24 4.22: "Day 4: 4AM - 5AM"
Written by Matt Michnovetz and Duppy Demetrius
Directed by Kevin Hooks
In which the search for the nuclear missile’s target leads to Heller’s son Richard and his lover, who also happens to be the lover of an old enemy, who holds the key to Marwan’s plot…
Status Report
After what amounted to a two-part exploration of hard choices and tough emotional consequences, the focus is not as tight coming into this episode. On the one hand, there’s a theme of regret and love lost running throughout the hour, but there are also a number of subplots that make it come together like a glorified soap opera. Granted, that’s not too far from where “24” usually resides, dramatically, but it’s a bit sappy and obvious this time around.
The episode begins with an interesting if facile plot convenience: the missile carrying the nuclear weapon is “stealth technology”, and thus cannot be directly tracked. The range is exactly large enough to ensure that either coast can be hit before the end of the season. This, of course, requires a strong sense of leadership from President Logan, but he finds himself constantly deferring to Palmer instead of making his own decisions. Given his attitude in the previous episode, Logan seems rather eager to cede power to a civilian.
There’s a short scene between Jack and Marwan that gives token acknowledgment to the fact that Marwan and his supporters have a consistent point of view. That point of view is not at all legitimized, of course, and Marwan’s unbending hatred is cast in a requisitely negative light. However, it’s chilling to be reminded that the terror and psychological damage is the goal; Marwan cannot be bought with any other promises because from his perspective, it’s a question of teaching a lesson. He cannot do that if the weapon doesn’t detonate; therefore, he has no reason to help Jack stop it.
Moving on from a rather quick and dirty lesson in the politics of hatred, the writers correct an early mistake by actually remembering that Heller’s son Richard had been implicated in his father’s abduction. One could wonder why that potential lead was forgotten while they were looking for anything related to Marwan for several episodes on end, but at this point, the reasons are obvious. With a more or less solid connection between Richard and Marwan, there’s a new direction for the investigation to take.
Tony, despite warnings to the contrary, informs Audrey that her brother is being brought in. This makes a certain amount of sense after Tony comments yet again on the state of Jack and Audrey’s relationship. Tony knows that Jack is the one who always gets to do the fun stuff, and so of course, Jack is in the position to torture one of Audrey’s loved ones.
Things get mildly more insane when plans to bring Marwan back to CTU are put on hold when some of Marwan’s associates stage an attack on the convoy and get away with the boss. Jack and Curtis are left reeling, but there’s little time to waste. Whatever advantage CTU thought they had by capturing Marwan is already off the table, so they’re better served by placing emphasis on Richard Heller. It’s logical, even if having Marwan abducted lets the audience off the hook, since they don’t have to work all that out on their own.
In a rare moment of addressing one of the major concerns of the audience, the Speaker of the House (Donald Ashton) takes rather obvious issue with the prominence of Palmer’s advice in the Logan White House. Ashton has a very simple and entirely valid objection to Palmer’s presence: it violates every reasonable expectation under the circumstances. Indeed, Logan himself has noted that Novick and Palmer have all but taken control of the Presidency. Ashton has every right, beyond his desire for grabbing power, to wonder if there’s been a coup.
Continuing the long and now almost certain path towards Tony’s heroic demise (something that would be folly, now that the series has been renewed for two more seasons), there’s an incredibly sappy scene between Tony and Michelle. The dialogue and music in this scene is absolutely horrible and corny, to the point of excess, and it feels designed to get the two back together before a massive tragedy.
Richard’s panic is entirely justified, given how things went during his last stay in Casa CTU, and it does nothing but amplify Audrey’s fears when she learns that Jack will be running the interrogation. Her suggestion is logical enough, and Jack has every reason to hope that Richard will let his terror loosen his tongue. Of course, what the writers have in mind is something more subversive. The implication is that Jack is giving in to Audrey because of his emotions, after all, and rather quickly, that is cast in a negative light.
When Ashton really begins to place pressure on Mike to abide by the rule of law and the intent of the voters (questionable territory at best), Logan seems lost as to the solution. Palmer is more than happy to provide a solution right out of the “Incredibly Obvious” playbook. If the whole business with the Chinese (suddenly no longer a problem) wasn’t a disturbing sign that Palmer learned a few bad habits from Sherry, his naked machinations in this episode clinches the deal.
