24

Well, it's strike three for Dubaku, as he's been successfully captured this time, although not without the tragic loss of a likeable side character, which takes its toll on Renee and leads to a pretty good emotional breakdown.

Turns out Sean's not the only mole in the Office, as his formerly useless mistress Erika is in on everything too. Hey, whatever helps keep this season free of dumb filler subplots. Anyway, with Dubaku having given Jack the data file with all the moles' names (in a shameless tribute to one Jonathan Wallace), Sean and Erika plot to erase the thing and stretch this madness out for who-knows-how-long. But just when we're all ready to groan, Chloe works some tech magic and saves the...hour.

That's really it. Ten pretty consistently good episodes in, it seems that everything's been wrapped up in a neat little bow: Dubaku's captured, Sean and the rest of the moles are arrested (or dead), and the Sangala invasion is successfully underway. So you know something's about to pop up and unravel the hell out of that bow. But anyway, the antics at the Office aren't that exciting; it's the Jack/Renee plot that gives this episode a solid 9 for moi. The chase after Dubaku, Renee's breakdown, and that subtly awesome sunset scene are all winners. Of course, if this really were the S7 finale, that rating would likely be lower.


Hourly Highlight:

Renee slapping Jack.

ok, guys, i'm a real big fan of 24. so much that i would've given probably a 10 to this season. well, until now. this episode ended up totally screwed up by a big flaw: when jack decides to suddenly cross a park and chase Dubaku's car after the police released them. I mean, seriously, how stupid a decision was that? Not only he was putting his bait in danger (Dubaku's girlfriend), but he was taking the risk to crash his own car. Both happened.

Sometimes the screenwriters make Jack act really like the dumbest car in the planet!



I mean, all he had to do was follow Dubaku's car!!! Chloe had Jack covered since she was tracking Dubaku's car anyway. Thus all he had to do was follow Dubaku from a distance until he reaches the airport, and THEN take a chance to either shoot at the driver and Dubaku while they're out of their car and vulnerable. Then he could've saved the girl.



Bottomline is the girl didn't die because of Renee not being able to pull her out of the car on fire soon enough, but because of Jack who acted like the stupidest agent ever.



Sorry, but as much as I like this series, this episode deserves a 0 (unfortunately unavailable) for the reason mentioned above. Besides that, there was some good action moment, I admit, i'm just pissed off at the screen writers who sometimes don't even think twice before writing such stupid acts.

24 season seven continues to be, incredibly average. It has it's moments, like the car chase, or the ending of this episode, but honestly...



it all happened before. It's quite predictable too. As much as I liked Renee in the start, I'm starting to dislike her now. Her scene with Jack in the hospital was not only EXTREMELY cringe worthy(bad acting, scripting), but it was downright awful and artifical. Renee is becoming Jack. Okay. We know that. Don't make it THIS obvious, please...



other than that, once again: average. People run, die, run more, talk, talk, run... But good thing is that Dubaku is finally captured, I couldn't stand him. Now could Jon Voight's character appear again? I want to see that bastard.

Wow what a rollercoaster ride. I swear this show gets better and better every episode. Jack Bauer is one bad SOB. Dubaku finds out that Marika is working with the FBI and initially Dubaku plans to kill her but has a change of heart and decides to take her with him. Dubaku then tries to get away, and a great car chase ensues ending with a car crash that kills Marika.



Dubaku lives but Jack is able to get the chip out of the side of Dubaku. Jack gets a pilot to rush the chip to FBI and give it to Larry.



We find out in this episode that Sean and Erica are the moles in the FBI and they try and sabotage Cloe's efforts to read the chip. Initially they succeed, but Cloe uses her magic and retrieves a copy of the list of government officials that were working for Dubaku. In the end, Tony sits next to Jack on some steps and says "it's not over"

I don't know were to begin. I was enjoying this years 24 until 2/23. Were do I begin…Jack performs major surgery in the streets. (No gloves) The Mole shoots himself in his arm…they bandage his arm, and he puts his shirt back on, and no hole or blood on the shirt. Then Jack yells out "Maria" did what she had to do…No Jack that's "Marika." Was the Director of this show sleeping while filming? Every year about the same epesidode of the show, everything goes wrong. It's like the directors have to do more each week, and it turns out to be too much. Sometimes keeping it simple is better. Oh yea! The car chase through the park…like I said sometimes keeping it simple is best. I'm done on this show for the year.

