(S07E17) "I'm not giving up on you." - President Taylor
Not a bad pep talk to get from your President after being indicted, considered a federal fugitive, and becoming infected with a bio-engineered virus all in the same day. However, if I know Jack (and speaking of "knowing" Jack, check out this 24 quiz that TV Squad's own Joel Keller put together for Parade), then those words probably meant the world to him. That was until Dr. Macer gave Jack a pouch full of pre-loaded syringes. She looked at his file! She knew he had a daughter. I guess she glossed over the part about that raging heroin addiction he picked up in Mexico while undercover in the Salazar organization.
She told Jack he could inject himself every two hours with the drugs to help slow down the effects of the virus. So much for listening to your doctor. At the very end of the episode (it couldn't have been more than 25 minutes after his first shot), Jack poked himself again - right over the tattoo he got in Mexico while hooked on smack! Look, Jack knows he won't be any help if he lets the symptoms run wild and he keeps seizing, but doesn't he realize he's equally useless if he's all doped up too?
Anyway, Jack didn't have too much to do in this episode. The FBI left Starkwood's base. Tony was left behind and found the bio-weapon. Taylor ordered an air-strike once the location was fixed but she then had to call it off once Jonas proved to her that he had rockets loaded with the virus pointed at cities on the Eastern Seaboard. So much for not negotiating with terrorists. How about Jon Voight though? He went into über-crazy mode this hour and truly sounded like a raving nut on a couple of occasions. He's treating Starkwood more like an independent country than a Fortune 500 company.
A few other thoughts...
- Assuming the air-strike had gone through as planned, would it have even worked? Tony mentioned that the bio-weapon was being kept in a subterranean facility, four stories below the surface. On top of that, he said the walls appeared to be "epoxy hardened." As one of the country's main defense suppliers, don't you think Starkwood would have built a storage unit like this specifically to withstand a hit from the F-18's "bunker buster ordnance?"
- I was wondering how they would bring Kim back into the fold and it makes perfect sense now. When she finally re-unites with Jack, it'll be more than just tears. Seems awfully convenient that this Brighton University (I think that was the name of it?) is doing experimental research with prion viruses. How fast can they turn around a fix for Jack if they get Kim's stem cells? Speculation that Day 8 might be the very next day is starting to look far more plausible. Especially if those rockets are launched.
- I can't wait for the moment when Allison sees her daughter for who she really is. Olivia is a bitch! I'll say what I said last week - bringing on Aaron as her personal secret service escort is going to be her downfall. He won't keep his mouth shut if he sees something off the books go down. I bet Ken still runs the story too, despite the sex tape.
Anyway, things aren't looking good. President Taylor seems ready for her one on one with Jonas and I doubt it'll go as planned. Speaking of one on ones, I had a chance to interview Carlos Bernard a few days ago. So check back here later in the week to hear his thoughts on Tony's season five "death," the elusive Cubs mug, and why he thinks season seven has the best ending yet.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-07-2009 @ 10:12AM
Pumapayam said...
What I want to know is how did Tony get reception on his phone 4 stories undergroud with all the concrete shielding? I have Sprint too and I can barely manage a signal in an officebuilding at times.
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4-07-2009 @ 10:12AM
Bill said...
Tony's is still on the base right? How does he get out? Or does he? Airstrike or not, he must be a dead man. Of course Kim will be back now that Jack needs her. Will Renee be the one to contact her? All in all not a great episode, but not bad. More or less a filler episode.
http://tvnewsandnotes.blogspot.com/
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4-07-2009 @ 10:13AM
Michael said...
Unfortunately, I was thinking the same thing last night Bill. When the joint chiefs said that the bioweapon would incinerate at 5000 degrees from the phosphorus bombs I turned to my wife and said "I wonder how far away Tony has to be before those hit!" If you watched the teaser for next week, it appears that SOMETHING blows up at Starkwood while they are watching in DC. I'm just hoping we don't have to deal with both Tony AND Bill dying this season... that would be a lot to ask of us.
Too bad Olivia couldn't accidentally be down there at the time though! I can't wait for Aaron to catch her in the act so she can get her just desserts.
4-07-2009 @ 10:14AM
Bill said...
Well Michael, I assume that Tony was planning on making the sacrifice. Let's say that the air strike went along as planned, Tony would have still been there? Right? So i think that he probably will be sacrificed. It was nice having him back and I thought maybe he would be someone Jack would be able to call on in the future, but probably not.
http://tvnewsandnotes.blogspot.com/
4-07-2009 @ 10:12AM
Andrew said...
Jack asked the doctor if he could inject himself before the 2 hours was up if the shakes get too bad, and the doc said he could.
And the Sprint product placement was definitely out of control last night.
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4-07-2009 @ 10:13AM
ken1024 said...
Gee Ken - that was all of 10 minutes to get undressed (and get Olivia undressed), take care of business and then look all sleepy... Don't worry about the sex tape - your wife probably has an extended version of her own...
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4-07-2009 @ 10:13AM
Michael said...
