Episode 20 Recap & Comments

3:00 am - 4:00 am

Episode Quotes:

"You finish your enemy off when he's down; you don't let him get back up and reload."

-Tony Almedia (to Cara)

"Look, you think your need to complain is more important than the lives of the people who are counting on us, go whine somewhere else!!"

-Jack Bauer (to Janice Gold)

Dr. Macer gives Jack the injection he needs to stop his spasms, and he tells the FBI to put out an APB on Tony. They do so, but it's a moment too late; Tony shoots a couple of FBI agents dead, disconnects their SUV's tracking system, and steals the car. Jack is remorseful that he vouched for Tony.

Comment: Poor Jack, betrayed by Tony. The only friend Jack seems to have left now is Chloe. Renee is too I guess, but he's only known her for less than 24-hours. He blames himself for not seeing Tony's betrayal as he always does. I know I keep going on and on about Kiefer's performance this season but again, he does such a fantastic job of portraying not only the physical symptoms of the infection, but the emotional pain of realizing what Tony has done. Great job Kiefer.

At a motel, Tony meets up with Galvez. The money's been wired to Galvez's account, but instead of giving Tony the canister, Galvez pulls a gun on Tony and demands the name of the buyer. He doesn't know who he's messing with. Tony gets the drop on Galvez and kills him. He then finds the canister in the closet. Cara arrives and wants to make the delivery, but Tony says no. They will sit on the canister for six months. Cara says it's necessary in order to replace the 27 lost canisters, but Tony knows the time to strike is now while the country is reeling. Also the FBI is stretched thin and making mistakes.

Comment: What a stupid move on Galvez's part. That was not the time to try and double-cross Tony. Man, Tony has turned into a killing machine!

Meanwhile, Tim Woods tells the President that Hodges tried to poison himself, but the guards intervened in time. He is still alive. Renee and Jack call with the bad news about Tony. The President says she may have a lead, and tells them that Hodges mentioned some bigger group she wouldn't be able to stop. Jack wants to interview Hodges -- not to torture him, but to offer him what he needs: proof of death. This will help convince those threatening Hodges' family to think they have succeeded.

Olivia is horrified to find her mother is considering giving Witness Protection to Hodges, the man who murdered her son. She thinks he should be declared an enemy combatant and tortured. President Taylor says she swore to defend the Constitution. This tears her apart, but it needs to be done.

Comment: Very well-acted scene between President Taylor and Olivia. I believe the President was right in this situation; as difficult as it is to cut a deal with Hodges, she is the President and has a duty to uphold the Constitution to protect the citizens of the United States. If letting Hodges go via witness protection will do that, then she really didn't have a choice.

Cara teleconferences with the secret cabal via laptop. All of them are at laptops, talking via computer with their voices disguised and trying to get permission to go ahead with Tony's plan. The attack will be blamed on an Arab immigrant, Jibraan Al-Zarian, who will be found dead at the scene. Jibraan is an innocent they'll set up to look like a terrorist. The cabal is skittish, but Cara IMs Alan Wilson and coaxes him to weigh in on her side. Wilson tells the group that Hodges did them a favor by pushing the country to the brink. They should seize the opportunity while they have it. The cabal unanimously votes for the plan to go ahead. Cara and Tony share a passionate kiss.

Comment: I love the way this scene was done. The editing and direction were great. This mysterious "secret cabal" is interesting. I wonder who the other members of this group are that didn't weigh in? Remember there were 12 of them and not all of them were shown during the scene. It will be interesting to see who else is involved in "the group".

Hodges has regained consciousness and is yelling that they have doomed his wife and family. Jack enters to interrogate him, while the President monitors the conversation from the White House. Jack explains the deal to Hodges. Olivia cannot watch, and she leaves the room. Hodges tells Jack that he was part of a group who can protect the country better than any government ever could. The plan was to launch simultaneous attacks early next year so that the public would see the government couldn't protect them. The people would demand drastic measures and then the group would step in. They were supplying weapons to America's enemies and sleeper cells to offload the blame. Hodges thinks Jack should understand because he was doing what was necessary. Jack replies that they have nothing in common. He's disgusted that Hodges is just protecting his contracts. Jack was serving his country.

If Hodges doesn't confess the names of his cohorts, Jack threatens to go public with the fact that Hodges is still alive. Hodges swears he doesn't have the names, even when Jack's dialing the Washington Post. He tells Jack that everybody was anonymous, even to each other. Tactics were handled through an intermediary, a woman whose name he never knew. Jack confers with the President and says they must be planning to strike today because it would be the right strategic move. The feds would need an immediate threat assessment, which requires a reconstitution of the CTU servers that were sealed by Senator Mayer's investigation. The President orders them re-commissioned.

Comment: I've been waiting for this scene for a long time and it didn't disappoint. I love watching two great actors like Kiefer and Jon Voight in a scene together like this. Hodges equates attacking his own country in order to gain more power as the same as what Jack has done over the years to protect innocents from really being attacked by terrorists. Jack was right, he is nothing like Jonas Hodges. Another great scene.

The only complaint I have is that if Hodges can't produce names, why would the President follow through with the witness protection deal? Maybe he'll end up being more helpful than we have seen yet. That didn't make sense to me.

This action needs somebody already familiar with the protocols, so Jack calls Chloe, waking her up. She asks about Bill and Jack tells her what happened. He also says there's an imminent biological weapon threat and that her expertise is needed. A car is being sent to pick her up. She agrees, then hugs her sleeping child. Chloe wakes Morris, who is sleeping on the couch. She tells him to take Prescott and get out of town. Morris asks Chloe to come with them, but she can't be persuaded.

Comment: So great to see Chloe back! I'm glad Jack told her Bill died saving the life of the President. She knows Bill went out a hero. That was so sweet when she hugged a sleeping Prescott before waking Morris and leaving. I hope nothing bad happens to Morris and/or Prescott. Of course when Jack needs Chloe, she can't say no. I have one question though, why in the world were Chloe and her family at a hotel? That didn't make sense to me either. Maybe they didn't actually live in D.C. and they were staying there before going home the next day. It's not that important but I wish that would have been explained.

Jack gives himself another injection as the strain begins to show. Renee and Jack brief a group of FBI agents on the mission. They need to look for fabricated evidence that would offload blame for the attacks. Janis objects to using the CTU computers, but Renee orders her to do so. Chloe arrives and Jack breaks the news to her that Tony has betrayed them. Chloe doesn't believe it, but Jack tells her that the Tony they knew is gone. Jack makes Chloe say out loud that she is still with him.

Comment: I loved seeing Jack and Chloe together again. I'm glad she gave him a hug. I think Jack really needed a hug at that point. It was interesting when Jack told her Tony betrayed them she seemed to not believe it as if she knew something she couldn't tell Jack. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but that's how she seemed. Not that she's bad too...but it's like she knew more about what Tony's up to but she can't say. Just speculation on my part.

Tony, Cara and various operatives ready themselves outside of Jibraan's apartment. He's a 27-year-old day laborer with an expired visa. He has no ties to any extremist groups, but his parents were killed in a US air strike near the Pakistani border when he was a child. He raised his brother alone. Inside, Jibraan tells his 17-year-old brother, Hamid, to be careful because it is not a good day to be a Muslim even though Muslims had nothing to do with the attacks. Hamid brushes off his concern. Most of the guys at work think he's Puerto Rican anyway. Outside, another sedan joins Tony and Cara, containing two more operatives. They converge on the apartment.

Comment: I believe we have seen the man playing Jibraan in a previous season of '24'. I think he was one of the brothers who owned the sporting goods store that Jack and Paul took refuge in during Season 4.

Aaron Pierce discovers an emotional Olivia drafting Hodges' Witness Protection papers. She vents to him that this isn't justice. Hodges will get to live his life in comfort while her brother is dead. Olivia wishes out loud that Aaron could kill Hodges. She then apologizes and says she was just venting. After Aaron leaves, Olivia calls Martin Collier, a hardball political consultant she's worked with before. He once told her that there was no problem that couldn't be handled or eliminated. She won't tell him what she needs over the phone, so they plan to meet at the White House in fifteen minutes.