Audrey’s interrogation technique is completely ineffective, which seems to be the point that the writers are trying to make. The message is that Jack’s methods are the correct methods, and that Audrey’s way doesn’t cut it. Indeed, as with the earlier episodes of the season, Audrey’s father falls solidly behind Jack and his work ethic, even when it comes to family. Unless there’s a reversal, it looks like Jack is still held in some respect in the eyes of the Secretary of Defense.
The revelation that Richard is gay seems tossed into the mix needlessly. Again, what is the implication? That Richard’s sexuality, being non-conservative, is somehow tied to his inability to protect his family and the country? For that matter, Richard’s insistence that he didn’t know that his liaison was an issue doesn’t fit with his portrayal earlier in the season; at that point, he was happily making decision to embarrass his father. Whatever the case, it does give the writers a way for CTU to get closer to the truth without immediately discovering the real twist of the episode.
Chloe tracks down the location of the couple that Richard was cavorting with, and when Jack can’t get backup from Curtis, he asks for Tony. That, taken in context with Tony’s earlier scene with Michelle, made the writers’ intentions crystal clear. Michelle’s last minute decision to leave CTU with Tony at the end of the crisis and reboot their relationship is also a very bad sign. Tony fans…get ready for heartache.
The whole exercise of fooling the Cabinet into believing Logan is the real authority is so transparent that it never should have worked. Palmer doesn’t even do a good job of hiding the fact that he engineered the whole thing, and Logan doesn’t have the gravitas to deliver forceful commands. But the more disturbing thing is that Palmer essentially got the President to hand him all the power. Logan is little more than a mouthpiece, and he’s not even fighting it. This definitely presents Palmer as far more sinister than he’s been in the past.
Continuing the soap opera element of the episode, Jack once again calls Audrey from the World’s Quietest Helicopter, reminding her that this is the kind of world that he was trying to escape. She doesn’t seem inclined to forgive him for doing the job that had to be done, apparently forgetting that he only got himself involved when it was her life at stake. Perhaps someone needs to remind her of that. Again, with the series renewed for two more seasons, unless something very unexpected happens, Jack might want to prepare himself for disappointing results from his “Stay Away from CTU” plan.
The episode is largely redeemed, however, when the camera shifts to Mandy in all her sweaty naked glory. Mandy has been a fan favorite since the beginning. Not only is she gorgeous (Mia Kirschner is a goddess), but the writers always seem to do her justice. Mandy is a cold-hearted mercenary, and in this case, she happily slaughters her lover, used to ensnare Richard Heller, to ensure her own escape. She’s not just a bad girl; Mandy’s Pure Evil.
There’s a certain amount of writing prowess involved in the final few scenes. For one thing, it’s impressive that Tony and Castle are assigned together, since Castle initially wanted nothing to do with Tony. It helps drive home the fact that Tony’s current situation is light years beyond where he started this season. But more importantly, it lets the writers take out a semi-regular and leave Tony as a hostage. Mandy deals with the situation with dispassionate surgical precision, and with every cut to Michelle’s stricken face, Tony’s fate is entirely clear. Unless something miraculous happens, Tony doesn’t have a chance. (And they better not kill Mandy either, because she’s too good in small doses to kill off!)
This is the kind of uneven episode, like the one with Chloe’s misadventure, that gains strength from the final act. The soap opera elements don’t do much to give the episode credibility, especially when even the score is overdone. There are also some disturbing messages along the way: Richard’s sexuality is tied to his overall weak morality, Audrey’s soft approach is shown as useless compared to Jack’s methods, and Palmer’s takeover is a bit too simple for comfort. Mandy (hot, sweaty Mandy!) makes up for a lot of that, as well as the fact that the writers finally deliver on all those hints (going back to that scene in his apartment) that Tony might not survive. With two episodes left, and that pesky nuclear missile still up there somewhere, things look to end in typically violent and lethal fashion.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode was a bit less focused than the previous two installments. Instead of focusing on a common theme for the major characters, the plot threads diverged into different areas. One character has been on the road to a possible demise all season long, and it’s even more apparent by the end of this hour. There are more dubious messages along the way as well. The episode is saved, however, by a character reveal at the end that many will adore.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 7/10
Season Average (as of 4.22): 6.9
Directed by Kevin Hooks
In which the search for the nuclear missile’s target leads to Heller’s son Richard and his lover, who also happens to be the lover of an old enemy, who holds the key to Marwan’s plot…
Status Report
After what amounted to a two-part exploration of hard choices and tough emotional consequences, the focus is not as tight coming into this episode. On the one hand, there’s a theme of regret and love lost running throughout the hour, but there are also a number of subplots that make it come together like a glorified soap opera. Granted, that’s not too far from where “24” usually resides, dramatically, but it’s a bit sappy and obvious this time around.
