24: 12.00am – 1.00am
By fred | April 7, 2009
(S07E17) Jack is out. We use to say Jack Bauer is the show, and that very well might be the case, but (at the moment) he is out, because he got infected by a deadly virus with no cure (well, for now, obviously). So Jack has to stand down and wait patiently at the FBI while finally our old friend Tony can be on the field and actually do something else than wait in the car.
But in this episode, not a very lot happened, we’re still working our way out to the big finale in a few hours, and in the mean time while Jack is waiting to die and Renee get angry while watching him accepting his fate, it’s all about the politics. And what I took from this episode, is that people must be under a lot of stress, because they don’t seem to realize who can and can’t give orders.
I mean, for started we had Moss and the FBI being threatened with guns, ordered to leave and surrender their “hostage.” Now wait a minute here, but those aren’t the bad guys, they’re not the terrorists, they’re the FBI! Yet they are listening and obeying. Sure they let Tony sneak out in the back while no one was watching, but seriously they had all rights to be there, from a direct order by the President of the USA no less.
And while it only allowed them to look inside one building, I’m guessing it didn’t specify that the search had to be conducted over 10 minutes. Couldn’t say argue they wanted to get some specialists and check whether or not some deadly virus has been released inside that building, or test it for radioactivity or something? Anything to buy them time, anything they’re entitled to do as they run their investigation, not Jonas and his men – aka the suspects.
In the same idea, since when can’t the FBI decide who they want to question? Jonas says he wants his man back, so he gets it. I know it was part of the diversion, but it was still funny to see, how no one seemed to remember the way things were supposed to work. Of course, that was nothing compared to the end, when the President is just taking orders for Jonas as well, obeying terrorists.
Once upon a time, it was ‘we can’t do such a thing and surrender’ and ‘there’s no way we let terrorist dictate us what to do, threatening us like that,’ but apparently she changed her mind, and now she runs to do exactly as she’s been told. And why? Because a terrorist, who it has been established was responsible for all the attacks earlier this day, told her to. Who’s to say her attack wouldn’t have worked despite his claim? Who’s to say what he showed her was really the weapons, not some miniature models, or just empty boxes as they still hadn’t time to loaded the gas inside?
So now, using the exact same threats, I’m guessing Jonas can invite himself into the Oval Office, and ask her to sign a letter where she not only resigns but hands the key of the White House to Jonas and his man. I mean, if the weapons weren’t ready now, they’ll be by then, so what could she possibly use to say no to him at this point??
In other news, Olivia is a real bitch, and some of the things she does I don’t even think she realizes what they mean. It’s not just that she did reveal to a journalist, to the press, a lot of highly classified information that could potentially have a terrible effect and cost lives, should they make it to the press, but then what was her plan? Sleep with the guy and – here’s the trick – film it?
Well thank God her battery didn’t die before they got to it, but I don’t think this threat is that effective. I mean maybe there would be a terrible divorce as a result, but who would be in more trouble, the journalist who slept with someone to get information, or the one who slept with a journalist and revealed top-secret information fully aware that she shouldn’t and it could cost lives to a lot of people? Maybe his marriage would be over, but so would be her political career, or maybe even her freedom for that matter.
And then there’s Jack, dying. Of course there’s a chance for a miracle experimental cure somewhere, but it would require the help of Kim, and Jack doesn’t want to get her involved. Considering what they’ve been through in the past and how much his actions in the past did affect her life, I guess it’s not too hard to see why Jack wouldn’t want to go there. Of course, seeing how he already injected himself way before the recommended two-hour delay, one has to wonder if kicking back into old habits (he was a drug addict remember?) is really a better solution… at the same time, if he’s thinking (very) short term, it might be.
Okay, last word: how the fuck is this possible? Jonas didn’t only had people working for him at the White House, but he managed to get his own private and secured line installed within the White House, and in a highly protected area of it no less?? Seriously, who’s in charge of the security there?? They need to get help from a really good consultant. You know, someone like Chloe — still sitting in a chair somewhere…
What did everybody else think?
