(S05E23/S05E24) This season would begin with hours and hours of action and drama, and it would close out with a pair of episodes carrying just as much weight. When we left off a week ago, Jack Bauer, Christopher Henderson, and another agent were going to attempt to take down Vladimir Bierko, who just snagged a Russian submarine in U.S. civilian territory by using the last remaining cylinder of weaponized nerve gas. The fact that there were twelve sea-to-land missiles on board was just what the doctor ordered ... if you're a bad guy and represented a pretty big challenge, even for Bauer & Co. to overcome.
President Logan proved to be just the egotistical bastard that he had been portrayed as, buying in to everything his wife had to say to him to keep him where he was at the compound instead of flying to the airport to go back to DC with David Palmer's body. He thought he had his cake and would eat it too, but Jack and his band of merry CTUers would have nothing of it. The finale had a bit of laughs, with Chloe's ex-husband (who knew?) Morris, who worked at a ladies' shoe store, coming back to pretty much save the day. Okay, okay, he was just really good with technology. Plus, having him getting a high level security clearance was just the randomness we all needed to show some un-reality in this show, since no one had been opening sockets or blowing up baddies with a Treo of late.
We knew that somehow or other, Jack would make his way into the submarine and make his move on Bierko, given the promos from last week. We also knew he'd get some face time with Logan. What we didn't know was that by some odd chance, a Navy crewman had survived on the submarine, and takes out one of the guards Jack needed to have wasted in order to execute his plan. Getting to see him tell a young guy how to execute a guard was probably almost as intense to watch as seeing him do it himself, which he's done over a hundred times or so by now.
I thought that the show's writers did a fantastic job of showing how much of a fool Logan was by letting his wife play him, not once, but twice, in order to get the confession out of him. Hell, he even searched her to find some sort of listening device, not realizing that it was on him all along. And you thought Jack wussed out for once, didn't you! I've gotta admit there, was a moment when there was plenty of show left, and it looked like Logan was going to walk away, to drink scotch with his Bluetooth headset-wearing friends in some nouveau living room somewhere. Of course, that was shortsighted of me. I mean, Chloe O'Brian was on the job and whatnot.
If there's one thing that I have to commend about this show, outside of the number of Executive Producers and Co-Executive Producers that are paraded at the beginning of each week, it was how they cascaded the imagery of Logan being walked off, having his last moment in the Sun as the agents take him off the dais, just as President Palmer's body is saluted with gunshots and loaded into the cargo hold of a plane for travel to the East Coast. Both men's history pretty much ended at that moment, but one was honored while the other was shuffled off. Will we ever find out that Logan ratted out his cohorts, or will he prove to be more stingy than he seemed? I'd say considering he faced certain death at his own hand just a few hours earlier, having Jack Bauer not be able to shoot him was probably a welcome occurrence.
We never really got closure when it came to Kim Raver's character, Audrey Raines, but just as we got to see David Palmer for a few moments at the beginning of this season, maybe we'll have the same from Audrey next year -- word is that she will be part of another network's programming. What we did get answered is something that many readers of this site have been curious about: What's up with the Chinese guys who were after Bauer last year? Well, it turns out that not only are they super crafty, they've got some dealing to do with the U.S. Government when it comes to Jack Bauer. Won't he be surprised when he wakes up in Shanghai or wherever he's off to.
As far as finales go, I have to say that this one definitely made me happy, had me wanting more while still giving a pretty good amount of closure. FOX did a fantastic job, IMHO, of channeling the commercials into reasonable buckets, with the first episode flying by with lots of unbroken content. If we're going to have to wait a full year to see another season like this, it's definitely worth it. Compressing a season like they did with lots of two-hour sessions got people involved quickly, and allowed for just the right amount of break-time during the half-year. While the network, I think, made a boo-boo by breaking up Prison Break so much, and ABC is looking to do the same with Lost next year, I think they realized they did good with 24. Just like most of us binge on our DVD selections when we rent or buy whole seasons, you could almost do that with your DVR this season.
But enough from me, ladies and gents ... what did you think?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-23-2006 @ 2:18AM
Tom said...
Shanghi Bauer?
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5-23-2006 @ 3:40AM
Jeff said...
well the ship scene at least reassured us that everyone will at least get a chance to sleep before some sort of rescue happens next season. though it could be a headfake like the unsuccessful Palmer handshake assassination attempt like season 2 to 3.
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5-23-2006 @ 4:34AM
Resort said...
The confused Morris pulls up to the chopper and goes inside the building. He carries a briefcase.
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5-23-2006 @ 4:48AM
24 Fan said...
That was some good stuff, with all the ridiculous pulpiness I need from 24. My favorite stuff:
- The kid on the sub, looks at his dead friend and he's ready slice a throat. Jack's instructions were gold.
- Henderson's end was great, I kind of didn't expect it since he was such a good character, but I think he would've gotten old fast, so kudos.
- Bierko's scissor-neck-snap. Classic Jack.
I especially loved that it ended without letting down. There's just zero chance I can miss the season opener next year.
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5-23-2006 @ 5:04AM
Ricardo said...
Logan says to his "Bluetooth headset-wearing friends":
Bauer will be taken care of, I think is some kind of "who laughs last" bringing him to chinese
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5-23-2006 @ 7:37AM
Mike Hoffpauir said...
Duh, I wasnt even thinking that the Chinese were the ones Logan meant would take care of Jack. Thats probably how they got him so easily with all those other agents and stuff around. Loved Martys little smile when Logan looks at her after the guys come to take him away. Probably thinkin slap me will ya bastard. Overall excellent episodes and excellent year. Looking forward to the next as usual
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5-23-2006 @ 7:38AM
Chris W said...
