24 5.14: "Day 5: 8PM - 9PM"

Written by (Unavailable)
Directed by Brad Turner

In which Jack follows a lead on Bierko and the next terrorist attack, butting heads with foreign intelligence and other agencies in the process, while the Vice President asserts more control…


Status Report

The reaction to the previous episode was heated, to say the least. Many who disliked the plot holes in the episode, especially the contrivances of Tony’s final scene, found themselves the target of fierce dissent. In that respect, the “plot twist” achieved its purpose by keeping the fans in a frenzy over each and every twist and turn in the breakneck plot.

Of course, considering how the season arcs are usually constructed, the next big moment is expected around episodes 16-17, so the writers are still dealing with the transitional period between the mid-season plot twist. Unfortunately, this is also the stretch of every season that suffers from the lack of advance preparation, since the writers need to keep things complicated while tracking time.

Perhaps the most questionable aspect of the episode is the very first scene. For all that Tony’s death was ripping Jack apart at the end of the previous installment, he seems rather calm and collected in the opening seconds of this episode. This sometimes happens when two writing teams are working on two episodes that come right after the other; scene continuity won’t always work out as it should. The problem is the abrupt and almost impersonal reaction to Tony’s death. It really doesn’t come up in any meaningful way, apart from the urgency that was already well established.

Henderson’s escape is also a bit sketchy. The writers seem to want it both ways. Chloe manages to get the information off the chip, thus making Henderson somewhat obsolete as a source, but they want Henderson to be available for use later in the season. It’s just a little annoying for him to be extraneous so swiftly.

Logan, as anticipated, lets Vice President Hal “Bob” Gardner continue running the show, declaring martial law for reasons that barely make sense under the circumstances. Considering where this plot thread goes by the end of the hour, Martha is completely correct in her concerns about Hal.

Karen Hayes and her lackey Miles strut into CTU with an agenda: let the CTU survivors work until the nerve gas crisis is over, and then assume full control. This makes no sense whatsoever. If the intention is to make up for the fact that CTU has been decimated, why wait until after the crisis to take control? Assume temporary control and then reassign personnel when things calm down!

Of course, this all assumes that Karen and Miles are on the up and up. The fact that they seem to have a relationship with Hal suggests some questionable motives. Even so, Miles wins the “Least Compassionate Civil Servant” Award for his callous attitude over the losses at CTU. This is the kind of person who deserves to watch people he cares about die horribly, not Chloe!

Distrust of Hal is supported by the contact between Agent Pierce and Wayne Palmer, who apparently found whatever David really uncovered. Clearly, it wasn’t just information regarding Walt Cummings. Since it was never explained what David Palmer knew that made him a target, it’s easy enough to switch expectations and guess that it has something to do with an American conspiracy to aid and utilize Bierko to undermine Logan.

One of the weaker aspects of the episode is the introduction of the latest link in the chain, Collette Stenger and her German spy pet Stoller. For an intelligence agent, Stoller has a bad habit of coming right out with the questions about her business. It’s not hard to figure out why he’s so conflicted, though, especially when she’s pulling on the calf boots! But she’s not particularly compelling, even when she tries to act tough and detached.

Stoller’s explanation for non-compliance makes a certain amount of sense, and the inter-agency conflicts bring to mind all the reasons for the US-Russian accord at the beginning of the season. Jack’s offer, however, seems a bit extreme, even if he has another plan in mind. It seems like something dumped into this minor plot turn to keep things interesting, presaging that Jack will continue as he deems necessary regardless of the issues at CTU-HQ. And never mind that Jack never has the time to rig the chip he has in possession, so how does that work out logically?

Chloe’s little move with Miles is actually pretty funny, because she doesn’t even try to be subtle. It’s not hard to figure out how she’s caught in the end, even if there’s nothing particular to tip Miles off to the use of the keycard, but it’s fun to watch her get a moment of revenge for his earlier behavior! The fact that she’s quickly discovered and confronted also helps to generate a bit of well-established tension. Buchanan started the season by being a little too forgiving at times, and that’s exactly what Karen uses to make her own case.

Jack’s reaction to Karen and her protests, however valid, are absolutely priceless and vintage Jack Bauer. And while it’s hard to figure out how Jack pulled it off, the Mission: Impossible riff was particularly effective. Given his history, there’s every reason to believe that Jack would torture Collette, but he seems to be more willing to play with immunity deals than brutalizing a woman, which is a very good thing.

The immunity deal comes through a bit too quickly, but it’s not a major issue. It’s far more interesting to watch Karen eat crow, even if she still has all the authority she needs to take control regardless of what Jack does. Far more troubling is the attack on Wayne, which seems a bit too over-the-top for its intended purpose. If Hal wanted Wayne out of the picture (and there’s plenty of evidence for that), it could have been more subtle.

The final twist feels like classic misdirection. Audrey’s actions earlier in the season don’t track if she was in on the terrorism. It’s far more likely that someone in the DoD with her authorization codes and access put her in the line of fire. Hopefully Jack will consider the fact that he was framed less than a day earlier in much the same way. One could easily speculate on the who and why, but it’s probably enough to conclude that it’s related to Hal Gardner’s activities.

Transitional episodes are a lot more difficult to pull off, but sometimes, they do help the writers buckle down and think about where they’re going. There’s a reason why the final third of each season is usually a return to form: there’s time to figure out where the story is going after the next big twist while the story marks out time for a few episodes with the usual positioning. Thus episodes like this get the job done, but that’s just about it.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode is definitely transitional in nature, fulfilling its function without too many plotting issues. It’s always fun to watch Jack deal with people who won’t get with his program, and this episode is full of such examples. The plot threads are more functional than thrilling, but sometimes, that’s exactly what the situation requires.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10

Season Average (as of 5.14): 6.9