More Season 8 Casting News...

Freddie Prinze Jr. taking role on "24"

By Nellie Andreeva Nellie Andreeva – Thu May 28, 12:44 am ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Freddie Prinze Jr. as Jack Bauer Jr.?

Sources said Prinze is joining the cast of the Fox series "24" as a regular, playing Davis Cole, a recently returned Marine who runs CTU Field Ops and wants to follow in the footsteps of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland).

Prinze is one of several new cast members on the real-time drama, whose upcoming eighth season started production Wednesday. Anil Kapoor ("Slumdog Millionaire") plays a Middle East leader, Chris Diamantopoulos is the president's new chief of staff, and John Boyd is cast as a CTU systems analyst. All three are regulars, while Jennifer Westfeldt has come aboard in the recurring role of a journalist.

Also taking a recurring role on the series is Nazneen Contractor as Kapoor's daughter.

Prinze's many television credits include the 2005-2006 sitcom "Freddie," in which he starred.

Link: Yahoo News

'24' Quote Of The Day

"We found the incubator with the virus in it in the room next door. If you don't tell me what I need to know, I'll put you in there and I'll open it up."

-Jack Bauer (to Michael Amador)

Season 3

4:00 am - 5:00 am

Season 8 Casting News...

Two clock in at '24'

Jennifer Westfeldt, John Boyd cast in real-time drama

By Nellie Andreeva

May 26, 2009, 11:00 PM ET

Jennifer Westfeldt and John Boyd have joined the cast of Fox's "24."

On the upcoming eighth season of the real-time drama, to be set in New York, "Kissing Jessica Stein" star Westfeldt will play the recurring role of Meredith Reed, an ambitious journalist with ties to Arman Hashemi (Anil Kapoor), a Middle East leader who comes to the U.S. on a peacemaking mission.

Boyd ("The Notorious Bettie Page") will be a regular on the 20th TV/Imagine series, playing CTU systems analyst Jonah Schwartz.

Westfeldt and Boyd join previously cast Kapoor and Chris Diamantopoulos as the "24" producers are filling nine major new roles for Season 8, slated to begin production today.

Westfeldt recently recurred on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and launched a production company with "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm.

Link: The Hollywood Reporter

Episode 24 Recap & Comments

Season 7

Episode 24

7:00 am - 8:00 am

Episode Quotes:

“Please... as someone who was once your friend, let me die in peace. Don’t let them use me to kill innocent people.” – Jack Bauer (to Tony)

“I’m the one who saved lives today Jack, not you!” – Tony Almedia

“I’m sorry Daddy, but I’m not ready to let you go.” - Kim Bauer

Chloe and Janis are having trouble backtracing the laptop's signal to find Jack. Meanwhile, Jack tries to take refuge in a taxi garage. He closes the garage door, but Tony fires off some shots before the door closes, puncturing a taxi's gas tank. Tony begins to open the garage door with a fork lift. When he gets in, Jack is igniting a flare, intending to blow himself and Tony up. Tony overpowers him and drags Jack off.

Comment: Nice ‘Jack Bauer theme’ music as Jack stumbles into the garage.

Jack and Tony both have used heavy equipment this season. Jack using the bulldozer against Quinn earlier this season and now Tony uses a forklift to open the garage door.

At the White House, Ethan Kanin and Aaron Pierce confront Olivia with the recording of her conspiring to kill Jonas Hodges. This isn't about Ethan getting his job back. It's about the truth, even if it destroys the President's Administration. Ethan wants the President to decide what to do next -- prosecute or bury it. He'll let Olivia tell the President herself.

Comment: Now Ethan’s got Olivia. “But I was hoping I was wrong…” great delivery by Glen Moreshower.

Jack revives to find himself chained to a wall in an industrial space as Tony works intently. Jack begs Tony not to use him to kill innocent people. Tony reveals that everything he's done today, including the attack on Washington Square Station, was done in order to get access to Alan Wilson, the leader of the cabal that planned today's attacks. Wilson was also the man behind former President Charles Logan, who had ordered the hit on David Palmer and Tony's wife Michelle. Jack is disgusted that Tony has killed innocent people for revenge. He says that if Wilson dies, any chance of exposing the rest of the conspiracy dies with him. Tony doesn't plan on killing Wilson. He's going to have Jack do it.

Comment: Love this scene between Jack and Tony. We find out Tony’s true motivation for what he’s been doing… personal revenge.

Tony reveals what he's been working on: a belt of C-4 explosives, which he slips under Jack's shirt. Jack yells that Tony is not honoring Michelle's life, but reveling in her death instead. Michelle would despise him for this. Jack spits in Tony's face. Tony duct tapes Jack's mouth shut so that he can't warn Cara, who has arrived.

Wilson arrives with a motorcade. His men meet Tony and Cara in the parking lot and disarm them. Other men are sent to fetch Jack. As Jack is brought outside, an FBI helicopter bearing Agent Walker appears. A shootout begins, and everyone runs for cover. Jack frees himself from his captors and Renee finds him, disarming the detonator. Wilson and Cara run through the warehouse and find Tony. Cara's happy to see him. Yet Tony coldly shoots her point blank, then turns his gun on Wilson, telling him that he's responsible for the death of his wife and his son. Michelle was pregnant when she was killed. Just as he's about to pull the trigger, Tony is shot in the shoulder and drops his gun. Jack and Renee have arrived. Tony doggedly crawls towards his gun, ignoring Jack's entreaty to stop moving. Jack is forced to shoot him in the hand. As Tony is led away and Wilson is cuffed, he screams at Jack that these people think they can take everything away from them, and Jack is just running away. He's now one of them. "You're a coward, Jack," he says.

Comment: Jack looks so pitiful handcuffed to the fence & shaking as he waits to be brought to Wilson. I guess it’s the way Kiefer plays Jack, but you hate to see Jack in pain or vulnerable in any way. If it were possible, I would go through that TV screen and try and rescue him.

Alan Wilson is so creepy. Good job by the actor.

I like how the FBI comes in and the shootout. Jon Cassar directs these action scenes better than anyone on 24. Great stunt by Renee/Annie Wersching. I heard that she did actually perform that stunt herself.

Renee happens to know how to disarm the bomb that was strapped to Jack? That was a little weak but I know they had to move the story along.

Say goodbye Cara. That was cold Tony.

What great acting by Carlos Bernard in the scene where he confronts Wilson. Whoa, Michelle was pregnant when she was killed? That came out of nowhere.

Tony lost both his wife and unborn child. Same as what happened to Jack at the end of S1. I think it's interesting that both Jack and Tony both lost a wife and an unborn child and how they ended up dealing with it in different ways.

