24

To summarize the situation: Last week, in downtown Los Angeles -- which is famous for this kind of traffic snafu -- the terrorists attacked the Russian president's motorcade, which also contained the First Lady. The terrorists used machine guns, a missile and a flamethrower, apparently purchased at one of the many Terrorist Depot stores in Southern California, but CTU thwarted the attack, and now the terrorists are threatening, for like the 300th time, to unleash the Fatal Deadly Lethal Toxic Nerve Gas Canisters of Death, which have been trucked all over Southern California and are currently on a VIP tour of Knott's Berry Farm. Jack Bauer was not involved in the thwarting because he was locked in a room with a bomb, which blew up and pretty much knocked down the building, but of course it did not in any way harm Jack.

Meanwhile back at CTU HQ the Hobbit has been removed from power via a Section 112. The president is still an idiot (I mean the one in the show). Jack's hot new girlfriend is still totally missing from the plot. Audrey continues to play a major role in the plot. They are trying to make us like Audrey this year by not having her weep everytime somebody farts, but it is not going to work.Edgar continues to grow exponentially and is currently the size of New Zealand.

I leave the analysis of tonight's show in your hands. Good luck. If you see a montage, you have mistakenly tuned in to the Academy Awards, which are just starting to wind down.

Comments

[homeybeef]

My comment earlier about Kim and CTU, each time some keyboard tapper got killed

[tropichunt.com guyâ„¢]

500, folks! Great job! Hold your breath until next week! (HA!)

[manilow4musiconly]

i think we witnessed the Hamlet of 24

[JBismyhomeboy]

does this mean the hobbit is dead?

[Betsy]

I'm gonna hang out for Steve's wrap-up...I still haven't quite figure out what-all happened while I was on the phone...

[Eleanor]

Dave will really be upset that he missed the killings, I bet.:(

[Bucket]

I think Edgar is only MOSTLY dead, which is not the same as ALL dead......

[max power]

yeah, seems like the hobbit should be dead, right? Maybe he hid under his magic elfin cloak.

[chrisinmd]

NOOOOOO!
Probably the most dramatic episode that I've seen so far, the lack of beeps at the end just made it even more so. Next week looks to be a tense hour.

[tkf]

Wouldn't it be great if all the dead CTU agents just start getting up next week and shuffling around the place, going "braaaaaains...."?

[m]

SILENT CLOCK FOR EDGAR!!

[Gavi]

im convinced the writers of the show sat down and said, "we have way too many characters in this show lets kill some of them" and they off michelle, palmer, edgar
RIP fat man

[Steve]

6 pm - Terrorist car guy, having just shot The Hobbit's sister and boyfriend, leaves the building to go reprogram the key card in his car, where all terrorist keep their computer equipment, and do a Michael Jackson "Black and White" morph.

6:02 - Manilow yells some more at Bill at CTU, wanting to know what's going on. Bill says that, apparently, Manilow is actually President of the United States, but he has no explanation for this.

6:04 - Kim Bauer, Jack's daughter is at CTU! Audrey sees her and almost cries.

6:05 - Audrey tells Jack that she almost cried when she saw him, and Jack tells Audrey she cries at everything. Jack gives her the OK. She starts crying, and Jack tells that's not what he meant. She can go ahead and tell Kim.

6:06 - Kim introduces Audrey to "Barry". Audrey says that if "Barry" comes in contact with President Manilow, the universe will implode, and that Jack is alive.

6:07 - Kim looks as if she just found out that she's making less money than everyone else in the case.

6:08 - There's a Scary looking guy in waiting for Manilow, and it turns out he's the vice-president. Since he's second in command, I have absolutely no expectations for this guy whatsoever. I'm surprised this guy is actually breathing. Cheney Looking Guy looks surprised too, because he thought HE was the vice-president.

6:09- The Scary Vice President (SVP) appears to have more guts that Manilow himself, although he's already starting to do Scary things. Manilow will let ANYONE talk him into ANYTHING. I'm just waiting for Scary to tell Manilow to do the Riverdance, because in the state he's in, Manilow might just do it.

6:11 - Buckaroo is trying to make a deal with Jack, but won't tell Jack what he wants to know. Jack's having none of it, because if he knew the whole plot the show would end early.