Comment: Olivia needs to grow-up for God's sake. I know it's hard to see Hodges get off under witness protection, but sometimes you have to accept unpleasant things for the greater good which in this case is protecting many people from a biological weapon attack. She has no business being Chief of Staff that's for sure.

At the FBI, Chloe supervises the reconstitution of the CTU servers. Janis complains that they're violating the Bill of Rights and acting as Big Brother. Jack, enraged and goaded by Janis' constant sniping, yells at her. If she doesn't like it then she can leave. In his rant, he says that the servers were re-commissioned by "President David Palmer." Jack stalks off and buries his face in his hands. Chloe is dumbstruck. What's wrong with Jack?

Comment: I think this was my favorite scene of this episode. I loved seeing all the CTU screens come up all over the FBI office. I'll admit it gave me chills. I REALLY loved Jack going off on Janice for all her complaining, but it was tempered by the fact that Jack's mind is deteriorating further since he said "President Palmer" wanted the servers re-activated. Poor Chloe is going to be devastated when she find out about Jack's condition.

At Jibraan's apartment, the lights go out and the operatives invade. Hamid is chloroformed, and a terrified Jibraan is held by Tony at gunpoint and ordered to keep silent. Tony threatens to put a bullet in his brain.

...Clock ticks to 4:00 am

Final Comments: I loved this episode a great deal as well. I know I say that every week, but IMO it has been a really great season. I can't wait for each week's episode although I dread it too in a way because the season is almost over. I'm anxious to find out the answers to the following: 1) What is Tony's true motivation behind his turn to the dark side, 2) Who are the others that are part of "the group" and 3) How will Jack be cured (will it be Kim or some other way like an antidote we don't know about).

With only 4 episodes left, I don't see how all of these storylines will be wrapped up. Maybe they won't, they may just continue into Season 8 which would be interesting.

The rest of this season should be a great ride. Is it Monday yet??!

Comments are mine: 24FanForever

Recap is from: FOX 24 website

Reaserch

Episode originally aired April 27, 2009.

24: Annie Wersching Returns - 4/29/09

Link: YouTube/TV Guide/Hollywood 411

Scenemaker: Episode 20

Link: YouTube

iF Magazine.com: TV Review: 24 - Season 7 (3 am - 4 am) - 4/28/09

Television:

TV Review: 24 - SEASON SEVEN - '3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m.'

We learn a truckload about the organization behind the whole day's events

Grade: A
Stars: Kiefer Sutherland, James Morrison, Cherry Jones, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jeffrey Nordling, Carlos Bernard, Annie Wersching

---

By EMERSON PARKER, Contributing Writer
Published 4/28/2009

“The Tony you knew, he doesn’t exist anymore.” Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) in 24 “3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.”

Nothing sums up the past few episodes like that line from Jack to Chloe inside the “CTU Lite” toward the end of “3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.”

I’m not ready to call Season Seven better than Season Five at this point, but we are getting there.

Sure, Charles Logan was a great villain and perfect in his role as a corrupt president of the United States. But the last three episodes of 24 have been spectacular. Mostly, thanks to the freaking sweet performance from Carlos Bernard as Tony Almeida – the now über bad guy of the season working for the syndicate of home grown terrorist cells against the U.S. government whose ultimate goal is still unknown.

What is ultimately so appealing about Tony as the bad guy is that we know him. We’ve seen him on five seasons (now six) of the show. We’ve seen him go through trials, tribulations and tragedy. To see him flip the switch to this cold blooded, cold hearted, dark soul Tony – once again kicking ass and killing anyone in his way – is in a word: cool.

That’s why I think he’s gotta be one of the top bad guys to ever be on the show, even if he’s only been a “true” bad guy for a handful of episodes – everything that led up to that point was a ruse and deception to get to this point, which also factors into his badness scale (if a thing doesn’t exist, it should).

We learned more about this syndicate in “3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.” and it is far larger than we ever suspected. Much the same way that Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight) said. He was indeed just a small fish among a larger school – with 12 heads of the organization – all looking to do the country harm in some way and extremely technically savvy and probably rich.

But we learned even more from Hodges himself – who ironically equated himself to Jack Bauer himself – that the organization is a body of like-minded people that are after one thing: save the country at all costs. Something that Jack Bauer should know firsthand because he does what it takes every day. Something that Jack really takes offense at as he would never kill the country’s own population.

The goal was to take the toxin developed from Africa launch attacks across the country six months from now. They would cover their tracks by framing and giving arms to their enemies and when the public out cried for change, the syndicate organization would step in and assume control. But Hodges jumped the gun, he gave the Africans keys to the White House and the country in order to show how much we are vulnerable and cause people and the organization to act. He did it without the organization’s approval and thus risked exposing them – and why they gave him the red pill of death that didn’t work.

But seeing that the country’s down, Tony says why not kick it. And he has the liaison to the syndicate call a meeting of the 12 and get them to approve another attack this time with the bioweapon in order to force the public to decree that outcry of change. They agree and once again Tony is sent on a mission, to kill more Americans.

Luckily for America, Jack Bauer isn’t dead yet. Sure, he’s suffering from the effects of the bioweapon that he was exposed to but you can’t keep a dying Jack down. And he sniffs out Tony and the syndicate’s plan right away believing they will use the weapon right away for the same reason they are trying to use it. So the president gives Jack and FBI full control over the recovery of the bioweapon canister setting up a “CTU Lite.”

Will the toxin affect Jack before Tony and crew can unleash the canister? There’s only four episodes left to find out and things keep getting better.

Link: iFMagazine.com

Three Clips From Episode 20

3 brief clips from Episode 20 are posted here:

MyFoxRaleigh.com

Q & A: A Conversation With '24's' Glenn Morshower - 4/27/09

Secret Service agent Aaron Pierce of 24 is a survivor.

On a TV show with an alarmingly high body count, in which even important and beloved characters can die at any moment, Pierce has remained standing through seven bloody seasons.

In fact, Glenn Morshower, the veteran character actor who plays Pierce, is the only person other than leading man Kiefer Sutherland to appear in every season.

That feat is all the more remarkable given that Morshower initially was cast with a guarantee of doing just two episodes.

"It was basically a disposable towel of a role at first," he says. "It was very procedural. They just wanted someone to be by Senator Palmer's side while he was seeking election as president."

But Morshower, a Dallas native, stuck around for the long haul -- in large part because he had great chemistry with Dennis Haysbert, who played David Palmer. The two actors are still good friends.

"The funniest thing you will ever see is when Dennis and I go to lunch," Morshower says. "When we go out in public together, people look at us and say, 'Oh, my God, this is bizarre! Even though President Palmer is dead, Pierce continues to protect him!'"

By season five, Pierce had so risen in stature that the writers gave him a platonic love story with First Lady Martha Logan (Jean Smart). And Pierce's heroics this season as protector of the president's daughter rate among the highlights of "Day Seven."

It's hardly a stretch to say that Morshower, thriving as a Hollywood actor for 30 years, is a survivor too. "I'm delighted to be winning in a business that routinely chews people up and spits them out," he says.

The thrill-a-minute 24 airs at 8 p.m. CST Mondays on Fox. (We haven't seen the last of Agent Pierce this season, by the way.)

Morshower also stars in a Desdemona: A Love Story, a Texas-made independent film that premieres Monday in the AFI Dallas Film Festival (with a 10:30 p.m. screening at Landmark's Magnolia Theatre).

What impact has 24 had on your life? Has it blown your anonymity as a character actor? Do people recognize you more than ever before?

"Yes, but that's true for all of us on the show. We felt like we won the lottery when 24 happened, because now anywhere we go, not just in this country, but in the world, the response is phenomenal. There are other countries, by the way, where 24 is far more popular than it is here. If any one of us goes to Japan, it's like being one of the Beatles. It's insane in the UK. It's that way in Australia as well. I flew to Bulgaria to do a movie two years ago. Nobody speaks a lick of English there. But you get off the plane and people are there to greet you in the airport saying, 'Aaron,' with wide open arms. They don't want a handshake. They want a hug. It's pretty great."

Given that your stay on the show has far surpassed your original expectations, how would you react if you got a script in which Pierce is killed?

"Given that you're asking me that, that tells me there's something you don't know. What you don't know is that I was scheduled to die and it wasn't merely an idea they were toying around with. The script was actually written. I have that script, with the death of Aaron Pierce, which was in season five."

