24 4.6: "Day 4: 12PM - 1PM"
Written by Matt Michnovetz
Directed by Jon Cassar
In which Jack leads the effort to rescue Heller and Audrey, leading to a revelation about the next step in the terrorist plot, while the terrorists themselves make sacrifices to achieve victory…
Status Report
After three transitional episodes that seemed to be marking time, rather than developing the various plot threads, the writers finally drop a huge bomb on the audience. This episode starts with a magnificent action set piece that literally takes place over the course of an entire extended act, something that is rarely done with this series and was definitely appreciated. The tension and pacing barely let up as the hour wore down, even after a couple of predictable plot elements crept into the mix.
At the end of the previous episode, Jack was given a ten minute deadline, for all intent purposes. Even though ordered not to act alone, Jack takes the opportunity to display his combat skill. While the Rambo-esque action takes place, President Keeler refuses to call off the missile strike, which leaves Driscoll in the unfortunate position of supporting Jack’s actions without a clue.
The one-man assault on the compound seems rather easy at first, despite all the gunplay, until Jack manages to get Heller out of his show trial. After a couple of token scenes with William Devane desperately trying to look like he knows which end of the gun to point at the enemy, the sequence kicks into overdrive. As good as the scoring is in this scene, the producers wisely dial back the music to bring a certain hyper-reality to the constant barrage of bullets.
In a nice writing move, Jack is actually hit, even if it’s only a shot to his Kevlar vest. Instead of having him ignore the effects, Jack is actually sent onto his back, stunned for a few moments as he tries to overcome the pain. His recovery is still rather quick, but it’s better than having him barely flinch. Once the assault helicopters arrive, the scene feels less like television and more like a feature film, complete with the final showdown as Omar takes Audrey hostage.
The reactions in this situation are consistent with the characterization to this point. Heller immediately drops his gun, unwilling to place Audrey’s life in jeopardy. Jack knows better, but he’s not sure when to make his play. Audrey, on the other hand, displays her resolve, gutting Omar when it’s clear there’s nothing left to lose. In a flash of a throwing knife and several sniper rounds, Omar is dust.
The fallout is covered just as quickly. Jack tries to play it straight with Audrey, but Heller’s not a complete fool, and he notices the dynamic immediately. One could wonder why Heller hadn’t seen it before, but it’s not hard to understand. In that moment, Heller is almost entirely focused on Audrey and her well-being. He would perceive the kinds of minor things that normally wouldn’t rise to importance in his mind.
Of course, things get complicated when Audrey’s husband arrives at CTU, eager to be reunited with his wife. It wouldn’t be “24” without the soap opera elements, and in this case, it puts Jack in a terribly awkward position. He wants to be with Audrey, but there are issues with his working relationship with Heller and Audrey’s progress towards divorce. Dealing with all of that in the aftermath of a hostage rescue operation is hard for him to reconcile. This is exactly the kind of thing he never wanted to do again, and now, he has to deal with a pining husband who wants reconciliation with the woman he’s trying to protect for life.
Meanwhile, the writers begin to trigger some of the lingering plot threads from the first couple hours of the season. While the full revelation is left to the end of the episode, Marianne’s true colors are strongly hinted when she tells Driscoll that she has stolen FBI access codes that they can use. This is revealing for two reasons. First, it instantly explains how the terrorists knew about Andrew, since Marianne was obviously in possession of the codes, allowing the terrorists to covertly monitor FBI information. Second, it further demonstrates just how hypocritical Driscoll can be, since she should have viewed Marianne’s possession of the codes as a serious breach of security. Either Driscoll’s another mole, or she’s too stupid to live.
As expected, the trial was not the true objective, but the detailed nature of the terrorist plan is still clever and exciting (at least, from a dramatic point of view). It makes sense that Navi would keep the truth from Behrooz, especially since he seemed to have reservations about his son from the very beginning. When Tariq shows up, the implication is rather obvious. It’s a credit to the writers that they maintained a very consistent characterization for Navi, so that this decision does not come across as capricious. He holds everyone equally accountable, and his patience for Behrooz’s flirtation with Western culture was already wearing mighty thin. That said, the audience doesn’t want to believe the implication, which only makes it better.