The episode begins with an interesting if facile plot convenience: the missile carrying the nuclear weapon is “stealth technology”, and thus cannot be directly tracked. The range is exactly large enough to ensure that either coast can be hit before the end of the season. This, of course, requires a strong sense of leadership from President Logan, but he finds himself constantly deferring to Palmer instead of making his own decisions. Given his attitude in the previous episode, Logan seems rather eager to cede power to a civilian.
There’s a short scene between Jack and Marwan that gives token acknowledgment to the fact that Marwan and his supporters have a consistent point of view. That point of view is not at all legitimized, of course, and Marwan’s unbending hatred is cast in a requisitely negative light. However, it’s chilling to be reminded that the terror and psychological damage is the goal; Marwan cannot be bought with any other promises because from his perspective, it’s a question of teaching a lesson. He cannot do that if the weapon doesn’t detonate; therefore, he has no reason to help Jack stop it.
Moving on from a rather quick and dirty lesson in the politics of hatred, the writers correct an early mistake by actually remembering that Heller’s son Richard had been implicated in his father’s abduction. One could wonder why that potential lead was forgotten while they were looking for anything related to Marwan for several episodes on end, but at this point, the reasons are obvious. With a more or less solid connection between Richard and Marwan, there’s a new direction for the investigation to take.
Tony, despite warnings to the contrary, informs Audrey that her brother is being brought in. This makes a certain amount of sense after Tony comments yet again on the state of Jack and Audrey’s relationship. Tony knows that Jack is the one who always gets to do the fun stuff, and so of course, Jack is in the position to torture one of Audrey’s loved ones.
Things get mildly more insane when plans to bring Marwan back to CTU are put on hold when some of Marwan’s associates stage an attack on the convoy and get away with the boss. Jack and Curtis are left reeling, but there’s little time to waste. Whatever advantage CTU thought they had by capturing Marwan is already off the table, so they’re better served by placing emphasis on Richard Heller. It’s logical, even if having Marwan abducted lets the audience off the hook, since they don’t have to work all that out on their own.
In a rare moment of addressing one of the major concerns of the audience, the Speaker of the House (Donald Ashton) takes rather obvious issue with the prominence of Palmer’s advice in the Logan White House. Ashton has a very simple and entirely valid objection to Palmer’s presence: it violates every reasonable expectation under the circumstances. Indeed, Logan himself has noted that Novick and Palmer have all but taken control of the Presidency. Ashton has every right, beyond his desire for grabbing power, to wonder if there’s been a coup.
Continuing the long and now almost certain path towards Tony’s heroic demise (something that would be folly, now that the series has been renewed for two more seasons), there’s an incredibly sappy scene between Tony and Michelle. The dialogue and music in this scene is absolutely horrible and corny, to the point of excess, and it feels designed to get the two back together before a massive tragedy.
Richard’s panic is entirely justified, given how things went during his last stay in Casa CTU, and it does nothing but amplify Audrey’s fears when she learns that Jack will be running the interrogation. Her suggestion is logical enough, and Jack has every reason to hope that Richard will let his terror loosen his tongue. Of course, what the writers have in mind is something more subversive. The implication is that Jack is giving in to Audrey because of his emotions, after all, and rather quickly, that is cast in a negative light.
When Ashton really begins to place pressure on Mike to abide by the rule of law and the intent of the voters (questionable territory at best), Logan seems lost as to the solution. Palmer is more than happy to provide a solution right out of the “Incredibly Obvious” playbook. If the whole business with the Chinese (suddenly no longer a problem) wasn’t a disturbing sign that Palmer learned a few bad habits from Sherry, his naked machinations in this episode clinches the deal.