I really think Carlos deserves a supporting actor Emmy nomination this year. Whether you liked the “Tony turns bad” storyline or not, there’s no denying Carlos did a great job with this character turn.

Renee confronts Wilson and tells him he can avoid the death penalty if he cooperates. Wilson calmly claims he is innocent, and that she won't find a shred of evidence connecting him to any conspiracy. Jack is about to be taken to the hospital, and he and Renee have a moment alone. Jack asks why she didn't kill Wilson for his responsibility in Larry Moss's death. Renee says she doesn't really know what to do. Jack admits that he has been wrestling with this all his life. When he sees fifteen people being taken hostage on a bus, he knows in his head that the law is more important than those fifteen people. Yet he can't live with it. Renee asks if he regrets anything he did today. Jack says no, but he doesn't work for the FBI. He didn't take an oath to uphold the law. Tony managed to justify everything he did. When you cross the line, it always starts with a small step, but you eventually end up running full speed in the wrong direction. The only advice Jack can give is for Renee to make choices she can live with. Jack touches her face gently. Renee doesn't know what to say. "Then don't say anything," he says, as the med tech arrives to take him to the hospital.

Comment: I also loved the scene between Jack and Renee where she asks his advise on what to do about Wilson. I think Jack’s exposition summed up his whole character in one scene. Wonderfully written and acted scene.

Olivia confesses her role in Hodges's death to her disbelieving parents. The President is shocked when Henry advocates destroying the recording and covering up the murder. Henry, cruelly, says their family has already paid a steep enough price. He blames their son's death on her job as President, and he pleads with her that they've already lost one child. "Save what's left of our family," Henry asks. President Taylor is called away by Tim Woods to get good news from the FBI. Olivia breaks down crying, and Henry comforts her that they're going to figure this out. Later, in the Oval Office, a conflicted President Taylor sheds a tear as she looks at a photo of her family in happier days.

Comment: Nicely acted scene when Olivia confesses to her family about the Hodges hit. Henry wants the President to destroy the recording. Henry twists the knife by blaming her job for them losing their son, Roger.

As they get ready for Chloe to exit the office, Janis thanks her for all her help today. Chloe says, that considering what she has to work with, Janis does pretty well. Janis says she'll take that as a compliment. Chloe confirms that it was indeed meant as one. They both smile.

Comment: Nice short wrap-up scene between Janis & Chloe.

Jack lays dying at the hospital. Dr. Macer can give him morphine to ease him into a coma to avoid the pain, but Jack says not yet. He has a visitor. It is Gohar, Jibraan's Imam. Jack called for him. Jack says he has made so many mistakes, and he always thought he would have time to correct them. Gohar says he has the time, right now. Jack says he doesn't know what he has done, but Gohar says that they live in complex times. Nothing is black and white. "Let us both forgive ourselves for all the wrongs we have done," the Imam says. Jack thanks him. His breathing gets ragged. "It's time," says Jack.

Comment: This scene between Jack and the Imam has to be one of the most moving scenes I’ve ever seen on 24. First of all it was a surprise that he was the one Jack called. However, if you think about it, it’s not really. Jack was dying so I think he wanted to make peace with his Maker in some way so he remembered Gohar from earlier and called him to talk. I think that made sense. I have been reading some absurd interpretations of this scene that I will address further in my final comments.

“You don’t know what I’ve done.” – The way Kiefer delivers that line is heartbreaking.

The President returns to her family. She embraces them, then apologizes for never realizing how hard her job would be on them, or what sacrifices they would have to make. However, she has a sworn duty to protect the Constitution. She will do everything she can to support Olivia and help her through this. As President, this is what she has to do, no matter how much it breaks her heart. Aaron leads Olivia away to remand her to the Justice Department. The President turns to her husband, but he just glares and turns away.

Comment: Interesting way President Taylor comes to her family, she kisses them both then proceeds to have Olivia put into Federal custody. President Taylor believes her duty as President and to the Constitution come first. But now she’s lost another child and probably her husband. I felt really bad for President Taylor when she was in the hallway and spoke with Ethan. Wonderful acting by Cherry Jones.

Wilson, in shackles, is brought to a holding room at the FBI. Tim Woods is on his way to transfer him. Renee and Janis are in the observation room. Renee's face hardens, and she tells Janis to leave the room. Janis refuses. Renee pulls out her gun and forces Janis to cuff herself to the furniture. Janis begs her to stop because she is throwing away her career. Larry wouldn't have wanted this. Renee stares at her badge, remembering what Jack said. She then puts her badge down on a table and goes into the holding room. Wilson looks up as the door closes behind her.

Comment: Here’s where Renee completes her morphing into Jack. She seems to be willing to do whatever it takes to get Wilson to talk including securing Janis while she interrogates him. Janis brings up Larry to try and get her to stop, but this appears to make Renee more determined. Love the direction here where the door closes and it goes to black. The love the Renee Walker character. She is one of the best new characters 24 has introduced in a long time.

Kim arrives at the hospital to find that Jack has already been put into the morphine-induced coma. He won't be waking up again. Kim asks Dr. Macer if it is too late to try the experimental stem-cell treatment. Dr. Macer says no, but reminds her that the odds of success are low. Kim knows the risks, and though her father didn't want her to take them, it's now her choice. She has made up her mind. As Dr. Macer makes a phone call to prepare for the procedure, Kim goes to Jack's bedside and takes his hand. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she says. "But I'm not ready to let you go."

Comment: Love the way Kim looks at Gohar when she arrives at the hospital, like who in the world are you? Kim wants to do the stem cell therapy for Jack. No surprise there; that's how Jack will survive. Love the lighting of the final scene and what Kim says to Jack and Gohar standing the in the background through the window. Beautifully shot scene.

“I’m sorry Daddy, but I’m not ready to let you go.” I think Kim was speaking for the audience as well. None of us are ready to let Jack go yet. On to season 8!

Final Comments On Episode 24:

Hard to believe another season of 24 has come and gone. It went by so fast. Maybe because it was so good. A lot of people thought after season 6 '24' had lost it's way and "jumped the shark" but it has truly redeemed itself in season 7. It looks like the writer's strike turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it gave the writer's more time to go back and fine-tune scripts/storylines to make this season one of the best they have ever produced. The year long delay of season 7 was well worth the wait.

A lot has been made on the internet about the scene with Jack and the Imam in the hospital. It has been interesting to read comments on the message boards but I must say in my opinion, some of the commentary has been absurd.

