24: Live Another Day - “2:00 PM—3:00 PM” Retrospective. Finger Licking Good.

Episode 4

Air Date: Monday, May 19, 2014, 8:00 PM ET/PT on Fox

Rating: ★★★★★

“You’re not getting out of there, it’s over.” – Chloe

Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) and Chris Tanner (John Boyega)

Having eluded Agents Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski) and Ritter (Gbenga Akinnagbe) by firing into the crowd at the United States Embassy causing mass panic, Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) races to find the flight key that logged the data from the drone Tanner (John Boyega) was in command of. Jack believes terrorists took control of the drone, fired on US and British soldiers, and then covered their tracks to make it look like Tanner did it. Will Jack be able to find Tanner and the flight key before Morgan and Ritter find him?

I continue to enjoy the complexity of the relationship Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) has with both Jack and her current boss, Adrian Cross (Michael Wincott). Chloe seems to be in a subtle tug-of-war between the two men as her loyalty and newfound belief system are put to the test. It doesn’t help that the two men don’t seem to trust or even like each other all that much. At some point, Chloe is going to have to choose between the two.

Jack (Kiefer Sutherland)

I like the idea that Chloe is working for the hacker group Open Cell given the evolution of the digital age with such things like WikiLeaks since the original 24 was last on TV. I wish we could get to know the other hackers a bit more, though. With the limited number of episodes, I suppose that’s not possible. We briefly meet one unnamed hacker who seems to be doing his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation during a brief, yet awkward, conversation with Chloe but other than that, all we see of Open Cell’s employees is when they are glancing at Chloe or Cross.

The writers of 24 know how to shake things up. In previous seasons, we witnessed the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) building bombed, gassed, and assaulted by terrorists. We’ve also seen a president assassinated and several popular characters killed off. Even detonating a nuclear device in Los Angeles wasn’t off limits for the show. The best part was that anything was fair game at any time for the writers, which kept audiences on the edge of their seats at all times.

And yet, I don’t feel any impending shocking moments are just around the corner with 24: Live Another Day. Maybe because other than a few characters, almost the entire cast is new, which hasn’t allowed the audience to form an attachment to them. Perhaps the limited number of episodes for this show means there isn’t time for that shocking twist. Although, if one does happen, my money is on Ritter simply because he has been in Morgan’s shadow since the season began.

The violence seems toned down, especially on Jack’s end. It is amusing to watch as Jack say things like, “Don’t be afraid,” “You’re going to be fine,” and “I’m not going to hurt you.” The writers appear to be working overtime in order to make Jack look more compassionate. Even the terrorists seem less violent, with the exception of Margot (Michelle Fairley), who has her daughter Simone’s (Emily Berrington) finger cut off. It’s boring watching these terrorists live their lives.

Agent Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski)

The majority of “2:00 PM—3:00 PM” deals with Jack uploading the flight key data to Chloe’s computer after barricading himself and some hostages in a computer room in the Embassy. The differences in philosophy between Jack and Cross come into play as Chloe worries Cross is slowing the upload process to ensure Jack is captured, or even worse, killed.

Jack’s actions do not go unnoticed, forcing Boudreau (Tate Donovan) to finally tell President Heller (William Devane) Jack is back and creating trouble. For longtime fans of 24, this is a fun moment given the rocky relationship between Jack and Heller over what happened to Audrey (Kim Raver) when she was tortured in a Chinese prison after going to look for Jack. Figuring he can talk some sense into Jack, Heller asks to talk to Jack himself.

I got goose bumps as Jack answers the phone and realizes the President is on the other end.

Heller: “I’m told you just shot two people out in front of the Embassy.”

Jack: “I barely grazed them, sir.”

Heller: “How do you know that?”

Jack: “Because I pulled the trigger.”

Sutherland and the writers do an excellent job conveying the pent up frustration Jack has towards Heller after all these years. As much as Jack’s speech about his service to the country is for Heller, it’s also for the audience who has been there all these years. Boudreau convinces Heller Jack cannot be trusted and must have the military storm the room.

Agent Morgan, who is listening in on the call, believes Jack is telling the truth. She finds a way into the room through the ductwork and persuades Jack to surrender to her, promising to finish the upload for him. Jack reluctantly agrees just as the military breaches the door.

I’m torn when it comes to 24: Live Another Day because as much as I enjoy Bauer’s return, the episodes feel too familiar. How many times has Jack gone rogue, been taken down, and appealed to a higher authority to “Put me back in” or “Reinstate me.” These have almost become catch phrases for the show. Maybe mindless entertainment is enough to justify the return of 24 but I had hoped after being absent for several years, more creativity would be brought to the show.

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.