It’s to Heller’s credit that he doesn’t get angry about the relationship between Audrey and Jack. It’s hard to dislike the guy who risked everything to save him and his daughter! But Heller is also very practical, and knows that Paul isn’t ready to let go. Heller has already demonstrated a direct and upfront manner of solving problems, and in this case, that means telling Audrey to settle accounts with Paul as soon as possible.
The plot moves right along once Curtis, one of the few CTU agents developing an actual personality, discovers amongst the items at the terrorist compound the remains of the briefcase stolen by the terrorists in the premiere. It’s clearly marked with the logo of a defense contractor, which is never a good sign. The stonewalling is little more than a tactic to drag out the reveal until the end of the episode, but it also gives the viewers time to put the pieces together.
Dina returns home to discover that her son is about to be killed, and as one would expect, her reaction is far from stoic. Another name is tossed out, Marwan, and perhaps this is the name of the terrorist leader. At this point, it hardly matters, since it’s made very clear that the terrorists are hardly a small operation. Over the space of several years, they’ve created a massive network, probably going back to the “Second Wave” operations in the second season. Such a group would have no problem killing a young boy who threatens the cause, but the real question is whether Dina will remain loyal, now that her son is a victim.
As is often the case with incompetent leadership, Driscoll is more than happy to take credit for something she had no part in, and she challenges Jack to dispute Heller’s interpretation of events. In another display of bad management skill, she asks Jack to take over as head of FieldOps until the crisis is over, giving Jack official sanction for activities he would have done anyway. This is bad for Driscoll on two levels. First, it gives all of the people supporting Jack confirmation that Driscoll was wrong. Second, it tells all of the people supporting Driscoll that insubordinate behavior is rewarded after the fact. The result will likely be more division and bad morale all around.
Before the issue can linger too much longer, the writers remind the audience that Richard, Heller’s son, is still in custody. Once again pointing out how well the seeds were planted for the next phase of the terrorist operation, it’s made very clear that Richard is aware of something unusual, something apparently related to the protest he was invited to attend at a nearby nuclear facility.
In previous episodes, the writers took care to demonstrate how both sides of the conflict use similar tactics to achieve victory. That symmetry is maintained in this episode, though not perfectly. Heller makes the choice to subject his son to non-invasive torture to get information, all in the name of getting whatever information he’s holding that might be of value. This is akin to Navi’s decision to sacrifice his son for the cause. Both decisions are brutal, but it’s all too easy to understand Heller’s point of view. That well-crafted moral dilemma adds to the tension.
Audrey’s talk with Paul provides a nice breather, even if the plot element promises to be annoying. Paul isn’t the most observant man in the world, or he would have noticed how Jack looks and talks to Audrey. Perhaps the most amusing part of the conversation takes place once Paul is out the door. Jack keeps fiddling with his right hand, which he had just used to shake hands with the husband of the woman he’s sleeping with!
As the episode winds down, the plot becomes somewhat more predictable. One could have easily guessed that Behrooz would manage to overpower Tariq and flee for his life. It’s inevitable that Behrooz will ultimately become important, if only to distract his parents and the terrorist plot overall. It would have been better, perhaps, to have Behrooz simply become another victim, to steal away that avenue of hope.
Around the same time, the defense contractor’s CEO finally gets back to CTU (after Heller apparently gave the OK for the civilian business to submit to a law enforcement division), and seems to be rather pleased with the little device that they created: a remote control for nuclear power plants. The man seems shocked at the idea that the device would be used to create a meltdown, but that would have been prevented by the firewalls around the control software, right? Well, that’s true, unless there’s enough activity on the network to hide the effect of a hack. Activity, say, from a worldwide internet broadcast of a live terrorist execution of the US Secretary of Defense.
