TV Review: 24 Day 5: 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Oh, I needed another hit of graphic violence warning. It had been too long. For the Previously on LA Laws, we are reminded that the Babe is being paid a lot of money for whatever information she's giving Sgt. Bierko. Just another element of this amazing backup plan, that he arranged to have this babe get this info for him on a few hours notice. We also see once again the demises of Samwise Gamgee and Tony Took.

Carlos Bernard is in the credits again. One last time, for old times sake. He's playing Dead Guy #1. Look for him.

As this episode begins, then, someone is picking up the syringe that did in Tony and bagging it. CTU is meticulous about following protocol.

Now, remember, it's been no more than three minutes since Henderson stabbed Tony and disappeared. But, Audrey says Henderson, who is fighting off the buckets of drugs coursing through his system, resisting the pain of the torture, managed to get out of the building unseen before it was locked down (it was re-locked down after being locked down for the nerve gas?), and the car he used to get away was found a block away.

Think about that one, folks. From near death, to off the table, out the door, out the building, find a car, start the car, drive it one block, get out and disappear, and someone finds the car. All within three minutes. Whew. I'm exhausted just trying to imagine that.

But, it would have made about as much sense if faeries had appeared, wrapped Henderson in an Invisibility Cloak woven from gossamer strands made from their own spittle and the magic element pixium, and spirited him out of the building on the back of a unicorn.

In that same three minute interval, Chloe managed to decrypt a file on Buckaroo's computer. I guess Jack's pep talks helped.

The file names a Collette Stenger. She is an international intelligence broker. (Now what the heck is that? Can you find one in the Yellow Pages?)

The sheet we see briefly says she is 5'9", 135 pounds. In 2000, she stole some files from the German Embassy in East Rand, South Africa. In October 2001, she did some computer hacking in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. (Coming at the time of the US attacks in Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11, Dushanbe would've been a very interesting and lively place to be.)

Audrey says Interpol claims she and Bierko met twice in the last eight months. Man oh man, CTU gets more down in three minutes than the rest of us do all day. So Chloe got this file decrypted, they call Interpol in what must be the early morning hours in Europe, and get some info on Stenger, all in three minutes. Wow. Way to go, CTU.

Article Author: Jeff Kouba

Visit Jeff Kouba's author page — Jeff Kouba's Blog