him antithesised with his ruthlessness when he shouts "2 more CCs". Graham's pain really seemd real and I commend his acting greatly. The scene was so powerful, and I would have given this episode above 9.5 simply for that. There's something important going on with Josh that I can't quite place my finger on... I need some more episodes to deduce.



A few people really don't like Morris, however I have always loved his character. He is a breath of fresh air to the stuffy, logical, straight workers of CTU. His language (and accent) is just nice to see and hear: his constant referral to Chloe as "Yes, darling", I love. This episode saw a different side of Morris that I loved: the down to earth man with feelings. I felt he found a perfect balance between crying and sad and his ego and manlyhood.



I thought it a wonderful twist with him that Fayed is going to use him. This plotline has me on the edge of my seat: what the hell is going to happen? Can you see Morris doing what he is told? Etc, etc. Instead of being a mole inside CTU (which I initually thought was the case when his picture popped up), there is a slight twist to it. The twist with Philip and Graham I fear was foreseeable, but it didn't prevent it from having an impact on me. It just confirmed Philip's sleaziness. It was well done though, however I am slightly sad that we are going to lose Graham - he was a good character. Walid, well what can I say? Not much happened, however I think it will elaborate in forthcoming episodes, they just let it be for a few hours to let Walid recover.



Finally, I can't emphasise my happiness at the acting and storyline in this episode. We have never seen Jack cry, or really show emotions this way before. He IS still affected by the torture through his outburst of anger and him wanting to pump four more CCs into Graham, and him pointing a gun at him. It has emoitonal consequences on Jack's character, and I am enjoying seeing this character development and the fact that the writers are allowing Kiefer to show off his great acting talent.



Well done 24 cast and crew! A fantastic episode.

The scene in which Jack tortures Graem for information, goes down for me as one of the greatest 24 scenes ever. We are used to Jack torturing people, but this situation is very different. At the same time he is trying to break Graem, he is also comforting him and being there for him as his brother, a very well played out scene.

Graem then amazingly tells Jack he ordered Palmer, Tony and Michelles assassinations! Jack's reaction to this was Emmy worthy, and it nearly pushed him over the edge into killing his brother until the sight of his Father stopped him.



2 other major plot twists were the fact that Phillip is in fact the bad guy after all! and he kills Graem in another brilliantly played out scene. With James Cromwell's acting ability, and the way this scene was played out, he could easily be one of the most realistic and brilliant 24 villains yet.

Morris' kidnapping is another exciting twist, as I was beginning to get a bit tired of he and Milo just sitting inside CTU and arguing every episode. At least now the guy has a purpose.



This episode has now set up several story lines which can easily be played out over several weeks, I think 24 is back on track!

i knew it ..i knew it ..i knew it .i knew it was gonna be morris..poor fella..i hope he doesn't die ..i got used to him.

and poor jack he's got some messed up family ..the most important scene in this episode ..was, when jack was interrogating graem ..my god i almost cried ..how can siblings do this to each other .but then again .. considering what they have for a father ..its no surprise ..i swear this show is getting better and better every year ..thank god graem is dead i hate him .. the shock on jack's face when he told him that he was the one behind David palmer's assassination and tony and Michelle's as well.. truly painful..scenes like that proves who's a good actor and who's not ..kiefer sure pulled it off easily. yeeha double bill next Monday..

This shows creative team is definitely that! There ability to keep a viewer on the edge of their seat and have every single episode end as a cliffhanger is both captivating and frustrating.



Every season I tell myself I'll just wait and watch them all together in a marathon setting so I don't have to wait til next week ... and every season I manage to get drawn in anyway.



I wouldn't wish Jack's family on anyone! Just when I thought his brother was a bad seed we learn that the apple didn't fall too far from the tree! Dad is worse! Jack was adopted right?



What is Fayed going to do with Morris?

When is President Palmer going to realize he's being played?

When is Jack going to realize he's being played?

... and what is the backstory with Jack's sister-in-law and nephew?



Hopefully the 2 hours next week won't leave us with more questions than answers.

As I was watching the latest hour of 24 unfold last night, I kept wondering--so, did the show reach a high point too early with the nuke going off to end hour four? Because the last few weeks since the big premiere have been a whole lot of "sound and fury, signifying nothing." I want to give the show the benefit of the doubt for the past few weeks. 24 sometimes struggles moving from one plotline or arc to the next. But it seems as if this year, we've been in the holding pattern for three week as we wait for things to develop. It's almost as if the whole thing of the evil bad guy has four other suitcase nukes has been pushed to the sidelines while we deal with the whole Bauer family drama.