The final revelation about Marianne is unfortunately a letdown, or at least, it feels like one. Who couldn’t guess that she was working with the terrorists? Granted, this could be something of a false cliffhanger, since the nuclear plot is supposed to come to fruition within a few hours, and that leaves a lot of time left in the season for the next complication. But for the moment, it fits that Marianne would have the FBI access necessary for the terrorists to know about Andrew’s call to Chloe.
Taken as a whole, the first six episodes are a nice bit of misdirection, even if the middle of the initial arc was less inspired than the overall concept. In retrospect, the intrigues of the Araz family helped make the whole thing work, because without the chilling Dina and the brutal execution of Debbie, the attempt on Behrooz wouldn’t have made sense. Jack’s extra-curricular activities don’t appear to have much meaning to the overall plot, other than to place Driscoll into the position of giving him official credence. And the less said about the CTU drama, the better.
The focus now shifts to preventing the terrorist takeover of the nation’s nuclear power facilities, a nightmare that touches on the public paranoia all too well. Jack is back in the CTU, at least for now, and it ought to be funny to see Driscoll beating her head against that particular wall. For now, it seems as though Jack and Heller are on the same page (Heller could be Jack’s future self, lack of weapons skill notwithstanding), but will that continue? And what happens when Jack needs to override Driscoll’s floundering, and she pulls the President into the equation again?
The net effect of this episode is a rapid gain in narrative momentum. This is the kind of pacing that the series should have had since the beginning. It’s not that the episodes since the internet broadcast shouldn’t have happened; rather, the plot threads could have been developed more effectively. It’s episodes like this one that grab the audience and get them excited to watch the series, and while not every hour can be so kinetic, the intervening transitional episodes can and should be as frantically paced. With the writers backed up against the wall, one has to wonder if the self-inflicted pressure will lead to the necessary inspiration.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode was a marked improvement over the past three episodes, delivering a solid hour of intense action, intrigue, and quick pacing. A number of plot elements come together in this episode, revealing the true nature of the first plot arc for the season in expert fashion. A couple of the final moments were predictable, but it didn’t take away from the overall excellence. Easily the best episode of the season thus far.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4
Final Rating: 9/10
Season Average (as of 4.6): 7.5
Directed by Jon Cassar
In which Jack leads the effort to rescue Heller and Audrey, leading to a revelation about the next step in the terrorist plot, while the terrorists themselves make sacrifices to achieve victory…
Status Report
After three transitional episodes that seemed to be marking time, rather than developing the various plot threads, the writers finally drop a huge bomb on the audience. This episode starts with a magnificent action set piece that literally takes place over the course of an entire extended act, something that is rarely done with this series and was definitely appreciated. The tension and pacing barely let up as the hour wore down, even after a couple of predictable plot elements crept into the mix.
At the end of the previous episode, Jack was given a ten minute deadline, for all intent purposes. Even though ordered not to act alone, Jack takes the opportunity to display his combat skill. While the Rambo-esque action takes place, President Keeler refuses to call off the missile strike, which leaves Driscoll in the unfortunate position of supporting Jack’s actions without a clue.
The one-man assault on the compound seems rather easy at first, despite all the gunplay, until Jack manages to get Heller out of his show trial. After a couple of token scenes with William Devane desperately trying to look like he knows which end of the gun to point at the enemy, the sequence kicks into overdrive. As good as the scoring is in this scene, the producers wisely dial back the music to bring a certain hyper-reality to the constant barrage of bullets.
In a nice writing move, Jack is actually hit, even if it’s only a shot to his Kevlar vest. Instead of having him ignore the effects, Jack is actually sent onto his back, stunned for a few moments as he tries to overcome the pain. His recovery is still rather quick, but it’s better than having him barely flinch. Once the assault helicopters arrive, the scene feels less like television and more like a feature film, complete with the final showdown as Omar takes Audrey hostage.
The reactions in this situation are consistent with the characterization to this point. Heller immediately drops his gun, unwilling to place Audrey’s life in jeopardy. Jack knows better, but he’s not sure when to make his play. Audrey, on the other hand, displays her resolve, gutting Omar when it’s clear there’s nothing left to lose. In a flash of a throwing knife and several sniper rounds, Omar is dust.