Many have been saying that "Jack was converting to Islam" or "the show has gone PC with this, I'll never watch again"...blah, blah, blah. On the surface it may look that way but if one has a true sense of the history of the Jack Bauer character, this was one of the most brilliant scenes ever on '24'.

Jack believed he was dying, given the brief interaction with Gohar in an earlier episode, it made sense that Jack would want to speak with the only "spiritual man" that he would know of to call at the last minute. What made the scene so brilliant was that he was a Muslim. Given Jack's past history/job, it was ironic that he would want absolution and make peace with himself and his Maker through a Muslim Imam.

I just wanted to give my 2 cents on that given some of the commentary out there about this scene. I think sometimes people read way too much into things; especially a FICTIONAL television show. I just think within the context of this show and understanding the Jack Bauer character, it was a beautifully written and acted scene.

I believe the wrap-up of Tony's story was well-done too. I happened to have liked the turn Tony's character took this season and I was glad they didn't kill him off. I hope he returns in the future. I thought it was very believable that Tony would turn based out of personal revenge. Any other reason would have not made sense.

This season was one of the strongest years for the introduction of great new characters. I thought season 6 was weak in that area, but season 7 sure was a big improvement. There were really good, interesting villians this season in Dubaku and Hodges. The Alan Wilson character was a good villian too, but we did not get to see him nearly enough. Maybe we'll get to see him again in season 8.

I enjoyed all the FBI characters: Sean, Janis, Larry and especially Renee. I really wished they had not killed off Larry Moss however. I understand why for storyline purposes, but he was really a great character. Sad to see him go.

Speaking of sad good-byes, 24 fans lost a beloved character this year in Bill Buchanan. His send-off could not have been better. He truly went out a hero. This character will be greatly missed.

I have enjoyed Season 7 tremendously and I am anxiously awaiting January 17, 2010 for the premiere of Season 8. It can't come soon enough.

Until then I'll be re-watching Season 7 and past seasons on DVD to get through my '24' withdrawal.

Recap: FOX.com/24

Comments are mine: 24FanForever

'24' Finale Review - USA Today

Season finale frenzy: '24'

By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY

(Warning for our timeshifting friends: if you haven't watched the finale of Fox's 24 yet, come back when you have.)

Rating: * * * 1/2 (out of four)

Great day in the morning.

The sun is back up at 24, as this still-inventive Fox hit capped its season-long creative resurgence Monday with a finale that was characteristically rousing and uncharacteristically thoughtful. Spurred by Tony's betrayal and his own sense of impending doom, Jack allowed his heroic façade to drop — allowing the show to dig a bit deeper into the nature of his heroism.

While this final stretch of episodes brought out the on-screen best in Kiefer Sutherland, the key to last night's two-hour conclusion — and the season — was Carlos Bernard's Tony Almeida. In one last twist, it was revealed that Tony was working for no one but himself, and his sole motivation was revenge for the murder of his wife and unborn son.

Without Tony, Jack never could have captured the season's Big Bad, head conspirator Alan Wilson, which makes Tony either a criminally insane good guy or a deluded but well-intentioned bad guy.

Go with "bad guy," as to get that revenge, he was willing to use Jack as a human bomb to blow up Wilson. (Who, by the way, was behind not just this year's conspiracy, but every problem stretching back to the assassination of President Palmer.) Nor was Tony the only one planning to weaponize poor Jack: Wilson's team was hoping to use him as a giant pathogen petri dish.

But both plots were foiled, thanks in no small part to — and here comes the best part — Kim! Think of it as Cougar Girl redeemed: She freed herself from her kidnap crisis, helped kill one of her captors, rescued his computer from a fire, and told Renee how to use it to locate the conspirators. (The what's-with-this-family look on Renee's face was priceless.)

In some ways, what was best about the finale, as with this season, was not so much what the show got right (though that was impressive) as what it avoided getting wrong. Yes, once again Jack had to appear to switch sides and rescue Tony, but this time, he told Renee why. And yes, once again Kim was in danger, but this time, she got herself out of it.

And as a reward, she was given the final word. Arriving at the hospital to find her father in a coma, she ordered the doctors to harvest her stem cells in an experimental effort to save him, even though he had forbidden the procedure because it put her at risk. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said as the show ended. "But I'm not ready to let you go."

That scene capped a closing half-hour that was unusually reflective for 24, as it pondered the meanings of duty and responsibility and the price they exact. You saw it in the face of the president (the fabulous Cherry Jones) as she turned her daughter in for murder. And most importantly, you heard it in Jack's discussion of the rule of law with Renee, and his plea for forgiveness with the Imam.

As you'd expect, the show did leave a few balls in the air. Jack's fate is up for grabs, as is Tony's; he lives on, though under arrest. And when last we saw Renee, she was ready to do a full-out Jack attack on Wilson, in hopes of making him reveal his subordinate conspirators.

Which is fine, by the way, as long as they are all actually subordinates. Chase down underlings all you want, but please, do not add yet another layer of conspirators on top. At some point, there has to be a tip to the pyramid.

But that's a concern for tomorrow. For now, let's just be happy that a show many had left for dead has rallied, wrapping up a terrific season in terrific fashion.

You go, Jack.

And then come back for another day.

Link: USAToday.com

Episode 23 Recap & Comments

Season 7
Episode 23
6:00 am - 7:00 am

As Olivia begins an interview with the Justice Department regarding the killing of Jonas Hodges, the President starts a briefing with the Joint Chiefs, warning them about the existence of the shadowy cabal of private military firms planning to undermine the government. They don't have much information, but hope to find out more from the captured Tony Almeida.

Cara gives Jack the order to start Tony's rescue. Jack commandeers the van, explaining to a shocked and betrayed Renee that his daughter's life is on the line. At the airport, Bob, the operative whose laptop camera is trained on Kim, is asked to move his stuff so that an old lady can sit down. Kim realizes something's amiss when she notices that the laptop's been open and unused all this time. She also sees that Bob's bleeding from a scratch to the neck and points it out. He's flustered. His wife, Sarah, says it must have happened when the door hit him getting out of the cab. Truth, or is she covering for him? Kim thinks the wound looks fresh. Bob walks off, ostensibly to take care of the wound. He calls Cara to warn that Kim's getting suspicious. Cara tells him to stand by. If Kim realizes who they are, they can't allow themselves to be taken. Cara tells him to do what he has to do.

Comment: Jack has to go rogue once again to protect Kim. I was surprised he told Renee upfront why he was freeing Tony. I didn't expect him to tell her right away but from the look on Renee's face I think she suspected Jack was doing this under duress so to speak. Glad to see Kim getting suspicious of Bob and Sarah.

