Day 8: 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM

Characters Introduced:

• Elaine Al-Zacar (Mare Winningham): Marcus’ mom who obviously didn’t pay attention while her son was being radicalized. And I think they casted the whitest woman possible to make some sort of point.

Returning Characters:

• Tim Woods (Last episode of season 7)

Key Moments:

• Nabeel lets Kayla speak to Tarin before he is transported. She tells him she couldn’t convince her father but Tarin says he has a plan to escape and wants her to meet him at a hotel.
• Hastings updates Taylor and Rob about Farhad. He asks Taylor to get access to the fake nation’s undercover files so they can identify who was working with Farhad. Taylor says she will meet with Hassan. When she leaves, Hastings tells Rob that he is not pursuing charges against Renee.
• Farhad calls CTU and Jack tells him that they are 10 minutes out.
• Taylor and Hassan go head to head over the undercover operative files. He can’t give up such secretive information but Taylor responds by saying if there is an attack on American soil she will be forced to respond against the made up country. Hassan says he will make some calls.
• Tarin frees himself from the handcuffs while in transport. He talks kindly to Nabeel before taking his gun and forcing the car to the side of the road. He has the guards cuff themselves and puts them in the trunk. Hassan is calling Nabeel during this time so he immediately sends a team looking for him. Kayla calls Tarin and they move to meet each other.
• CTU has arrived and Hastings tells Farhad to stay where he is until the agents lock the area down. Instead of doing this, Farhad tries to run and gets shot twice in the back. Ali calls Samir and tells him it was taken care of. Jack and the agents run up and Jack tells the medics to stabilize Farhad.
• The telepresence makes its triumphant return along with Tim Woods. They go over how devastating the nuclear rods could be in NYC. Rob recommends leaving the UN because it may be a target.
• Hassan is told that Farhad has been caught but was also shot. Nabeel then tells him that Tarin escaped but he heard him speak to Kayla before leaving. Hassan tries to call her but she doesn’t pick up. Tarin lets Kayla into his hotel room and he tells her that he is talking to a lawyer about getting asylum.
• Farhad is dead but Jack tells Hastings that they still have a way. He wants to leak it to the press that Farhad is still alive so they have to come back and finish him off.
• The plot is still going on because Dana and Cole are dumping bodies.
• Samir and Ali watch a news report saying that Farhad is still alive. Samir says they will send Marcos because he is half-American. Marcos calls his mom and tells her to leave the city. After his call, Samir walks up to him and tells him that it is time.
• Hastings tells Jack that the news report has been sent out. Jack says the transport is ready to go. Agent Owen’s rookie nerves and intensity bemuses Jack.
• Rob and Taylor talk UN evacuation. Hassan walks in and requests that Farhad’s body be returned to him so their mother can bury him. He also says he is staying until he finds his daughter.
• The transport of Farhad’s body reaches the hospital without incident. After he is brought into the building, Chloe monitors the hospital feeds. Marcos pulls up to the parking lot and triggers his bomb vest.
• Renee calls Jack and they talk about stuff and he tells her to wait for him at his apartment. Hastings calls Jack since they caught Marcos on cam. Jack calls Owen and tells him to stay calm and slow Marcos down. When Marcos walks up, Owen tells him to show some id. Marcos responds by saying he has a bomb and wants Owen’s weapon. Owen hands his gun over and begins leading him to Farhad.
• Hassan calls Dalia because he can’t get Kayla to talk to him.
• Jack is moving through the hospital to take down Marcos. He asks Chloe if she can hack his vest but she says she needs a clear image of it. Jack calls Owen and tells him to get Marcos to show the vest.
• Owen stops and tells Marcos that he needs proof that there is a bomb. Marcos threatens but Owen doesn’t back down. Marcos opens his jacket and Chloe gets to work. She sends a code to Arlo and he finishes disarming the vest. Marcos bursts into Farhad’s room but when he tries to detonate the vest nothing happens. He switches to the gun and shoots Farhad’s dead body and realizes he is already dead. Jack bursts in and tries to talk him down. Marcos freaks out and jumps out the second floor window. Jack follows and the chase is on. Marcos runs and hides in some sort of pressure chamber … really? Jack can’t get in.
• Marcos calls Samir with his problems. Samir says he will talk him through manually triggering his vest. Jack tries to speak to Marcos through the intercom but Marcos smashes it.

Ridiculousness:

• Hiding in the impenetrable chamber was just odd. Are those things that close to building entrance with the all the doors leading up to it unlocked and the chamber door wide open? If so, then I have no problem with what just occurred.

Running Totals:

No cliches