24 – Tony Almeida returns, Jack gets a kick-ass female partner

(Season 7, Episode 1 – “8:00 AM – 9:00 AM” and “9:00 AM – 10:00 AM” – Season Premiere)

“What happened to you? What the hell happened to you?” Jack to Tony

How nice to have Jack back. And he has a kick-ass female partner, to boot.

But first, he’s being grilled by a grand jury for working over all those poor terrorists and using “extreme interrogation methods.” Plus, Jack took the fall for all of CTU’s mistakes, so that’s figuring into it, too. But he doesn’t regret it. He tells Senator Mayer (Kurtwood Smith, the dad from That ’70s Show): “Please, do not sit there with that smug look on your face and expect me to regret the decisions that I have made. Because, sir, the truth is, I don’t.”

And without further adieu, an FBI agent strides into the room with a subpoena for Jack. Apparently, he’s needed. Of course he is! Because he has to save the world –- AGAIN! And then the stupid government will do more bad stuff to him. For saving the country. AGAIN! It seems like one of these days they’ll realize there wouldn’t even be a country without Jack’s “extreme interrogation methods.”

Bit I digress … the FBI really does need him, because they’ve got a situation on their hands. Michael Latham, chief engineer of the government’s infrastructure security system has been kidnapped. Nabbed out of his car with his terrified daughter in the back seat witnessing the whole thing.

And so it goes. Right off the bat, we’ve got several intense situations happening all at once, including a group of terrorists threatening to screw up the country’s infrastructure big-time. I love that even though Jack is in an entirely new situation -– since CTU has been disbanded (like the country could survive without it) –- but everything about his past is coming into play: his rogue methods, his relationship with Tony Almeida, and his helping a government that’s trying to indict him.

Tony must be ultra-bitter to have gone so far into the other side with the bad guys. After all, his wife was brutally murdered by a faction working inside the government. But since Tony really isn’t in charge of things and is taking orders from someone else, I predict that he’ll end up working with Jack by the end of this season. Even though Tony is surly with his shaved-head terrorist look and all, there’s still a part of him inside that’s vulnerable.

I love Renee and look forward to seeing how this will play out with Jack. She’s sort of the female Jack, when she says to him: “You’re coming with me, and you’re doing this my way.” And how quickly she lets him cross the line when he’s working over Schector and he asks her, “What do you want me to do?” and she says, “Do whatever it takes.”

I love how within an hour of getting involved, Jack has Renee chucking her rules and agreeing to do it on their own without backup and with Jack’s “extreme interrogation methods.” By the end of the second hour, Jack is telling her, “I can help you find him, but we’re going to have to do it my way. Is that going to be a problem?” Apparently not, because she has no choice!

I like the female President, but had to laugh when she asked if they couldn’t just “unplug these bastards,” meaning Tony and his band of homegrown terrorists. Clearly, she has no idea what these guys are capable of –- not just because they’re grim and bitter, but also because of the high-tech stuff involved. You’d think she’d have a clue about that, being the President and all.

It will be interesting to see how it all comes together. 24 is famous for bringing several different plots into things and having them all converge at some point. You’ve got the situation with Tony and Jack, the situation with the First Husband trying to figure out who killed their son (he doesn’t believe it was suicide and, frankly, neither do I because why else would it even be a storyline), the situation with the girlfriend getting the $400K shortly after his “suicide” (right … her aunt just happens to have that kind of cash needing an offshore account after her husband dies — could she not come up with a more plausible story? She’s had time to think about it, for cripes sake), and the situation in Africa where the suits are playing both sides of the fence (“The U.S. government killed my brother, and now they’re trying to kill me. They’re going to pay a very steep price for interfering in our affairs.”)

As for Janeane Garofalo, she’s OK as the Chloe of the FBI (only one who’s prone to panic attacks). I’m sure they’ll have her and Chloe working together at some point, and won’t that be fun?

Your thoughts on this episode and the long-awaited start of Season seven?

Clacked by Jane Boursaw
on Jan 12, 2009 @ 14:01 EST5EDT