So how did you manage to beat the reaper?

"Howard Gordon, our executive producer and now show-runner, called me and said, 'I want to give you the heads up. It's Aaron's last show. He dies in this one. I didn't want you to have cardiac arrest when you read the script.' He assured me it had nothing to do with me personally, which I knew. Basically, they were running out of people to kill that the audience cared about. And after I hung up, I actually cried. It hit me like a ton of bricks. What a sad thing to put this character, who I so enjoyed playing, to rest. And I thought about it and thought about it. And I phoned Howard the next day and said, 'I think it is a colossal mistake to kill Aaron Pierce.' This was the season that we killed David Palmer. We'd also killed Tony. Of course, Tony came back from the dead, but we didn't know that would happen. We'd killed Michelle. We'd had Edgar die in that gas-related situation. Now what are the chances that all of these deaths would occur on the same day in separate incidents? I said, 'If you're not careful, the show is going to wind up becoming cartoon-like.' I said, 'Let me assure you I'm not trying to lengthen my stay on the show. I'm saying don't kill Aaron because I think it will hurt the show. So if you're done with Aaron Pierce, give him the dignity of sending him off in retirement. You don't need to kill him.' Less than a week later, Howard called and said, 'You've jolted me with your conviction. My whole take on this has changed and I'm going to bat for you.' He went to Fox and pitched his newfound feelings and by noon they had destroyed that script."

And instead of Aaron dying, his relationship with the first lady continued to smolder. Of course, all that we ever witnessed onscreen were longing looks and hand-holding. How serious do you think it got off screen?

"In season five, I would say emphatically that they were not having a physical affair. What they had was a kinship of the heart. Aaron was the safest place for her to go. She felt understood by Pierce and loved unconditionally. But there was no hanky panky. However, as that bond grew, I believe that in season six, the answer changes. They were a couple up until the time she shoved a knife into her ex-husband's chest. That's when an alarm went off. Mind you, this was never talked about. It's just what I feel must have been going on in his life: An alarm went off in Aaron's head that said, 'This kind of instability, when it's operating at this level, is really more than I choose to be near.' And you might have noticed this season: I'm not wearing a wedding ring."

You seem to play a lot of law enforcement types, military types and government types. Is that because you find yourself drawn to these roles? Do you have these sensibilities? Or is it merely that you go where the work is?

"The answer to that is simple: It's called Harry Morshower. My stepfather was this way. He was a retired military guy and I was raised in an environment that was the strictest of strict. We had nightly nail inspections at our dinner table, including when we went out to dinner. It was very much like being in the military. All of that was downloaded onto me, because as actors we are mimics. We see life and then replicate it for camera. And I guess it is a manner that is not easily imitated. Which is why, many years ago, I basically would go in and imitate my stepfather and be hired for roles like that. And it has happened again and again and again. But, hey, better to be typecast than not cast."

-- David Martindale

Link: Star-Telegram.com

Voight Adds Another Dimension To '24' Villain - 4/27/09

By Gary Levin, USA TODAY

Finally, Jack meets Jonas.

Monday's 24 showdown between hero Jack Bauer and one of the show's more memorable villains, Jonas Hodges, gives star Kiefer Sutherland face time with Jon Voight. Hodges heads Starkwood, a shadowy military contractor gone rogue with bioweapons.

Voight, in his first role in a TV series since the late '60s, lies in a hospital bed, falling ill after being ordered to take a heart-attack-inducing pill by a woman representing a shadowy overlord. Jack, fresh from a seizure induced by the biotoxin, arrives to find out why this bad day is about to get worse.

"It's really about broadening the conspiracy," says executive producer Howard Gordon, "by delivering on the details of the threat (Jonas) made to (President) Taylor, when he said he's just a cog in a larger machine." Hodges also explains his motives.

But the confrontation didn't come soon enough for Sutherland. "One of the great fears of mine is that in many cases in 24, characters don't meet, and Jon and I took until the very bitter end," he says. As he received script after script with no scenes between Bauer and Hodges, "I finally had to go up to Howard and said, 'If you don't let me work with him, I'll kill you.' "

Voight says he had a blast playing Hodges, first glimpsed in last summer's movie prequel before reappearing halfway through this season, after the previous baddie, Sangala's Col. Dubaku, was dispatched.

The actor, 70, says he found the experience "an adventure," and he made some significant contributions. Gordon says Voight ad-libbed several lines, including the producer's favorite: "Stress is the fertilizer of creativity."

And more important, he broke a rule of 24, which frowns on food or bathroom breaks. "He was eating when you first see him," Voight says. Specifically, Chinese noodles. "They said, 'We don't do that on this show.' " ("It might be the first time food's been eaten on 24," Gordon says.)

But Voight argued that "you want to see he's got levels of concentration, he's doing lots of things and he's comfortable. It's not like he's working hard or scared or has the weight of the world on him. He's living his life and he's not intimidated."

Hodges is also "out of his mind," Gordon says, crediting Voight with giving the role an extra layer. "He's operatic and over-the-top. It's a character that's one-dimensional on the page, but he makes it three-dimensional."

Sutherland says, "The key to a villain like this is you want to like him. Jon floats that fantastic line; his ideology is insane, but he almost sells it to you. He's charming, which is what makes him scary."

One of his favorite scenes was a few weeks back, when Jonas bashed the head of Starkwood's chairman of the board with a brandy snifter, then hurled him over a balcony to his death.

Voight was relieved, because it enabled him to show Hodges' true character. "I felt this guy was holding himself back," Voight says. "He had this venom, and it had to be unleashed." It also clearly signaled to viewers that Hodges is a man of action: "He's not just talking, he's nuts. We're keeping him in this danger zone."

Also tonight, Chloe returns (Mary Lynn Rajskub is back from maternity leave), locking horns with Janis (Janeane Garofalo), and the president's daughter Olivia (Sprague Grayden) seeks her own way to get at Hodges.

Just four hours remain in 24's day, including a two-hour finale scheduled for May 18, and Sutherland says they're among the series' best. They bring the show's controversial stance on torture — still making headlines in the real world as recently as last week — full circle from the start of the season, when Bauer faced a congressional hearing on his interrogation methods.

Jack "really goes inside himself in a very deep way, not only about things he's been asked to do but things he's done by his own choice," Sutherland says. "It's a much more emotional four episodes than dramatic, explosive, blow-up-everything episodes."

And on May 28, 24 — absent last year due to the writers' strike — will begin filming its eighth season, to be set (and partially shot) in New York with a story centering on the United Nations.

Link: USAToday.com

Voight Enjoys Playing '24' Villain - 4/25/09

By Jay Bobbin
ZAP2IT

This season on “24,” Jon Voight is bad to the bone—and loving it.

The “Coming Home” Oscar winner has done the occasional television project (“Return to Lonesome Dove,” “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”), but he’s a series regular for the first time as Jonas Hodges, the rogue security-force bigwig now giving counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) a tough time on Fox’s suspense drama, airing at 9 p. m. Monday.

And for those awaiting Hodges and Bauer face to face, it happens in this week’s episode.

“People are telling me they don’t want this character to have his demise, and I don’t know what to say to them,” said the soft-spoken Voight, who knows anything can happen to anyone at any time on “24.” “I had seen a couple of episodes in its first season, and I was very impressed with it — and with Kiefer’s work in it.

“I had occasion to meet him then at a charity event. I didn’t know him real well, but I went up to him and said, ‘This is going to be a wonderful thing for you, and I wish you the best with it.’ Then, when they asked if I would do this, I thought, ‘That’s interesting. That almost brings it full circle.’ The first day I started work on it, Kiefer showed up at my camper to welcome me, even though he wasn’t working that day. It was such a nice thing.”

“Nice” does not apply to Voight’s “24” alter ego, since Hodges masterminded a temporary takeover of the White House, steered biological weapons into the United States and turned murderous. “You can’t figure out who this guy is,” Voight said, “and even as I was doing it, I didn’t know the whole story. It was kind of fun to get the next script, to see who he’d be then. I got to work with the writers on that.”

Starkwood, the fictional organization Hodges heads, has clear parallels to the controversial Blackwater security operation. “There are corrupt guys in every aspect of life,” Voight reasons, “and especially when you get into a situation that involves power, there’s always the opportunity for people to turn. I think that’s what makes ‘24’ interesting; you never know who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy.”