The fallout is covered just as quickly. Jack tries to play it straight with Audrey, but Heller’s not a complete fool, and he notices the dynamic immediately. One could wonder why Heller hadn’t seen it before, but it’s not hard to understand. In that moment, Heller is almost entirely focused on Audrey and her well-being. He would perceive the kinds of minor things that normally wouldn’t rise to importance in his mind.
Of course, things get complicated when Audrey’s husband arrives at CTU, eager to be reunited with his wife. It wouldn’t be “24” without the soap opera elements, and in this case, it puts Jack in a terribly awkward position. He wants to be with Audrey, but there are issues with his working relationship with Heller and Audrey’s progress towards divorce. Dealing with all of that in the aftermath of a hostage rescue operation is hard for him to reconcile. This is exactly the kind of thing he never wanted to do again, and now, he has to deal with a pining husband who wants reconciliation with the woman he’s trying to protect for life.
Meanwhile, the writers begin to trigger some of the lingering plot threads from the first couple hours of the season. While the full revelation is left to the end of the episode, Marianne’s true colors are strongly hinted when she tells Driscoll that she has stolen FBI access codes that they can use. This is revealing for two reasons. First, it instantly explains how the terrorists knew about Andrew, since Marianne was obviously in possession of the codes, allowing the terrorists to covertly monitor FBI information. Second, it further demonstrates just how hypocritical Driscoll can be, since she should have viewed Marianne’s possession of the codes as a serious breach of security. Either Driscoll’s another mole, or she’s too stupid to live.
As expected, the trial was not the true objective, but the detailed nature of the terrorist plan is still clever and exciting (at least, from a dramatic point of view). It makes sense that Navi would keep the truth from Behrooz, especially since he seemed to have reservations about his son from the very beginning. When Tariq shows up, the implication is rather obvious. It’s a credit to the writers that they maintained a very consistent characterization for Navi, so that this decision does not come across as capricious. He holds everyone equally accountable, and his patience for Behrooz’s flirtation with Western culture was already wearing mighty thin. That said, the audience doesn’t want to believe the implication, which only makes it better.
It’s to Heller’s credit that he doesn’t get angry about the relationship between Audrey and Jack. It’s hard to dislike the guy who risked everything to save him and his daughter! But Heller is also very practical, and knows that Paul isn’t ready to let go. Heller has already demonstrated a direct and upfront manner of solving problems, and in this case, that means telling Audrey to settle accounts with Paul as soon as possible.
The plot moves right along once Curtis, one of the few CTU agents developing an actual personality, discovers amongst the items at the terrorist compound the remains of the briefcase stolen by the terrorists in the premiere. It’s clearly marked with the logo of a defense contractor, which is never a good sign. The stonewalling is little more than a tactic to drag out the reveal until the end of the episode, but it also gives the viewers time to put the pieces together.
Dina returns home to discover that her son is about to be killed, and as one would expect, her reaction is far from stoic. Another name is tossed out, Marwan, and perhaps this is the name of the terrorist leader. At this point, it hardly matters, since it’s made very clear that the terrorists are hardly a small operation. Over the space of several years, they’ve created a massive network, probably going back to the “Second Wave” operations in the second season. Such a group would have no problem killing a young boy who threatens the cause, but the real question is whether Dina will remain loyal, now that her son is a victim.
As is often the case with incompetent leadership, Driscoll is more than happy to take credit for something she had no part in, and she challenges Jack to dispute Heller’s interpretation of events. In another display of bad management skill, she asks Jack to take over as head of FieldOps until the crisis is over, giving Jack official sanction for activities he would have done anyway. This is bad for Driscoll on two levels. First, it gives all of the people supporting Jack confirmation that Driscoll was wrong. Second, it tells all of the people supporting Driscoll that insubordinate behavior is rewarded after the fact. The result will likely be more division and bad morale all around.
Before the issue can linger too much longer, the writers remind the audience that Richard, Heller’s son, is still in custody. Once again pointing out how well the seeds were planted for the next phase of the terrorist operation, it’s made very clear that Richard is aware of something unusual, something apparently related to the protest he was invited to attend at a nearby nuclear facility.