On Cara's order, Jack has the armored van pull into a tunnel where the FBI loses visual. The transponders are out as well. Cara is waiting in an SUV in the tunnel. Tony makes Jack gives him his gun and then cuff himself. Tony takes Jack hostage. Cara thinks Tony should shoot Jack, but Tony points out that Jack's blood contains the pathogen. They can make more bioweapons by harvesting it from his body.

Comment: Clever idea; use Jack as the bioweapon.

Aaron Pierce meets with Ethan Kanin regarding his suspicions about Olivia's involvement in Hodges' murder. Kanin is reluctant to break into his old office and access classified recordings because it is a federal crime. However, Aaron convinces him. Ethan gets the data card just before Olivia returns from the inquiry. Olivia discovers him in the office, and Ethan claims he'd left some files behind. After he leaves, she notices an open panel on the wall and finds the recording equipment within. She calls security and orders Ethan detained.

Comment: The "cat and mouse" game between Ethan and Olivia begins...

Chloe and Janis are unable to find Jack's location, so Agent Walker has Chloe patch into Kim's departure gate. At the airport, Kim's name is called as some standby passengers are allowed to get their boarding pass. While in line, she gets a phone call comes from Renee, who tells her about Jack and Tony. Renee warns her there's an operative in close proximity and it may be someone with a camera or a laptop. Before Kim can describe them, Bob suddenly appears behind her. She pretends to be having a conversation about her baggage. Renee realizes that they're about to move on Kim and she orders the terminal locked down. Bob notices security guards arriving and he realizes something's wrong. He whispers, "Take her" to Sarah, who has readied a knife. Bob whips out a gun and shoots the security guards while Sarah takes Kim at knifepoint. Chaos erupts. Kim gets a pen out of her pocket and stabs Sarah in the leg with it. As Kim gets free, Sarah is shot dead by a security guard. Bob, however, manages to escape. Kim calls Renee and tells her that Bob's getting away. Renee says they need him in order to find Jack. Yet before Kim can tell her what direction he's headed, her cell phone battery goes dead. She thinks for a moment. Then, gathering her resolve, begins to pursue Bob herself.

Comment: I love they way this airport scene went down. The setup and direction by Jon Cassar was brilliant. Also very good to see Kim take action and not be a victim once again.

Olivia meets Ethan in a holding room and demands that he return what he took. He refuses, so she has him searched. Ethan demands to speak to President Taylor, but Olivia claims that the President is the one who had him detained. When he asks to hear that from the President directly, Olivia claims that her mother has recused herself from the investigation because of her personal relationship with Ethan. The data card is found and given to Olivia, who tells the guard to process Ethan out. When she is alone, she crushes the card. On the way out, Ethan is handed off to Aaron Pierce and the two confer. Ethan knows Olivia's hiding something. He has a data card -- the real one. The card that the guard found was blank.

Comment: Olivia thinks she's in the clear now. Not so fast... Aaron has the real recording. Uh Oh...

Jack, trembling and too weak to resist, is led to a makeshift medical room in an industrial warehouse. He is restrained and given an injection to immobilize him. It will take about fifteen minutes before they know if there's enough pathogen in his spinal fluid to be useful. Tony asks Cara for a bigger role in the organization. Cara says it doesn't work like that; you have to be invited. Tony knows she's in contact with the top guy. He just wants to be in the same room with him to make his case. Cara says she can't do that because he is protective of his anonymity. Behind them, Jack screams in agony as a gigantic needle is inserted into his spine.

Comment: Another great-looking shot as Jack is being brought through the warehouse to the "medical room". The dark warehouse and then you see the brightly lit area where they are bringing Jack to - very creepy and well done. Oh poor Jack, that needle! Why does Jack have to suffer so much? :(

On the phone, Martin tries to reassure Olivia not to worry about Ethan. Tim Woods arrives and tells Olivia that her mother has requested her in the Oval Office for a briefing about the situation at the airport. Meanwhile, Renee and her team arrive at the airport and realizes that Kim's either a hostage or following the operative.

In the parking garage, Kim tails Bob. As he heads to the top floor, Kim runs to a pair of airport cops and tells them to patch her through to Agent Walker. She gives Renee Bob's location just as Bob arrives in his car, driving straight at them and shooting. One officer is shot, but the other officer manages to shoot Bob in the throat through his windshield. Bob's car veers out of control and flips over. Kim tends to the wounded officer for a moment, then peers into the window of the wrecked car, now in flames. She spies Bob's laptop and reaches in to get it. Bob, still alive, grabs her wrist, trying to stop her. She manages to get the laptop out with her other hand, but Bob's still got a death grip on her wrist. The flames leap up and burn both their hands until Kim's finally able to wrest herself free. She gets herself and the laptop away from Bob's car just as it explodes. Renee arrives and Kim hands them the laptop. With knowledge from her days as a CTU systems analyst, Kim instructs Renee how to use the laptop to backtrace the signal. Renee prepares to get Chloe on the line.

Comment: All right! Kim is proactive and helps get the laptop so they can locate Jack. Way to go Kim! A lot of people never liked the Kim character but I have most of the time. You have to remember the Kim character was just a teenager in the early seasons and so she acted like a teenager. Season 2 was frustrating granted, but that was more a fault of the writers because they didn't know what to do with the character. I like when Kim is on 24 because she does humanize Jack and I loved their interaction earlier in the season.

Ethan returns to his car and listens to the contents of the data card. Olivia and Martin are conspiring to kill Hodges. Meanwhile, the doctor reports to Tony that there's plenty of the virus in Jack's spinal fluid but not enough to reconstitute the pathogen. They will need his organs for that. Jack's got a couple of hours to live, at most, but the pathogen can survive death of the host for up to two hours and sometimes longer. Jack's playing possum and listening intently.

Comment: Ethan just happens to have a device that can listen to the data card...Ok. Another ad for Hyundai Genesis. Cool looking car though. Jack's "playing possum"... I know what that means for later on.

Cara talks to Alan Wilson about Tony's request. Wilson will arrive in the next half-hour to meet Tony, but if he doesn't like what he sees, for any reason, then Tony's not walking out of that meeting alive.

Tony orders Jack readied for transport. As the restraints are removed, Jack springs into action, surprisingly strong, and kills the doctors with their own scalpels. He gets out of the building just as the sun begins to rise. Tony and Cara give chase.

Comment: Let's see, Jack is dying & weak but he still manages to kill about three doctors and escape. Don't you just love him?