Because of the way the seventh season of “24” was done, Hodges hadn’t been created yet when production began. The first eight hours were filmed in 2007, before the writers strike; then, Voight-as-Hodges was introduced briefly in “24: Redemption,” the TV movie made later and aired as a prequel to the series’ current year.

“I kind of liked that,” Voight says of disappearing from the “24” world for a while, then resurfacing in a big way. “I think it was all to the positive. I must say it was an adventure to do this, but of course, you want the audience to be satisfied. With each episode, you try to top the previous one, and it’s really been quite fun. This guy takes a lot of turns.”

The father of actress Angelina Jolie, Voight has stayed active in a career marked by such big-screen classics as “Midnight Cowboy” and “Deliverance.” More-recent credits include “Transformers,” “Four Christmases” and “National Treasure,” and Voight is grateful to continue work that began with series guest shots (“Gunsmoke,” “Naked City”) and New York stage jobs in the 1960s.

“Listen, I’m very happy to be working at this time and to still have that sort of celebrity. It helps me a lot if I’m doing charity work. I just like to be in touch with the public.”

Link: http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/story/651025.html

The Buffalo News

Episode 19 Recap & Comments (2:00 am - 3:00 am)

2:00am - 3:00am

Episode Quotes:

“I told you earlier today, if you were lying to me I’d kill you myself”

-Jack Bauer (to Tony Almedia)

“Is this what you are looking for?.... I never wanted to hurt you Jack. I told you to stay out of it… but you wouldn’t listen, would you?"

– Tony Almeida

Jonas Hodges' favorite attorney, Patricia Eames, gets a phone call at her home. Hodges wants her to represent him. As she opens her front door to leave, she's ambushed by a man hidden behind a mask who gasses her and then gives her a lethal injection. Just before she dies, she sees a woman who seems to be her exact double. The double, Cara Bowden, steals Patricia's glasses. The man uses a device to scan Patricia's thumbprint and transplant it to Cara's hand in the form of a thin plastic coating.

Comment: Didn't see that coming. Someone doubling for Hodges attorney. The recap says she was given a lethal injection. I was wondering if they killed her or just knocked her out.

At the FBI, Galvez is ID'd from a Starkwood security camera. A four-block area is locked down. Within that perimeter, Tony shoots himself in the side and then tells Galvez via phone to stay put because the canister Galvez stole is worth a lot of money to the people Tony's working for. The FBI arrives to find Tony shot and Larry Moss dead. He claims they were ambushed.

Comment: I can't believe Tony's just doing this for the money. There's got to be something bigger Tony's after. I still wish Larry hadn't have been killed off. He was one of the best characters 24 has ever created.

Later, Tony calls Galvez to warn him about the FBI's movements. Tony advises him to find a large store or warehouse in the area that he can lure the FBI into and then blow it up. Back at the FBI, Kim Bauer says goodbye to Renee. Her father won't agree to the treatment, and she knows there's no point in trying to change his mind. Kim is just happy they got to say some of the things they have always wanted to express. Just then, Renee gets the call informing her that Larry Moss is dead. She is now the ranking agent in charge. Renee is stunned, but pulls herself together and begins issuing orders. She shows no trace of emotion, and cuts Janis off when she tries to offer condolences.

Comment: So Kim's leaving. Somehow I think she'll be back. Great acting by Annie Wershing when she's told Larry had been killed. Her facial expressions said it all.

Jack is having trouble with his debriefing because his memory is starting to fade due to the bioweapon's effects. He is distracted by the sight of Renee addressing a SWAT team, and he goes to investigate. When Jack learns that the bioweapon is still out there and that Larry is dead, he insists on going along with Renee. Jack promises that he will stand down if his condition compromises the operation in any way. She continues to protest, but he cuts her off. He is going, and that's final.

Comment: The bioweapon is starting to effect Jack even more. Now he's starting to repeat himself. So sad. :( It seems Renee is now reacting to Larry's death as Jack has in the past; compartmentalize and keep moving forward with the mission. Put emotions on hold.

At the White House, President Taylor worries about Hodges' claim to be a small cog in a much larger machine. She wants him interrogated by the FBI. Olivia knows he will want some kind of deal in exchange for information. The President promises not to make any deals with the monster who is responsible for her son Roger's death.

Cara, disguised as Patricia, arrives at the White House brig to see Hodges. He knows exactly who she is. She tells him that his actions have put everybody in a very difficult position. He shouldn't have worried about Senator Mayer's subpoenas because he and Starkwood would have been taken care of. The bioweapon wasn't for his own personal use. The consensus is that Hodges has had a psychotic break. He has exposed himself, and there is concern that he will expose the others. Hodges says he doesn't even know who the others are. Cara surmises that he knows enough to be dangerous. She threatens his family, but promises their safety if he does "the right thing." She slips him a capsule that will induce cardiac arrest without leaving a trace. It will look like a natural death. Without Hodges to prosecute, the case against him and Starkwood will be difficult, if not impossible. Starkwood's legacy can be preserved.

Comment: Interesting scene. So Hodges is just a smaller fish in this pond. I love the music in these scene. Very creepy. Sean Callery is doing an outstanding job this season as usual.

Olivia arrives in the brig and Cara's time alone with her client is over. He is being moved. Cara calls Alan Wilson and tells him she hopes his impending interrogation will pressure him to "resolve" the situation. He asks if she's heard from Tony. She assures him that Tony will have the canister secured soon. Wilson notes that Tony is her guy and he'd better not screw up. Cara has faith that Tony will come through.

Comment: So Tony is working for he group the fake attorney is working for. The plot thickens!

Tony finds a secluded area and speak to Galvez, who has found a building for the FBI set up. He has less than twenty minutes to rig it with C-4. Meanwhile, Jack and Renee head to the scene in a chopper. Jack tries to advise her on how to cope with the pain of losing a partner, but she doesn't want to hear it. They arrive at Tony's location. Jack realizes that Tony's story about the ambush doesn't quite check out. Most of the bullet holes are from a .45 caliber gun, but Tony was shot with a 9mm. Yet Jack assumes that Galvez must have had someone else helping him.

Comment: It is interesting to see Jack and Renee in a role reversal here. In past seasons, Jack would be the one hearing what he said to Renee about losing a partner and how to deal with it. Now Jack's giving the advice. Notice the look on Tony's face when he sees Jack get off the helicopter? He looked like "Oh %^$*&$#@ Jack's here, I'm screwed!" Even as sick as Jack is, he's already on top of things.

From a taxi, Kim calls her husband, Stephen, to let him know she's coming home. He asks if she at least told Jack about his granddaughter, 14-month-old Teri. Kim didn't tell him because it would have made things harder for her father. She explains that she will be on the 7:10am flight and be home by nine.

Comment: Awww...Jack's a grandpa! That's very nice that the granddaughter is named Teri. Nice touch. Such a cute little girl. She even looks a bit like Jack. I'm wondering if it is little Teri who will end up saving Jack...Hmmm.

Renee is concerned that the sweep isn't happening fast enough. The FBI are being slowed by civilians who are protesting that their homes are searched without a warrant. Renee orders any civilians who interfere to be arrested. Jack's body begins to shake, and he retreats to an area to administer himself anti-seizure medication. Tony tries to persuade him to go back to the FBI, but Jack says he is here to support Renee.

A static-filled transmission comes in. It's Galvez, pretending to be Agent Stoller, whom he has really just killed. Galvez claims to have a confirmed visual on the suspect and the canister entering an abandoned apartment building. Jack asks if there was anyone with Galvez. The reply is no, which troubles Jack. As Renee and the FBI team prepare to move out, Jack stays behind to monitor operations. Galvez, as Stoller, lures the FBI up to the second floor of the building. Jack gets a call from Agent Mizelli, who was conducting his debriefing earlier, to try to clear up a discrepancy. Is Jack sure that Tony's source on the White House attack was named Vincent Cardiff? Jack is sure, even with his condition. Something catches Jack's attention and he hangs up on Mizelli.