Presentation Phase - » (8/10)*2. The beginning was very good, complications from the previous episode was solved very quick in the first 10 minutes.



Complication Phase - » (7/10). Capture the mole, nothing that you hadn´t saw before, but this time, is in a FBI building. Also Dubaku is badly injured, but this complication was quickly solved.



Climax Phase - » I didn´t notice the climax in this episode.



Suspense/Tension - » (6/10) The tension in this episode is weak, I mean, you have 14 episodes left, so It would be normal that Chloe would lose all the data, but that didn´t happen, which was a surprise.



Drama - » (8/10)*2. More Renee drama, because of her guilt. President Taylor has her own drama too. Renee and Jack discussion was nice.



Action - » Don´t expect action, this was traded for Drama.



Ending - » (7/10). A new threat will arrive, the usual ending in 24.



Surprises/Shocks/Twists - » (6/10). Two moles, that was used in season 1 too. Ryan connection was the real surprise, was not big, but was nice.



Time and Scene Management - » (8/10). This episode had very good management, two moles caught, Dubaku is dead, at least, even with some fillers, some side storylines was solved.



Plot Details/Holes- » (9/10). Why Chloe was worried if she had the Data saved? It seems that the writers tried to create some tension, aside that, all is fine.



What I liked -» Finally Dubaku plot is over. Sean was finally caught.



What I Didn´t Liked -» Olivia is another annoying character.



A romantic storyline that ends in tragedy, two moles, one caught, one dead, and finally Jack has the chip with the list of all the people in the government that has been compromised, nice episode.

Ask any self-respecting 24 fan and they'll tell you that the first compromise you have to make as a viewer of the show is to let all notions of believability fall by the wayside. While the production staff essentially made it difficult for themselves from the get go by making the central concept that all the action occurs in real time, they quickly realised that some of life's more irritating roadblocks - traffic, distance, procrastination - would have to be circumnavigated if they were to successfully compose an entertaining show. So, instead of showing the 46 minutes it would actually take for a driver to get from A to B in rush hour traffic, they cut it all down to about 7 minutes tops and hope that you'll just accept the contrivance... and, let's face it, more often than not, we would rather do so than endure the mind-numbing boredom that would more closely reflect reality. So, on this theme, there's a moment in '5pm - 6pm' in which a police officer helicopters an important piece of information to FBI HQ in less than five minutes. Never mind the distance, would it even make it into the Director's hands in that short a time frame? Surely it would go through a complicated screening process first? But then, we swallow the pill because it moves the plot forward, keeps the tension high and ensures our viewing experience is a riveting one. Problem is, there's a rather large number of these contrivances in this particular hour and it has a knock on effect on its quality.



Sticking with the policeman, really, would Jack hand this highly volatile, ultra-classified data stick to a member of Metro PD and trust it to get to the head of FBI DC where there's a bloody government conspiracy going on?! Okay, I buy that it perhaps doesn't infiltrate the local agencies but Bauer's placing a whole lot on chance to expect the guy not to be intercepted before he gets to Moss. Surely he'd trust no one other than himself in such a dangerous situation? And then there's the small matter of the data stick itself: sure, placing it inside yourself is a guaranteed way of keeping it safe but can anyone say 'been there, done that, bought the T-shirt'? Remember the Coral Snake dude in season 2? Same scenario. The moment loses any power it may have had because it is just so damn predictable. And how about the magical Epinephrine, the drug that wakes everyone and their uncle up from SERIOUS TRAUMA and conveniently allows us to acquire the information we need? I am willing to accept this, I suppose, but it just seems rather rushed: Dubaku's giving up his only leverage within seconds of coming back around! All it takes is for Bauer to threaten his family and whoop, dastardly plot over. Is this going to be Jack's answer to everything to this season? Get to the wife and kid: they'll solve it all for us! How about a terrorist who is willing to sacrifice his loved ones? Or one with no ties at all? Don't make it so damn easy!



