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Here is the second episode of the season. I get a lot more out of the show when I watch it with this much attention to detail.
08.00
At CTU, Buchanan and Audrey are discussing security around Logan’s camp, when Edgar comes in saying that he has a visual on the suspect. When Buchanan asks who it is, Edgar goes "I think you should see for yourself" and he brings up a frame grab from a surveillance camera taken an hour before Palmer was shot. It’s an image of Jack. Needless to say, they are all a bit shocked.
Meanwhile, Chloe is telling Jack that he needs to get as far way from this as possible, but Jack, still in I’m-going-to-kill-everyone-who-had-anything-to-do-with-this-mode, answers that he needs to find out who really killed President Palmer. When he explains to Chloe that he’s going to do that by going to the scene of the crime, she intelligently points out that it will be crawling with cops and Secret Service and FBI. But there’s no stopping Jack, so she agrees to help him by logging in remotely (she still has her laptop) and getting him the schematics of the building and an interagency deployment grid.
Jack tells them to get into the van the killers brought, but Derrick isn’t keen on going, asking him how he could have killed Palmer’s assassin. Jack apologizes for Derrick having seen that, but still orders him in the van. When Derrick refuses, Jack grabs him by the throat, pushes him up against the van and says: "Let’s get something straight, kid. The only reason you’re still conscious is that I don’t want to carry you. Now get in the van."
I can’t love that scene any more than I do. I love how, after Derrick gets in the van, Jack just stands there for a moment. It wasn’t an idle threat, Jack is well aware of what he is capable of doing and it bothers him on some level. It reminds me of the scene in the first season where Jack is holding where waitress hostage as he tries to get away from the Secret Service. She is going to walk out on him and he goes: "Lauren, I've killed two people since midnight. I have not sleep in over twenty-four hours, maybe you should be a little more afraid of me then you are right now. Sit"
At the CTU, everyone is trying to come to terms with Jack being alive. Actually, Audrey is the one having the most problems with it. Buchanan just says "I have no idea how he faked his own death, but I know why he did." I don’t think anyone at the CTU knew that Jack faked his death, but then I don’t think anyone at the CTU thought that much about it. With no indication the video has been doctored, the only theory they can come up with is that that Tony, Michelle and Palmer helped Jack fake his death and he is now killing them. When Audrey reluctantly heads off to inform the President of this new development, Curtis discovers that Chloe was also part of phone conversations with Tony, Michelle and Palmer. Believing that Jack is after Chloe, Buchanan issues an interagency alert on him, listing him as "extremely dangerous". Heh. At least he got that part right.
Walt Cummings approaches Logan, saying that Martha isn’t letting go of the belief that Palmer called her. He offers to get the tape of the phone call to prove to her that she misunderstood. Yeah, like that’s going to help. Logan doesn’t really want to, but Cummings insists that it’s the only way. Logan agrees but before Cummings can leave the office Audrey calls. She tells them (painfully) that Jack is the suspect in Palmer's assassination. Cummings quickly jumps on the "Jack is the bad guy" bandwagon by pointing out that Jack has a history of insubordination, irrational behavior, drug addiction... Audrey cuts the list short by saying he has a record of great service to the country. When Audrey says that they should postpone the summit, Logan refuses, saying: "You have a suspect, find him." Wow. What great leadership.
At the refinery, a man is on the phone reporting that "the men are all dead" and that Jack and company are gone. The man at the other end of the phone (who is named Nathanson according to the subtitles) is in a very high tech room full of a whole lot of video screens. Nathanson orders that they will just let CTU pick up Jack and when they have him in custody "we will take him out". When the flunky at the refinery asks if Jack will impede their operation, he’s assured "He won’t have time. We launch in under an hour." There are some things to note about this: First, Nathanson has to have connections within the CTU or government in order to "take out" Jack once he’s in custody. Two, always assume that Jack is going to mess up you plans and take him out as soon as possible. Better people than this guy has tried to kill Jack Bauer. Finally, what ever is going to happen will be the cliffhanger at the end of the episode.
08.09
08.14
In the stolen van, Jack is digging through the equipment that is stashed in it ("All their hardware's military specs. Fragmentation grenades. Percussion grenades. He's a com unit we can use.") and Chloe gets to wonder "Who are these people?" That's a good question before Jack capped Palmer's killer (a mere 15 minutes ago) that guy talked a lot like he worked the same way Jack does. Jack doesn't answer because his cell rings. It’s Diane worrying about Derrick. He can’t tell her where to meet him yet, but he does let her talk to Derrick. Now, as prepared as I was to dislike this kid, he’s growing on me. He does a wonderful job talking to his mother without worrying her more. Mind you, through it all he’s watching Jack like he’s afraid Jack’s going to kill him at any moment, but he doesn’t do anything stupid. When Jack says "Say good-bye to your mother" (I just had to put that line in there – it sounded much nicer than it reads), Derec hangs up without a fight.
The van pulls up to the building when Palmer was killed. Jack and Derrick hide in the back as Chloe makes her way through the mourners and security to pull into the underground parking. As Jack breaks out the wireless communicators that he found in the van, Chloe announces that there are 167 agents in the area and Jack brushes it off with the comment: "We better hope this is the last place they’ll be looking for me".
There’s a real nice exchange where Derrick is holding the flashlight for Jack and when Jack tells him to put it out, he does so without protest. The kid seems to be mellowing a bit toward Jack since the incident at the opening of the episode. He got to talk to his mother and Jack is treating him as helper, rather than a hostage. I think the whole surreal-ness of the situation is starting to make everything Jack is doing seem normal. The fact that Chloe is accepting Jack’s orders (although not without comment) and the way Jack takes command and makes even the most insane ideas sound plausible has got to be wearing down Derrick’s defenses.