...Clock ticks to 7:00 am

Final Comments On Episode 23: Good setup episode for episode 24. Not as much Jack in this episode which surprised me but a lot of that time was spent transporting Jack to the warehouse. A good bit of this episode was spent on the Olivia/Ethan/Aaron storyline. Which was fine, I liked the story. I also enjoyed the airport scenes and Kim jumping into action. Now on to episode 24.

Recap From: Fox.com/24

Comments are mine: 24FanForever

Jack & Renee Video - Bring Me To Life

Very nicely put together music video featuring Jack and Renee:




Link: YouTube

Howard Gordon Talks About Day 7 & Day 8

Link: YouTube/FOXSource

Kiefer Sutherland On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon - 5/21/09

Link: YouTube

Season 8 Casting News...

'24' exclusive: Hail to the (new) chief!

May 20, 2009, 02:12 PM | by Michael Ausiello

According to my watch, it's time for the second piece of casting on 24's eighth season!

Chris Diamantopoulos -- best known as Debra Messing's gay BFF on The Starter Wife -- has been tapped to play the series regular role of Rob Weiss, the argumentative and tough new Chief of Staff to President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones). He replaces Taylor's current C.O.S., Ethan Kanin, who snatched his job back in last Monday's finale after the prez's psycho daughter, Olivia, was taken into federal custody.

As I previously reported, Day 8's action will switch from Washington D.C. to New York City and center on an assassination plot against a visiting foreign leader (Slumdog Millionaire's Anil Kapoor, the new season's first piece of casting).

Bonus piece of trivia free of charge: Diamantopoulos is married to Ugly Betty's sublime Becki Newton. On second thought, that little nugget is worth at least $50. Pay up.

Link: EW/Ausiello Files

Jack Bauer Video - Invincible

Link: YouTube

Scenemaker: Season 7

Scenemaker: Episode 23

Another Interview With Carlos Bernard; This Time With TVGuide.com - 5/18/09

24 Finale Preview! Plus: Carlos Bernard Says Kiefer Sutherland's Head-Butt Case "Smells Bad"

• May 18, 2009 10:16 AM ET
• by Matt Mitovich

This Monday from 8 to 10 pm/ET, Fox's 24 wraps up its latest wild day with Jack compelled to set free his fallen friend, Tony, lest daughter Kim get killed. In this TVGuide.com Q&A, Carlos Bernard previews the surprise-filled season-ender, takes some issue with Tony's "bad guy" status, and also shares his take on Kiefer Sutherland's recent scrape with the law, saying the whole situation "smells bad."

TVGuide.com: At the start of the season, did they map out for you the whole "Tony's bad/No, he's good/No, really, he's bad" arc? So you could prepare as an actor?

Carlos Bernard: Going into the season, we knew we wanted to make him "the antagonist" — I can't really get on board with the "bad guy" thing — and one of the things explained in the finale tonight is what he's up to. That being said, they have a loose idea of what the season's going to look like, but once you start writing it goes in different directions and takes on a life of its own. We went where we always thought of it going, just taking a different path than we originally though.

TVGuide.com: Of course every actor likes having a job, but did Tony's arc track for you?

Bernard: Yeah. They had come to me to come back in Season 6, and that [storyline] idea just didn't make a lot of sense. It was a little bit manipulative of the audience. But when they came to me about this season, it felt very organic. Tony's stuck in a place of a lot of anger, resentment and distrust.

TVGuide.com: Are we going to get a final showdown between Jack and Tony?

Bernard: The thing that's going to be really satisfying for fans is that we definitely get a face-off between the characters. We just screened [the finale] for, like, 1,200 people, and they went bananas. It's probably my favorite finale in the seven years.

TVGuide.com: This season has been particularly strong. Is that something the cast came to appreciate as you started filming it?

Bernard: We really did, we felt that right off the bat. The show is most effective when it's told on a very personal level, as opposed to giant events.

TVGuide.com: Right — Season 1 was almost quaint in how it was in essence about Jack, his wife and daughter.

Bernard: Exactly. It really reminded me of Season 1 in that way. You know, we're probably the only show that benefitted from the writers' strike because it gave us a lot of time to go back and redo things. We halted production a couple times to go back and rewrite scripts, at points where the show was heading in the wrong direction. There was one specific point where we shut down and I tell you, it made the season. It's expensive to stop production, but they had the guts to bite the bullet and fix it.

TVGuide.com: Is it safe to say Tony won't be coming with us to New York City next season?

Bernard: [Laughs] Well, I can't tell you that. But I think it will be cool for the show to be shooting in New York. It will be great for it.

TVGuide.com: Watching Kiefer convulse during Jack's seizure scenes gave me chills. As his scene partner, what's it like standing there, laying witness to that?

Bernard: He's pretty fantastic, and so great to work with. When we have scenes together, we know it's going to be a great day. We really push each other to new levels.

TVGuide.com: Brooke Shields is saying that she can't fathom the frenzy surrounding her, Kiefer and this head-butting case. [Sutherland was charged with misdemeanor assault after he was accused of head-butting fashion designer Jack McCollough, following an argument at a New York City night club.] How is Kiefer himself reacting to the media circus?

Bernard: He's doing really well, considering. It's out there how I feel about it — he's a good friend of mine, and I've got to say I'm amazed by how patient and courteous he is with people coming up to him. I've never seen anything but that. I've never even seen him have a cross word with anybody. He filled me in on what happened [that night], and the situation just smells bad to me. I'm going to be completely honest with you — I think [McCollough]'s looking for publicity, and he got more than he was hoping for.

Link: TVGuide.com

iF Magazine.com Exclusive Interview With Jon Cassar - 5/18/09

Television:

Exclusive Interview: DIRECTOR JON CASSAR ON HIS FINAL SEASON OF '24,' JACK FINDING PEACE AND 'FOREVER KNIGHT'

Here's what the producer/director had to say as 24 wraps up its seventh season tonight. Plus, who knew Jack Bauer and Nick Knight had so much in common?

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN and CARL CORTEZ, Contributing Writers

Published 5/18/2009

Once upon a time, 24 executive producer/director Jon Cassar got a directing break on the late-night vampire cop show FOREVER KNIGHT. It turns out there are some similarities between Cassar’s present and past gigs as he talks about helming Season 7 of 24 (his final as producer/director), what to expect in tonight's season finale (airing tonight at 9:00 on Fox) and if Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) finally finds peace with what he does.

iF MAGAZINE: How was it returning to 24 with the huge break between seasons six and seven due to the Writers Guild strike?