There are problems elsewhere too. While the introduction of Erica into the inter-agency conspiracy is nicely handled as it is purely organic, worked into a natural conversation with Sean at the start of the episode that doesn't contain exchanges like "what do you want?" "Well, I'm part of this conspiracy Sean, I have been from the beginning, I helped you, I orchestrated everything, I demand to know what's going on!" but instead, throws you off a bit until you realise that, yes, the ****'s dirty too, its context is so utterly ludicrous that it loses some of its magic. These two have a conversation about their duplicitous, highly illegal activities as they walk from Sean's desk, to a communal rest area and then back again! Oh come on! I suppose there's something to be said for 'hiding in plain sight' but this is just ridiculous. Anyone in the local area, not just immediate earshot, would be able to hear what they're saying... and what they're saying is thoroughly incriminating. You'd find somewhere to meet... go outside for a ****, find a broom closet, anything! It considerably weakens the scene, making it come across as poorly thought out and arguably a little rushed (a common theme of the hour, it seems). The remainder of the duo's plot is generally well executed, with a prominent sense of urgency and fear coming across at all points and a lovely moment of conniving backstabbing in which Sean brutally murders his lover (this is wonderfully shot), but the comedy lingers around in the background as first, there is the absurdity of the creepy, blackened server room with no surveillance and then, after the systems are wiped and they lose all their data in a fantastically catastrophic moment, Chloe fixes it all within minutes! And worse, she actually says, "don't ask me how I did it"! Talk about your deux et machinas... she mumbles something incomprehensible about 'mirrors' and we're supposed to just accept that her innate genius has saved us all again. Um, no. Ms O'Brien has stopped being a character of her own and has turned into a plot device on legs: one that can be brought out of the woodwork whenever there's a messy technological problem to sort out and she'll do it in an instant. How about she doesn't fix things for once? How about they have to work against the odds to resolve a problem? It's just too damn convenient and, while I appreciate that the writers are keeping their feet firmly on the accelerator and trying to ensure that we are being fed plot, plot and more plot rather than unnecessary 'emotional' distractions (which I am very pleased with, by the way), there are better, less absurd ways of doing so than this.



'5pm - 6pm' is an interestingly structured episode in this regard. Coto and Braga's script essentially ties everything up by around 17:46; we have Dubaku in custody, Sean and Erica exposed, the President back in the White House and the list of people involved in the government conspiracy revealed to the good guys. Consequently, as a few self-reflective, emotive sequences play out, the viewer is encouraged to begin thinking about just where they're gonna go next. With fourteen hours left, there's no way on Earth that all we're going to see is Bauer preparing for his trial and the President crying over her sick husband. Something has to happen. And as the clock ticks ever closer to the closing minutes of the hour, we begin to expect that it'll be a sudden, shocking cliffhanger that changes everything around... and then, pleasingly, it's not. Our expectations are shattered. Jack sits on some steps and looks out over a beautiful sunset (at 5.56pm... as it is every season!! Why must the 'longest days of Jack Bauer's life' always occur in late Winter?!) and 'not so evil Tony' comes and sits beside him, ready to tell him about an impending second attack, initiated by Tony Todd, sorry General Juma, himself. Well, that was nicely timed, wasn't it? While I accept that this turn in the narrative has to happen, and I'm fine with the nature of the impending trajectory (especially when it is tied back to the Senator who was grilling Jack in the opening episode... he's a fabulous actor, good to have him back), did it really have to occur just when everything else was resolved? Oh, we've got a clean slate so... Tony must show up and muddy it! That's not how life works guys and it's not something I'm willing to overlook when it can be so easily resolved in a believable manner. Have Tony turn up at the start of the hour instead. Have him complicate matters even further while the other action is still going on. It'd increase the tension manyfold. Sure, it wouldn't allow Jack to sit on some steps and contemplate life, love and the pursuit of Elton John's Oscar parties, but do we even need this at this stage of the game? Is it not better left until the closing hours of the season? And just how did Tony know where Jack would be anyway, huh? Hmph.



