Season 8, 1-2AM: Owen????

What with agent Freddy (Cole) chasing down and cleaning up after LBD ("Dana") last week/hour and this, Director Dopey had to send Owen out to do Cole's field work (with LBD AWOL and a virtual basketcase, good thing Chloe stopped being a goof-off and got her mojo back once Dopey threatened to fire her sorry you know what), if you remember last week (more than a week ago, sorry, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, and some already forgotten composer from 2009 took my attention away from the tube to Avery Fisher Hall on Monday night--Fox let's you view episodes later on-line, but Lincoln Center doesn't).  If you remember, too, Dopey expressed complete confidence in Owen after which Chloe rolled her eyes, Jack saw that and later "bargained" with Dopey using Owen's competence to lead a field op.

I give Owen mixed reviews after tonight.  On the good side, he didn't end up "red-shirted" as so often happens to bit players on 24 and bit-ensigns on Star Trek.  He successfully negotiated the terrorist to "put up" not "blow up."  He was good at dropping to the floor when he needed to.  It's not easy to execute the obvious when being threatened with explosion.  On the other hand, he had serious flop sweat from the moment Jack first started talking to him.  And it didn't get any better as the crisis progressed.  Even when Jack kept telling him over the comm-link, "you can do this, we have you covered every inch of the way."  He musta seen other seasons of 24, seen what happens to someone who hears Jack say those words.

But mother hen Chloe had him covered.  She remotely disarmed the suicide bomber's bomb.  What will technology think of next.  I don't think Chloe knew how to do that last season, and she's been on sabbatical for the 4 years since, admittedly behind the curve at the start of this season.  Good thing she's a quick learner (Jack knew the latest, too, even after being a grandpa for the last 4 years).

Now, terrorist bomber, I just don't understand.  He calls Mom in NYC at 130am to tell her to get the ... outta Dodge, but she won't go, he says go to Aunt Shelly's, she agrees after he says he'll see her in a couple days and explain.  But now he's about to break his promise to his mom by blowing himself up!  If he's gonna call Mom to warn her while he's guarding nuclear material, is he really gonna break his promise to his mom?  Luckily, Chloe saves him so he can jump from the second story out of the hospital, hurt something not bad enough to keep him from running and lock himself in a pressure chamber so Jack can find him but not get to him.  At least he has his cell phone so head terrorist can walk him through manually detonating his vest.  Wow, the dramatic possibilities here have my mouth watering for next week's episode!

Best line tonight?  Jack yelling at the medic to keep the bad guy alive (for "interrogation," but I'm guessing this kinder, gentler, grandfatherly Jack won't be using torture), medic yelling back, "Let me do my job!"  Taking lessons from Chloe?  Or just the writers getting upset with Jack always yelling at people and getting his way; their little effort to stand up to the big bully.

Second best line?  Former Islamic security chief now in custody (by Islamic pres's order) to pres's daughter, his lover, "my accomplice has placed a gun for me to find;" she: "you won't hurt anyone, will you?" he: "the gun is so I won't have to."  Taking lessons from the NRA (we're safest if everyone has a gun)?  But here's the best part--it works!!!!  He finds the gun, threatens to use it, the guards (who have guns, too) back down, let him escape and handcuff themselves!  This show just keeps throwing me curveballs!!!

And some other nice lines--all the junior league field ops calling Jack, "Mr. Bauer."  Jack's almost shaking his head thinking, "Where's Tony when I need him?"

Did we have a Walker siting this week?  Yes, indeed.  Jack must have threatened or at least yelled at the writers after she was turning into the headliner for the 1st 1/3 of the season.  For 2 weeks she's been on for no more than 5 min total.  This week, Jack invites her to his apartment!  Things are getting serious.  He really meant it when he said "I want to be there for you, with you." (whatever that means, but Renee must get it because she "would like that.")  Of course he said he'd have a CTU agent take her to his apartment.  He's no longer taking chances in life or in love.

We also had some more stilted president (Taylor) to president (Islamic pres) private face-to-face posturing.  It makes me wonder just what the interactions between heads of state are like.  Taylor to pres: "if the bomb goes off, I'll have to retaliate.  So give me the files of all your covert agents in my country."  All he can do is say, "OK"????  Imagine if the shoe were on the other foot!  Would an American president hand over the covert ops so easily?  There was a nice touch, though as Islamic pres mentioned his problems with his daughter to President Taylor.  She's gotta have a sympathetic ear to that situation.  Except Kayla loves her daddy and hasn't shown a conniving, law-breaking bone in her body!  How come the president who has a fabulous, trustworthy daughter doesn't trust her, but the president who doesn't does?  Dramatic tension?  Dramatic irony?  Dramatic coincidence?


And what about that little hottie of a daughter?  She really gets it on for her beau when they finally reunite behind closed doors.  I guess Daddy didn't check her out on imdb.  Mommy knew about her and security chief so she must be internet savvy.

I'll mention that LBD and agent Freddy spent the hour cleaning up the guys Freddy killed last week--dragging them into the marsh (LBD's little black dress has to be even more clingy after that exercise, so avert your eyes--and those shoes just didn't look very practical for that job.  I can't imagine what they'll have to do to "get cleaned up before heading back to CTU.").  LBD had a tough moment as she saw Kev's face sinking into the waters.  (What good's a body bag that doesn't cover the face?) And OK, she had to ask, but really then, as they just completed "disposing" of the bodies--"what about us, Cole?"?  Cole doesn't know, and neither do I.  Just what's to become of this subplot?  It feels like it has so much more potential.  I'll be very disappointed if they just clean up nicely and head back to work at CTU.  I sure want to see Freddy try this acting stuff out some more. Sphere: Related Content