This was one of the most low-key episodes of the season. I certainly felt some suspense around Tony's infiltration of the 2nd bunker, but with Jack out of commission the ep fell a little flat for me.
I'm curious where the rest of the season is going at this point, since the Starkwood main plot looks to be reaching its peak next week?
Oh, by the way, the Parade 24 quiz sucks. I missed question 1, and question 2 is flat-out wrong. (No, D.B. Woodside wasn't president in season 5.) I would leave my comment on Parade, but I have to create an account. No, thanks.
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4-07-2009 @ 10:14AM
D said...
It's too bad Tony probably won't survive because that character could be the basis for a 24 spin-off no question.
Since Olivia had sex with a reporter to squelch a story wouldn't the sex tape be just as damaging to her as it is to the reporter?
I guess Jack's heroin experience is why he agreed to do his own injections.He's good at it.
I'm not sure Day 8 will be the next day.It's not like them to extend a story line that way.Plus Day 8 probably won't start until late 09 or early10.Long time from this May and no real gain to doing it.I think Day 8 will stand alone.
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4-07-2009 @ 10:14AM
ConspiracyGuy said...
I enjoyed the episode, except, warning long rant:
WTH writers! You introduce a bioweapon, based on a real-life disease with NO CURE. You give this disease to your lead character. You mention this disease is really quick acting, within days, the infected will die, and there is NO CURE. You show the results. . Then, you probably realized that Jack twitching a lot will look ridiculous so in the next episode, there is a drug that can "mask" the symptoms. Then, there turns out there is a cure, oops, sorry to get you worried Jack, but (kick to the groin coming), you just need to contact your daughter that hates you (for entirely selfish reasons) to find a cure. Stem cells!! More Applied Phlebotinum.
So, I guess, the next season, Jack will be fighting with bureaucrats that frown upon stem cell research, instead of the usual torture. Next season will be another senate hearing, with Jack pleading to allow stem cell research....
Yeah, I know it's just fiction, but, come on, at least do some research, and create a plausible disease, don't just name drop a real-life disease, and then fictionalize it, to suit the plot. Be creative.
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4-07-2009 @ 11:24AM
Chris said...
Parade Update Here’s your chance to test your knowledge of TV's most suspenseful series.
http://www.parade.com/celebrity/quiz/tv/24.html?nwl=090407
**PLUS Check out PARADE's exclusive interview with Kiefer Sutherland**
http://www.parade.com/celebrity/celebrity-parade/archive/kiefer-sutherland-24-finale-and-movie.html
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4-07-2009 @ 5:16PM
don page said...
If you saw the teaser for next week you heard the voice over say that next weeks episode will stop the clock. Long time viewers of 24 know what that means, when the clock stops, someone dies. I'm guessing that Tony dies & stays dead this time.
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4-07-2009 @ 2:15PM
Riley Freeman said...
even though the facility is underground if it gets hit with a rocket or missile or whatever remember they said 5000 degrees or something that was it would incinerate everything. so would the ground not collapse over the bunker then crushing everything and one in it then the heat incinerating everything?
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4-07-2009 @ 4:15PM
Argent said...
as far as the bunker buster bombs go...
i kinda chuckled at the whole use of it in this episode. since the toxin is 4 stories deep underground, the smaller bunkerbusters that a F-16 or F-18 can carry would most likely not have the punch to get down to that depth (maybe via repeated impacts, i suppose.)
for something that deep down, we'd prolly need a gbu-37, dropped from a B-2. but hey, this is television -- whatever works. :)
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4-09-2009 @ 10:24AM
compuguy1088 said...
Since we are picking on the faux pas of the show....I'll point out that it would be quicker to scramble jets out of Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland (DC National Guard) if they had the right ordance. The other thing is the fact that there is no airbase in Virginia Beach, but in Norfolk....with F-22's and F-16, not F-18's (Navy planes)
Even with all these discrepancies, I still like 24.......
4-08-2009 @ 10:09AM
Moe said...
That Jonas is one nasty guy. I hope he gets eaten by a big snake.
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4-08-2009 @ 10:09AM
Mandy said...
Hey, Washington Wasps having sex in less than five minutes is totally believable. But Tony's use of the cell phone in an underground bunker: dumb. Kim's return: lame. Suspense over Jack's infection: non-existent. Plot's plausibility: zilch. Reasons for watching: shrinking.
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4-11-2009 @ 10:23AM
Frankly said...
See ya! Don't let the door slam you in the rear.
4-08-2009 @ 10:10AM
Slick said...
When the bombs fall, Tony should just hide in a fridge. It worked for Indy.
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4-08-2009 @ 10:10AM
GG said...
24 is so realistic, it's scary. Real scary. Like watching a docu-drama. This stuff could be going on right now. So far, this season is a perfect how-to blueprint for serious baddies.
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4-08-2009 @ 10:46AM
Sachimo 23.5 said...
What you missed on the special FOX webcast is Chloe snuck into the compound and installed a sprint/nextel antenna booster at StarkWood... of course she bitched about it the whole time while eating a twinkie!!!
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