You wouldn't know it from what you've just read but there's some excellent material in this episode and it's largely character based. Cherry Jones is top notch as the grief-stricken President again, Jeffrey Nordling plays Moss' anger and frustration to perfection and Kiefer Sutherland and Annie Wersching are given some beautiful material to work with in the Bauer/Walker dynamic. The scene in the hospital, in particular, is absolutely excellent: thankfully, Renee's emotional outburst is not merely followed by a moment in which the heroic, all-knowing man comforts her, but is supplemented with an additional beat that returns their relationship to a very cold place when she counters Jack's "you'll learn to live with it" with a very sharp "I don't want to live with it." Much more believable and far more emotionally complex and interesting. Plus, she gets to slap Bauer! Three times! And gets away with it! That's surely unprecedented. The first twelve minutes of the episode are superbly executed too, with the direction, cinematography and music coming together to create an intensely dramatic chase sequence and aftermath. It's all in the little touches here, like Jack screaming "get back in the car!" to the civilians dying for a peek at the action. Brilliant stuff. If only the remainder of the episode could be of this high degree of quality and not fraught with illogical plot decisions and lazy, unbelievable writing. Sometimes I do feel like I'm nitpicking too much, that I should swallow more than I am willing to, and then I remind myself that 24 can be superb and bereft of major plot holes when it sets its mind to it. So why can't it do it more often? This is still a strong piece of television by any standards... it's just not as strong as it could so easily be.

Dubaku was caught in frantic car chase in which Marika died as the car flipped right round. Jack managed to get some sort of device out of his chest which contained a list of all the Double Agents has working for him. Sean was revealed as the leak in the F.B.I and also his mistress Erica has been in on the conspiracy. Knowing that their names are on that device, Sean strung Erica along to destroy that FBI servers, and then shot her, and then himself. It was really a pretty damn good plan, as everything seemed to point to Erika being the sole mole for the time being. And he would've gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for that pesky Chloe and her offsite mirror server that she eventually remembers setting up. I thought for a minute that Sean was going to make it out of the building but instead Larry turned into a badass, slamming Sean up against the wall. Thought that the conspiracy done, Not Quite. Tony popped up at the end got a site of another attack impeding in the next hour.

I did like this episode and found it quite entertaining as I have every episode up to this point in time this season. However, this episode is undone by its flaws. One major flaw is mentioned in the trivia section of this episode. Another is predictability. When Bill Buchanan repeatedly told President Taylor that she must return to the White House because that is the only place where her safety is 100% guaranteed, I knew something was going to happen at the White House. The preview trailer for next week's episode prooved I'm right. This episode is good, but flawed.

This was another great ep from the cast and crew of 24, it had it all with big doses of action, drama and a dash of suspence to keep me as the viewer thoroughly entertained.



This week Jack and Renee catch Dubaku but with Marika dying as the cost of it. Dubaku talks rather quickly and Jack soon has a computer chip with a list of all the people involved with Dubaku and Juma's plans. Chloe is attempting to download them to decrypt the names but the rats in the FBI attempt to wipe all the computers at FBI head quarters. They succeed but Chloe being as sharp as ever finds a way to retrieve the files and catch out all those involved. All appears to be okay now but we are only ten hours into 24 so naturally we have a long way to go. It turns out now that the US has the upper hand in Sangalla so Juma now has plans of his own to attack the US by using he aid of the senator inditing Jack as a middle man to plan the attack.



Lets hope this show carries on with a good thing and keeps the tempo high. Oh and was it just me or did I see Scrubs' Dr. Beard Face in Henry's OR?

i loved this episode the only reason i didnt give it a perfect 10 was jack giving the chip with such valuable information to a random guy but either than that it was perfect.

finally sean had something to do in this episode and i like how cold and evil bastard he is(i still not love his character but this is an improvment) jack and rene wore both great this relationship is making the season for me tony is back so thats great so does the senator traing to screw jack on the season opener no aaron but a good thing about the season is that characters are only in the episode if they are important for the plot now i think that if the next 2 episodes are as good as the previews than this season will be one of the best with no doubt

This is an unusual season for "24", because the producers already had eight episodes in the can when they chose to go on a strike-induced hiatus. In the long meantime, the writers came together and revised the plan for the seventh season, using the existing material as a foundation. As a result, the writers needed to make a course correction to align the old with the new. (A similar course correction was apparently made for the final few episodes.)