A FBI agent is walking around a car across the garage and Jack gets out and walks over to him. You know what’s going to happen the moment Jack puts on the "Sunglasses of serious ass-kicking". Derrick and Chloe watch as Jack grabs the FBI agent and drags him behind a car. Derrick – still not quite up to speed on how Jack works – is startled, but Chloe understates "Relax. He’s really good at this." Heh. After a couple of seconds, Derrick wonders if he will be okay and Chloe answers "Yeah" adding "I think" after a couple of more seconds. Me? I was more concerned that Jack was going to really harm the poor innocent FBI guy.
Another second passes then Jack stands up and walks out from behind the car buttoning up the black shirt and wearing the ID of the guy he just cold cocked. The music here is wonderful. As Jack comes fully into view a deep bass beat starts up and continues to play as Jack grabs a bag out of the trunk, checks his wireless communication with Chloe and heads to the elevator.
Chloe checks her deployment grid and sees that there are four agents waiting to get on the elevator at lobby level but she’s too late to stop Jack. Fortunately, no one plays him much mind. How many people actually look strangers in the elevator? Plus expectations are on Jack’s side: you expect that everyone to have been checked out, so you just assume they have been. Jack gets up to the Penthouse without any problems.
Palmer’s body is still were it fell when he was shot and Jack takes a second to take it all in. He even takes off his glasses and Palmer’s Theme rises in the background. Then he heads into one of the only two unoccupied rooms where he finds a computer. He immediately checks it out.
In the van, Derrick manages to get Chloe to give a quick back-story on Jack. I like how Derrick’s amazed that someone in the government would want to kill Jack and that Jack left behind a daughter. Jack interrupts the conversation to ask for Chloe’s help in decrypting a file on Palmer’s computer.
As Chloe hacks in, Wayne Palmer walks into the room. Jack pulls his gun, pushes him against the wall and tries to convince him that he didn't killer Palmer. "The only reason I'm here," he says, "is to find out why and how he was assassinated" and he asks for Wayne's help. Wayne, naturally, finds this all hard to believe and points out that nothing Jack is doing now will convince him. So, Jack gives him his gun. Chloe, listening in, really doesn't like this idea.
Wayne grabs the gun and points it at Jack, who stares at him for a moment, then slowly goes and sits down by the computer. Wayne aims the gun for a couple of more seconds before lowering it and leaning back against the wall, distraught.
Meanwhile, Martha Logan is getting ready for the treaty signing while watching the news and telling her assistant Evelyn about the long and close relationship that she had with David Palmer. Just as she is finishing up, Walt Cummings comes in and gets the information on exactly when Palmer had talked to her the night before. She thanks him for humoring her, and says that she knows Logan thinks she making it up.
Back at the penthouse, Jack is questioning Wayne about his brother's behavior. As Wayne is explaining that Palmer had been distracted ever since arriving in LA, he quietly pushes away from the wall, walks over, puts the gun on the desk next to Jack, and then returns to leaning on the wall.
Very nice. Subtle, no words and yet the full meaning of the gesture – that Wayne completely trusts in Jack – is clear to the audience. The actor does a great job expressing Wayne's anger and grief without overdoing it.
Chloe finally decodes the file Jack had been looking at. It is the first chapter of Palmer's book, which is weird because, as Wayne points out, they have copies of it printed out everywhere. They start comparing the file with the printed version in hopes of finding out what Palmer was doing.
At the CTU, Edgar and Spencer are tying to find a way to track down Chloe – well, actually Edgar is spending an equal amount of time giving Spencer a hard time about leaving Chloe alone that morning. When Spencer doesn't have the needed access code to send out some files, Edgar has him use Chloe's access code. Only that doesn't work because the computer says she already signed in. Edgar looks at it and deduces that Chloe is logged in remotely. He does some CTU techomagic and traces her to the parking garage of Wayne Palmer's building.
When he gives this information to Buchanan and Audrey, Buchanan concludes that the only reason she would be there is if she were under duress: Jack must be making her help him. He calls to talk to the director of Secret Service operations over at Wayne Palmer's building.
08.28
08.32
A bald man we've never seen before (Anton Beresch according to IMDB) is checking out a box full of weaponry and answers a ringing cell phone. Who should be calling but Nathanson. There is a brief exchange where Beresch assure Nathanson that, while they were delayed, everything will be ready in twenty minutes. Nathanson orders him to call back when he is "approaching".
Wayne and Jack find that Palmer inserted a name and address (Chevensky – 16 Transport Way) into the middle of a sentence. Chloe tells him that the address is for Ontario Airport (in LA) and then says that all the feds at the building are changing deployment – they are all heading into the building. Jack (correctly) assumes that this means that they know he's there. Although Wayne offers to help, Jack turns him down and warns him to trust no one with the information they have found.
As Jack leaves the room, he sees all the agents gathered together, looking at photos of him. Chloe directs him to use the kitchen exit, where he has only to cold cock one FBI guy. Jack makes it to the elevator without being seen, but as he is traveling down, Chloe losses access to the grid. All she knows is that they were grouping in the lobby.
Jack gets off at the second floor and bolts down some back steps. An agent is coming in at one of the doors and Jack knocks him out and down a half-flight of stairs before continuing to the basement.
