Jack and Chloe have a plan in place to eliminate the terrorist threat before any more attacks rock London. With no time to spare and lives on the line, Jack and Kate pursue crucial leads in an attempt to gain the upper hand on the incredibly intense circumstances. Meanwhile, key players reveal their true colors.
You just knew something was up when last week's episode didn't end with a silent clock in memoriam for the death of President Heller. Indeed, it was just one big fake out to toy with our emotions. And yet, I'm not mad at the show for pulling out the rug underneath us. Last week's episode was a great episode with honest emotional ramifications. This week's episode is equally and even more exciting despite the reveal that Heller is still alive. In fact, the first thirty minutes of this episode are among the best the show has ever produced. Jack literally only has minutes to find Margot and stop her from doing one last drone strike. It's wonderfully tense and heart-pounding action. It's those kinds of action sequences that 24 has always done remarkably well at. And this one doesn't disappoint at all. Sure, it may seem senselessly reckless for Jack to just throw Margot out the fifth story window. But overall, it's a powerful conclusion to the main narrative of this season so far.But like every other season of 24, Jack and company take out one terror threat only for a bigger conspiracy to rise up and take its place. All the indicators were there that this season would be no different despite the shorter episode order. That's why we've had to deal with those extraneous subplots involving Steve Navarro and Adrian Cross. And yet, I do think the season would have been better if it was Jack and company against a singular terrorist. I don't know if the stuff with Margot could have filled 12 weeks of story. But to split the season with nine on Margot and the final three with Adrian seems like very weird plotting. It could be worth it in the end. I don't know. But right now, the show is shifting. As one story comes to a wonderful and climatic end, the next is gearing up. That is the nature of the beast.
However, all of the emotions of this entire hour do feel honest. Yes, there is a bit of whiplash going from that first tense 30 minutes and the reactionary second half. But the show did stay true to its characters. Everyone was working as hard as they could to find Margot and they got to celebrate that victory for a second. Then, it was onto becoming aware of the larger picture of events. Kate and Erik learn of Jordan's passing which then forces Steve to seek a ticket out of the country from Adrian. I honestly have no clue where this story is heading. But it's still producing a ton of great emotional moments. I don't think this has been a busy season for Audrey. And yet, she gets to deal with her father's death and resurrection, thanking Jack for keeping her father alive and utter disdain for Mark for allowing it to happen without letting her know. That gives Steve an opening to escape with the override device with Jack in hot pursuit as the episode returns to action for its conclusion. If the show is willing to keep this momentum going, I'm willing to deal with the new terror threat even though I'm less exciting to see what's next than I have been all season long. Still that first half hour was a series highlight.
Some more thoughts:
- "Day 9: 7:00PM - 8:00PM" was directed by Milan Cheylov with story by Evan Katz & Manny Coto and teleplay by Tony Basgallop & Sang Kyu Kim.
- Say what you will about Margot, but she had very interesting moral guidelines. That simply does not exist with Adrian - who we know next to nothing about.
- The Prime Minister realizes a calm approach to alert the city of London of the terror threat wasn't the best approach as it still causes pandemonium.
- If this season ends with Jack having to kill Chloe or Chloe having to die heroically for the cause, I won't be happy one bit.
- Belichick: "I'm not an American citizen. This is not America."