As Renee and the other agents go deeper into the building, Jack sees that the agents' transponders are showing that Stoller isn't in the building with the rest of the team. He radios Renee to get out because it's a trap. As the agents begin to retreat, Galvez, hearing this exchange, sets off the detonator. Confused reports come in of agents being down and requests for assistance. Jack takes command and demands that the perimeter teams hold position. This was an attempt to draw them off their line. Any hole in the cordon and they lose the canister. When Renee appears to be missing, Jack rushes over to the site with Tony in tow.

Comment: Of course Jack notices Stoller is not in the building and it's a setup. Even Jack infected with a bioweapon is better than any of those FBI agents in the field! You can see the wheels in Jack's head start to turn.

Hodges is transported to the FBI, and he notices a tattoo on the arm of one of the Marines who have him in custody. It symbolizes that the Marine served in Pakistan, side by side with Starkwood operatives. Hodges asks how he'd rate their professionalism and performance under fire. The Marine tells him they were good men who were well trained. Hodges is moved, and says that he just made his day. Hodges then retrieves the capsule. He regards it for a moment, then swallows it. He goes into cardiac arrest.

Comment: I kind of felt sorry for Hodges here. Even though he's delusional, in his mind, he's a patriot and was proud of the work Starkwood did along side the military. I actually thought he wasn't going to take the pill, but he did. I bet they get him to the hospital before he dies.

Jack and Tony enter the building. Tony meets with Galvez, who is disguised in Stoller's uniform. Galvez confirms that he still has the canister, then dips his hands in the blood of an agent killed in the blast. He smears the blood all over his face.

Jack finds Renee alive and well. Her radio was knocked out and she's been tending to a severely wounded agent. Renee realizes that whoever did this knew their sweep pattern. Jack calls Mizelli back, and Mizelli tells him that Vincent Cardiff didn't expire as a result of the interrogation as Tony had said. Cardiff was arrested by Customs an hour ago while trying to sneak over the Canada border. He shows no signs of any physical abuse whatsoever.

Comment: For those eagle-eyed 24 fans out there, did you notice the picture of "Cardiff" in the file was actually 24 Director Jon Cassar?

Jack confronts Tony, who is just bundling Galvez into an ambulance. As the ambulance drives away, Jack draws a gun on Tony. He threatens that if Tony ever lied to him, Jack will take him down himself. Tony tries to talk his way out of it, but Jack isn't buying his story. Suddenly, Jack begins to spasm again. He drops to his knees, shaking. He tries to find his hypo kit. Yet Tony has stolen it from him. Tony takes away Jack's gun and says he never wanted to hurt him. As Tony is about to shoot Jack, two medical techs run up so Tony hides the gun. He asks them to help Jack and walks away. Jack tries to shout a warning, but he cannot speak.

Comment: Intense Tony/Jack scenes are always a treat and this one doesn't disappoint. I hated how Tony taunted Jack by keeping his shots from him. That was cruel beyond words. I know there are many who hate the turn Tony's character takes here and I will comment about that more in my final comments. However, I have to give kudos to Carlos Bernard for doing such a great job with Tony not only in this scene, but during the whole season. He has certainly kept us guessing... is he bad... is he really good...is he really bad?

I noticed the recap said Tony was about to shoot Jack but in viewing it the 2nd time, Tony kept the gun at his side, I never saw him point it at Jack. I don't know if Tony's intent was to kill Jack, but I think his main motive in this situation was to just get out of there and withholding Jack's pouch of shots while he was incapacitated accomplished that.

What more can you say about Kiefer Sutherland's performance this season? He has made the symptoms of this bioweapon seem SO realistic. A wonderful performance as always.

When the ambulance carrying Galvez is waved through the roadblock, Galvez stabs the med tech tending to him in the throat. Glavez then takes the driver hostage at knife point.

...clock ticks to 3:00 am

Final Comments: There has been a lot of discussion on the message boards among 24 fans about this apparent turn to the dark side by Tony. The reaction has been somewhat mixed, but it seems to be mostly against this turn the character has taken. My initial reaction was negative as well but since I've seen the episode a 2nd time and thought about it awhile, I've come to the conclusion that it's a great idea and even plausible that Tony's gone down this road.

Here's why: Someone on the '24 forum' mentioned that Tony's turn was similar to Stephen Saunders in Season 3. I thought that was a great comparison. Remember, according to Jack in S3, Saunders was a "patriot" at one time and after what happened to him after Operation Nightfall, he believed that he was abandoned by the government, causing him to hate them and that was the reason he did the things he did in S3.

In Tony's mind, the Federal Government took the what was most important to him... Michelle. So for Tony, when Michelle was killed, his life WAS over and now he is consumed with getting back at the government he once worked for but now hates. When I thought about it in this way and compared it to Saunders, it made Tony's character change a bit easier to accept and more believable.

I'm very excited to see where this Jack vs. Tony drama is going with the remaining 5 episodes. I think this has been a great season and I am dreading seeing that clock tick to 8:00 am on May 18th.

Episode Recap From: http://www.fox.com/24

Comments Are Mine: (24FanForever)

24's Jeffrey Nordling Disappointed In His Character's Death - 4/22/09

Jeffrey Nordling only has one problem with the fact that his character, FBI agent Larry Moss, was killed off in Monday, April 13’s episode of 24 — now both of the characters that tried to stop Jack Bauer from using torture (Moss and James Morrison’s Bill Buchanan) have been killed.

“My only problem with it (is that) you kill off the two characters that are the moral compasses in the show. The ones that are saying, ‘No, you can’t do this,’” Nordling said.

“There is somebody there that stands for that, and Larry Moss stood for that. Every time Jack or Renee (Walker, played by Annie Wersching) would say, ‘We don’t have a choice,’ he would say, ‘Yes, of course you have a choice. You obey the rule of law; that’s what your choice is.’ To kill off those two characters, I find disappointing.”

Nordling said he thought his character is the most realistic one on the show.

“We went to NCTC, the National Counter Terrorism Center, and we met a bunch of people with the FBI. And hands down, they are all Larry Moss. There is not a Jack Bauer there. They obey the rule of law. ... I was e-mailing back and forth with one FBI agent, and he was saying that Renee would have been suspended in Episode 2. ... For our story’s sake, Larry starts to soften a bit and compromise a bit, but in reality, he is the most realistic character in the show.”

To hear more of what Nordling had to say — including his comparisons between Moss and his role as coach Ted Orion in D3: The Mighty Ducks — a listen to the latest NewsOK.com 24 Podcast with Jason Kersey and Ben Walnick.

Link: NewsOK.com

Comment: I was disappointed in Larry's demise as well. He was a good character. But with 24, sometimes good characters get killed off, unfortunately. (24FanForever)

Episode 20 Sprint Preview

Scenemaker: 2:00 am - 3:00 am

Clips From '24' Episode 19

Here is a series of short clips from Episode 19 that will air on 4/20/09:



Source: YouTube / FOX Network

Episode 18 Recap & Comments (1:00 am - 2:00 am)

1:00am - 2:00am

Episode Quote:

“I am dying. I was ok with it, I could handle it. And now you put in front of me the one thing, the one thing that's gonna make this unbearable. I specifically told you do not drag my daughter into this.”

-Jack Bauer (to Renee Walker)

Jack calls Tony with news that the President called off the air strikes. Tony spots something that tells him why -- a fuel truck pumping RP-7, which is used for surface-to-surface missiles. Hodges must be threatening to launch. Tony's got three charges of C-4 and a remote detonator. Jack tells him to get into the depot and blow those tanks.

Jack calls President Taylor to ask permission. She has been fending off the Joint Chiefs and trying to keep the situation a secret, so she refuses to authorize the plan. Yet the President tells Jack she expects he will do what he thinks is right. Jack takes that as a request to undertake a covert action that she can deny authorizing if those missiles are launched.

Comment: I thought Tony noticing the rocket fuel being unloaded was a clever way for Jack and co. to find out that Hodges had missiles containing the bioweapon. Only Jack Bauer could get away with telling the President of the United States she wasn’t telling the truth.

Hodges, with Seaton in tow, arrives at the White House for his meeting with the President. Larry gives his stamp of approval to Jack's plan. He will move in as soon as Tony takes out the missiles. Stokes is in charge of the fueling truck, and Tony forces him at gunpoint to lead him to the fuel tanks, where Tony begins setting up the C-4.

