Season 9, Live Another Day: 7pm-8pm, Back down the mountain

Jack outsmarts us yet again. And found some more holes in drone technology. President Heller survived because Chloe and Jack have seen Speed. Chloe hacked the feed from the drone of death, recorded a bit of its view of PH, then fed it back to the DOD in a continuous loop. Somehow in those few seconds PH must have dashed to cover while Mummy took the helm, fired, watched the DOD Confirm Target’s Destruction, take a breath, and bask/gloat/realize that once you reach the mountaintop you are left with only figuring out what’s left/keep her word to that liar PH and start dropping drones in the Thames.

Seeing that PH is alive, I’m wondering where this plan found the time to cover his dash, how Mummy and Sonny didn’t notice the loop sooner (it’s a jet drone, not a helo drone that can stay relatively stationary like a video cam on a bus’s interior), and how DOD software decides whether the target is destroyed. But you might recall from last week that I willingly suspend my disbelief for this show.

Because Sonny keeps watching the video of the live PH (why is it still looping? Did he “Record that” thinking flying a DOD is like playing X-Box?), he picks up on the ruse, Mummy and he save one DOD before it kerplunks, and he goes looking for PH—the same way Chloe does, by hacking the video that blankets London. He loses no time finding the right Wembley cam, and there, not 5 min ago, is well-lit PH getting in a car.

Never piss off a terrorist—and get caught. Especially one with a mad on for you personally (is she really a terrorist if it’s a personal vendetta? Seems like her maniacal focus on PH has jeopardized “everything we’ve been working for,” which has been her consistent rallying cry. She points the DOD towards Waterloo Station as her last shot to make innocents pay for being innocent. Somehow she’ll get sympathizers with her that PH is so bad that she had to make innocents pay—that borders on religion. Yeah, I know, terrorists recruit that way every day in the real world, so it looks like I need to rethink the scope of my willing suspension of disbelief. Or the scope of George Hull’s vision.

Jack heads off in helo to find Mummy with the rest of the governmental principals watching the DOD’s flight trying to figure out where it’s going. Jack is kind enough to call them to tell them PH is OK. PM is happy. Audrey is happier (“I wasn’t ready to lose him yet. Thank you, Jack!” How nice of the writers to keep PH around till she is ready. The real world doesn’t wait.). It’s a good thing Jack was thoughtful enough to call because he stuffed PH in limo with his toady, ordered to maintain cell silence. PH quickly orders toady to break it, and toady says he’s not American so he doesn’t have to obey—as if he needed a reason other than Jack’s the boss. Also good nobody thinks Jack’s a murdering terrorist anymore.

Jack falls back on Chloe to help him pinpoint Mummy. Chloe somehow does—oh, yeah, by falling back on Julian Jr. Jack sends Kate into an ambush there, as Mummy figured she ought to be ready for some extracurriculars and sent her troops out to stand ready. Kate and her goon-friend from way back at 11am hide behind their vehicle, shoot a bit, some with effect, don’t get shot, and wait for backup. Backup comes, Kate asks GF for a grenade, then yells, “hey, watch this!” which in CIA field lingo comes out as, “Cover me!” I don’t know what happened to the grenade, but all the good guys survived, Jack landed the helo on the right rooftop, shot a baddie or 2, Chloe told her what floor Mummy was on, Jack unwired the HBO feed and body-rapped down (ignoring proper form 

, which is only slightly less painful than hitting ground) in time for Sonny to see him and shoot. But Jack’s too fast, jumping to the side, then back just as Sonny went to the window to see what he shot, leading to defenestration number 1. Jumping Jack fenestrates and shoots Mummy; Chloe tells him to manually override the missile that’s just launched towards Waterloo; he figures it out like he’s a born hacker, which is good because it was 30s to target, and while hugging Mummy’s still twitching body, he steers it into the Thames. Mummy’s disappointed but still tries to get in the last word: “The hundreds of dead today are on your head.” Jack doesn’t let her gloat for long or have the last word, replying, “Nuh-uh, the only dead on my head is you.” Defenestration number 2.

Jack collects the override box, and takes it to CIA with the crew. There, CSCS has a problem: Kate’s police contact has found Kate’s dead friend and the dead assassin that CSCS sent. Won’t be long before dead assassin implicates CSCS (especially w/ Jack now curious as only he can be)! CSCS calls Julian Jr. who says he’ll help CSCS escape in exchange for the override box. Jack conveniently brings in the box, inconveniently hands it over to a Defense personnel who discovers it can control any defense system in the world! So that’s what the rest of this day is about—did the developer realize how powerful it is? I don’t know, but JJ sure did! Making us wonder why he helped Jack as much as he did.

With CSCS and Jack looking over Defense’s shoulders, CSCS is trying to figure out how to get his hands on that box! Oh, the suspense builds!! Oh, if only there were a diversion!!! Just then, we learn again that without coincidence there is no story as Audrey calls to thank Jack AGAIN, and Jack takes it privately. CSCS uses the old choke hold on Defense and absconds with the box. Jack gets another call, this time from his contact who connected the dots to CSCS. And the chase is on.

Which brings us to the end of this hour.

Except we see the singularly disturbing image of Chloe kissing someone. Someone many already suspected, especially after seeing his thinly veiled distaste, nay, could it be jealousy, for Jack. Chloe kissing JJ, with her face screwing up into the pout of distaste only she can bring to that role. Ugh, I can’t wait till the next hour to get that taste, that image out of my head!

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