As Chloe and Derrick watch the door where Jack should be coming from, he suddenly opens the door from behind and climbs in. Chloe tells him that 'Chevensky' isn't a passenger, but is a baggage supervisor at the airport. Before Jack can tell them what the next step is, the Secret Service starts sweeping the garage looking for Jack.
The next thing we see is the van careening around the corner, it runs into several police cars before getting cut off and coming to a halt. Agents surround the van and Chloe gets out with her hands in the air. The armed men search the van but find no one else. They cuff Chloe, though.
Jack, meanwhile, busts into a parked car, tells Derrick to climb in the front seat and steals the vehicle, driving away without being seen. I really want to know everything that Jack keeps in that wonderful "Jack-pack" that he carries around. I'm thinking that if he goes to the airport, they probably won't let him bring it as a carry on. Especially if he added the grenades and other supplies from the van.
08.38
08.42
Jack calls Diane to tell her to meet them at Ontario airport. Jack goes on to say how very sorry he is that they are involved in this situation. No one can apologize better than Jack Bauer. We don't get to see how well it worked on Diane, but Derrick seemed touched by it.
The Secret Service informs CTU that they have Chloe but not Jack Bauer and that it doesn't at all look like she was under duress – in fact, she was trying to escape. Buchanan wants to talk to her. She holds the phone with a hand that still has a handcuff attached to the wrist and goes "Hi". That amuses me. Buchanan on the other hand is not amused. "Chloe what the hell is going on?" Chloe gives him the run down and points him in the direction of the refinery where he can find the bodies. She defends Jack but admits that she doesn't have any proof and says that's what Jack is trying to figure out.
When Buchanan demands that she tell him where Jack is, she refuses saying "I don't think you believe him, I think you're just going to arrest him." For a person who lacks social skills, she's got that one right. Buchanan says "I'm ordering you to tell me where Jack is." Chloe hesitates, then answers "I'm sorry, but I can't", then quickly hands the phone to an agent. I love Chloe.
Buchanan orders her to be brought back to the CTU, sends Curtis off to the refinery to check out Chloe's story and tells Edgar to make sure Chloe goes into a holding cell when she arrives. Ah, poor Edgar. It's got to be a bad day for him. Here he is crushing on Chloe, when he finds out she's been sleeping with Spencer and then is told he got to make sure she goes into lock-up. It could disillusion a guy.
In the car on the way to the airport, Derrick says that Chloe told him some "stuff" about what Jack used to do. Jack goes "Well, she shouldn't have" but he does take of 'the shades of serious kick ass' just so we know that he's willing to talk about it. I find Derrick's first question interesting: "Why did you have to lie? Couldn't you have just told us the truth?"
You get the feeling that Derrick's problem with Jack – or with any of the people his mom dated – is an honesty issue. He gave Jack a hard time at the beginning of the show because he was sure that Jack was lying to him. Right now, he's learning the truth about Jack and no matter what that truth is, it's better than a lie. This is interesting, because it is totally opposite how his mom feels. She will accept what is being told to her without it being the truth as long as "her instincts" tell her it's okay. Derrick's instincts are obviously tuned differently.
Anyhow, he asks the questions and Jack gets to do a rare thing: actually talk to someone. Of course, he doesn't actually answer the question, but it's a nice speech none-the-less. Jack says, "First of all, Derrick, you have to understand that I never thought anything like this could ever happen. After your mother rented me that room, I started to remember what it was like to have a family. How nice it was. I started to believe that a guy like me could actually get a second chance. I know you don't believe this now, but I really do care about you. And I care about your mother. I hope, one day you can understand that."
There are several interesting things about what he says. First, like I said, it's not really an explanation of why he lied. It's more of an apology that he had to keep lying once he began to care for them. Second, it's obvious that Jack is more taken by the thought of having a family, than simply by Diane. Finally, Jack clearly likes Derrick. This whole thing goes beyond a desire to keep the kid from going to the cops. Kim, Jack's daughter, was just a year or so older than Derrick in the first season. And that's when everything started to fall apart on him. I'm sure that Jack sees a chance to have that role of father again. That desire has to be made stronger by the fact that everything Kim did when she was that age was about rebellion and separating herself from her parents and everything that Derrick is doing it to protect his mother.
Derrick doesn't say anything, but he is definitely listening.
Back at the Presidential Ranch, Logan is talking to Martha who is all excited that Walt would have found the tape to prove that Palmer had called her. Logan tries to convince her that Palmer's death had nothing to do with his phone call to her but she insists that it must, because Palmer's exact words were "This is about a matter of national security." Logan then tries to explain that Palmer was killed by "an unstable ex-CTU agent" and asks that she just drop the whole thing, she gets upset and insists he listen to the tape.
Logan reluctantly plays the tape. Palmer's voice says: "I need to talk to you. It's hardly a matter of national security, but I'm hosting a charity dinner next month for the Art in Action Scholarship Program." Logan does an admirable job of looking both vindicate and sorry. Martha claims that it is a trick – that wasn't what was said. As the recorded conversation continues to echo through the room, she insists that she's not crazy, that she knows what she heard. She gets very upset and Logan grabs her wrists to try to calm her down. He tells her that her doctor, Dr. Hill, said that if she didn't take her medication she would become disoriented and confused. She already admitted that she hasn't been taking her meds.
Martha collapses against him and cries. Logan, doing a very good job here of being a spouse of an emotionally and psychologically troubled person, rationalizes that the reason she remembers something that didn't happen was because she hasn't taken the medication. Martha, not able to do anything else, continues to cry on his shoulder. I like this scene, it's real.
