Good, but still not great.
I know that an epic, exhilarating hour of 24 is coming, but the show’s iconic return hasn’t blown my mind quite just yet. It’s a pity really because I thought this season’s 12-episode format would mean we’d jump straight into the action, but things aren’t exactly thrilling yet.
I applaud the writers for affording the season’s Big Bad so much attention. Michelle Fairley’s turn as widow terrorist Margot Al Harazi is suitably creepy. In addition, it comes complete with a drone-relate trauma that fuels her present-day vendetta, and an unsettling desire to pimp her daughter out by any means necessary. Less successful is the attention afforded to the relationship between her daughter Simone and her husband Navid. Do we really need such soap opera theatrics distracting us from the main plot? The whole point of a 12-hour season is so we can sidestep such superfluous subplots. I guess some things never change.
Thankfully, Bauer and Chloe’s dynamic is still a joy to watch, and now there’s an added layer to the proceedings with the heartbreaking reveal of Chloe’s husband and son dying thanks to her extracurricular activities with Jack in the past. I’ve always loved these two, and the writers continue to display subtle finesse where this bond is concerned. More please.
The ending of this hour was also excellent with Jack purposely (and shockingly) shooting several innocent bystanders in the legs. His act causes just enough panic and chaos to gain him entry into the embassy with Morgan hot on his trail. Something tells me this development is exactly what we need to kick the season into high gear.
Ticking Bits
– Brilliant moment with Simone purposely slicing her leg and splattering blood on her face before blaming Jack and making her escape.
– Mark signing Heller’s name was pretty darn sneaky. Something tells me he’s going to be doing a lot of risky stuff before the day is over.
– Margot watching Simone and Navid having sex was beyond disturbing. Bad Mamma Stark!
– I know I was supposed to be totally engrossed by Heller facing off with the MPs at the end but it all felt remarkably uneventful. It’s moments like these where the urgency of the show’s iconic split screens fall flat.
Conclusion
Another solid albeit unspectacular entry from 24.
Nad Rating
B