All right! Now that's more like it! Just when I thought that 24 was set to deliver one of the most predictable seasons on record, to the point where I was guessing things in this episode moments before they happened, they go and throw in a plot twist so completely out of left field that even my foreknowledge of casting on the show didn't spoil the surprise. Where they go from here is a complete guess, as I don't think Bauer or the viewers have ever quite been in this situation before. But we'll get to all of that in a minute...
We begin in the presidential bunker immediately after Palmer II has launched his nuclear attack against Some Arab Country. Lennox does the exposition duty for the episode very quickly as we only have a mere five minutes until the nukes hit. Hayes calls Buchanan desperate for information. She needs anything she can get to dissuade Palmer from his course of action. Buchanan won't lie for his sweetie, and I bet that won't come back to haunt him in the bedroom. Palmer is developing a tremor, but only Lennox notices. The Ambassador from Some Arab Country calls at the last minute with information that they have just arrested a General Habib who has been helping orchestrate the attacks on the United States. The Ambassador says Habib doesn't know where the nukes are, but Palmer has lost his temper. Palmer points out that protecting Habib has pushed them to the brink of World War III... but then he stops the nuclear attack. Palmer reveals to Lennox and the rest of the cabinet that it was a bluff all along. He launched an unarmed missile against Some Arab Country simply to pull information out of them. He just wasn't willing to put innocent lives on the line like Daniels was.
Elsewhere, Jack and Ricky Schroder are working over Fayed and Abu reminds us that Bauer killed his little brother (sock that away for later). Ricky makes his play on Fayed while Bauer gets an update from Buchanan on the cell. Ricky Schroder hates Valencia. Why do you hate my suburbia, Silver Spoons? He points out that my home is not much of a target and that Fayed's next in command will nuke something more significant and Fayed will be lost to history. Fayed proclaims that he is doing God's work and Ricky wants to send him to meet him. Jack orders him to stand down. They're taking Fayed back to CTU for pharmaceutical interrogation. Jack is excited, which makes him really sadistic considering the way his brother went out earlier in the season.
In the bunker, Palmer and Lennox review the General Habib file that has come over from Some Arab Country's Ambassador's office. Sister Palmer has apparently left to go to the hospital to check on Waleed. Hey, remember that plotline? Did we really need the writer's to pay it lipservice at this point? Lennox apologizes to Palmer for doubting his Presidential strength. Palmer meanwhile suspects that Lennox is holding something over Daniels for him to give up his resistance so quickly. Lennox confirms that he does, but maintains plausible deniability. Palmer continues to perfect his impression of Muhammad Ali.
On the road, Jack and Ricky continue to argue about how to treat Fayed when suddenly Jack is hit head on, flipping the tactical truck. A gunfight ensues with several terrorists being taken down, but not before both Ricky and Jack are shot. The terrorists grab their boy Fayed and make their escape. However, the moment the terrorist truck is out of sight, Jack pops up like a you-know-what in the box. Ricky too. They're unharmed. In fact, even the dead terrorists pop up. Turns out the whole thing was a clever CTU ruse to fool Fayed into giving up the location of the remaining nukes. Jack and Ricky pursue while CTU monitors what's happening. Milo turns a deep shade of green when he overhears Nadia the Mexi-Arab expressing concern for Ricky Schroder's well-being. But come on Milo, even Erin Gray had a pedophile crush on Ricky Schroder.
They've hit a snag though. Fayed won't give up the location to the terrorists from the CTU Actor's Studio division until he's spoken to General Habib himself. Everyone knows that might be a problem as he's being held by the country that we almost nuked. Buchanan gets Palmer II involved and tells him how they need Habib in order to find the location of the nukes. Palmer gets to work on the ambassador from Some Arab Country. But first, Palmer has a stumble, further revealing to Lennox his weakened state. Palmer presses for cooperation from Habib. The ambassador tries to sidestep the issue, but even Hayes is prepared to go hardcore at this point. Palmer even suggests threatening to kill Habib's family. The ambassador calls his country.