At CTU, Audrey is still making the case that Jack isn't the bad guy. She says that Chloe wouldn't help Jack without reason, that "There is something else going on here and we are missing it." At that point Edgar comes up and tells them that the NSA picked up chatter and that there is a 95% probability that the Summit may be attacked in the next 15 minutes. Buchanan calls Novick to ask, once again, that they postpone the summit.
In a nondescript black UPS style van, Beresch (along with at least 10 armed men) are heading – somewhere. Nathanson is on the phone and says he's watching the Russian President's helicopter take off and that his arrival at the summit is "on schedule" and Beresch answers "As are we". Nathanson hangs up with the order that they will have no more communication until "after you strike".
Novick passes along the recommendation to postpone the summit to Logan who flatly refuses. He even refuses to change the helicopter arrival because the press is waiting for it to happen. He leaves them saying: "It's up to the Secret Service and the Air Force to protect our airspace. Make sure they do the job." Heh. Tell that to the last President. The fact that he's right, doesn't change the fact it's a dumb decision.
08.49
08.54
Jack pulls into the airport parking lot and sees Diane waiting for him. Before Derrick gets out, Jack grabs his arm to stop him. Derrick gives him the whole deer-in-a-headlights look, as if he is waiting for Jack to threaten him. Instead Jack goes, "I'm sorry for the way I treated you earlier. You're a good kid." Derrick stares at him a moment, finally Jack says "Go get your mom."
Jack gives them a moment then gets out and heads over to them. He takes along the Jack-pack, so you know he's not going to be heading back with them. Diane demands, "What the hell is going on here, Frank?" Jack looks her right in the eye and says, "My name's not Frank, it's Jack Bauer. I lied to you. I lied to you about a lot of things." He promises to explain later, and sends them to CTU to talk to Buchanan. Then he says, "I'm sorry. I've got to go." When Diane asks what they should tell Buchanan, Jack replies, "Tell him the truth", then walks away into the airport.
At CTU, they are watching the landing of the helicopter bringing in the Russian President. They are tense and Spencer goes "If they are going to attack the helicopter it will be now", but it lands without incident.
Now, for all of Logan's ineptitude, his is good when it comes to image. Not only does Suvarov arrive on an American chopper, but he has a detail of F15 fighter jets and is escorted off the chopper by Marines in dress blues. Very, very nice.
The Presidents meet and Buchanan says their intel must have been wrong. Nathanson watches the Presidential meeting with a little smile and looks like a man who has everything under control.
Back at the airport, Diane and Derrick are leaving when Derrick sees Beresch's van parked out front. He watches as Beresch and his men leave and head into the building, all carrying heavily loaded dufflebags. Derrick goes "That's where Jack went." Obviously, spending a couple of hours with Jack makes one paranoid and liable to see conspiracies everywhere. It's just bad luck that Derrick's right this time. "Something's wrong," Derrick says as Beresch and company go into the airport lobby. "I have to warn Jack." Oh, yeah, that kid is long gone on hero-worship right now. Just like a 15-year-old to form rock-solid opinions that fast.
Derrick rushes off into the airport. Diane tries to follow, but she can't leave the car parked in the middle of the street, so the traffic guard makes her stay in the car.
Beresch and company move menacingly about the airport, Derrick runs around looking for Jack, and Jack heads back to the baggage area to talk to Chevensky. He finds Chevensky's office, pulls out his gun and opens the door. Chevensky, helpfully wearing a picture ID, is just inside. Jack pushes him into some shelving, shoves his gun in the startled man's face and demands: "Why was President Palmer killed?"
When Chevensky says he doesn't know what Jack is talking about, Jack pounds him twice in the kidney. As Chevensky slides to the floor in pain, Jack says, "You are going to tell me what I want to know, it's just a question of how much you want it to hurt." At this point I have to admit that I was thinking – Jack, what if you have the poor wrong slob?
However, before anything else can happen, Beresch raises his hand and pushes a button... that blows up the van outside the front doors in a spectacular fireball. Everyone is scared and looks toward the van, even Jack leaves Chevensky to look out the office door. Chevensky uses this moment to eat a cyanide pill. Jack is too late to stop him.
Beresch and company open fire with automatic weapons and shoot the two airport security guards when they come running. They order everyone down on the floor, clubbing anyone who doesn't follow directions. Jack makes his way through the airport offices, watching the terrorists herd people back to the lobby. He keeps low and behind cover so as not to be seen.
Beresch demands the panicky people to be quiet and then tells them that "You will not be harmed as long as your President complies with our wishes!" At which point everyone probably wishes for a cyanide pill because America's We-don't-negotiate-with-terrorists-policy is pretty well known and it seems only the terrorists don't believe it.
Again, we split-screen all over the place. Jack is sneaking through the occupied airport, Beresch is looking all evil and terrorist-like, Diane is panicking because Derrick is in the building but security won't let her in, Martha is popping pills, Logan is looking all smug and satisfied and Edgar watches as Chloe is being escorted into CTU.
Back at Nathanson's high-tech lair, he's talking to someone who says that the Martha Logan situation has been taken care of – he altered the tape before the President heard it. Who should Nathanson be talking to, but Cummings. He says that there is no longer any proof on his end that Palmer was trying to warn her about the attack. Nathanson tells him that the hostages at the terminal have been secured and that it's only a matter of time before the President is informed of the demands. We end with Cummings looking smug.
I've hated this man since he ordered Jack's assassination last season. The only good point with this development is that we may get to see Jack kill him.
