Writers: Robert Cochran, David Fury.
Director: Jon Caessar.
Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kim Raver, Tate Donavan, Jon Boyega, Benjamin Bratt, William Devane, Yvonne Strahovski, Michael Wincott, Michelle Fairley, Stephen Fry.
Synopsis: Taking place between 12pm and 1pm Jack enlists Chloe’s help in finding a suspected terrorist. Elsewhere the military drone strike causes trouble for Heller and the British Prime Minister.
Jacks back! It’s hard to believe I know, but it has been a whole four years since we watched Jack, now a wanted man, bid Chloe farewell and disappear from our TV screens. You can’t keep a good man down though and everyone’s favourite rogue agent has this time set-up camp on British soil. Though not quite 24 this time around with only twelve episodes, 24: Live Another Day promises to be crammed full of just as much action. THN will be here every step of the way in our new episode by episode Bauer Blog.
So Jack didn’t break Chloe out of special services to rescue his old friend from being tortured. Nope he used her to give up her new secret hideaway’s location as she’s been mixing with some bad sorts. The relationship dynamic between Chloe and Jack has changed as they are now on different sides of the fence. Can Jack forgive Chloe for sharing military secrets and endangering American troops?
The episode did answer the question of how Jack had been spending his retirement; keeping his ear to the ground. You can take the man out of CTU but, where Jack Bauer is concerned, you can’t take the CTU out of him. Apparently Jack has been monitoring all sorts of chatter over the years and has decided to get involved in this instance. He claims the only reason he’s getting involved is because he owes Audrey and Heller for the pain ‘knowing him’ inflicted on their family. But could there be anything to Chloe’s accusation that he may think he’ll have his traitor standing revoked? After all it was revealed last episode that Kim has had another child, a son; she named her daughter after her deceased mother Teri, might the boy have inherited her estranged fathers name? That could mean that there are two Jack Bauers in existence and the possibility to continue the series for many years to come.
Chloe’s new team works out of what appears to be an abandoned shoping centre. Don’t let the location fool you though, they seem to have better technology than the CIA unit that is still searching for Bauer. It’s not Chloe that manages to come through with the whereabouts of an ex-group member who has gone bad (well technically worse). Instead it is Chloe’s new boss (boyfriend?) Adrien Cross. Cross is played by the gravel-voiced Michael Wincott, an actor not known for playing one of the good guys, could his casting be the Sean Bean spoiler of the show?
Poor military cadet Chris, I bet he feels like today is the longest day of his life. He knows he didn’t do anything but the haplas soul is being set up, a pawn in todays plan. The man behind the rogue drone is the man Jack and Chloe are hunting for, Derek Yates. He’s hiding out at his drug dealer’s flat with his girlfriend.
Yates is working for the, or at least one of the, big league terrorists of this season and its Lady Catelyn Stark. She’s a long way from Westeros, but its refreshing for the antagonist to be a woman. How well she’ll fair remains to be seen but we all know women are better at organising than men.
Stephen Fry as our prime minister, if only we were that lucky in real life. Although only glimpsed briefly, given the drone attack and its killing of British soldiers we can be certain that we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the coming epiosdes.
So Heller is trying to attone for the military drone but is he up to the pressure? The interogation by Mark and Audrey would point to no, the situation is too overwhelming for his ill health to cope. Mark pushed him very hard, was it really a concern for him to be fully prepared or was it motivated by a more sinister agenda? Personally I’m still undecided on him.
It was pretty awesome having Jack embrace his bad-assness as he walked in a council flat drug den and told the leader that however big and tough he believed himself to be he was wrong and he would lose. Jack never breaks a promise, Curtis Manning knows that better than anyone (Jack shot his friend in the throat after he promised he’d keep an informant safe and Manning threatened his life). During the fight between Jack and the dealers, Yates and his misses managed to flee. He did leave behind his USB stick though, silly hacker.
The CIA are of course still looking for Jack, calling in some favours they have with some British detectives they have on the payroll. They inevitably turn up just in time to spoil Jacks plan, letting the suspect run off. Jack proved just how cut-throat he still is, as he knocked Kate out so he could make his escape.
Chloe arrived just in the nick of time to rescue Jack but it seems that the duo’s time has been wasted as the USB Jack recovered has self-destructed – apparently things really do do that. They did of course get a glimpse of the plan, but whose going to believe two fugitive traitors?
You’re a British man whose just escaped the clutches of Jack Bauer, where do you go? The pub of course! Thinking that his buyer was behind what he has interpreted as a hit, Yates’ decides now is the time to look for a new buyer, but first he needs the loo…
Remember what I said earlier about women being organised? Well Lady Stark has decided to keep a close eye on Yates, trusting her daughter to keep a watchful eye on her asset. When will you men learn? If a woman comes into the gents in film and television she isn’t after a quicky, she is here to kill you. Did you learn nothing from Mystique and the prison guard in X-MEN 2?
It’s only the second episode in but already the show is starting to feel a lot more familiar and comfortable again. The London issue already seems to have corrected itself, with it now being much less of a distraction. With two episodes down though we only have ten left, and that just doesn’t seem enough. Here’s hoping that Bauer and Audrey collide soon, that’s when the shit will really hit the fan.
CIA Blunder: Letting a witness to a violent crime leave without trying to take any details or ensure that they were safe, after all theres a crazed gun man on the loose.
Badass Bauer Moment: Easily renders four men useless in seconds by using just a blade and his bare hands.
Damnit Counter: Twice, once whispered and the other shouted as the computer evidence disappeared. We’re still waiting on the first ‘Damnit Chloe!’ though.
[usr=4] 24: Live Another Day airs on Sky One Wednesdays at 9pm.