JON CASSAR: Two things could have happened when the strike happened. [The audience] could have forgotten us and not wanted to see us, or there’d be such anticipation after a year and a half that people are doing what they’re doing now. There’s been great response to having us back, and so we’re very excited that out of the two options, it turned out like that. It’s really funny for us, too, because usually [in January] we’re only halfway through shooting the season, and I was editing Episodes Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four. We finished shooting we finished before Christmas. It’s really interesting for us to watch the opening shows again, because we virtually shot, without exaggeration, almost fifteen months before they aired. We were almost watching it as viewers again, as opposed to someone who had a hand in making it.

iF: This season of 24 is set in Washington, D.C. How often did you go to Washington on location?

CASSAR: We only did it once, in November [of 2007]. We went out before the writers’ strike, basically. In fact, the writers’ strike happened while we were in Washington. We came back and the writers’ strike was on. So we did three weeks there, we shot portions for about nine episodes, so that’s the only time we went. We don’t have a lot of directors on the show – I do about half of them, and we have Brad Turner, who does the other half. Between the two of us, he shoots some of my stuff and I shot some of his, but basically, it was only our episodes that were involved. So we just shot seven. I was there for a week-and-a-half shooting, and he was there for a week-and-a-half shooting.

iF: How would you say this season was different as a whole for you as a director than previous seasons? It felt like a much bigger palette, especially with the location being in Washington.

CASSAR: That was the biggest change for me -- trying to fool the audience into thinking we were in D.C. The other change was the FBI instead of the CTU – [it was a] new set, new characters, but I found both those challenges to be fun to overcome.

iF: I'm still amazed you can keep the tension with "moles" on the series. I was surprised Tony was actually a good guy at the beginning of the season and you got me again when he was revealed to be the Big Bad. As a director, how do you try keep the audience on their toes visually, so you don't tip the hat too soon?

CASSAR: Well I think my work is in making sure the script doesn't tip it first. If on the first reading I'm fooled then I know I can fool the audience, but if I smell a rat, then I assume the audience is smart enough to smell one too. As far as the actors, I just have to make sure they stay true to the characters at that point in the story and not play the future, or what they know the character will become.

iF: There was a lot of talk of this season being like a '70s thriller like THREE DAYS OF A CONDOR and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN -- did you do any specific visual nods to those type of movies on the episodes you directed?

CASSAR: No, I didn't really. Although I'm a real movie fanatic and watch approximately 20 a month -- new and old, I never reference any of them directly. I try to make 24 its own thing without copying any visual cues of past films.

iF: What will people expect in the final two hours of the season? It seems like there's a lot of balls in the air -- as always -- and a lot of things to resolve very quickly?

CASSAR: I think the audience can expect closure. 24 has been very good at wrapping up the years stories, we leave a little cliffhanger now and then, but after you see the finale you’ve felt like the year had a beginning, middle and end. Let me put it this way, we answer more questions than we ask in the final [two hours].

iF: Will the season end on a hopeful note for Jack -- considering every year he ends up an even more broken man than before?

CASSAR: Yes, I can't explain that, but yes. If nothing else, he has faced his potential death and has used it to reflect on himself and the people he has affected.

iF: What can you tease for fans of 24 for next season. It's already reported the show is moving to New York -- without giving away any details, what style of story are you and the producer/writers looking to tell?

CASSAR: I wish I could tell you but I've officially left the show and will not in any way be part of Season 8. I'll be watching like everyone else on Monday nights.

iF: What do you think a New York locale will bring to the show?

CASSAR: It’s always great when you can change your setting -- it re-juices the franchise.

iF: As an audience member, it always sucks when you kill off a character we love. As a director and a mainstay of the series from the beginning, was there any particular character that really hurt when you found out they were going to bite the big one. For me, it was Bill Buchanan.

CASSAR: You know I've always said it hurts us [the crew and cast] more then it hurts you. We not only lose an established character in the show, we lose a friend that we don't see at work everyday. I think characters that I birth and kill are always the hardest for me, like Reiko Ayklesworth who played Michelle Dessler. I directed her first and last scenes. It was also great to have Carlos [Bernard] back, because he's one of my closet friends on the show and I really missed his sense of humor on a daily basis and so did Kiefer.

iF: Do you think Jack will ever find peace with himself and with what he does?

CASSAR: He does by the end of this year. I'm not sure if he forgives himself, but he understands what he's had to do better then he ever did.

iF: Do you think in the world of 24, the characters will ever come to terms with the importance of what Jack does and how he does it?

CASSAR: Once again his explanation to Renee [Annie Wersching] in episode 24 answers that question -- then its up to you to make the decision as to whether Jack and his methods are important in today’s dark grey world.

iF: Speaking of work you did awhile ago, do you have any recollections of working on FOREVER KNIGHT?

CASSAR: Oh, absolutely. It was one of my first shows as a director. Up to that point, I was a camera operator. In fact, I was a camera operator on FOREVER KNIGHT for the first season, and Episode Thirteen was my very first directing gig. So yeah, I remember very well. I did as well as I thought I was going to do. They loved me right away. The problem was that they promised me all these other episodes in the second year, but then if you remember this –we were late-night, ‘Crime Time After Prime Time’ [the title of the programming block], and then Letterman came over to CBS. From first year to second year, almost like what happened this year with the strike. It was a year. So I had to go back to camera operating, and then came back and when the second year came, I went and did three episodes in the second year. And then did the third year. Geraint Wyn Davies [who played vampire lead Nick Knight] is also a very good friend of mine. Actually, I talked to him today.

iF: Do you in any way feel like you’ve come full circle, because Nick certainly committed a lot of violence, felt terrible, was really depressed – does he remind you of, say, Jack Bauer?

CASSAR: Yeah, there are a lot of similarities there. There really are. A lot of regret. It’s kind of the same character, in a very strange way, but somehow related. You know Geraint Davies was on 24. It was fun to have him on the show. Nigel Bennett [who played LaCroix] is next. We’ve got to get him on. We actually wanted him years ago, but he didn’t have his [U.S. work permit].

iF: FOREVER KNIGHT was relatively low-budget for a weekly TV series …

CASSAR: Oh, very small [budgets]. We did some pretty interesting shows with a very, very small budget [laughs]. And it was also one of the first American [produced] shows to be placed in Toronto and it [acknowledged it] was Toronto, which was very, very rare. I worked on DUE SOUTH, and we were pretending to be Chicago and other shows were pretending to be other cities, but it was actually an American show, set in Toronto, shot in Toronto. So you can see the CN Tower.

iF: Do you ever miss the low-budget production ethos?