09.00
08.00
At CTU, Buchanan and Audrey are discussing security around Logan’s camp, when Edgar comes in saying that he has a visual on the suspect. When Buchanan asks who it is, Edgar goes "I think you should see for yourself" and he brings up a frame grab from a surveillance camera taken an hour before Palmer was shot. It’s an image of Jack. Needless to say, they are all a bit shocked.
Meanwhile, Chloe is telling Jack that he needs to get as far way from this as possible, but Jack, still in I’m-going-to-kill-everyone-who-had-anything-to-do-with-this-mode, answers that he needs to find out who really killed President Palmer. When he explains to Chloe that he’s going to do that by going to the scene of the crime, she intelligently points out that it will be crawling with cops and Secret Service and FBI. But there’s no stopping Jack, so she agrees to help him by logging in remotely (she still has her laptop) and getting him the schematics of the building and an interagency deployment grid.
Jack tells them to get into the van the killers brought, but Derrick isn’t keen on going, asking him how he could have killed Palmer’s assassin. Jack apologizes for Derrick having seen that, but still orders him in the van. When Derrick refuses, Jack grabs him by the throat, pushes him up against the van and says: "Let’s get something straight, kid. The only reason you’re still conscious is that I don’t want to carry you. Now get in the van."
I can’t love that scene any more than I do. I love how, after Derrick gets in the van, Jack just stands there for a moment. It wasn’t an idle threat, Jack is well aware of what he is capable of doing and it bothers him on some level. It reminds me of the scene in the first season where Jack is holding where waitress hostage as he tries to get away from the Secret Service. She is going to walk out on him and he goes: "Lauren, I've killed two people since midnight. I have not sleep in over twenty-four hours, maybe you should be a little more afraid of me then you are right now. Sit"
At the CTU, everyone is trying to come to terms with Jack being alive. Actually, Audrey is the one having the most problems with it. Buchanan just says "I have no idea how he faked his own death, but I know why he did." I don’t think anyone at the CTU knew that Jack faked his death, but then I don’t think anyone at the CTU thought that much about it. With no indication the video has been doctored, the only theory they can come up with is that that Tony, Michelle and Palmer helped Jack fake his death and he is now killing them. When Audrey reluctantly heads off to inform the President of this new development, Curtis discovers that Chloe was also part of phone conversations with Tony, Michelle and Palmer. Believing that Jack is after Chloe, Buchanan issues an interagency alert on him, listing him as "extremely dangerous". Heh. At least he got that part right.
Walt Cummings approaches Logan, saying that Martha isn’t letting go of the belief that Palmer called her. He offers to get the tape of the phone call to prove to her that she misunderstood. Yeah, like that’s going to help. Logan doesn’t really want to, but Cummings insists that it’s the only way. Logan agrees but before Cummings can leave the office Audrey calls. She tells them (painfully) that Jack is the suspect in Palmer's assassination. Cummings quickly jumps on the "Jack is the bad guy" bandwagon by pointing out that Jack has a history of insubordination, irrational behavior, drug addiction... Audrey cuts the list short by saying he has a record of great service to the country. When Audrey says that they should postpone the summit, Logan refuses, saying: "You have a suspect, find him." Wow. What great leadership.
At the refinery, a man is on the phone reporting that "the men are all dead" and that Jack and company are gone. The man at the other end of the phone (who is named Nathanson according to the subtitles) is in a very high tech room full of a whole lot of video screens. Nathanson orders that they will just let CTU pick up Jack and when they have him in custody "we will take him out". When the flunky at the refinery asks if Jack will impede their operation, he’s assured "He won’t have time. We launch in under an hour." There are some things to note about this: First, Nathanson has to have connections within the CTU or government in order to "take out" Jack once he’s in custody. Two, always assume that Jack is going to mess up you plans and take him out as soon as possible. Better people than this guy has tried to kill Jack Bauer. Finally, what ever is going to happen will be the cliffhanger at the end of the episode.
08.09
08.14
In the stolen van, Jack is digging through the equipment that is stashed in it ("All their hardware's military specs. Fragmentation grenades. Percussion grenades. He's a com unit we can use.") and Chloe gets to wonder "Who are these people?" That's a good question before Jack capped Palmer's killer (a mere 15 minutes ago) that guy talked a lot like he worked the same way Jack does. Jack doesn't answer because his cell rings. It’s Diane worrying about Derrick. He can’t tell her where to meet him yet, but he does let her talk to Derrick. Now, as prepared as I was to dislike this kid, he’s growing on me. He does a wonderful job talking to his mother without worrying her more. Mind you, through it all he’s watching Jack like he’s afraid Jack’s going to kill him at any moment, but he doesn’t do anything stupid. When Jack says "Say good-bye to your mother" (I just had to put that line in there – it sounded much nicer than it reads), Derec hangs up without a fight.
The van pulls up to the building when Palmer was killed. Jack and Derrick hide in the back as Chloe makes her way through the mourners and security to pull into the underground parking. As Jack breaks out the wireless communicators that he found in the van, Chloe announces that there are 167 agents in the area and Jack brushes it off with the comment: "We better hope this is the last place they’ll be looking for me".
There’s a real nice exchange where Derrick is holding the flashlight for Jack and when Jack tells him to put it out, he does so without protest. The kid seems to be mellowing a bit toward Jack since the incident at the opening of the episode. He got to talk to his mother and Jack is treating him as helper, rather than a hostage. I think the whole surreal-ness of the situation is starting to make everything Jack is doing seem normal. The fact that Chloe is accepting Jack’s orders (although not without comment) and the way Jack takes command and makes even the most insane ideas sound plausible has got to be wearing down Derrick’s defenses.
