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24 Season 8 Episode 16

Day 8: 7:00 A.M. - 8:00 A.M.

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AIRED: Apr 05, 2010

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9.1

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Episode Summary

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After her cover is blown, Dana Walsh agrees to give up President Hassan's location in exchange for full immunity, but only if Jack Bauer leads the assault team. Cole Ortiz is forced to face the fact that Dana is the mole. Samir Mehran makes his final plans to execute Hassan live over the internet, but not before torturing him.moreless

Fan Episode Reviews (15)

The writers finally make good

9.0

By entil2001, Apr 06, 2011

It's hard to know if this was the plan all along. This has the feel of something decided late in the game, as if the writers and producers realized that the story needed to take a major leap. What can be said is that the story finally took a surprising turn. (Which shouldn't be surprising, since Episode 16 is typically when a twist occurs, as it represents 2/3 of the way through the season arc.)

It was a smart decision to air these episodes together in one night. The first hour was mostly set-up, leading directly into the high-intensity events of the second hour. Frankly, the first hour doesn't have all that much to speak for it. Either that, or memory is already fallible, and it just feels like the story naturally escalated in the second half.

There were many great moments. President Taylor's resolute takedown of the traitors in her administration was a much needed reminder that she has teeth. The countdown to the potential bomb detonation was surprisingly tense. The hunt for Hassan, right up to the showdown in the parking garage, set the stage for Dana's capture.

While Cole hasn't been very distinct as a character this season, as much to do with the writing as the actor, this situation was very well played. His emotional roller coaster was perfectly depicted. Dana's little game with Jack gave him the opportunity to shake the rust off some old skills, and his handling of the rescue operation with Renee did much to solidify their solid partnership.

Of course, the real impact came with the final act. Something had to be done to take this season to the next level, and the killing of President Hassan certainly serves that purpose. Even better, it fits with the general direction of the plot to this point. Hassan's death, despite the Russian delegate's claims to the contrary, stands as proof of his desire for peace. He may have turned himself over to his enemies with the hope of possible rescue, but he had to know that death was a likely consequence. Hassan sacrificed himself for the sake of thousands of Americans.

If the writers manage to stick to their thematic guns, they should emphasize this point as much as possible. Hassan's self-sacrifice will do little good for his own country, but he could become a martyr to the cause of peace. That serves the theme of "learning from the sins of the past" rather well.

The seemingly sudden emergence of the Russians as the potential masterminds of the terrorist plot is not as unlikely as it might seem at first glance. After all, it was a Russian crime syndicate that brought the fuel rods to New York in the first place. The source of the rods was always vague at best, so this resolves a minor dangling thread.

The idea seems to be this: the Russians stand to profit from the ongoing instability in the Middle East, which is threatened by the peace process and the presence of President Hassan. The original plan was to eliminate Hassan and put Farhad into power in his place. In lieu of that, the IRK terrorists chose to use the threat of detonating a dirty bomb in the middle of Manhattan as a means of getting Hassan and completing the task. With Hassan out of the picture, the Russians would appear to have what they want.

So the final act of the season (and the series) would logically be the process of unearthing the Russian connection to the terrorism and countering their attempt to derail the peace process. It's a given that this process will involve a few more twists and turns, but with the end of the season being revised to allow for a more fitting end to the series, the writers may not have too much room to maneuver. This would usually be cause for concern, but considering how lackluster the season has been overall, just delivering a solid ending would be a triumph.

One thing that the writers should keep in mind, without a doubt, is the theme for the season and, more importantly, the arc of Jack's journey. Just in the past few episodes, Renee seems to have regained much of her old confidence. While some of that is no doubt due to Jack's support, the writers should resist the urge to have her die in the final act.

This is especially true given Jack's apparent feelings for her. The series began with the heart-breaking loss of Jack's wife. That was the beginning of a long and systematic process of stripping away Jack's family, friends, and support system, until he was left with almost nothing. The past two seasons represent Jack's restoration. It would be counter to that process if Jack were to lose Renee, if he sees her as a potential to regain something he has lost.

The producers and writers should also resist the urge to leave the series open-ended in the hopes of resolving things in the proposed feature film. For one thing, the fans deserve a sense of closure in the show's current format. But more than that, there's no absolute guarantee that the film franchise will be viable. It should be successful, but stranger things have happened. Logically, it would make more sense to have "24" the television show end definitely, and then have each "24" film be a complete entity, standing on its own.

Overall, these two episodes packed a solid and unexpected punch, bringing the season arc into context and giving fans hope that the final leg of the season will rise to the occasion. The need to adjust for the end of the series could be a factor, but at this point, the goal is to go out on a high note, not achieve perfection. This is a good start!moreless
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Despite a few gaping plot holes, this is the best episode of the season so far. (CONTINUED...)