The Chinese ambassador guy said Jack was too valuable to kill him. So, will the Chinese sell Jack Bauer to the highest bidder or do they actually need him for something? Is this going to be like that episode of Star Trek: TNG, or Frasier, or Seinfeld, where all of Bauer's former foes gather in one room to bitch him out?
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5-23-2006 @ 9:15AM
Gordy said...
I agree, when Logan stated that Bauer would be "taken care of", I assumed that he told the Chinese that Jack was alive. The season premiere should be awesome, with a bunch of martial arts vs. good 'ol fashioned ass kicking scenes. Jack will need a new Jack Pack if he is to get get out of China alive.
I screamed at the TV "DON'T GO IN THERE! IT'S A TRAP!" when the guy told him he had a phone call. After all, doesn't he have a phone?
More of that suspended reality, I guess.
Great finale. Jean Smart deserves an Emmy Nomination (Supporting Actress, of course) for her role here. She really did a great job.
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5-23-2006 @ 9:24AM
Carl Winslow said...
I hope Greg Itzin gets an Emmy nomination. He was a great villian - he could look evil just by tilting his head and opening his mouth slightly (while at the same time coming off as an incompetent fool to everyone around him). He was my favorite part of this season.
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5-23-2006 @ 10:49AM
Chris said...
With all the Robocop alums showing up – Henderson (the man/machine himself), VP Gardner (Leon, evil henchman #1), and Bluetooth boy (Emil, evil henchman #2, AKA the human water balloon) – I kept waiting for Clarence Boddicker to show up and blow someone's hand off. Just one, I wanted Jack to tell Henderson, "dead or alive, you're coming with me." Can't wait for next season. Hopefully Jack will still be in China and we'll get to see how he escapes and gets back to the U.S.
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5-23-2006 @ 11:06AM
Tucker said...
How was this closure at all? So the inept president went down, big whoop. They didn't even gloss over the bluetooth people. Lame.
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5-23-2006 @ 11:20AM
Chris said...
I highly doubt Jack will be in China at the start of next season. He would spend the whole season just traveling to get back to L.A!
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5-23-2006 @ 11:20AM
Kira said...
This show ROCKS! I loved the episode. The first 25 minutes was so intense it had my toes curled the whole time. I loved the set-up of the Pres with the planted bug... and the victory on Martha's face was great as her hubby was escorted away as David Palmer in death still got the recognition that Logan always envied.
As for the end...loved it. I was sure it was the scotch drinking bluetooth guys behind Jack's abduction, but I thought it was a nice return to last season's story bringing the Chinese back.
I look forward to Jack's escape and his hunting down of the Bluetooth gang .... I only wish I didn't have to wait until January....
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5-23-2006 @ 11:33AM
Jake said...
What happened to agent Manning??? He wasnt even in these episodes. I guess that's good since it seems the more screen time you get the more likely you die on this show.
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5-23-2006 @ 12:43PM
aphoward said...
I've been reading a ton that next season will take place in London, so maybe after months of torture and brainwashing the Chinese turn Jack and he is working for them in Britain? Who knows, but it will be interesting to find out the backstory on how he gets to London and what he is doing there.
Should have known no consequences would come for the Bluetooth guys, it never does for the "higher ups" in this show. Was the same way with the Germans Nina was working for, same with the guy on the boat who arranged the failed attempt on Palmer, etc. There's always some people working behind the scenes that never come to justice.
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5-23-2006 @ 12:51PM
Wizard said...
Curtis Manning was shot in the previous episode hence he was not involved in the action.
Great ending, I do hope we get to see Audrey again, hopefully a bit longer than the others earlier this season (Palmer, Tony and Michelle).
Lets not forget, Jack has also made enemies with the German Secret service. Will be interesting to see if they get involved in some way next season.
One thing I still do not get, referring to the prequel to the season - who managed to hack into Chloe's hard drive and extract the information for them to conclude that Jack Bauer is still alive, the Chinese? (didn't Logan inform them to get Jack), for a while I thought it might be Miles who appeared to be good enough to keep up with Chloe? OR maybe we will never know...
Can't wait until next year. And then remember 24 : The Movie coming 2008. Its all good.
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5-23-2006 @ 1:56PM
TV Series Finale said...
All in all I felt like the finale was a great one. The best season yet.
All of the important loose ends were tied up, a few of the characters get some nice moments, and Jack is back in trouble.
Talk about a bad day...
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5-23-2006 @ 2:14PM
Steve Gleit said...
Did anyone recognize the actor who played Chloe's ex husband?. He's the same actor who played the mysterious Mick Jones aka "George" aka "pretend George" on La Femme Nikita.
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5-23-2006 @ 2:14PM
rick said...
I live in NYC and after the show last night the local news was teasing a story about next season's 24 and said, "Will Jack Bauer be saving New York next year?" Of course, since I DVR the show I missed the story on the news. Did anyone else catch this, or was it simply a well placed promo to get me to watch something I'd never normally check out.
BUT! They absolutely need to change cities next year. I mean, why the hell are the presidents spending so much time in Los Angeles anyway? New York City would be perfect-- especially because everything is so close together and I wouldn't have to keep saying to myself, "Damn, they sure made it to the airport fast!"
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5-23-2006 @ 2:24PM
nithin said...
man...that was an awesome episode!!! its amazing that the writers still manage to come up with great twists even with all of us looking out for them(come on!!!dont tell me u guessed that jac had bugged logan!!!).
anyone have a list of all the major characters who died this season( i think this week it was just henderson)
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