Friday , March 29 2024
While the action factor this week was low, the emotional barometer was high.

TV Review: ’24: Live Another Day’ – Episode 8

kate14After last week’s adrenaline rushing drone chase, this week seemed a bit tame, but ended in an emotionally gut-wrenching scene.

We left off with Simone (Emily Berrington) suffering a brain injury after a collision with a bus; Jordan (Giles Mathey) had been shot thanks to an order from turncoat CIA Head Navarro (Benjamin Bratt), Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) was summoned to the Embassy on the President’s orders and after a face to face Skype with terrorist Margot Al-Harazi (Michelle Fairley), Heller (William Devane) agreed to her request he turn himself over to her.

The episode begins with Navarro and Kate (Yvonne Strahovski) hovering over Simone in the ER, though for different reasons.  Navarro is just trying to cover his ass, while Kate is anxious to see what information she can gain about Margot’s whereabouts.  After debriefing Jack of the situation, he strongly suggests Kate force the doctor into waking up our femme fatale, no matter the cost.  “Wake the bitch up!” he demands as he hangs up the phone.  Kate does as Jack asks and at gunpoint, orders the doc to do her bidding.  Simone awakens long enough to give the Al-Harazi’s address and the location of a CD hidden jb6underneath the floorboards in the upstairs bedroom.  She reveals the CD has the coding to override control of the drones, so Kate immediately orders a CIA team to the home. Meanwhile, Margot and company are packing up,  heading to a new location.  Though she is leary of Heller’s promise to turn himself in, she’s taking the gamble he’ll keep his word.

Back at the Embassy, Heller clues Jack in on the plan and asks for his help. Jack refuses until Heller reveals the truth about his spiraling health.  “If you were standing right here in these shoes, in my position, you would do the exact same thing.  Face it son, you and I are the only chance they have,” Heller pleas.  Jack reluctantly agrees and Heller signs a letter of resignation effectively making himself a civilian, avoiding the country’s policy that the government doesn’t abide a terrorists demands.  Realizing he’ll need to get past Secret Service and British military to covertly leave, Heller brings in Boudreau (Tate Donovan) to keep the staff busy while Jack and Heller make their escape.

Jordan, still reeling from being shot, calls Navarro and then lays in wait as he suspects his boss is behind the assassination attempt.  It doesn’t take long for the hitman to return.  The two go at it and although Jordan 8-2is stabbed in the chest, he manages to shoot his attacker before losing consciousness. Meanwhile back at CIA Headquarters, Kate is surprised that Jordan has disappeared and Navarro claims to have no idea where he went.  Knowing it’s not like Jordan to leave his post, Kate is concerned.

At the Embassy, Heller takes a moment with Audrey (Kim Raver) and they reminisce over an old photo.  It’s touching but sad knowing it’s the last time he’ll see his daughter.  Heller’s eyes well up up as he takes a long last look at Audrey.

Jack and Heller covertly sneak out of the Embassy 8-1and successfully make it to Margot’s designated location- Wembley Stadium.  Although Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is working on hacking into the codes on the CD to take control of the drones, time is running out!  Before meeting his doom, Heller informs Jack he’s pardoned him for everything he did four years ago, as well as for anything he may be charged with stemming from his time in London.  It’s of little consolation given the situation and Jack again reminds Heller of his disdain over the decision.

Boudreau finds Audrey in her father’s office.  She’s found his letter of resignation and learns of his intentions to turn himself over to Margot.  She is devastated and angry that he kept it from her.  “You’re my husband!  I’ll never trust you again!” she screams as tears roll down her face.

In the final moments, though Chloe tries to take control of the drone, it’s too late! Margot confirms the President’s identity, then piloting the drone herself, launches a missile killing Heller!

While the action factor this week was low, the emotional barometer was high.  I think  fans believed somehow Jack would be able to stop Margot from killing Heller.  It echoes back to season six, when Jack had to kill Head of CTU Ryan Chappelle (Paul Schulze) thanks to a terrorist’s threats.  Question is, what will happen when Audrey hears Jack led her father to the lions den? In an interview on Friday with co-creator and Executive Producer Robert Cochran, he promises Audrey will have a tremendous impact as the season comes to an end.  Although Audrey asks her husband who Heller is with, he doesn’t tell her.  Will she ask Jack to help her exact revenge on Margot for killing her father? Ultimately, he’s going to have to tell Audrey he was with her father.  It’s going to be a heartbreaking moment for sure!

Another thing coming up is a time jump. Thus far each episode has been in real time.  My guess is Margot will attempt to flee the country after her assassination of President Heller and a trip over the pond will bring the hours up towards 24.  Personally, I really don’t see the need for a time jump and I would have been fine just having the 12-episodes in real time.

Finally, the most commented thing on twitter during the episode from fans was why they dijb3dn’t silence the clock?  It’s always been 24‘s signature that whenever an important character dies, the episode ends in silence.  Could this mean Heller is alive somehow?  Unfortunately, I don’t think this is the case. What will the fallout be?  I think Prime Minister Davies (Stephen Fry) has his work cut out for him after this nightmare! An American President is killed in your country; the ramifications can be catastrophic on a global scale!.

All in all it was another solid episode. There were two scenes that stood out to me; 1. Heller and Jack’s confrontation about conceding to a terrorist; and 2. the father/daughter scene between Heller and Audrey. Both were emotionally charged and left the audience with an understanding of just how honorable, noble, and dedicated this President is, willing to sacrifice his life to save thousands.  I loved when Heller compared his decision to something Jack would do.  It was right on point and you could tell Jack was left with no room to argue.  There was nothing more he could do to change his mind, much like when Jack makes his decisions.  I find it interesting that Jack is a lot like Audrey’s father in that respect, which is probably one of the reasons she fell in love with him in the first place.

So what’s next? The world learns of President Heller’s demise and, like the old saying goes–payback’s a bitch! Jack and Kate go after the Al-Harzi’s with fervor, willing to do whatever necessary to bring her down! It’s going to be another nail-biting, heart-stopping, at-the-edge-of-your-seat episode!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqAgXRLEcNA

With only four episodes left, you won’t want to miss a moment of ‘Bauer Power Hour’, next Monday, June 23, at 9:00 p.m. on FOX!

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About Chrissy Piccolo

Chrissy Piccolo the founder of RHeart Network, the Fan's Voice, the #1 Fan Connection Destination, supporting daytime, prime-time and online scripted digital content. Currently the host of RHeart Radio, the Fan's Voice, as well as Storytellers On The Net, and Sleepy Hollow Addicts on Blogtalk radio. In addition to writing for Blogcritics, she is also an author on Examiner.com. Web Series Today and currently co-hosts with Barbara Barnett and Jerome Wetzel on 'Let's Talk TV' on Blogtalk. She is also working on adapting her her first novel in The Kirsten Kelly Chronicles series into a webseries. Passionate about keeping scripted content alive, she continues to be an advocate for all forms. When she’s not working managing several websites or writing, one of her hobbies is investigating the paranormal with other enthusiasts and searching out possible cases through historic sites in the Northwest. Chrissy believes in being a positive influence in such a vast medium as the Internet.

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