6:12 - Terrorist car guy is IN CTU! This can't be good.

6:17 - Curtis is on his way back. Jack is back. Kim is back. Everyone's back. Even "Barry".

6:18 - Jack goes to see his daughter, Kim, because he always has time for touching moments during the middle of terrorists situations. Kim's mad. And "Barry" mouths off to Jack. Baaaaaad idea, "Barry".

6:20 - Kim doesn't want to her Jack's explanation, and wants to leave. Jack asks her to stay, but she needs to talk to "Barry". Kim begins to do an Audrey impression, and starts to cry.

6:21 - Terrorist Car Guy has a gizmo with the layout of CTU, which is as accessible to terrorists as Manilow's cell phone number. He goes into what looks like the server room, and looks fans that lead to the ventilation system. My guess is that he's not going to be putting apple pies in there so everyone can get a nice whiff.

6:22 - Tony's back in the hospital area of CTU. He confronts Bill and wants to know what's going on, but Bill says he can't tell him. Tony wants to know who killed Michelle. I think that if Tony spots Buckaroo, Buckaroo is going to go "Banzai" at the hands of Tony.

6:25 - Buckaroo is strapped into the chair in the interrogation room, and Jack finds out that Kim is dating her shrink. Jack thinks that Robocop is going to be a tough nut to crack. Edgar pops up and asks Jack if he means "Beer Nuts".

6:27 - Robocop ain't talking, so he lets a random CTU guy start pumping Robocop up with some CTU drugs that make Robo press his lips together really hard. Jack tells random CTU guy to use the drugs that loosen his lips, not tighten them.

6:32 - Mrs. Manilow's outside for a smoke and Cheney Looking Guy says that Manilow needs her. Cheney Looking Guy wants Mrs. Manilow to stop Scary Vice President.

6:35 - Yup...server room. Terrorist guy just shut down the ventilation system. Kerry tries to warn Edgar, but since she has no food, he snaps at her. She goes to check out the problem with the vent system.

6:36 - Mrs. Manilow goes to see Manilow, who tries to look aloof, which is good, because he's been acting like a Loof. He asks her to forgive him, and they share a tender moment. Edgar hears this, and calls to ask about "Tender Vittles", but they tell him to get back to work.

6:38 - Kerry goes into the server room to check and sees the vents. She tries to make a phone call with her cell phone, and for the first time in the last hour and thirty-eight minutes, the cell signal doesn't work because of the cement walls. Terrorist Guy kills her.

6:43 - Terrorist Guy places the canister to go off in 15 minutes, which again, is the top of the hour, the time for all critical plot twists.

6:44 - Kim goes to see Chloe, and Chloe confesses that she knew Jack was alive. Chloe tells Kim to cut Jack some slack, since President All-State and Michelle bought the farm, Tony nearly bought a small garden, and Chloe narrowly escaped buying a timeshare.

6:45 - Bill goes to see The Hobbit, and tells The Hobbit that LAPD found his sister dead. The Hobbit says that's impossible. The LAPD would have taken weeks to find that out. The Hobbit seems pretty broken up, because Gandalf isn't coming. The Hobbit admits that the CTU key card was taken.

6:47 - Bill calls Chloe to check the card, and Chloe finds that the card was used! IT'S LOCKDOWN TIME!

6:48 - Buckaroo is made of pretty tough stuff. (They haven't figured out he's really Robocop yet) A buzzer on the medical device, the CTU lockdown signal and Jack's phone go off at the same time. No one thinks this is the least bit strange. I suspect Edgar's messing the the computers to distract everyone while he raids the candy machine.

6:52 - Bill sends Jack into the North entrance. Red shirt guard, in grand Star Trek tradition, gets beaten up and taken hostage.

6:54 - Terrorist guy shoots him when an alarm goes off when they try and use a service entrance, which was clearly marked "SERVICE ENTRANCE. ALARM WILL SOUND". Terrorist guy grabs a walkie-talkie for his kid.

6:55 - Jack finds the dead guard and notices that the walkie-talkie is missing. Jack sends a fake message to Audrey and Bill about where the terrorist is, and she sees him onscreen so she knows what he's up to. Edgar behind Audrey and Bill, and is in the background shaking a candy machine.