9.5

By Data1001, May 03, 2010

Despite some gaping plot holes -- for instance, the fact that CTU had plenty of time to cover all the exits from the parking garage, and yet they still let the blue car exit the structure with Hassan in the trunk -- this is the best episode of the season so far. Filled with action, intrigue & betrayal, we see characters struggling with their long-held beliefs, others tossing their loyalties aside for what they perceive as the greater good, and still others standing strong for what they know is right, in spite of the inevitable consequences they will eventually face. This is the kind of episode that is a prime example of how good 24 can be, precisely because it focuses at least as much on the emotional journeys of the main characters as it does upon the plot. Great work from Kiefer, Cherry Jones (Pres. Taylor), Annie Wersching (Renee) and Anil Kapoor (Pres. Hassan), plus Necar Zadegan as Hassan's beautiful, strong-willed wife, Dalia. And I can't wait for the return of Gregory Itzin next week as the disgraced former President Logan. If the rest of the season keeps delivering quality episodes like this one... everyone on the show can feel good about ending the series as strong and proud as their first season.moreless
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A Tragic Shock.

10

By Roces24, May 02, 2010

This episode is undoubtedly the best episode of the present season!.

Really shocking, nerve, tense and with an unforgettable and surprising shock at the end.

Jack tries to track President Hassan before the terrorists kill him.

After everyone learns about her cover, Dana is forced to cooperate in the search.

But, while all this events are being ocurred, Hassan is being torture.

This episode is really amazing and one of the darkest episodes of the whole series.

The following installments must be well done because they have it hard.

Kiefer Sutherland gives his best performance yet and Anil Kapoor really surprised me.

At the beginning of the season i really don´t like very much this character. I think that the writers could find a better place to him. But what i thought came true in the last four episodes and in this last installment, Kapoor gives us a fine performance of his President Hassan, with an humanity and courage really amazing.

So, you will be missed so much, President Hassan.

Now, could you predict what happens next after this shocking and totally unexpected ending?.moreless
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Powerful episode

9.2

By Parricida, Apr 21, 2010

That was.. it had incredible emotion. The last minutes of this episode.. They were brilliant. I never expect it to go down that way. It had such an sad emotion.. but incredible tension.. the talk Jack had with Renee before entering the building.. the woman and the child.. and then what they found..

But that was just the ending.. the start.. the whole thing with Diana Walsh. That was also spending. I mean.. It had such an electric atmosphere.. she almost getting away.. the anger of Cole.. the way he was betrayed.. and how he felt.. the whole game she was playing with Jack.

One amazing episode. Surely!moreless
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One of the best episodes of 24!

10

By Bauer_37, Apr 15, 2010

This episode was very good... it had action, interrogations, and edge of your seat suspense and one of the greatest 24 twists ever done. I am still in shock...

This season of 24 may have started excruciatingly slow, but the show is at a heart attack pace, and you can't even stop for air! This season will go down as one of the best seasons of 24, it was worth every minute. Now that the sun has risen on this day, so has the shows spirit. The writers still have the ability to surprise us with new twists, and keep us intrigued. These last hours are gonna move at lightning speed, and were gonna hang on for the ride!moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Kiefer Sutherland	Jack Bauer
Mary Lynn Rajskub	Chloe O'Brian
Anil Kapoor	President Omar Hassan
Annie Wersching	Renee Walker
Mykelti Williamson	CTU Special Agent-in-Charge Brian Hastings
Katee Sackhoff	Dana Walsh

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Assaf Cohen	Navid	Guest Star
Rizwan Manji	Ahman	Guest Star
Chris Butler	CTU Interrogation Specialist	Guest Star
Bob Gunton	Ethan Kanin	Recurring Role
Nazneen Contractor	Kayla Hassan	Recurring Role
Mido Hamada	Samir Mehran	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

President Taylor (Cherry Jones) visits E...

© 2010 Fox Broadcasting Company
Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) briefs his fiel...

© 2010 Fox Broadcasting Company
Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) briefs his fiel...

© 2010 Fox Broadcasting Company
Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) briefs Renee (A...

© 2010 Fox Broadcasting Company

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (2)
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- We know the video of Hassan's execution is pre-recorded and we are shown when the broadcast both starts and finishes. Since it plays for 1min 15secs after Jack's rescue until it shows the execution, the tape delay must be at least that long. However it cannot be, because 1 min 15 secs before the tape started broadcasting Samir was still torturing Hassan.
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- The clock at the end of this episode is silent, which often denotes the death of a "good" character in the 24 mythology. It is the tenth silent clock in the series and the first one this season. It is also the first time it commemorates a foreign individual.
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QUOTES (5)
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- Dana: Tick tock, Mr. Bauer. You're running out of time.
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- Jack: (about Dana's deception) You're telling me all of this is about money?
  Dana: Isn't it always?
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- Jack: They said I was the only one you wanted to talk to. Why?
  Dana: Because you're the only one here who doesn't have his head up his ass.
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- Renee: You think Cole is clean?
  Hastings: I think he's telling the truth, but after this, I'm not sure I trust my own opinion. I thought I knew Dana Walsh.
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- Cole: (to Dana) Who are you, you lying bitch?! Who are you?!
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NOTES (3)
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- With this episode, Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe) takes over as being in the second most amount of episodes in the series (number one being Kiefer Sutherland). Carlos Bernard is in 115 and this is Mary Lynn's 116th episode.
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- Chris Diamantopoulos (Rob) is taken out of the main cast.
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Australia: May 4, 2010 on 7TWO
  Norway: May 31, 2010 on TV2 Zebra
  Latin America: June 7, 2010 on FOX
  Finland: November 2, 2010 on MTV3
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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- ADD ALLUSIONS from this episode.