Comment: This Seaton guy still seems like he’s not completely on board with Hodges. He still looks uncomfortable with what Hodges is doing. He may turn out to be a good guy after all.

Hodges sits down with the President in the Oval Office -- a place he used to be welcome at under the old administration. He wants Starkwood to be involved in shaping her military policy and operations, making them essentially a fifth branch of the military. Seaton hands her a non-negotiable outline of the protocols under which their "partnership" would function.

Comment: Excellent scene with two outstanding actors. Both Jon Voight and Cherry Jones did a wonderful job in this scene. I liked when Hodges said, “pick up the document, Madam President.” and President Taylor just glared at him. I liked the way that scene ended.

Tony returns to the fuel truck with Stokes in tow and is ambushed from behind. The detonator drops into a drainage gate. A vicious hand-to-hand fight ensues, and Tony manages to subdue both attackers, but not before Stokes sounds an alarm. The detonator seems to be just out of Tony's reach. Below, Chapman sees the alarm and prepares to launch, but the lead technician wants to be sure it's not a false alarm before he enters the code. Chapman says this is not protocol. The technician refuses to proceed, so Chapman throws him out of the way and does it himself.

Above, Tony sees the launch portal opening. He gropes for the detonator again, and finally gets a hold of it. He presses the button and there is a tremendous explosion. The entire chamber and the men below are vaporized in the back blast. Tony flees the scene.

Comment: That was some explosion. I remember reading around the time this was filmed that this was the biggest explosion ever done on ‘24’.

Larry sees the explosion from a distance and gives the order to move in. Back in the Oval Office, Tim Woods interrupts the meeting to alert the President that the bioweapons have been destroyed. She immediately has Hodges and Seaton arrested. Hodges says she is making a mistake because this doesn't end with him. He is merely a cog in a much bigger machine. She questions what he's talking about. "You'll find out," he says mysteriously as he is led away.

Comment: I thought that was significant when Hodges mentioned he was just a cog in a bigger machine. Evidently this doesn’t end with Hodges. This is not surprising since we still have 6 episodes left. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Jonas Hodges. I love the way Jon Voight delivered the line, “You’ll find out.”

The President calls Jack, who asks for clemency for Tony when he's put on trial. Midway through his plea, he suddenly falls silent. He couldn't remember what he was just saying. The President excuses him, and promises she will take Tony's actions today into account.

Comment: Poor Jack, now he has to deal with memory loss. It’s so strange seeing Jack deteriorating mentally. We are used to seeing Jack in physical pain from time to time, but this is really tough to see. Of course, Kiefer plays it perfectly. I also like seeing the President so concerned about Jack and wanting to be kept up to date on his condition.

Larry locks down Starkwood and recovers Tony, reluctantly taking him into custody. Back at the FBI, Dr. Mercer tells Jack that memory loss is a symptom of the disease. She can't do anything to stop it and it may cause personality changes and hallucinations.

Comment: Let’s see, personality changes and hallucinations… Jack has a lot to look forward to. Jack says he feels like he’s losing part of himself… so sad. :(

Renee meets with Kim Bauer. When Jack finds Renee, he tells her that he needs to go on record about the events of the day as soon as possible. She informs him that his daughter is in the building and this enrages Jack because he specifically told her not to bring Kim into this. He had accepted dying until Renee put in front of him the one person he has that's worth living for. Renee says that nobody dragged Kim into this -- she has been trying to see him all day and leaving messages with the FBI to reach him. Renee only just got the messages. Kim was at his Senate hearing, but Jack was pulled out before she could get to him. She offers to tell Kim that Jack's not there. Chastened, Jack asks Renee to take him to see his daughter.

Comment: What a powerful scene! I liked that Kim had actually been there the whole day trying to reach Jack and was there for the Senate hearing. That was a great play by the writers. Of course, once again what can you say about Kiefer Sutherland; he just hits it out of the park every time he is in that type of scene.

Jack apologizes to Kim, explaining that he thought he was doing the right thing by staying away. He encounters so many enemies in his line of work, and that puts the ones he loves in danger. The experimental treatment for his exposure to the bioweapon involves a risk to her if she helps. The slight chance of recovery isn't worth the pain of having her watch him dying. Kim says she doesn't want to lose her father, and the two embrace, sobbing. Suddenly, Jack suffers from a spasm. He tells her gently that it's time for her to go. "I love you so much," Kim says as he leaves.

Comment: It was so good to see a more mature Kim Bauer. I’m so glad Jack was able to see her and that she apologized to him. Elisha Cuthbert always does a wonderful job in her scenes with Kiefer. Kiefer has this amazing ability as an actor to make you cry with him when he cries. This is the scene he should submit for Emmy consideration. If he’s not the best actor on television right now I don’t know who is.

At Starkwood, an FBI agent is killed by Galvez, a Starkwood commando. He is caught by the agent's partner, who makes Galvez drop the duffel bag he is carrying. Keeping his gun trained on Galvez, the agent opens the bag to find a canister of the bioweapon. He calls Larry to report this, but Galvez overpowers him and shoots him. Galvez then steals the agent's vehicle. Larry sends out the word that a Starkwood commando has the bioweapon and may be escaping in an FBI vehicle. There is enough bioweapon in that canister to take out a small city.

Comment: That FBI agent being killed by the Starkwood commando caught me by surprise. That other FBI agent who caught Galvez must have been a rookie - he didn’t handcuff him?! Duh…

Roadblocks are set up as Larry takes off in a chopper, accompanied by Tony. Janis tracks the GPS of the stolen vehicle. Larry catches up to Galvez, who is now on foot. With no time to wait for backup, Larry has the chopper land. As soon as it does, the helicopter pilot is shot dead. Automatic gunfire strafes their position. Larry and Tony take cover. Tony is unarmed. Galvez manages to shoot Larry in the abdomen. Larry collapses, and Tony scrambles over to check his condition. Larry sees Galvez sneaking up behind Tony, his rifle at the ready. Gasping and barely able to speak, he just barely manages to alert Tony to look behind him. Tony sees Galvez and silently gestures to him. Galvez, unexpectedly, lowers his weapon, deferring to Tony. "I'm sorry, Larry," Tony says as he puts his hands over Larry's nose and mouth to suffocate him to death. Galvez shows the canister to Tony, who has him go find a place to hide it. As Galvez takes off, Tony waits for the arrival of the FBI to come rescue him.

Comment: Ok… now I’m confused. Tony’s really bad now?! I don’t know what’s really going on with Tony, but that was certainly a twist I didn’t see coming. I really don’t like the idea of Tony really being a bad guy after all but the season’s not over yet so it will be interesting to see what happens.

Final Comments: There were so many great scenes in this episode. Hodges and President Taylor, Tony at Starkwood taking out the missiles, Jack’s phone conversations with President Taylor, Jack and Kim’s touching reunion and of course the twist at the end involving Tony and Larry.

I really hate to see Larry being killed off. I’ve gone back and fourth with this character the whole season, but he was a great character played by a very fine actor, Jeffrey Nordling. I was hoping he would last more than one season.

We are now down to only 6 episodes left. I can’t wait to see how the rest of this great season of ‘24’ plays out.

Episode Recap From: http://www.fox.com/24

Comments are mine: 24FanForever

The 50 Best US Television Shows - 4/15/09

The UK Times Online put together a list of the 50 best American TV shows and look what came in at #4:

4. 24

Innovative in every sense of the word, 24 gave us ‘real-time’ drama and re-introduced split-screen decades after the technique was considered old hat. It was also one of the first major shows to disprove the widely held theory that US TV viewers had attention spans shorter than an episode of Friends spin-off Joey.

Link: UKTimesOnline

24: Day 8 Is Moving To New York... Sort Of - 4/15/09

When all the fuss surrounding Washington, D.C. wraps up in six hours—err, in roughly six episodes on 24—expect everything to move slightly westward, and to the city that never sleeps. Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello reports that the upcoming eighth season of the Emmy-winning action series will be set in New York, or at least, on screen.

The show will still be mostly shot in Los Angeles, although Kiefer Sutherland, probably among others, will be shooting some scenes in New York. It may be too early to speculate what exactly will happen, but the move in location may explain some major storylines next season—and the spoilers begin right below, so click with care!
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Now that we’re here, it’s been said that the CTU—the organization jettisoned between Day 6 and Day 7—will be staging a return. Leading it is a new character named Brian Hastings, described as “an MBA type with razor-sharp intellect”; he is promptly assisted by two new agents—a male and a female, both in their 20s—and a returning Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub). The character’s yet to be cast, though.