Speaking of which, that family has gone a whole lot of issues, don't they? I still am left wondering--who is the criminal mastermind of the Bauer family company of evil. It seems as if this changes week to week. I will give Papa Bauer a lot of credit--he is one heck of an actor. He convninces everyone that he's a prisoner and not an integral part of the whole terrorists get nukes plotline, only to find out he's actually the real Dr Evil of the family here. No wonder Jack doesn't speak to his family very much. I have a feeling that all of this family drama is intended to give Kiefer Sutherland footage for his Emmy nomination tape later this year. Cause as strange and absurd as the plot twists get on this one (would CTU really let Jack interrogate his own brother?), it gives Keifer a whole lot of chance to show off his acting chops. The scene where Jack interrogates Graem was just incredibly well done as Jack runs the gamut from anger to horror to desparation to make his brother talk. That said--I have to wonder just exactly how Graem conditioned himself to stand up to the pain of being interrogated by Jack. Boy, it sure seems we've come a long way from a few hours ago when Jack was reluctant to push the suspected terrorist for information. It's also interesting that Graem told Jack that he (Graem) was behind the whole conspiracy last year. So, will we find out that Graem set up Jack to take the slow boat to China? Or was it Daddy Bauer? And man, how pissed is Jack going to be if that comes to light?



Meanwhile, the rest of the storylines feel a bit like the greatest hits from previous season. A vice-president is not happy with how his boss is running things (which makes me wonder just how do the Palmer boys choose their v.p. candidates?), a CTU family member in peril...you get the idea. I will admit I wasn't the most savy TV viewer because it never entered my mind that Morris O'Brien would be the programmer the terrorists needed. So, that part was a pleasant surprise to me. But the question is--where will it all go? We did see Chloe wield a gun in a previous season. I'd fear for the terrorists if she had to go all Jack Bauer on them. They wouldn't stand a chance. At least the Palmer sister plotline was kept to a bare minimum this week. That's always good news. If they wrote her out of the show now, I don't think anyone would miss her.



Also, I give the show credit--they did at least show some fallout of the nuclear blast. It wasn't a major point, but at least it was addressed.



At some point, the second arc for the day has to kick it into high gear. I think we've got all the pieces in place now, so here's hoping next week's two hours really get things moving.

This is one of the best shows out there on the TV cinema. Jack Bauer and the rest of 24's team shoulg be proud of the work put in this whole series and this episode is just the begining...



This episode shows that the biggest villians are in Jack's own house and they have been doing so since the start of the show. The show is continuing to develop mature by every episode. It was a bit slow in the middle but now it's begining to pick up pace. Waiting to see Kim Bauer and Audrey as still there is no appearence.

While it was clear to me that Jack and Phillip (allow me to call him Phil) will get out of this mess they were in to, I did not expect to find out it was just an act. Graem and Phil planning this all thing to convince Jack Phil is the good guy? That's just brilliant. This show is not just about action. It's also about drama. And Keifer does that perfectly. Jack's reaction when he finds out Graem was behind the murders of David, Tony and Michelle was priceless. Jack's a tough guy alright, but his friends and family come first. Which explains why he took the news that bad - and why he really believed Graem has told them all he knows. It's also why he just doesn't see that he's dad is the big brain behind it all, making him also the big brain behind last season's events as well. It's just a matter of time before Logan will be back as well if I have to guess. Wayne proves to follow David's steps, which I love. Like his brother (and sister), Wayne is more human. Unlike Logan, he's not a coward who makes all the wrong decisions. Wayne sets himself a goal to be human and follow the consitution, something neither of the other two persidents (Logan and the one before) did. I'm alittle dissapointed to see that once again the vice and some other people (Lennox) are trying to work under him. Lenoox is doing now the same thing that Mike did to David in season 2. He also did to Karen what Mike did to Lynn back then. Add to it that both presidents are black, and brothers, and you get a re-run of season 2. But that's the only bad thing I can say about this episode. On to the finale of the episode and where the next one will pick up: Morris. I had a feeling he's the guy McCarhy's looking for, but I did not see that coming. My first thought was that maybe he's joined the terrorists or something (it can happen on 24) and that he faked the letter about his brother. Glad I was wrong, cuz I kinda like him with Chloe.



Great episode. Pieces are slowly falling in to place, more surprises are coming our way, I am sure. And probably some more guest stars? Yeah, I keep asking for them, because I miss Audry, Heller, Logan and Aron Pierce.



Wonderful show. Can not get enough!