24 Season 8 Ep 21: 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. WSJ TV Recap

‘24,’ Season 8, Episode 21: ‘Day 8: 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.’: TV Recap

By Chris Simmons MAY 11, 2010, 7:05 AM ET

©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Ray Mickshaw/FOX

Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) is on a mission.

Charles Logan gets ready for a premature closeup, Chloe outmaneuvers a superior at CTU (again), and Jack proves that no one does torture quite like him on this, the 21st hour of the final day of “24.”

And speaking of Jack, he’s on the run again after killing Dana Walsh in cold blood after getting the evidence, a disk containing video of Dana brokering the parameters of Russia’s actions to sabotage the peace agreement with Pavel, the same assassin who took out Renee. Jack again takes quick refuge at Jim Ricker’s bunker, where he makes contact with Meredith Reed, the reporter (and Hassan’s ex-lover) whom he cleared of any wrongdoing earlier in the day. She agrees to be the one who will vet the video evidence.

Meanwhile, Pillar, Logan’s chief lackey, is still “in charge” at CTU, and interrogates Cole for information on Jack’s whereabouts. Cole doesn’t know where he is, and isn’t inclined to say anything to Pillar even if he did know something. But then, Pillar catches a break when his team intercepts the call between Jack and Meredith Reed, in which Jack arranges a meet between them at a nearby department store. Feeling victorious, Pillar calls his boss, who practically pees in his pants with happiness over the lucky break. In fact, Logan’s feeling so cocky, he has President Taylor’s negotiations with Dalia Hassan interrupted for the umpteenth time in order to exact his “payment” for services rendered: an official Presidential acknowledgement of his role in brokering the peace treaty with Kamistan. After seemingly choking on bile, President Taylor tacitly agrees to the deal.

At CTU, Chloe smells a rat when she realizes that Pillar is in on the cover-up after he passes on an opportunity to alert the proper authorities on Jack’s whereabouts. She enlists Arlo’s aid in creating a false security loop, allowing her to talk to Cole without Pillar knowing it. Cole is nice and bitter over Jack’s actions in killing Dana, and is disinclined to help until Chloe guilts him. He figures that Jack has used some operative with access to weaponry. Chloe runs with his information.

At the same time, Meredith and then Jack arrive at the department store, where Pavel and his team of Russian assassins are in place, ready to take them both out. But it becomes apparent that Jack has outmaneuvered them, using Jim Ricker to get the drop on Pavel. Jack then swiftly metes out his vigilante “justice”, killing all the Russians and escaping with Meredith.

Later, vainglorious Logan is literally trying to choose the right tie to wear at his redemption press conference when Pillar shatters his dreams, telling him their plans have gone awry. Logan refuses to even consider pulling away from the mess at this late juncture, instead ordering Pillar to clean up the mess as best he can before it stains the ex-President.

Speaking of messes, Jack is about to get all kinds of messy with Pavel, intending to torture the assassin in order to get him to reveal the identity of the man who ordered Renee’s assassination. But even Jack knows that Pavel will be a tough one to crack. I mean, Jack tries everything (knife cuts, acid baths, even burning the dude’s flesh with a blowtorch!), but not only won’t Pavel talk, he still manages to cruelly taunt Jack about his killing Renee. Meredith, in the other room with Jim, is appalled by Jack’s actions, and even Jim takes note of how unhinged Jack is.

Just when it’s clear that Pavel will die before giving up what he knows, Jack notices that the man’s cell phone’s SIM card is missing. Putting two and two together, Jack realizes that Pavel swallowed it. Jack proceeds to gut the assassin like a deer, but darned if he doesn’t retrieve that card. And once he puts the card back in the phone, he discovers that it was Logan who was behind Pavel’s actions. With that, the hour is up, but it won’t be long before one of Jack’s greatest enemies will face his wrath once more.

Three more to go until the end of the line for Jack Bauer’s TV adventures. But just how much lower will he go? We’ll find out in seven more days, won’t we?

Source: WSJ