At CTU, they're prepping for the call from Habib. But not until Milo gets a few things off his chest regarding Ricky and Nadia. During the argument, Morris tries to do his best Chloe impression and stick his nose into the middle of things, but he actually manages to break up the argument instead of simply aggravating it.
At the last minute before Fayed loses confidence in the men around him, the cell phone rings. It's General Habib. In Arabic, Habib says the things that they want him to say, which all sound like things that he would say, all while his family is threatened with death. He chastises Fayed for not getting the job done and for counting on a Russian. He knew that Fayed would fail and he should have sent Samir instead. He instructs Fayed to get his men and his bombs and to call him back for targets. Fayed is satisfied and directs the CTU terrorists towards the safehouse.
In the bunker, Palmer is just barely holding it together. They get word that Fayed was fooled and is on his way to the safehouse. He dismisses the ambassador and ushers Hayes out of the room. The moment they are gone, Palmer has Lennox lock the door and he collapses proclaiming that no one can know. Didn't I see this on The West Wing?
CTU continues to track the CTU terrorist truck, but Nadia discovers that the Samir that was referred to in the conversation between Fayed and Habib has been dead for two years. Fayed has been tipped off. Jack attempts to call into the truck to warn them, but they lose all visual and audio contact with the truck as they enter a tunnel. The truck doesn't exit the other side and Jack and Ricky rush into action. They screech up to find the truck full of dead agents. Fayed is gone, but he didn't exit the opposite side of the tunnel. Jack tracks him through internal walkways leading from the tunnel and sees Fayed taking a phone off a dead sanitation worker. Fayed decides to escape back to the safehouse driving a giant trash truck. And since there is no way any one can hold onto the outside of a trash truck, Jack swings himself under the truck and holds onto the frame. It's too loud to get through to CTU and Jack is on his own.
In the bunker, Palmer's life is in danger, but he wants to continue his work. He demands another shot of adrenaline, but the doctor refuses. Palmer utilizes mind over matter and decides to go back to work anyway. He's not willing to stop until the nukes are secure. The doctor is horrified, but Lennox is willing to let Palmer make his own decisions.
Fayed's Trashmobile arrives back at the safehouse with Stowaway Jack. Fayed has his men prepare to move as he knows that CTU will be on them shortly. Time is up and they are going to take out downtown Los Angeles. Seems like they would have got more casualties if they didn't wait until eleven at night. Jack skulks into the hideout, killing like Solid Snake, but soon he resorts to the way I play Metal Gear Solid, with guns blazing, trampling through the room like an elephant. Jack knows that he only has moments before someone does something stupid and martyrs themselves with the bomb. So he plows through the men and when he runs out of bullets, he runs at Fayed head-on despite still being fired at. Fayed is so taken aback, when he runs out of bullets he actually resorts to the classic “throw the empty gun” move. Jack and Fayed go at it Fight Club style, each getting their great licks in, but as soon as I see the chain hanging, I start screaming “Choke him with it!” Who says Americans are bloodthirsty? Even better, Jack gets a kill line with “Say hello to your brother” before he hangs Fayed with the chain. Ricky rolls in and confirms to CTU that the nukes are secure. They tracked the sanitation truck and they were only moments behind. Ricky takes survey of all the dead men in the room and all he can do is mutter an impressed “Damn, Jack.”
What a great end to the season. At least it went out as strong as it started. I always thought- What? What are you talking about there's more to go? They got Fayed, they got the nukes, Palmer knocked down Daniels, the end, right? Wrong! Ricky gets a call and passes it on to Jack. On the other end is... Audrey! Believed-dead Audrey. Love-of-Jack's-life Audrey. Oh crap. Being-held-by-the-Chinese Audrey. If you thought Jack was pissed off before, wait til you see him now.
NEXT WEEK: It's Jack against the world.
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