In previous episodes, the writers took care to demonstrate how both sides of the conflict use similar tactics to achieve victory. That symmetry is maintained in this episode, though not perfectly. Heller makes the choice to subject his son to non-invasive torture to get information, all in the name of getting whatever information he’s holding that might be of value. This is akin to Navi’s decision to sacrifice his son for the cause. Both decisions are brutal, but it’s all too easy to understand Heller’s point of view. That well-crafted moral dilemma adds to the tension.
Audrey’s talk with Paul provides a nice breather, even if the plot element promises to be annoying. Paul isn’t the most observant man in the world, or he would have noticed how Jack looks and talks to Audrey. Perhaps the most amusing part of the conversation takes place once Paul is out the door. Jack keeps fiddling with his right hand, which he had just used to shake hands with the husband of the woman he’s sleeping with!
As the episode winds down, the plot becomes somewhat more predictable. One could have easily guessed that Behrooz would manage to overpower Tariq and flee for his life. It’s inevitable that Behrooz will ultimately become important, if only to distract his parents and the terrorist plot overall. It would have been better, perhaps, to have Behrooz simply become another victim, to steal away that avenue of hope.
Around the same time, the defense contractor’s CEO finally gets back to CTU (after Heller apparently gave the OK for the civilian business to submit to a law enforcement division), and seems to be rather pleased with the little device that they created: a remote control for nuclear power plants. The man seems shocked at the idea that the device would be used to create a meltdown, but that would have been prevented by the firewalls around the control software, right? Well, that’s true, unless there’s enough activity on the network to hide the effect of a hack. Activity, say, from a worldwide internet broadcast of a live terrorist execution of the US Secretary of Defense.
The final revelation about Marianne is unfortunately a letdown, or at least, it feels like one. Who couldn’t guess that she was working with the terrorists? Granted, this could be something of a false cliffhanger, since the nuclear plot is supposed to come to fruition within a few hours, and that leaves a lot of time left in the season for the next complication. But for the moment, it fits that Marianne would have the FBI access necessary for the terrorists to know about Andrew’s call to Chloe.
Taken as a whole, the first six episodes are a nice bit of misdirection, even if the middle of the initial arc was less inspired than the overall concept. In retrospect, the intrigues of the Araz family helped make the whole thing work, because without the chilling Dina and the brutal execution of Debbie, the attempt on Behrooz wouldn’t have made sense. Jack’s extra-curricular activities don’t appear to have much meaning to the overall plot, other than to place Driscoll into the position of giving him official credence. And the less said about the CTU drama, the better.
The focus now shifts to preventing the terrorist takeover of the nation’s nuclear power facilities, a nightmare that touches on the public paranoia all too well. Jack is back in the CTU, at least for now, and it ought to be funny to see Driscoll beating her head against that particular wall. For now, it seems as though Jack and Heller are on the same page (Heller could be Jack’s future self, lack of weapons skill notwithstanding), but will that continue? And what happens when Jack needs to override Driscoll’s floundering, and she pulls the President into the equation again?
The net effect of this episode is a rapid gain in narrative momentum. This is the kind of pacing that the series should have had since the beginning. It’s not that the episodes since the internet broadcast shouldn’t have happened; rather, the plot threads could have been developed more effectively. It’s episodes like this one that grab the audience and get them excited to watch the series, and while not every hour can be so kinetic, the intervening transitional episodes can and should be as frantically paced. With the writers backed up against the wall, one has to wonder if the self-inflicted pressure will lead to the necessary inspiration.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode was a marked improvement over the past three episodes, delivering a solid hour of intense action, intrigue, and quick pacing. A number of plot elements come together in this episode, revealing the true nature of the first plot arc for the season in expert fashion. A couple of the final moments were predictable, but it didn’t take away from the overall excellence. Easily the best episode of the season thus far.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4
Final Rating: 9/10
Season Average (as of 4.6): 7.5
posted by John Keegan | 16:14
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