A FBI agent is walking around a car across the garage and Jack gets out and walks over to him. You know what’s going to happen the moment Jack puts on the "Sunglasses of serious ass-kicking". Derrick and Chloe watch as Jack grabs the FBI agent and drags him behind a car. Derrick – still not quite up to speed on how Jack works – is startled, but Chloe understates "Relax. He’s really good at this." Heh. After a couple of seconds, Derrick wonders if he will be okay and Chloe answers "Yeah" adding "I think" after a couple of more seconds. Me? I was more concerned that Jack was going to really harm the poor innocent FBI guy.
Another second passes then Jack stands up and walks out from behind the car buttoning up the black shirt and wearing the ID of the guy he just cold cocked. The music here is wonderful. As Jack comes fully into view a deep bass beat starts up and continues to play as Jack grabs a bag out of the trunk, checks his wireless communication with Chloe and heads to the elevator.
Chloe checks her deployment grid and sees that there are four agents waiting to get on the elevator at lobby level but she’s too late to stop Jack. Fortunately, no one plays him much mind. How many people actually look strangers in the elevator? Plus expectations are on Jack’s side: you expect that everyone to have been checked out, so you just assume they have been. Jack gets up to the Penthouse without any problems.
Palmer’s body is still were it fell when he was shot and Jack takes a second to take it all in. He even takes off his glasses and Palmer’s Theme rises in the background. Then he heads into one of the only two unoccupied rooms where he finds a computer. He immediately checks it out.
In the van, Derrick manages to get Chloe to give a quick back-story on Jack. I like how Derrick’s amazed that someone in the government would want to kill Jack and that Jack left behind a daughter. Jack interrupts the conversation to ask for Chloe’s help in decrypting a file on Palmer’s computer.
As Chloe hacks in, Wayne Palmer walks into the room. Jack pulls his gun, pushes him against the wall and tries to convince him that he didn't killer Palmer. "The only reason I'm here," he says, "is to find out why and how he was assassinated" and he asks for Wayne's help. Wayne, naturally, finds this all hard to believe and points out that nothing Jack is doing now will convince him. So, Jack gives him his gun. Chloe, listening in, really doesn't like this idea.
Wayne grabs the gun and points it at Jack, who stares at him for a moment, then slowly goes and sits down by the computer. Wayne aims the gun for a couple of more seconds before lowering it and leaning back against the wall, distraught.
Meanwhile, Martha Logan is getting ready for the treaty signing while watching the news and telling her assistant Evelyn about the long and close relationship that she had with David Palmer. Just as she is finishing up, Walt Cummings comes in and gets the information on exactly when Palmer had talked to her the night before. She thanks him for humoring her, and says that she knows Logan thinks she making it up.
Back at the penthouse, Jack is questioning Wayne about his brother's behavior. As Wayne is explaining that Palmer had been distracted ever since arriving in LA, he quietly pushes away from the wall, walks over, puts the gun on the desk next to Jack, and then returns to leaning on the wall.
Very nice. Subtle, no words and yet the full meaning of the gesture – that Wayne completely trusts in Jack – is clear to the audience. The actor does a great job expressing Wayne's anger and grief without overdoing it.
Chloe finally decodes the file Jack had been looking at. It is the first chapter of Palmer's book, which is weird because, as Wayne points out, they have copies of it printed out everywhere. They start comparing the file with the printed version in hopes of finding out what Palmer was doing.
At the CTU, Edgar and Spencer are tying to find a way to track down Chloe – well, actually Edgar is spending an equal amount of time giving Spencer a hard time about leaving Chloe alone that morning. When Spencer doesn't have the needed access code to send out some files, Edgar has him use Chloe's access code. Only that doesn't work because the computer says she already signed in. Edgar looks at it and deduces that Chloe is logged in remotely. He does some CTU techomagic and traces her to the parking garage of Wayne Palmer's building.
When he gives this information to Buchanan and Audrey, Buchanan concludes that the only reason she would be there is if she were under duress: Jack must be making her help him. He calls to talk to the director of Secret Service operations over at Wayne Palmer's building.
08.28
08.32
A bald man we've never seen before (Anton Beresch according to IMDB) is checking out a box full of weaponry and answers a ringing cell phone. Who should be calling but Nathanson. There is a brief exchange where Beresch assure Nathanson that, while they were delayed, everything will be ready in twenty minutes. Nathanson orders him to call back when he is "approaching".
Wayne and Jack find that Palmer inserted a name and address (Chevensky – 16 Transport Way) into the middle of a sentence. Chloe tells him that the address is for Ontario Airport (in LA) and then says that all the feds at the building are changing deployment – they are all heading into the building. Jack (correctly) assumes that this means that they know he's there. Although Wayne offers to help, Jack turns him down and warns him to trust no one with the information they have found.
As Jack leaves the room, he sees all the agents gathered together, looking at photos of him. Chloe directs him to use the kitchen exit, where he has only to cold cock one FBI guy. Jack makes it to the elevator without being seen, but as he is traveling down, Chloe losses access to the grid. All she knows is that they were grouping in the lobby.
Jack gets off at the second floor and bolts down some back steps. An agent is coming in at one of the doors and Jack knocks him out and down a half-flight of stairs before continuing to the basement.