The previous episode set up the course correction; this episode is the clear and blatant implementation of it. It's not quite as bad as it sounds. It's simply abrupt. Not a little abrupt, but the kind of resolution to a problem that feels more like the end of a season. By the time Tony returns on the scene with a new yet related threat, forcing Jack back on his feet, it might as well be a new season altogether.



Getting there is slightly disappointing, but only because of two specific items. First, there's the showdown with Dubaku. "Redemption" set up Dubaku as a personal enemy for Jack, which seemed to indicate that their cat-and-mouse game would escalate once the newer episodes came in queue. That synergy never materialized, replaced instead by a dreary "villain done in by his own humanity" scenario.



The second problem was designed to be a shocking and satisfying twist. The mole within the FBI, Sean, manages to erase the data from Dubaku that was downloaded into the mainframe. Chloe specifically states that the downloaded can only be done once, thus raising the stakes and making Sean's actions seem truly crushing. In short order, however, it's revealed that Chloe mirrored the download to a personal server, "just in case". Despite this, she freaks out when the data is initially erased, as though the data is really gone. It's a bit of a cheat, and clearly designed to milk the last bit of drama out of the old storyline before shifting to the new one.



The new direction promises to take much of what worked in the first segment of the season and build on it. There's still a conspiracy to uncover, and unfortunately, "CTU" just managed to give the president (and plenty of other people) reason to believe that it was all over and done. Jack is on the cusp of being granted a pardon, yet the circumstances are yanking him back into rogue mode. Unfortunately, this feels like a delaying tactic in terms of the season's main theme. It's still likely that Jack will be forgiven, but for a little while longer, his name is going to be dragged through the mud.



It's very likely that Agent Walker will be part of that process, however, and while that's annoying, it make sense. Walker has been struggling with the difference between what is moral and what is necessary, and more important, who has the right to make that call. Jack has no doubt that his actions are justified, despite the personal costs they inflict. Walker is less certain, especially when faced with a death directly attributable to her choices.



What makes it all ironic is that Jack is more right than he knows. Marika did make a choice to do the heroic thing: not just by playing the bait for a mass murderer, but by taking matters into her own hands. In essence, Marika was a victim from the moment Dubaku chose to draw her into his world. Walker is right to regret that Marika was killed after giving assurances that everything would turn out well, but in reality, she's more upset that she was foolish enough to believe that she could actually make such a promise.



The bottom line is that Walker is now angry with Jack for drawing her into his morally grey world, despite the fact that she made the choice to enter that world with both feet. This could lead her to repudiate Jack's actions and add to the testimony already leveled against him. In the eyes of the Senator leading the charge, this would be reason enough to deny the President's request for leniency. If Jack is already going rogue at the time, it's going to be messy.

I don't think I'm exaggerating when i say I thought episode 10 was one of the best 24s EVER!!! So much action and drama!



I didn't expect Sean to kill Erika, completely blew me away. As much as I can't stand him, I thought Sean was creepy good.



Agent Red Hot (aka Renee Walker) really is a match for jack! Annie Wersching is really terrific.



And I loved how Tony just sat down by Jack as the sun set. (By the way, how DID Tony know where Jack was? Hmmmm....)



WOW!!!!



IMHO, this is the type of episode that Emmy Awards are given for.

The most interesting. Most original thing about this episode. Do you know what it is? They actually retrieved the data and were able to use it. A series first, I do believe. I could be wrong, but I don't believe so!



Everything else was typical 24. Just when everything looked like all was well and you catch your breath, they set up the next life and death situation. I guess you can say when a show has been this good for so long what would be awesome on another show almost becomes a been there done that situation. But you know what. That is fine! I like my coffee with 2 sugars and one cream. Why mess with a good thing?



