Thursday, August 5, 2010

Day 6: 6:00 AM - 7:00 AM

Characters Introduced:

  • Tom Lennox (Peter MacNicol): Wayne Palmer’s Chief of Staff that began as the classic 24 dick politician. But MacNicol is such a good actor that once the character evolved past that, he delivered a great performance.
  • Nadia Yassir (Marisol Nichols): See 24 doesn’t hate all Muslims! Nadia falls somewhere in the middle of shitty CTU workers, let’s call her a poor woman’s Michelle Dessler.
  • Abu Fayed (Adoni Maropis): Obviously not as good a planner as Habib Marwan. Still causes a shitload of destruction but most of his attacks fail.
  • Ray Wallace (Raphael Sbarge): Dad of another 24 family that is not going to have a good couple of hours.
  • Jillian Wallace (Megan Gallagher): Wife of another 24 family that is not going to have a good couple of hours.
  • Scott Wallace (Michael Angarano): Annoying son of another 24 family that is not going to have a good couple of hours.
  • Ahmed Amar (Kal Penn): Hooray for Kal Penn! Boo for this dumbass plot he is involved in.

Returning Characters:

  • Jack Bauer (Last episode of season 5)
  • Cheng Zhi (Last episode of season 5)
  • Karen Hayes (Last episode of season 5)
  • Wayne Palmer (12 am – 1 am of season 5)
  • Milo Pressman (3pm – 4pm of season 1)
  • Morris O’Brian (Last episode of season 5)
  • Bill Buchanan (Last episode of season 5)
  • Curtis Manning (Last episode of season 5)

Key Moments:

  • In a foreshadowing for the rest of the season, the prequel for season 6 is useless but at least we are still presented by Toyota
  • First they re-air the last scenes of season 5 when the Chinese capture Jack.
  • Let’s get this over with. It is 7 months later and Cheng Zhi is overseeing the shit getting tortured out of Jack. Jack hasn’t spoken a word since his capture but Cheng tells his men to continue the beatings. Then when Jack tries to sleep in his cell a couple of guys break him out and a 5-minute Toyota commercial takes place as they drive through the Chinese outback. In the end it was all a ruse by Cheng to get Jack to identify an American spy. None of this matters for the season to come.
  • Let’s move on to the first hour. It is now 2 years since the end of season 5.
  • There have been continuous terrorist attacks over the last couple of months throughout the United States. While the news report plays in the background of a bus stop, a Muslim man is not allowed on the bus. Karma catches up to the bus as an Asian man suicide bombs for a huge explosion.
  • 24 tries a new setting for the President as we start in the Oval Office this day. Karen and Lennox set the tone for the season as Lennox wants to screw over the Muslims and Karen argues against his insanity. Wayne listens to them argue but the discussion is put to the side as the bus bombing is reported. The talk switches to the capture and removal of a man named Assad. Wayne talks about how high of a price they are paying to do it.
  • Hey CTU hasn’t changed in the last 2 years! Is that Milo Pressman in a suit? And they brought him back to play the CTU bitching game with Morris? Chloe watches the 2 of them snipe at each before asking Morris about an order from Nadia. She confronts Nadia and finds out that the President negotiated Jack’s release.
  • Bill and Curtis are chilling at a military base waiting for Jack. A plane rolls up and Cheng leads a chained and crazy bearded Jack out of the plane. While Curtis leads Jack into the hangar, Cheng tells Bill that Jack hasn’t spoken a word in 2 years. Jack is told that Wayne Palmer is the President and negotiated his release. We then find out what is going on as Bill tells Jack about the attacks and their belief that Assad is behind them. A man named Abu Fayed wants money and Jack in exchange for Assad’s location. Jack and Fayed have some sort of history so this makes sense to Jack. The first word out of Jack’s mouth is “Audrey” then “my daughter”. Bill tells him that neither knows that he is back and Jack wants to keep it that way. Jack tells Curtis he does not need his sidearm and wants to clean up before he is executed. He takes his shirt off to reveal a subway map of scars all across his back.
  • Bill and Karen talk about sacrificing Jack as an excuse to show us that they are married.
  • Chloe rips Nadia to shreds to force her to explain what is going on with Jack. Chloe does not react well to the government sacrificing Jack. Morris tries to comfort the dejected Chloe.
  • Jack is cleaned up and riding in the back of the CTU SUV with Bill and Curtis. Wayne calls and has a hard time explaining himself to Jack. Jack lets him off the hook and tells Wayne that he understands what is being asked of him.
  • Fayed calls Bill and tells him to cuff Jack to a grate at the exchange point. Bill protests but Fayed hangs up on him. Jack tells Bill to do it then explains that he is dying for something. The only reason he stayed alive in China was because he didn’t want to die for nothing. He tells Bill that dying will be a relief. Bill is clearly crushed by what is happening, while Curtis seems meh. Don’t worry; he’ll get what’s coming to him.
  • We get introduced to the Wallace family as they discuss the terrorist attacks. Scott runs in to tell them that their neighbor is being arrested. Ahmed yells at the cops for taking his father. Some rednecks start banging on Ahemd’s door, so Ray runs over to break it up.
  • To help Chloe deal with Jack’s execution, Morris hacks into a private satellite so she can see what is going on.
  • Fayed picks up Jack and tosses him into the back of the van. One of his men tells him that a private satellite is watching him. Fayed calls CTU and gives them 30 seconds to redirect the satellite or he will not give them Assad. Milo tells Nadia that it is Chloe. Morris redirects but Fayed threatens to back out of the deal. Nadia even speaks in Arabic to plead to him. See, she is a good Muslim! Bill walks in and screams his head off. He even gives us his own version of “damnit!”
  • Jack is dragged into Fayed’s base. He is chained to a chair and Fayed and tells him that he is going to do to Jack what Jack did to his brother. He does some brutal shit to Jack involving acid. He then tells Jack that Assad is not behind the attacks; Fayed is taking over the organization. CTU is killing the wrong man because Assad is trying to stop Fayed. He exclamation points the conversation by stabbing Jack in the back.
  • Fayed calls CTU and gives them Assad’s coordinates. Chloe is crying in the dark.
  • Ahmed calls Fayed and interrupts his attempt to cut off one of Jack’s fingers. Ahmed is angry that his father was arrested.
  • Jack takes off the monitoring equipment so the machine sounds like he is flat lining. The guard comes running and Jack bites him in the neck for the kill. He takes his keys and uncuffs himself.
  • Fayed tells Ahmed that he needs the package to be delivered soon.
  • Fayed comes back into the torture room to see the guard dead and Jack missing. He sends his men down on open grate but it was a decoy. Jake is hiding in the sewer wiping blood off his mouth and chin.

Ridiculousness:

  • I’m sorry but this is just a dumb plan by the government. They never explain what Wayne gave the Chinese but the mere fact that they eventually were able to trade for him means they should have gotten him a long time ago. Then to willingly sacrifice their greatest field agent in the hopes that a high level terrorist will give them the key to stopping terrorist attacks … who thought of this?
  • The Ahmed plot is 24 twisting our perceptions of the show. After all the attention they got over their cliches, you would think Kal Penn would be a good Muslim but NO! He is actually deeply involved in Fayed’s scheme. Look at the nice American family take in the Muslim only to be screwed over.
  • Just to be clear … Jack just got stabbed in the back with a full on blade. Later on this will mean his ribs are messed up. So don’t worry if you ever get stabbed, you’ll be fine.

Running Totals:

Torture doesn’t mean you can’t be creative: 2 (36)

  • The Chinese give Jack the old fashioned shock treatment.
  • Fayed cuts into Jack’s shoulder then pours acid into the wound. He also stabs Jack in the back.

Jack’s body count: 1 (140)

  • Jack was ahead of the curve on the vampire craze.

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