'JACK' OF ALL TRADES: Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer of '24: Live Another Day' (Daniel Smith/FOX)
Time has always been an important aspect of "24", it's tied right into the concept of the show. A clock is constantly ticking, reminding the characters that every second counts. Tonight, the clock's message was made abundantly clear, as time seems to be running out.
Jack and Kate track Simone down at the hospital following the bus accident. Her injuries are severe and she’s in need of surgery. After learning Simone spared her niece’s life and only reluctantly killed her sister-in-law, Jack realizes he may be able to get her to turn on her mother. With the help of one of her henchmen, Margot figures this out too. In turn, she aims one of the drones at St. Edwards hospital, where her daughter is recovering.
Her recovery won’t be easy, as Jack has taken to torturing the reluctant terrorist, pressing down on the nub of flesh where her finger used to be while pressing her for information on her mother’s whereabouts. Complicating matters is the hired hand Margot sends to kill Simone. Jack gets to him first and realizes that in eight minutes, a missile will be fired at the hospital. In the rush to evacuate, Kate and Jack carry Simone out the door. They’ve barely made it out when the first missile strikes.
The hospital and its surrounding areas are reduced to rubble and flames, but Jack, Simone and Kate stay in one piece, even managing to secure a vehicle amidst the chaos. As they drive off, Simone gets a chance to survey the devastation around her. Doctors, nurses and patients are covered in blood. Victims are missing limbs and trapped under rubble screaming for help. She only gets a second or two to reflect though, because Margot isn’t done.
In perhaps the season's most impressive action sequence yet, Margot and her son use the drone technology to target Jack’s vehicle as he drives through the streets of London. She fires missile after missile, each of which Jack narrowly dodges. While bombs drop all around them, Jack plows through construction sites and knocks out anyone who gets in his way. He finally manages to throw Margot off their scent by using an empty car as a decoy. When Margot wastes the drone’s final missile on the false lead, the trio get away.
The scenes move fast, but we see the aftermath through President Heller. After watching footage of the explosions' aftermath on television, he decides to hand himself over to Margot Al-Harazi. He makes the agreement via video chat, making sure his daughter and the rest of his staff are kept in the dark. Is he really throwing in the towel? Or is this all part of an elaborate double- cross?
Mark Boudreau is also in some trouble. The Russian Deputy Minister is aware that he forged Heller’s signature on the paperwork promising to hand Jack over to the Russian government. He threatens to expose Mark for treason, but Mark asks for more time and promises to hand over Bauer just as soon as Jack stops being useful.
The biggest reveal resolves last week's cliffhanger. The mystery man Navarro is working for calls to let him know that Jordan has begun looking into the missing CIA files. If he discovers them, he will learn that Navarro framed Kate’s husband for his crimes. He tells Navarro that Jordan needs to be eliminated immediately. When they hang up, the mystery man turns to the camera, revealing himself to be none other than Adrian Cross, the man Chloe worked for before she was arrested by the CIA.
Navarro sends Jordan out into the field, where he is shot and left for dead, his body falling into the river. As the episode closes, we learn Jordan survived the hit and will surely realize his boss is behind it. Is Adrian working with Margot or does he represent an entirely new threat?
With Margot, the Russians, Mark and now Adrian all having reasons to take down Jack, our hero faces more foes than ever before. With only six episodes left, can they all be defeated?
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