It is good to see this show back on track. After that horrible previous season, never mind Renee slapping Jack. The producers needed to be slapped and they have responded with a really good season so far. It is not as good as season 5 yet, and so far I don't see any indication that it will, but that's OK, because I like my coffee with 2 sugars and one cream and the bottom line is....It is still good!

i'm sooo glad that they had that crappy 6th season, they wouldn't try this hard to make it this good if they werent so badly criticised for it.



the episodes are on a roll, they are all carefully balanced in story, drama and action. jack is as we like to remember him, sensetive and powerful but not immortal. Reneee is a great sidekick to him and a good instrument to bring freshness to the series and jack's common issues of doing what is right and stuff like that. overall, this is a good start for the new era of the show.



the fbi thing was great, but I'd love to see how chloe saved those files, instead of "don't ask me how"ing it. the slapping scene was good, I'm glad they didn'T kiss or anything. The ending kinda worried me. it's like, the story is over, but they are forcing it to be longer, adding a boss to tobaco, a new attack. I really hope they wont do these 10 hours over again and lose creditibility.

Dubaku's attempt to flee the country is cut short when his decision to take his girlfriend along proves to be his undoing, and leads to a breakthrough for Jack and Renee. The moles within the FBI are uncovered when Chloe's decryption skills are put to the test by Sean who attempts a last-ditch effort to save himself. I liked the episode a lot. I see some people are not big fans of the scene in which Jack takes the car into the park and chases down Dabaku, therefore killing the woman that they were trying to protect. I did wonder why Jack would make such a quick move into the park when O'Brian was obviously three steps ahead of Dabaku anyway when it came to tracking them down. I think they just wanted the girl to die so that there could be a contrast between Renee and Jack Bauer. Jack and Renee are alike in so many ways, but at the same time Renee cannot just put something off as a sacrifice for the mission like Jack is able to do. I was hoping for a little Renee / Jack lip-lock when she was smacking him around, but we still have another 14 episodes to wait for that moment. The FBI portion of the episode was good for the second episode in a row. Sean covers up his tracks by using the woman he was having an affair with as bait. Right when it looks like he is about to get away he is captured and put into FBI custody. It also looks like there is going to be a full sweep in the next hour of a lot of government people that were working for Dabaku. It looks like Ryan works for the man at the beginning of the season who was trying to put Bauer away and is going to be a big part of the second half of this season. Tony returns - finally. Even though the past couple of episodes have been really good, Tony just randomly going away somewhere was kind of not cool. He returns at the end of this episode for a sunset scene where he asks Jack to join him one more time to take down another attack that is coming after Washington. I really liked this scene a lot and I think it plays off of what Jack lives for - saving America. Overall, fantastic episode from the team at 24 and I am very impressed with this season so far and think it is one of the best yet.

In every season it seems that on one point the story what started every action in start, will end but something bigger will evolve and this seems to be this episode - Dubaku seems to be getting away but Jack and Renee manage to get out of the police custody and while chasing the car - it has accident.. everyone else than Dubaku die.. and he gives out the list with all the names.. so they have the biggest advantage over the bad guys.. and the whole thing with server weep.. that was really exciting and stunning.. and the turn that there was more than one agent.. I liked it.. it seems like every bit on this episode was enjoyable.. And then Tony returns.. makes it even more stunning.. and what seems to be going on soon.. oh..

With the capture of Dubaku, I was wondering where the show was going to go with the story and plot. But as always Jack Bauer finds a way to keep the story going!!! This season I will have to say the best that has been out so far, and we are not even at the half way point!! I can't imagine what I would do if they took the show off the air, It is what I look forward to every monday night! The show is full of drama, twists, and turns!! I can't wait to see how this one is going to end!!!

This episode is exactly why i watch the show. From start to finish, this was by far the best episode of the season. And probably the best episode in the series since season 5. A high speed chase through the streets of DC, the emergence of a new 24 classic baddie (Sean Hillinger), and probably one of the most emotionally charged scenes in 24 history between Jack and Renee. Once again, in classic 24 fashion, just when you think the threat is over a new one emerges. Anyone still not trust Tony? This season keeps getting better and better. Hopefully this next "phase" of Season 7 will be just as good as the first. I don't have any doubts, the way the writing of this season has been so far. It's definitely shaping up to be one of the top 24 seasons yet.