Scott Davis continues his jaunt around London with Jack Bauer and co. as 24: Live Another Day enters the final third…
After the tense final moments of the previous hour, Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) is summoned to President Heller’s (the superb William Devane) office to discuss what can be done to prevent the impending attack. For perhaps the first time ever, Jack is at a loss. He is hopeful that Kate Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski) and the CIA will be able to wake Simone Al-Harazi (Emily Berrington) long enough to give up her mothers location, but she remains in a coma, and waking her may immediately kill her.
But the President, already resigned to losing his personal battle with Alzheimer’s in the long run, alludes to his decision in those final seconds of hour seven, and knows Jack won’t like it. He wants Jack to smuggle him out of the US headquarters to Wembley Stadium, where he will give himself over to Margot Al-Harazi (Michelle Fairley, just getting better and better) in the hope that his sacrifice will halt the attack for good.
Margot, as always, is a few steps ahead. With her son and security team in tow, they vacate their palatial premises for a smaller operation in central London. Noticeably shaken by what the President has unexpectedly offered her, Margot does not want to take any chances or being double-crossed by the CIA. Tensions upped from tight to breaking point.
The other developing story line revolves around CIA Head Steve Navarro (Benjamin Bratt). His intentions are cloudy at best, manipulated by his outside “source” Adrian Cross (Michael Wincott) who is desperate for his head tech guy Jordan (Giles Matthey) to be eliminated from proceedings. Does Cross still work for Open Cell? Is Al-Harazi running his operation? Or is something much bigger a foot for the remaining few hours? Time, as always, will tell.
As the episode reaches it final clock countdown, all eyes and ears remain firmly fixed on the President and Jack. Escaping into evening London town, they escape towards Wembley in a helicopter. Desperate for a call, a text, anything that will prevent the President from carry out his plan, Jack waits in vain. As they edge nearer, nothing is forthcoming, bar a Presidential pardon for Jack and his crimes. In a rare moment of forlorn acceptance, Jack is left speechless by Heller’s bravery and assured demeanor.
Reaching the centre circle, all that’s left to do is wait and hope. For Jack to save the day, for the military to step in, even for Al-Harazi to offer something small as time. But with a drone on its way, the seconds tick away as quickly as ever. Suddenly, just like Jack, we too are left speechless by what unfolds in front of us.
A lot has been made of how Game of Thrones has handled its twists and turns across its four seasons, culminating in its explosive finale. But while that show is continuously, and rightly, lauded for its bravery and ability to keep its audiences firmly on the edge of their seats, 24 has sure had its moments across its nine years.
And in these final few moments of hour eight, the gloves are truly off. Like so many classic moments in the show, it is both outrageous and brave all in one spectacular moment that even some dodgy CGI could ruin.
And as we take a few moments to catch our breath, we wonder what the remaining few hours will bring. With the jumps forward in time due in these final episodes, the makers have again mastered the craft of leaving us desperate for more. There will be hell to pay after what has transpired, not the least from Jack, who now rejoins the action a ticking time bomb once again, with “dammits” aplenty due in good course.
But it’s the freshness of this one-off season that has surprised the most. Not just the simple cash-in as many had feared, 24: LAD is deserving of awards and accolades come the end of its short run. Its big, brash action coupled with deft direction and scripting will undoubtedly leave many wanting Sutherland and co back again and again. But even if this to be his last hurrah, and the show does shift emphasis to a new lead character (Strahovski’s Kate is the most likely), it still has plenty of gas left in the explosive tank.
Scott Davis
