If you gave me an endless amount of bullets and bodies, I don’t think there is any way that I could “nick” someone with a gunshot. I’m either missing them completely, or splitting their head in two. Of course, that’s because I’m not as awesome as Jack Bauer, who manages to get just enough skin to make Jacqueline bleed, but steers clear of those pesky veins that would cause her to, you know, bleed out. Is there anything this man can’t do?
They used the silent clock tick at the end of the hour. The last time I remember them using that was Day Three, when Jack was forced to kill his former director Chappelle. I’m sure I’m wrong about that, but that’s the last time I can think of right now. It’s a powerful way to end an episode, yes, but did they really feel this episode deserved it? Come on, does anyone really think that Freckles is not going to survive? And how long do you suspect it will take before the decision to spare her bites Jack square in the ass? Once Jackie goes back to the bureau, General Candyman’s source will tell Emerson that Jack didn’t kill her, not to mention she’ll then have to answer to the Attorney General, who’s practically carrying a torch, a cross, and a pitchfork. The only way Candyman’s people do not find out that she’s alive is if she goes dark, which she will never do. Bonus points for the death scene, though. It couldn’t have been easy to pretend to die when every nerve in her body had to have been screaming, “HOLY SHIT! I’VE BEEN SHOT!”
“Hey, boss. I’m just calling to tell you that I’m about to do something colossally stupid. Bye.”
Just when we thought that we couldn’t think any less of Billy Walsh, he finds a way. He clearly married out of his league, but that didn’t stop him from hooking up with a co-worker. (This subplot sponsored by Bad Idea Jeans.) Maybe Billy’s guilt is what drove him to get his wife out of the sky? Look for Janis’ “instinct” to kick in on his budding affair before the day is done.
I had a feeling that we couldn’t trust the First Husband’s bodyguard. He just had that look, literally. It was his eyes; they were always too squinty. His plan to kill both Henry and Samantha, and frame Henry for it, is sure to go horribly wrong, though. Should be amusing.
It was an off week for the “Damn it” counter, which only goes up one for a total of ten. Slackers.
Finally, as a tip of the hat to the song I stole for this week’s column title:
October Project – Bury My Lovely
Tags: 24, 24 blog, Annie Wersching, Bill Buchanan, Bob Gunton, Carlos Bernard, Cherry Jones, Chloe O'Brian, Colm Feore, Jack Bauer, James Morrison, Janeane Garofalo, Jeffery Nordling, Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Renee Walker, Tony Almeida
I’m not 100% either, but at the end of Day 5 (I think?) where Jack is standing outside Audrey’s father’s house overlooking the cliff and the sun is setting – isn’t there a silent clock at the end of that episode? Or perhaps it’s not silent and it’s just the noise of the water splashing up on the beach.
Either way, your point is well-taken…there aren’t many episodes with the silent clock because it should be saved for “special” episodes. Having one for Renee Walker, with all of five episodes of experience under her belt (and who ISN’T dead) and they give her the silent clock?!? Don’t understand that one. Although I will say this: put yourself in her position: shot (sort of), thrown under a plastic tarp, and buried in dirt. That silent clock sounds about right, as it might be time to start saying some prayers. Just seemed kind of appropriate – from her point of view.
I also felt the same about the First Husband’s bodyguard, if not only for the fact that the FH kept saying things like “Oh thank you for doing this” and “I really appreciate all your help” and all that crap. You knew that was going to turn sooner or later. How he thinks that he won’t get in trouble for this is beyond me. He drives the FH basically everywhere he wants to go – and even though this mission was “off the radar” or whatever they called it, he’ll still get busted. Probably by Jack – I mean the man can do everything.
Love the blog and look forward to it every Monday night. Keep up the good work!
My take on the silent clock was JQB (Jacqueline Bauer, Jack’s future widow) was under the plastic and dirt so she couldn’t hear. Seems like Jack was locked in a box or something at the end of an episode and had a silent clock, as HE couldn’t hear. Or I am hallucinating.
Speaking of hallucinating, is it my imagination or is Jeaneineane Garafadouche stoned while they are filming? Blank stare, paranoid fantasies, appearance apnea. Waiting for a shot of her workstation that shows the ripped open box of Twinkies and bong hidden behind the monitor.
Reviving the You Must Suspend Disbelief moment for a couple things this week. Are you telling me the FBI, Homeland Security, NSA, none of these agencies in Washington DC, no less, DOES NOT HAVE ONE HELICOPTER??? A FBI agent is taken hostage and they are 15 minutes out BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC??? I love the show, but you’re killing me here.