Casting is also underway for the brother and wife of Arman Hashemi, a leader from the Middle East who heads to the United States for the peacekeeping mission. It’s been previously reported that Slumdog Millionaire star Anil Kapoor will take on that role.

As for the other implications, well, who knows? It’s a colder, more compressed and more urban environment, and without any idea on what the possible emergency could be, everything is still up in the air. Well, Jack Bauer will still be there, obviously, and for once, you can say that the next 24 sleepless, adrenaline-filled hours of his life that we’ll see will fit with the city that never sleeps. I couldn’t resist that pun.

-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Entertainment Weekly

Link: BuddyTV.com

'24' Scenemaker: 1:00 am - 2:00 am

Source: Hulu.com

Kiefer Sutherland Talks A Little '24'/Season 8

Source: ITN

iF Magazine.com Exclusive Interview: Howard Gordon - 4/13/09

Lots of '24' news today. Here's a new interview with Executive Producer Howard Gordon:

Exclusive Interview: TIME IS RUNNING OUT AS '24' EXECUTIVE PRODUCER HOWARD GORDON TALKS SEASON 7 AND SEASON 8

iF gets the scoop on where the rest of the season is going, and gets a big surprise about what's happening in Season 8

By A.C. FERRANTE, Editor in Chief
Published 4/13/2009

Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) may have moved his base of operations from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. for the seventh season of Fox’s series 24 (which airs Monday's at 9:00 p.m.), but it still hasn’t kept the aggressive (and unorthodox) do-gooder from getting into all sorts of trouble.

From being investigated by a Senate committee for his unethical torture techniques, going rogue in order to escape the F.B.I. to save the lives of millions, to thwarting the bad guys who took the White House under siege, Bauer is back and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Did we mention he put his life on the line to prevent a bio-weapon from being leaked into the atmosphere – only to be contaminated himself?

With 24 easing into its last seven episodes, iF felt it was time to catch up with executive producer Howard Gordon about where things are going for the rest of the season and a little tease about what to expect in Season 8.

iF MAGAZINE: Where is the season going in the last seven episodes particularly with baddie Jon Voight?

HOWARD GORDON: This week is a big game changer. The Jonas Hodges [Jon Voight] story takes an unexpected turn as we’re growing toward the conclusion of the Hodges story, although there is more to come. In terms of the immediate threat he’s leveled against the country, that story gets resolved and spins off into something else entirely, which is really fun and intriguing. All I can say, this week is bound to make some noise.

iF: How do you feel about this season as a whole now that’s it’s in the home stretch?

GORDON: My expectations were low. I was more interested in surviving than thriving. We had such a rocky beginning, I was never able to get my head around how successful it was, because it was very difficult to get through. The time and effort we put into it has really shown. Honestly, you get so attached to the first of these episodes, that it’s not until you see it air in its entirety that you appreciate it. I think I was able to appreciate it for the first time when I watched it with my wife and son, and watching it through their eyes. My own estimation of the season has been elevated because of their reaction. And that reaction is matched by friends and acquaintances and critically people have responded positively to the show this year. The few times I’ve been on the message boards, there has been a debate of where this falls within other seasons and it’s up there at the top as the one, two or three on many people’s list – so that’s very gratifying.

iF: What came to the fore watching the episodes sequentially?

GORDON: I always knew Annie Wersching had a very challenging role [as F.B.I. Agent Renee Walker] and she’s made it very nuanced and it's required a lot of her. It didn’t have a lot of these conventional emotional hooks that make that kind of part easier to play. There was something a little abstract than emotional about the part. We don’t really know who this character is. We haven’t located her with a conventional locator such as a daughter, a wife or a girlfriend. She’s an F.B.I. agent, and the intimation with a relationship with Larry Moss [Jeffrey Nordling], but we really don’t know much about her and Annie has made her a three-dimensional character. Cherry Jones is amazing as President Taylor, and I guess, what I really think, some things I was concerned about like the invasion of the White House, a cyber terror weapon -- these are things I held my breath about, but I think came off really, really well.

iF: I really enjoyed the back and forth Jack and Larry have had for Renee’s soul this season.

GORDON: We are always looking for opportunities to ground the character and to have them respond. All the kineticness and action doesn’t mean anything unless you understand the emotional impact that the action is having on the characters. We’re very, very cautious of tracking the emotional lives of the characters, so revisited some of these beats that we introduced at the beginning of the show. Particularly the triangle between Larry, Jack and Renee. It’s emotional on one level, but it’s intellectual on another and has kind of more rhetorical points of views than emotional points of views. Jack is a guy who represents this, and Larry is a guy who represents that and Renee is someone who is caught in between those two world views. It goes back to this awareness we had in the beginning of the year. Jack is essentially a fixed object. We had to be very careful when you’re dealing with contrition and regret on Jack’s part, because we could find ourselves having Jack renounce the past six years and the last thing you want to do is have Jack realize, “wait a minute, my moral compass has changed.” It was identifying the price Jack has paid emotionally and his soul for the things he’s done. He’s very stubborn about having no regrets and how much he doesn’t appreciate being used as a political tool in the Senate hearings.

iF: The relationship between Jack and Renee is different than just a “love interest.”

GORDON: Again, I think what’s interesting, it’s two people having an affect on each other. Renee is humanizing Jack and allowing him to take that step back into humanity, that he hasn’t taken in at last two seasons. Even though Jack sort of went back to Sangala and lived his life, he’s still keeping everyone at arm’s length and won’t let anyone in. This year has been an opportunity for Jack to re-enter the human race. And it’s been a two-season process and now that he’s facing his own mortality, that becomes an even more important question for him to feel it.

iF: Is that the reason for bringing back his daughter Kim [Elisha Cuthbert] on tonight's episode?

GORDON: Kim really does represent that part of Jack’s life that has not been repaired and oddly enough, Kim who has always been a challenging character, gets to come back in a way that is unequivocally not only carrying his body, but his soul.

iF: What other things will carry over during the last seven?

GORDON: It’s a very exciting next few weeks. I’d be spoiling some of it, if I say more than that, but I hope people like it as much as we do.

iF: Everyone has been saying that the President’s daughter [Sprague Grayden] is this big villain, but I haven’t seen a big villainess as of yet.

GORDON: I think she is a complex character. Because her motives are so complex, she’s really interesting and Sprague is a really good actress and there is a great chemistry between her and her mom on the show. It was one of those things, the story kept giving more than we expected. When we started this season, we had no idea President Taylor even had a daughter. In many ways, it’s made Taylor a far more human character, giving her something to care about and suddenly it made the death of [her son] Roger Taylor a lot more significant. It made her vulnerable in a way we haven’t seen and it’s fun to see her vulnerability get in the way of her better judgement and that's what we’re all waiting to see. Clearly, she’s a formidable character and we’ll see what happens.

iF: You change your cast every season and by the time a season is over, you feel very warm to these new people and it feels very comfortable, whereas other shows that try to do the same thing, it usually doesn’t work.

GORDON: Part of it, I think, I’m only speculating, I think there is something about the format that is so intimate. The idea of creating these characters and these situations in the course of a day in real time, gives you a level of nuance and detail and observations, and you’re seeing them in such intimacy, that you develop a real understanding for them. And because of that, the reality is heightened. I think it’s something soap operas tend to do as well and people tend to cling to these characters because they meet them in such intimate circumstances.

iF: It is cool, because now Renee, Moss and President Taylor are a very important part of the 24 family whereas they were strangers four months ago.

GORDON: I completely agree, the fact we’re able to reinvent the show every year is very satisfying. Every year demands the beginning, middle and end – and it’s a very long middle. I think this year, has been a particularly great example of this. It’s a challenge to kept all these plates spinning for that much story. This show consumes so much story and then it ends, and it has the deep satisfaction of an end. It’s like reading a long novel, it has that satisfaction unlike any other show, that doesn’t have a story that ends in the course of one season that is dramatic and compelling as 24. You really feel you’ve experienced the most important day of these people lives. Hopefully it's compelling writing and good casting and a combination of all these things that really make you know these characters and love them that other shows can’t do or won’t do.

iF: Do you think you could do a whole season without having any moles in it?