As Chloe and Derrick watch the door where Jack should be coming from, he suddenly opens the door from behind and climbs in. Chloe tells him that 'Chevensky' isn't a passenger, but is a baggage supervisor at the airport. Before Jack can tell them what the next step is, the Secret Service starts sweeping the garage looking for Jack.
The next thing we see is the van careening around the corner, it runs into several police cars before getting cut off and coming to a halt. Agents surround the van and Chloe gets out with her hands in the air. The armed men search the van but find no one else. They cuff Chloe, though.
Jack, meanwhile, busts into a parked car, tells Derrick to climb in the front seat and steals the vehicle, driving away without being seen. I really want to know everything that Jack keeps in that wonderful "Jack-pack" that he carries around. I'm thinking that if he goes to the airport, they probably won't let him bring it as a carry on. Especially if he added the grenades and other supplies from the van.
08.38
08.42
Jack calls Diane to tell her to meet them at Ontario airport. Jack goes on to say how very sorry he is that they are involved in this situation. No one can apologize better than Jack Bauer. We don't get to see how well it worked on Diane, but Derrick seemed touched by it.
The Secret Service informs CTU that they have Chloe but not Jack Bauer and that it doesn't at all look like she was under duress – in fact, she was trying to escape. Buchanan wants to talk to her. She holds the phone with a hand that still has a handcuff attached to the wrist and goes "Hi". That amuses me. Buchanan on the other hand is not amused. "Chloe what the hell is going on?" Chloe gives him the run down and points him in the direction of the refinery where he can find the bodies. She defends Jack but admits that she doesn't have any proof and says that's what Jack is trying to figure out.
When Buchanan demands that she tell him where Jack is, she refuses saying "I don't think you believe him, I think you're just going to arrest him." For a person who lacks social skills, she's got that one right. Buchanan says "I'm ordering you to tell me where Jack is." Chloe hesitates, then answers "I'm sorry, but I can't", then quickly hands the phone to an agent. I love Chloe.
Buchanan orders her to be brought back to the CTU, sends Curtis off to the refinery to check out Chloe's story and tells Edgar to make sure Chloe goes into a holding cell when she arrives. Ah, poor Edgar. It's got to be a bad day for him. Here he is crushing on Chloe, when he finds out she's been sleeping with Spencer and then is told he got to make sure she goes into lock-up. It could disillusion a guy.
In the car on the way to the airport, Derrick says that Chloe told him some "stuff" about what Jack used to do. Jack goes "Well, she shouldn't have" but he does take of 'the shades of serious kick ass' just so we know that he's willing to talk about it. I find Derrick's first question interesting: "Why did you have to lie? Couldn't you have just told us the truth?"
You get the feeling that Derrick's problem with Jack – or with any of the people his mom dated – is an honesty issue. He gave Jack a hard time at the beginning of the show because he was sure that Jack was lying to him. Right now, he's learning the truth about Jack and no matter what that truth is, it's better than a lie. This is interesting, because it is totally opposite how his mom feels. She will accept what is being told to her without it being the truth as long as "her instincts" tell her it's okay. Derrick's instincts are obviously tuned differently.
Anyhow, he asks the questions and Jack gets to do a rare thing: actually talk to someone. Of course, he doesn't actually answer the question, but it's a nice speech none-the-less. Jack says, "First of all, Derrick, you have to understand that I never thought anything like this could ever happen. After your mother rented me that room, I started to remember what it was like to have a family. How nice it was. I started to believe that a guy like me could actually get a second chance. I know you don't believe this now, but I really do care about you. And I care about your mother. I hope, one day you can understand that."
There are several interesting things about what he says. First, like I said, it's not really an explanation of why he lied. It's more of an apology that he had to keep lying once he began to care for them. Second, it's obvious that Jack is more taken by the thought of having a family, than simply by Diane. Finally, Jack clearly likes Derrick. This whole thing goes beyond a desire to keep the kid from going to the cops. Kim, Jack's daughter, was just a year or so older than Derrick in the first season. And that's when everything started to fall apart on him. I'm sure that Jack sees a chance to have that role of father again. That desire has to be made stronger by the fact that everything Kim did when she was that age was about rebellion and separating herself from her parents and everything that Derrick is doing it to protect his mother.
Derrick doesn't say anything, but he is definitely listening.
Back at the Presidential Ranch, Logan is talking to Martha who is all excited that Walt would have found the tape to prove that Palmer had called her. Logan tries to convince her that Palmer's death had nothing to do with his phone call to her but she insists that it must, because Palmer's exact words were "This is about a matter of national security." Logan then tries to explain that Palmer was killed by "an unstable ex-CTU agent" and asks that she just drop the whole thing, she gets upset and insists he listen to the tape.
Logan reluctantly plays the tape. Palmer's voice says: "I need to talk to you. It's hardly a matter of national security, but I'm hosting a charity dinner next month for the Art in Action Scholarship Program." Logan does an admirable job of looking both vindicate and sorry. Martha claims that it is a trick – that wasn't what was said. As the recorded conversation continues to echo through the room, she insists that she's not crazy, that she knows what she heard. She gets very upset and Logan grabs her wrists to try to calm her down. He tells her that her doctor, Dr. Hill, said that if she didn't take her medication she would become disoriented and confused. She already admitted that she hasn't been taking her meds.
Martha collapses against him and cries. Logan, doing a very good job here of being a spouse of an emotionally and psychologically troubled person, rationalizes that the reason she remembers something that didn't happen was because she hasn't taken the medication. Martha, not able to do anything else, continues to cry on his shoulder. I like this scene, it's real.
