Sigh, it really is more difficult to remember the action when a whole week goes by between viewing the show and writing this post.
I will say that this episode hinted at some of what first sucked "M" and I into what might be called called fandom. (Uh, well, "M" thinks that Kiefer is hot; "A" thinks he's not.)
On one hand, nothing blew up and the end of the world seems to be at least 60 minutes away. On the other hand, you have evil family members; a vast and well organized terrorist conspiracy with apparent ties to good guys (do we really think that Jack's Dad is dead? what really happened when that oil platform blew up? it would be a real twofer if Bauer Senior was Olivia's biological dad...); some kind of weapon that will inevitably have to be defused to save the world; Jack and Tony on the prowl together again...and a few loose ends have been swept up -- we have confirmed that Oily Olivia is evil, and the First Man story line may be over...we hope.
Here's what I remember. Jack and Tony rendez-vouz to head over to some shipping yard. On the way over, Tony suggests that they call the FBI for backup. Jack says, no.
When they get there, they quickly intuit that security guard with an expensive medical bill has conspired with bad guys he thinks are only robbers. Oops, it turns out that they are picking up some WMDs that have somehow arrived undetected. (Despite the friction free flow of information about Tony and other "chatter", the FBI seems to get no intel about anything the bad guys might do...sigh.)
Jealous Larry tells possibly Evil Ethan (I can't let it go -- where DID he go during the 30 minute siege on the White House? 7-11 for a Big Gulp?) that Jack has killed the Senator, based on nothing other than his own failure to understand what Renee sees in Jack.
After a gratuitious scene back at West Arlington Hospital where the First Man checks in via phone with the president, hopefully wrapping up that story line soap style: you were right, honey; Honey, I'm going to make a full recovery. Buh-bye, First Man, see ya next season. (Maybe he'll be running for President. It happens.)
Ethan resigns, telling Mme. President that he is soon to be outed for his role in letting Jack into the ex-Goldman banker's hospital room. Ethan and Mme. President hold hands for just a little bit too long, but she lets him go. We still don't know where the Veep has been. (I'm thinking bunker.)
There's also an odd scene of Ethan and the President's nasty lipwear challenged and none-too-resourceful daughter, Oilivia, parting. We start to wonder if Ethan might actually be her dad...no way it's the First Man.
Oilivia turns out to have leaked news stories about Ethan. D'oh. I guess that this is going to turn out badly.
The head of the dastardly rogue organization Starkweather, Daddgelina, throws out some odd one liners, but we finally learn the cause of his major trauma: he's disappointed that he has this group of well trained (and hot!) rogues, and the US Government does not want to make use of them. Therefore, he's gonna
change the name of the company to Xe.
Oops, that's real life. I mean, he's going to wreak havoc with America, by terrorizing and killing citizens. He woodenly proclaims that this is not what he wants to do -- it is what he must do.
But there's corporate intrigue, too. Daddgelina shows that he's a rogue times two, the board totally didn't approve having Quinn off the Senator.
Hmmm.
Jack, Tony, and the hapless security guard try to outwit the terrorists. Jack seems to be showing cracks in the armor that let him send a diner waitress of to her death at the hands of a handsome terrorist, and blows their cover to save the security guard.
(It must be noted that the diner waitress comes off as a more credible warrior than the security guard, who slithers off, rather than buying it.)
There's shooting, there's some Bauer Kills
(a reliable source says 3), and Jack hi-Jacks an 18-wheeler containing the WMD, revealed to be a bioweapon. Tony is somehow known to the other terrorists (because they apparently don't believe in true "cell" organizational structure? because they are Facebook friends?) and they for some reason decide that he'll be a good hostage.
Moss has decided to look at the evidence, and realizes that Jack might not have killed the Senator. (Because Jack for some reason wouldn't have had access to the cool weapons technology that the now-staked Quinn had used?) So he and Renee are speaking again. Renee randomly and inexplicably decides to share her intel about what Jack suspects and where he is heading.
After Jack drives off, he calls Larry for help. (I'm not sure how it evolved from a bad idea to a good one in 20 minutes time.) Larry agrees to come on over.
Jack then realizes that one of the bioweapons is leaking. He holds his breath and jumps into the back of the truck to close down that leak. When he gets out, he is assailed by land and air, and Starkweather somehow manages to pull the bioweapon out of the top of the 18 wheeler (giant can opener and magnet?) leaving Jack behind, alive. (They must have had a lojack on the hijacked shipment.)
WTH? I guess the writers figured that the next 9-10 hours of our lives in the 24-verse need Jack.
Jack then calls his new BFF Larry and tells him that the bioweapon is on the move, and they both figure it's headed for Starkweather's compound. But Larry can't assault that site without due process.
Jack tells him to send over some doctors, he's been exposed to the bioweapon.
Speaking of sweeping up, in the previews, the shirtless Jack is being hosed down and scrubbed with a broom...
But we don't know what has happened to Chloe and Morris, Aaron, TEYOP, the Veep (current one or Evil one), no word on when Kim will show up (probably having also borne a child) or when we might see Nina again.
Bloop, bloop...see you in a few hours.
"M" picked this pose, which should not be attempted by, say, anyone? I can't even figure out what it is, it is a combination of several things.