CASSAR: No. Because you could ask anybody and anybody’ll tell you they’re low-budget. Even though [on 24] we have probably, I would hazard to say, four times more money than we had on FOREVER KNIGHT, we’re still trying to do things that are so ambitious that you’re still working in a low-budget kind of way. We can’t do the CGI, we can’t do the big scenes that a feature film can do, yet we’re known for that and we have to land a plane on a freeway and we have to figure out how to do that, so you have to do that in a low-budget way. I mean, you can’t do that with the expense of a feature film.

iF: Do you have someone whose job it is to find a freeway where you can afford to land a plane?

CASSAR: Mine. [laughs] It truly is my job. A location scout actually does that, but you have to send him out to look for things. When the writers come to us, they’ll always come with their heads down low, going, ‘We want to land the plane on a freeway. Can we do that?’ Because of course, that’s incredibly expensive. And it’s our job – Michael Klick, the line producer, Brad Turner, the other producer/director, we have to go, "Okay." And then Joseph Hodges, our production designer, will go, "What are the four shots? How can we do this and tell the story? One CGI shot, we’ll put a plane on a runway, but then we’ll build a barrier to make it look like a highway." It’s our job to translate what they write. Because we never want to restrict them. We love the fact that they can just think outside the box as much as they can. And we try to give them everything they write. And we’ve actually done a pretty good job.

Link: iF Magazine.com

‘24’ actor Carlos Bernard gears up for explosive finale - 5/18/09

By Amy Amatangelo

Carlos Bernard hasn’t given up on Tony Almeida.

“I can’t call him bad,” Bernard said about his “24” alter ego in a recent telephone interview from Los Angeles.

“I’ve played villains before, but I’ve never been able to play - I’ll call him an antagonist at this point - where you actually got to see how he got to where he is. Even in what he’s doing now, I feel like there’s still that place that’s torn. You can still see, hopefully, anyhow, those moments of doubt.”

The Chicago native has played the former CTU agent since the first season of the Fox drama, which airs its seventh-season finale tonight at 8 on WFXT (Ch. 25).

After seeming to die in season five, Tony reappeared this season as a member of a renegade team trying to stop a terrorist attack. Viewers more recently learned that he’s been on the wrong side of the law all this time.

“Here’s a guy who has devoted his life, risked his life for his country, and not only does the government kill his wife, they tried to kill him,” he said. “I’m not justifying his choices, but I understand.”

Viewers may have been shocked when Tony revealed his true allegiance and killed FBI agent Larry Moss (Jeffrey Nordling), but Bernard wasn’t.

“I knew before the season started this was the direction they were going to take with the character,” he said. “That’s why I agreed to come back and do the show, because I thought it was a really interesting direction.”

Knowing what was going to happen on a series famous for its twists also allowed Bernard to play his character’s actions more precisely.

“I know how the fans are,” he said. “I know how voracious they are, and they’ll go back and watch DVDs and stuff. I definitely wanted to leak a few moments where now they can go back and look and say, ‘Aha.’ ”

Tony’s actions have pitted him against his former colleague Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland). Offscreen, the two friends relish the material.

“We love working together, and I think this season has given us great, great stuff to do together opposite each other. We just had a blast this season.”

What can viewers expect in tonight’s two-hour season ender?

“There’s going to be a showdown of sorts between Jack and Tony. I think it will be really satisfying for fans, let’s put it that way.”

Does that mean Tony could return for season eight? Bernard is purposely vague.

“I could not find a better group of people to work with. It’s an absolute joy still to go to work on that show. I’ll always be happy to work on the show.”

Link: Boston Herald.com

Episode 22 Recap & Comments

Episode 22

5:00 am - 6:00 am

EPISODE QUOTES:

“You do something stupid and he dies. Badly. Understood?” -Tony Almedia (to Jibraan about his brother)

“Did you think no one would bat an eye when a government witness is murdered?”-Martin Collier (to Olivia Taylor)

“Why did you betray me…Why?”- Jack Bauer (to Tony Almedia)

“I nothing left to lose. You either tell me where the canister is or so help me God I will lay you down right here, right now.”- Jack Bauer (to Tony Almedia)

“You think I’ve got anything left to lose Jack? Do it.”- Tony Almedia

“You can finally rest.”- Renee Walker (to Jack Bauer)

“You will help Tony Almedia escape or my people will murder your daughter.”- Cara (to Jack Bauer)

“You’re gonna pay for what you did to Larry.”- Renee Walker (to Tony Almedia)

Cara reports that the bioweapon will be ready on time for an attack at Washington Center Station, so Tony instructs Jibraan to take the subway there. Meanwhile, Jack delays the med tech from giving morphine to Harbinson, the operative who was holding Jibraan's brother Hamid hostage. Jack tortures Harbinson until he screams that he doesn't know the attack location. However, he does have a number for Tony. Jack has him call Tony, but they're not on the line long enough for Chloe to run a full trace.

Comment: Classic Jack interrogation scene. Even though we have seen this many times before, it is always well done and well-acted.

Chloe and Janis get into an argument about how Chloe deliberately makes Janis feel stupid. Chloe narrows the location down to the Adams Morgan district. As Jack and his team scramble in that direction, Jibraan enters the subway station. He nervously removes his earpiece and begs the token vendor for help. The bemused vendor waves him over to a transit cop, who is really one of Tony's operatives in disguise. He forces Jibraan to put the earpiece back in. Tony tells him that he's always being watched and if he tries something like that again, his brother will die.

Comment: Chloe and Janice getting snippy. Kind of interesting. Janice should know - NO ONE is better than Chloe. I loved the twist where the transit cop is actually one of Tony's operatives.

Aaron Pierce calls Olivia Taylor, wondering why she's not at the White House and isn't under Secret Service protection. The Jonas Hodges car bombing is being investigated and they need phone and internet records from all eleven people who knew that Hodges was alive. It's obvious the information was leaked. Olivia makes a suspicious Aaron promise to cover for her until she gets back. She then meets with Martin Collier, who told the assassin to go ahead with the killing. The time for conscience was before she set this into motion. Now she needs to pull herself together in order to avoid bringing him down, along with her mother and her administration. Collier warns Olivia to transfer the funds, or the assassin will be unhappy with her.

Comment: Another twist I wasn't expecting, Martin actually told the hit man to follow through. If you thought Olivia was in trouble before...

I love Aaron Pierce. Always the dedicated Secret Service agent.

At the airport, Kim Bauer calls her husband Stephen with news that her flight's been delayed. Stephen thinks it's a sign she should stay and try to convince her father to spend his last moments with her. As Kim's cell phone battery dies, she sees a man staring at her intensely. A moment later, he's gone. She is unsettled.

Comment: Got a glimpse of little Teri in this scene. I wish we could see more of her. I love the idea of Jack being a grandpa. I hope he finds out he has a grand daughter in the finale. Oh of course, Kim's cell battery is dead. Geez...