At CTU, Audrey is still making the case that Jack isn't the bad guy. She says that Chloe wouldn't help Jack without reason, that "There is something else going on here and we are missing it." At that point Edgar comes up and tells them that the NSA picked up chatter and that there is a 95% probability that the Summit may be attacked in the next 15 minutes. Buchanan calls Novick to ask, once again, that they postpone the summit.
In a nondescript black UPS style van, Beresch (along with at least 10 armed men) are heading – somewhere. Nathanson is on the phone and says he's watching the Russian President's helicopter take off and that his arrival at the summit is "on schedule" and Beresch answers "As are we". Nathanson hangs up with the order that they will have no more communication until "after you strike".
Novick passes along the recommendation to postpone the summit to Logan who flatly refuses. He even refuses to change the helicopter arrival because the press is waiting for it to happen. He leaves them saying: "It's up to the Secret Service and the Air Force to protect our airspace. Make sure they do the job." Heh. Tell that to the last President. The fact that he's right, doesn't change the fact it's a dumb decision.
08.49
08.54
Jack pulls into the airport parking lot and sees Diane waiting for him. Before Derrick gets out, Jack grabs his arm to stop him. Derrick gives him the whole deer-in-a-headlights look, as if he is waiting for Jack to threaten him. Instead Jack goes, "I'm sorry for the way I treated you earlier. You're a good kid." Derrick stares at him a moment, finally Jack says "Go get your mom."
Jack gives them a moment then gets out and heads over to them. He takes along the Jack-pack, so you know he's not going to be heading back with them. Diane demands, "What the hell is going on here, Frank?" Jack looks her right in the eye and says, "My name's not Frank, it's Jack Bauer. I lied to you. I lied to you about a lot of things." He promises to explain later, and sends them to CTU to talk to Buchanan. Then he says, "I'm sorry. I've got to go." When Diane asks what they should tell Buchanan, Jack replies, "Tell him the truth", then walks away into the airport.
At CTU, they are watching the landing of the helicopter bringing in the Russian President. They are tense and Spencer goes "If they are going to attack the helicopter it will be now", but it lands without incident.
Now, for all of Logan's ineptitude, his is good when it comes to image. Not only does Suvarov arrive on an American chopper, but he has a detail of F15 fighter jets and is escorted off the chopper by Marines in dress blues. Very, very nice.
The Presidents meet and Buchanan says their intel must have been wrong. Nathanson watches the Presidential meeting with a little smile and looks like a man who has everything under control.
Back at the airport, Diane and Derrick are leaving when Derrick sees Beresch's van parked out front. He watches as Beresch and his men leave and head into the building, all carrying heavily loaded dufflebags. Derrick goes "That's where Jack went." Obviously, spending a couple of hours with Jack makes one paranoid and liable to see conspiracies everywhere. It's just bad luck that Derrick's right this time. "Something's wrong," Derrick says as Beresch and company go into the airport lobby. "I have to warn Jack." Oh, yeah, that kid is long gone on hero-worship right now. Just like a 15-year-old to form rock-solid opinions that fast.
Derrick rushes off into the airport. Diane tries to follow, but she can't leave the car parked in the middle of the street, so the traffic guard makes her stay in the car.
Beresch and company move menacingly about the airport, Derrick runs around looking for Jack, and Jack heads back to the baggage area to talk to Chevensky. He finds Chevensky's office, pulls out his gun and opens the door. Chevensky, helpfully wearing a picture ID, is just inside. Jack pushes him into some shelving, shoves his gun in the startled man's face and demands: "Why was President Palmer killed?"
When Chevensky says he doesn't know what Jack is talking about, Jack pounds him twice in the kidney. As Chevensky slides to the floor in pain, Jack says, "You are going to tell me what I want to know, it's just a question of how much you want it to hurt." At this point I have to admit that I was thinking – Jack, what if you have the poor wrong slob?
However, before anything else can happen, Beresch raises his hand and pushes a button... that blows up the van outside the front doors in a spectacular fireball. Everyone is scared and looks toward the van, even Jack leaves Chevensky to look out the office door. Chevensky uses this moment to eat a cyanide pill. Jack is too late to stop him.
Beresch and company open fire with automatic weapons and shoot the two airport security guards when they come running. They order everyone down on the floor, clubbing anyone who doesn't follow directions. Jack makes his way through the airport offices, watching the terrorists herd people back to the lobby. He keeps low and behind cover so as not to be seen.
Beresch demands the panicky people to be quiet and then tells them that "You will not be harmed as long as your President complies with our wishes!" At which point everyone probably wishes for a cyanide pill because America's We-don't-negotiate-with-terrorists-policy is pretty well known and it seems only the terrorists don't believe it.
Again, we split-screen all over the place. Jack is sneaking through the occupied airport, Beresch is looking all evil and terrorist-like, Diane is panicking because Derrick is in the building but security won't let her in, Martha is popping pills, Logan is looking all smug and satisfied and Edgar watches as Chloe is being escorted into CTU.
Back at Nathanson's high-tech lair, he's talking to someone who says that the Martha Logan situation has been taken care of – he altered the tape before the President heard it. Who should Nathanson be talking to, but Cummings. He says that there is no longer any proof on his end that Palmer was trying to warn her about the attack. Nathanson tells him that the hostages at the terminal have been secured and that it's only a matter of time before the President is informed of the demands. We end with Cummings looking smug.
I've hated this man since he ordered Jack's assassination last season. The only good point with this development is that we may get to see Jack kill him.
09.00