Audrey’s interrogation technique is completely ineffective, which seems to be the point that the writers are trying to make. The message is that Jack’s methods are the correct methods, and that Audrey’s way doesn’t cut it. Indeed, as with the earlier episodes of the season, Audrey’s father falls solidly behind Jack and his work ethic, even when it comes to family. Unless there’s a reversal, it looks like Jack is still held in some respect in the eyes of the Secretary of Defense.
The revelation that Richard is gay seems tossed into the mix needlessly. Again, what is the implication? That Richard’s sexuality, being non-conservative, is somehow tied to his inability to protect his family and the country? For that matter, Richard’s insistence that he didn’t know that his liaison was an issue doesn’t fit with his portrayal earlier in the season; at that point, he was happily making decision to embarrass his father. Whatever the case, it does give the writers a way for CTU to get closer to the truth without immediately discovering the real twist of the episode.
Chloe tracks down the location of the couple that Richard was cavorting with, and when Jack can’t get backup from Curtis, he asks for Tony. That, taken in context with Tony’s earlier scene with Michelle, made the writers’ intentions crystal clear. Michelle’s last minute decision to leave CTU with Tony at the end of the crisis and reboot their relationship is also a very bad sign. Tony fans…get ready for heartache.
The whole exercise of fooling the Cabinet into believing Logan is the real authority is so transparent that it never should have worked. Palmer doesn’t even do a good job of hiding the fact that he engineered the whole thing, and Logan doesn’t have the gravitas to deliver forceful commands. But the more disturbing thing is that Palmer essentially got the President to hand him all the power. Logan is little more than a mouthpiece, and he’s not even fighting it. This definitely presents Palmer as far more sinister than he’s been in the past.
Continuing the soap opera element of the episode, Jack once again calls Audrey from the World’s Quietest Helicopter, reminding her that this is the kind of world that he was trying to escape. She doesn’t seem inclined to forgive him for doing the job that had to be done, apparently forgetting that he only got himself involved when it was her life at stake. Perhaps someone needs to remind her of that. Again, with the series renewed for two more seasons, unless something very unexpected happens, Jack might want to prepare himself for disappointing results from his “Stay Away from CTU” plan.
The episode is largely redeemed, however, when the camera shifts to Mandy in all her sweaty naked glory. Mandy has been a fan favorite since the beginning. Not only is she gorgeous (Mia Kirschner is a goddess), but the writers always seem to do her justice. Mandy is a cold-hearted mercenary, and in this case, she happily slaughters her lover, used to ensnare Richard Heller, to ensure her own escape. She’s not just a bad girl; Mandy’s Pure Evil.
There’s a certain amount of writing prowess involved in the final few scenes. For one thing, it’s impressive that Tony and Castle are assigned together, since Castle initially wanted nothing to do with Tony. It helps drive home the fact that Tony’s current situation is light years beyond where he started this season. But more importantly, it lets the writers take out a semi-regular and leave Tony as a hostage. Mandy deals with the situation with dispassionate surgical precision, and with every cut to Michelle’s stricken face, Tony’s fate is entirely clear. Unless something miraculous happens, Tony doesn’t have a chance. (And they better not kill Mandy either, because she’s too good in small doses to kill off!)
This is the kind of uneven episode, like the one with Chloe’s misadventure, that gains strength from the final act. The soap opera elements don’t do much to give the episode credibility, especially when even the score is overdone. There are also some disturbing messages along the way: Richard’s sexuality is tied to his overall weak morality, Audrey’s soft approach is shown as useless compared to Jack’s methods, and Palmer’s takeover is a bit too simple for comfort. Mandy (hot, sweaty Mandy!) makes up for a lot of that, as well as the fact that the writers finally deliver on all those hints (going back to that scene in his apartment) that Tony might not survive. With two episodes left, and that pesky nuclear missile still up there somewhere, things look to end in typically violent and lethal fashion.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode was a bit less focused than the previous two installments. Instead of focusing on a common theme for the major characters, the plot threads diverged into different areas. One character has been on the road to a possible demise all season long, and it’s even more apparent by the end of this hour. There are more dubious messages along the way as well. The episode is saved, however, by a character reveal at the end that many will adore.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 7/10
Season Average (as of 4.22): 6.9
posted by John Keegan | 17:56
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