A disguised Cara enters the same subway car Jibraan is on. She stashes a duffel bag with the bioweapon below a seat. It's set to go off when the train reaches Washington Center. Jibraan gets a glimpse of her and is puzzled as to why she seems familiar. Cara leaves the train at the next stop as Tony moves to pick her up.

At the FBI, Chloe decodes Tony's location data and alerts Jack that Tony is actually moving towards him. The van passes right by where Jack is staked out. Jack rams his SUV with it. Jack drags Tony out of the back of the van. Tony tries to smash his mobile computer, but Jack manages to get it away before it is completely destroyed. Tony won't talk. Jack threatens to shoot him, but Tony's got nothing to lose. Yet Jack can't bring himself to do it.

Comment: Chloe finds Tony's location... see she is the best! Wow, did Jack beat the crap out of Tony or what?! I don't know how Tony's even conscious after that. Great scene between these two. I felt for both these characters in this scene; Jack feeling betrayed and Tony with nothing left to lose is like a totally different person.

Janis manages to one-up Chloe by tapping into the damaged computer's memory after Chloe says it can't be done. They find that Tony had been tracking Jibraan. They run the tracking program and see that he's on the subway. The end of the line at Washington Center is the target. They've only got a few minutes. Chloe patches Jack through to Jibraan's earpiece. He explains to Jibraan who he is and that that his brother is safe. Jack asks if Jibraan was given a package, but he says no. Jibraan realizes that the woman he saw earlier was with the men who attacked him.

Comment: Janice is actually pretty good too, she manages recover some of what was on the computer Tony smashed. I like when Jack talks civilians through high-stress situations.

Jibraan nervously starts looking for a package, attracting the attention of a business-suited man who eyes him suspiciously. Jack tells Jibraan to stay on the train until all the passengers get off. He does so, and finds the package. Jibraan sees that there's only a little over two minutes on the timer. Hazmat can't get down there in time, so he'll have to immediately bring it up. Scared as hell, Jibraan runs for the escalators clutching the duffel bag, pushing people out of his way. The business-suited man points him out to a transit cop.

To avoid being delayed, a desperate Jibraan takes the canister out of the duffel bag and screams that he has a bomb. Fearful people clear away from him, and he manages to get outside just as the SWAT team, a Hazmat truck and Jack pull up. Jack takes the canister and gets it into a containment chamber in the Hazmat truck just in time. He tells Jibraan that his brother will be brought right away. As Jibraan moves off to have his statement taken, Jack slumps in exhaustion. He then begins to tremble. Renee tries to get him to take an injection, but Jack says he just took one twenty minutes ago. It's not working. Renee holds him, assuring Jack that he can finally rest.

Comment: Jack grabs the canister and saves the day once again. Loved, Loved when Jack kind of smiles at Renee after it's all over and then after he almost collapses, she gives him a hug. That was nice. But poor Jack, he can't rest yet, there are still 2-hours left in the day.

As Kim waits for her plane, she sees the man staring at her again. She goes and sits by another female passenger named Sarah and asks her to check if he's still looking. He's not, but is now moving away. The man is FBI Agent Franks, who was asked by Jack to keep tabs on Kim. He calls Jack.

Comment: Another nice little twist, the guy watching Kim was actually hired by Jack to make sure Kim makes it safely away from DC. I didn't see that one coming. I thought the guy was one of Tony's people.

Renee tells Jack about Hodges' death. Jack realizes that whoever did it may try to kill Tony as well. He orders a full security detail assigned to Tony. Cara calls Wilson with news that the FBI now has the canister, Tony and Jibraan. She doesn't think they need to kill Tony because they have got another play. Back at the airport, it's time for Kim to board her flight. Sarah's husband, Bob, offers to go get some coffee. Instead, Bob follows Agent Franks into the bathroom, breaks his neck, and then hides his body in a locked stall.

Comment: Well, apparently Bob works for Tony and the group. That agent sure was careless. Also, what are the odds that those two would be only ones in a busy airport bathroom?

As Olivia returns to the White House, Aaron Pierce demands to know why she broke protocol. He threatens to resign as her Secret Service agent. She claims that she was simply overwhelmed by the day's events and needed to clear her head. This seems to win his trust back. As soon as she's gone, he calls Ethan Kanin and asks if the voice-activated recording system that Mike Novick installed in the Chief of Staff's office is still there. It is, but it currently requires Kanin's thumbprint to activate it. He'll be at the White House within the next 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Olivia goes ahead and transfers the funds to the assassin.

Comment: Very interesting way to bring Ethan back in the picture. I like how Aaron is not buying Olivia's story. A recording system in the Chief of Staff's office...boy, Olivia it just keeps getting worse for you.

At the FBI, Janis is upset that Chloe hasn't thanked her for her work or even acknowledged that she'd been wrong. The argument is cut off as Chloe finds a photo of Cara and sends it to the field agents. Jibraan identifies her. He is then reunited with his brother.

Comment: I was glad Jibraan and his brother survived their ordeal. That was a nice scene when they were reunited. Also loved the nod Jack gave to the Imam. That was a nice non-verbal moment that 24 is so good at.

At the airport, Bob returns with coffee and then sits opposite Kim and Sarah. His laptop's camera is trained on Kim. As Renee angrily tells Tony he's going to pay for what he did to Larry Moss, Jack gets a call from Cara. She sends him a link so he can see that they've got Kim in their sights. Cara tells him that Agent Franks has been neutralized. If Jack doesn't help Tony escape, they will kill Kim. Cara orders him to leave the line open. If he tries to warn anybody, Kim will be killed.

Comment: Ok, what are the odds that Kim picked these people to hang with because she was anxious about Agent Franks? Of course there weren't that many people around the airport since it was so early but still. Oh well, I'll suspend disbelief on this one. Poor Jack just when he thinks his day is over...

Jack gets into the armored van with Renee and Tony. Cara tells him that he'll do exactly what she tells him to do. If any FBI agent gets in his way, he must kill them. Horrified, Jack steals a glance at Renee as Tony, knowing what's happening, gives Jack the slightest smug smile.

Clock ticks to... 6:00 am

Final Comments: This was a classic edge-of-your seat episode of 24. The final canister of the bioweapon story was wrapped up, plus there were several little plot twists that made the episode interesting. Very entertaining episode once again.

Now were are down to the final two. I can't believe it. I don't remember a season of 24 going by so fast. It's been a great ride so far and I can't wait for the finale but I'm really sad at the same time because I don't want this great season to end.

Recap: Fox.com/24

Comments are mine: 24FanForever