Agree with the fishy Secret Service guy. Seemed suspicious all along. Also seems like it will not end well for him. The daughter-in-law is too hot to be killed.
Way wrong on Billy’s wife’s plane taking a dive. But really shocked about the cheating, seemed like he was desperate to be sure she was safe. Why, so she could take half his stuff in the divorce? Maybe it’s her stuff, who knows.
Just a guess, but something tells me the Warden is dirty. It is a little fishy that he had the “proof” that the First Husband’s son had legal issues.
Another transition episode, where some questions are answered but even more questions are raised. Lot’s of plotlines flying hither and yon, makes for an exciting season ahead. Can’t wait.
The actor that plays the Warden/Ethan is almost always a bad guy (I don’t remember how good or bad he was on “Greg the Bunny”), so you’re probably right. Plus, with how hard he’s pushing for Madame President to pull out of Sangala, it certainly appears that he has a financial stake in this. That’s what make me think he’s clean, though. He’s too obvious.
As for the helicopter, I’m guessing they didn’t use it because a) it would give their position away too quickly, and b) where would they land it? In the street? Between the power lines? I saw “Die Hard with a Vengeance.” That never ends well.
And yes, Janeane definitely looks off/stoned. Maybe she’s the leak, and she’s freaked out because her mother is being held hostage or something. Or maybe they have her lucky bong.
My “You Must Suspend Disbelief Moment” goes to…
How convenient that the phone call that the NSA (or whatever) intercepted was just a perfect excerpt of the conversation to let the FBI know that Freckles was in danger, but not the part about there still being a leak in the Bureau. Of course there were no phone numbers tied to the call either. Man, if this is how things really work, we’re all in a lot of trouble.
And back to the torture angle I mentioned in the first hour’s thread. Now there’s a d-bag from the AG’s office hovering around looking to interview people…when there is a national crisis going on…like the hanging of Freckles can’t wait? If I were the head FBI guy, I’d kick that guy out of the office and tell him to come back tomorrow. It’ll all be over by then.
John – they are overdoing the “no-torture” angle with the whole Attorney General thing. Something like – look how crazy these liberals can get – they want to nail her to the wall even though she just got captured in the line of duty.
It will be interesting to see if they balance this out by torturing an innocent person – I won’t hold my breath.
Best silent clock tick: Season 5, after one of Bierko’s men flooded CTU with syntox nerve gas, Edgar Styles is unable to make it to a safe zone and dies in front of Jack, Chloe, Audrey, and the rest of the survivors in the situation room. Very effective.
G – Or if they balance it out by getting bad information — ONE TIME — from torture. That guy in the hospital could have told Freckles anything to get her out of the room and on a wild goose chase. In the world of “24″, torture is 100% effective. Funny how well it works in fantasy land.
Excellent memory, emperorzurg — Edgar’s silent clock was remarkably effective. That scene alone is one of the most memorable in the show’s run, and it was accentuated perfectly with the silent clock. I’m not sure about the usage this week, unless that really was their way of telling us that Freckles is done. Imagine what the murder of an FBI agent would do to Jack and to the show in general — there’s no going back after that.
I’m somewhat surprised that the First Dude’s bodyguard turned out to be a bad guy, only because he had that bad-guy vibe from the get go so he seemed too obvious. Guess not.
As for the FBI rat, I bet it’s Billy Walsh’s office fling. She’s using him to get as much inside info as she can, and she’s the perfect candidate since she’s just kind of been on the fringe of the show so far — not really part of the inner FBI storyline but involved just enough to make it feasible. For some reason, I was suspicious of her the first time she showed up on screen a couple of episodes ago, and now that she’s banging Billy, she stinks even more.
Am I the only one who thinks that Emerson’s cohort is Adam Levine from Maroon 5?
Ranng, I thought the exact same thing – and I think I still do. But he said like one line in last week’s episode (I believe?) and I can’t picture that being the same angelic voice that brings us “This Love” and “Harder to Breathe”. If it’s not Adam Levine though, it’s his twin brother.
Sometimes i wonder just how much influence some people have in programs like 24. Nearly EVERY bone of contention in the world had been addresses in this 24 episode.
With lines like
“We do not torture, no, no torure, you know torture is illegal! Torture? Me, in America? noooopo none of that thank you.” “The american people have a right to know” etc.
It just seems in this season that they have gone overboard this season on this crap. It wins no points with me. I do wonder how much of it is political rather than made just for entertainment.
Sucks…. Big thumbs down.