With 12 a.m.-1 a.m., I got worried that the show would head the opposite direction of what I wanted it to go. Surely 24 could still keep on being the exciting thrillride it usually is?
Thankfully, this episode confirms they've found their footing again.
Marcos has locked himself inside the pressure chamber trying to arm the bomb manually after it was previously disarmed by CTU. Kayla is still missing and in a hotel room with her boyfriend Farin, with President Omar and his wife Dalia desperately trying to reach her. Dana and Cole return from the nightmarish ordeal and are met by a very displeased Hastings.
By far the real winner is the drama with Marcos in the pressure chamber. Most of it is him and Jack talking to each other. Kiefer Sutherland and Rami Malek both do a great job. It becomes even more dramatic when Marcos' mother gets involved. You've got to love Jack pulling one of his classic mindgames as well. The creepiest thing is that you can never know for sure whether Jack is serious or not with his threats. The look in his eyes are convincing enough to fool you.
When Marcos finally is talked out of detonating the bomb on his chest it's already too late, which makes it all the more tragic when he now doesn't want to go through with it anymore. You feel bad for both him and his mother. It's definitely one of the more empathetic portrayals of a suicide bomber on the show.
The Kayla plot doesn't have much happening, but there's an unexpected twist: Farin really was guilty! The writers smartly tricked us by making Omar Hassan act so overly suspicious that when he had Farin arrested, we scoffed at it just as much as Kayla and Dalia did. So the fact that he turned out to be right about this one is kinda shocking, though maybe not completely surprising since this plot needed a little more tension in it.
But there is still one weakness, and that is once again the extremely tiresome Dana plot. Kevin and his stupid robber friend are dead, she doesn't have to deal with them anymore. So why does this just keep going and going? This really is getting dragged out more than what's neccessary. I also don't buy the chemistry between her and Cole. I know he says "I love you" to her, but it doesn't sound like he really means it. That's some poorly written romance there. I'm glad to see her having to confront Mr. Hastings though. If I was him I would have been fed up at her being so incompetent at her job too. I give plus points however for the brief appearance by Stephen Root as the investigator Bill Prady. He's one of my favorite character actors, so it will be cool to see more of his role.
While not a flawless one, it's an episode which shows 24 can still deliver classic suspense. And if nothing else, you've always got Jack Bauer.
Thankfully, this episode confirms they've found their footing again.
Marcos has locked himself inside the pressure chamber trying to arm the bomb manually after it was previously disarmed by CTU. Kayla is still missing and in a hotel room with her boyfriend Farin, with President Omar and his wife Dalia desperately trying to reach her. Dana and Cole return from the nightmarish ordeal and are met by a very displeased Hastings.
By far the real winner is the drama with Marcos in the pressure chamber. Most of it is him and Jack talking to each other. Kiefer Sutherland and Rami Malek both do a great job. It becomes even more dramatic when Marcos' mother gets involved. You've got to love Jack pulling one of his classic mindgames as well. The creepiest thing is that you can never know for sure whether Jack is serious or not with his threats. The look in his eyes are convincing enough to fool you.
When Marcos finally is talked out of detonating the bomb on his chest it's already too late, which makes it all the more tragic when he now doesn't want to go through with it anymore. You feel bad for both him and his mother. It's definitely one of the more empathetic portrayals of a suicide bomber on the show.
The Kayla plot doesn't have much happening, but there's an unexpected twist: Farin really was guilty! The writers smartly tricked us by making Omar Hassan act so overly suspicious that when he had Farin arrested, we scoffed at it just as much as Kayla and Dalia did. So the fact that he turned out to be right about this one is kinda shocking, though maybe not completely surprising since this plot needed a little more tension in it.
But there is still one weakness, and that is once again the extremely tiresome Dana plot. Kevin and his stupid robber friend are dead, she doesn't have to deal with them anymore. So why does this just keep going and going? This really is getting dragged out more than what's neccessary. I also don't buy the chemistry between her and Cole. I know he says "I love you" to her, but it doesn't sound like he really means it. That's some poorly written romance there. I'm glad to see her having to confront Mr. Hastings though. If I was him I would have been fed up at her being so incompetent at her job too. I give plus points however for the brief appearance by Stephen Root as the investigator Bill Prady. He's one of my favorite character actors, so it will be cool to see more of his role.
While not a flawless one, it's an episode which shows 24 can still deliver classic suspense. And if nothing else, you've always got Jack Bauer.