GORDON: I think it’s like saying can NYPD BLUE do a season without a murder. Moles are about betrayals, and murder. It’s a broad definition. We really traffic in betrayal and hidden identities.

iF: Have you figured out the broad strokes of Season 8?

GORDON: Yes we have a direction and we have a first script we like, and we’ll see. The big news about next year is we’re reconstituting CTU and that requires some explanation. Here’s the thing, I think we found something that is taking the story forward that we’ve told so far this year, so we’re satisfied with the direction we’ve chosen for Season 8, which is a hell of a lot better than last year, or two years ago when we started Season 7.

iF: Will CTU be in Los Angeles?

GORDON: No, but we haven’t announced yet where it will be just yet.

Link: iFMagazine.com

Carlos Bernard: The TV Squad Interview - 4/13/09

Look at him! American hero turned rogue black-ops bad-ass turned American hero again. Carlos Bernard has taken Tony Almeida around the block more than once on FOX's tick-tocking drama 24. Despite the fact that he "died" in season five, Bernard has made one thing clear during Tony's "resurrection" on the show's seventh season - you can't keep a good man down.

I had the chance to speak to Bernard last week. Lots of scoop on the remainder of the current season, some info on the soul-patch era, and the one thing that everyone is dying to know - where's Tony's Cubs mug?

Jonathan Toomey: We've actually met before, not sure if you remember.

Carlos Bernard: Oh yeah? Where'd we meet?

JT: Back in January 2006, during your second visit to The Tony Danza Show. I was working there at the time and as I recall, we had a pretty in-depth conversation about the selection of hard candy in the green rooms.

CB: [laughs] That's right, I was there twice.

JT: So you were in the middle of 24's season five then and it was just a few months before you got "killed" off. I don't know if you remember Danza's thing, it was big for him to do "24 in 24" where he'd recap the previous week's episode in twenty-four seconds or less.

CB: Yeah, I remember he did that.

JT: He rarely succeeded, but I remember it was a very sad day when he had to take down Tony Almeida's face from his big Velcro character board.

CB: [laughs]

JT: When you were at Danza that day, how far into filming the season were you at that point? Did you know you were dying?

CB: Oh yeah. I knew at the end of the fourth season actually. They called to tell me what the story was going to be for the fifth, and the original plan was to kill me along with everyone else at the very beginning – I don't know if you remember that...

JT: Along with Palmer and Michelle and everyone else.

CB: Right, and I was like "OK, great," but I told them I thought they were wasting an opportunity. I pitched the idea of Tony surviving and going on this vendetta to find the person who killed Michelle. But this show is like a Rubik's Cube – everything has to fit together perfectly and that's why I ended up in a hospital bed for half the season. They just couldn't figure out how to fit in that storyline. It came down to "we can't keep paying you for nothing" [laughs], and that's why the door got left open because they were half-heartedly doing it [killing off Tony].

JT: So are you saying they went into it knowing that you weren't getting the silent clock treatment?

CB: I don't think they fully knew as they were doing it. They knew they wanted to leave the door open. I didn't think they'd bring the character back. I'd moved on. The possibility was there, but I didn't think they'd do it.

JT: At the time, were you satisfied with how Tony went out?

CB: No, nobody was. But it was done in a rush and they were writing on the fly at the time. Season seven is the first season they finished writing before the show started airing, but that was because of the writer's strike. We had the chance to re-write things and stop if things didn't make sense. Because of that, from top to bottom, I think this is going to be one of our strongest seasons. Personally, this is my favorite since the first. But back to season five, they were just really under the gun. I don't think anyone was satisfied with it.

JT: So why did they decide to bring Tony back now and not in season six?

CB: They pitched me an idea for season six and it just smacked of audience manipulation. It didn't really make sense. But that got the ball rolling and they realized for season seven, they needed a character that was really close to Jack to pull him in.

JT: So you were on board with the story then? With Tony being a bad guy since we saw him last?

Kiefer Sutherland and Carlos BernardCB: I was totally on board with it. I thought it was a very organic evolution. It was a couple times now that Tony had been abandoned by the government. This was a guy who had dedicated his life to serving, and he got used. What was really important to him had been destroyed.

JT: Talk to me about the evolution of Tony's facial hair.

CB: [laughs] Season one, I had the soul-patch because I just came off from doing another show and I thought it might be OK for 24. Then we shot the pilot and I kind of realized, "Oh my god – it all takes place in one day." You read the script and you get the concept, but it's not until you start shooting that you realize it. So the soul-patch was in. I lost it for season two because I was sick of it. It sort of came back with some stubble in season four. This season was a completely different story. We played a lot with how Tony was going to look. I really felt like his exterior should reflect his interior feelings. We wanted it to be a bit shocking. I know in my personal life, when things aren't going well, you aren't very well kept.

JT: Exactly, you let it go a few days. But what you're saying is that there really was an extensive conversation about the type of facial hair a villain should have?

CB: Well, yes, but I don't really see him as a villain. I see Tony as where he's at right now, and I think his actions were just an extension of what he was going through.

JT: Why do you think Tony and Jack work so well together? They share a similar patriotism, but they both have very different views about their government.

CB: There's a history of trust. They knock heads over things. I know in my life, people who disagree with me and that I can have arguments and debates with, those people, I just don't trust anyone who doesn't lose their temper from time to time. Think about grade school. You might actually trust someone more if you get into a fist fight with them as a kid. There's something about having it out with someone. That's how you know where someone stands and I think that's true for Jack and Tony.

Tony (Carlos Bernard) is killed during season five of '24.'JT: You've arguably taken Tony full circle twice now. What's that been like for you as an actor?

CB: It's been more than I could ever ask for. Most TV shows that give you a chance to play one role for more than a year can become repetitious and characters don't evolve. This is one of the few shows where that isn't the case. So much happens in the world of 24. Tony has traveled a very far distance at this point. He was a red herring in season one.

JT: I know Kiefer Sutherland is signed on for day eight. We gonna see you back? Are you ... alive?

CB: I don't know, I can't say [laughs]. I go season to season and a lot of it depends on the story they come up with. I love working on a show and I just couldn't have a better situation than 24. Kiefer and I are like brothers at this point.

JT: Looking at eight and beyond, what do think the success of the show says about its longevity? If regulars like Jack, Tony, and Chloe were really gone, dead or otherwise, could 24 pull a Law & Order and still work with a heavily rotated cast?

CB: I don't know. I was wrong about everything [laughs]! I didn't think we'd make it to air when we shot the pilot. Then we got picked up and I didn't think we'd make it more than halfway through the season. Now season seven – so I was wrong all along. It wasn't just 9/11 when we premiered [in November 2001]. We thought we were dead in the water. For other reasons besides that, it's just such a strange format with a lot of things going against it, like syndication. But to answer your question, personally, I guess I don't see it going beyond Kiefer. That being said, again, I don't know. Seven seasons! It's older than my daughter!

JT: So regarding this season, anything you want to tease about these final episodes?

CB: Everyone just works their ass off to make it as good as possible. It's just such a hard show to write. We actually wrapped before Christmas, but at the beginning of seven, I remember walking into the writer's room and they were all wearing season six t-shirts. Basically, it was motivation because they were all disappointed. These are the types of people that don't like to lose. It's got by far the best ending of any season yet. The last six episodes are even better than the front half of the season. There was a point with one of these final episodes where we halted production for almost a month so the writers could re-write some stuff. You've got to hand it to the writers and producers for doing that because it's expensive to shut down, but it paid off because from that hour on, the rest of the season is just fantastic.

JT: OK, last one. What about the Chicago Cubs mug? Are we going to see it this season?

CB: Well, it's still there. But it's tough because Tony is a guy who has nowhere to be now and seeing it would have pulled you out of the moment. There is a scene, where we got a Cubs mug in. It wasn't the Cubs mug because we thought it would be too obvious. It hasn't aired yet, but I'm not even sure if it made it on camera.

JT: So this could potentially be a Where's Waldo for Tony's Cubs mug then, assuming it made the cut?

CB: Kind of – yeah. So we'll have to see if it actually got picked up [laughs].

Link: TVSquad.com