This episode of 24 was the most tremendously suspenseful yet and featured outstandingly incredible performances by the entire cast. William Devane is absolutely excellent as the president and a true standout. Stephen Fry seems a bit lost as the prime minister but his fuse is clearly slowly burning to the point of explosiveness as drones close in on London and the president's words seem so empty in light of the seeming helplessness of the U.S. The destruction of Number 10, Downing Street, blocks of Westminster, and several nuclear power plants by wayward American drones will require some more powerful eloquence on the part of Devane. Such major devastation being inflicted upon the British people may well spell the end of the special relationship we have shared with them for many decades. It appears thousands upon thousands will perish in the strikes and nuclear pollution will lay waste to most of England, leaving it uninhabitable for many generations. If the president can smooth this over somehow, he is a powerhouse politician. With 14 minutes to go before the British apocalypse and Jack Bauer locked in a room, unable to act, there is no hope. Even if he escaped, there isn't much he can do to prevent what is inevitable in the next very few minutes. The next episode will well prove to be the most emotionally draining to be broadcast since the movie The Day After. Like that movie, 24 is making a very pointed statement, in this case the real life drone attack campaign that is being questioned for the horrific indiscriminate killing resulting from it. The writers really made one consider the morality of what the U.S. is doing. Indeed, along with this significant message, this episode succeeded like never before to set the television screen afire with tension, action, great acting, and bloody violence. The edge of seats worldwide were worn through as audiences bit their nails in anticipation of the coming Armageddon. Simply a brilliantly written and directed episode of the greatest series in the history of the medium. What is so frustrating is that if American leaders simply allowed Jack Bauer freedom to act and not interfere with his mission, the terrible fate of the British next week could have been avoided and the terrorists apprehended in the first hour. Instead, there is needless suffering, death, and property damage because everyone seems insanely obsessed with and maniacally bent on preventing Bauer from stepping in and doing what must be done.