6:56 - Terrorist Guy goes to leave, and Jack catches him. Terrorist Guy drops the gun, tries to shoot Jack with another gun (do NONE of these guys know about Jack?) and Jack kills him.

6:57 - Jack finds the device on Dead Terrorist Guy, and tells Bill about the little device that Dead Terrorist Guy had. Bill orders an immediate Code 6 evacuation. The phone rings, Chloe picks it up. Edgar is in the server room, finds Kerry dead, and leaves the room just as the canister starts passing gas.

6:58 - Gas is in CTU, and people are dying. Chloe does the lockdown.

6:59 - Robocop looks like he's in stasis. People are dying all over the place.

Edgar runs back into the room, sees that he's sealed off and dies.

Ah man! Not Edgar!

This stinks.

[Wes S.]

Question: If Jack really wanted to keep his daughter safe, then why the HELL did he have her brought anywhere near CTU?! After five seasons of this show, we've pretty much established that CTU HQ is the most dangerous place in Greater LA...

[Dread Pirate Shermano]

Alas, poor Edgar. I knew him, Horatio. A fellow of infinite... mass.

[jon]

DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT

NOT EDGAR!!! WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!

[Gabrielle]

Hmmm... is it me, or did anyone else notice a little (ok, big) faux pas?

The U.S. president and the vice president are never supposed to be in the same place at the same time, for security reasons.

[JuuJuu]

You know, if the hobbit died . . . what was he doing in the previews for next week's ep? He's a guest star, so clearly he's going to die . . . I just didn't figure they'd ice him off-panel, so to speak. I bet if he'd been Frodo, we'd have gotten to watch him gasp out his last. Just like Edgar.

[Jeff Meyerson]

Since I don't have time to read 513 posts right now, let me just ask you guys a question, and if this has already come up please forgive me.

The terrorists have acquired (nice word) the canisters of nerve gas to use against Moscow, but since they can't and can't kill the Russian President they decide to use them in L.A.

Stupid, yes, but OK for the moment.

Now in the middle of all this - and remember, the plan was to use the gas on MOSCOW, right? - they find out that the Hobbit's sister is a drug addict, find out who her boyfriend is and that he's a drug dealer and contact him to get him to mug the Hobbit and steal his CTU key card?

I mean, WTF? This is just on the off chance that that for some unknown reason they might need to get into CTU later and leave a canister?

Come on, even for 24 isn't this farfetched beyond all credibility?

Oh well, at least Jack did get to shoot someone in the thigh.

RIP, Fat Edgar.

[Stephen J]

I think CTU gets it red shirt security guys at the same place that the mall does.

I cant wait for the psychiatrist to start teaching jack to be more of a sensitive and trusting guy.

I loved Chloe telling Kim to give jack a break. I love Chloe. Kim is hot but she's a whiner.

I am so sorry Edgar is gone. One less pocket protector at the next Star Trek convention.

[KOW]

Gabrielle, that is the least of the plot holes. And quite frankly, for security reasons, it looks like both of these guys need to be snuffed out anyway. I say first lady cleavage should run the country.

Jeff: yes, 24 is that far fetched. Because there are crack addicts everywhere who have 'connections'. Some know drug dealers, but some cozy up to people needing state secrets in the event they ever hook up with someone who's related to someone with state secrets or who has access.

[Glow]

Jeff, Robocop made a secret deal with the terrorists. They get to gas Moscow ONLY if they promise to gas that damn CTU place that brought him down. See? Must. Connect. The. Dots.

[Glow]

Now that Chloe has lost her soulmate to the big Krispie Kreme in the sky, I was wondering whether she will sacrifice herself next week?

[The man]

The Online Wake for Edgar "Truffle Shuffle" Stiles.


Chloe finally found a way to quit Edgar.

[ProjectMoonlightCafe]

What I don't understand is how come the terrorists planned from the beginning to bribe Lynn's sister's bf for the keycard when they only found out recently they were going to use the gas on LA? I thought their plan was to launch it in Russia.

[mnich]

i guess edgar found a way to quit chloe

[mnich]

(likewise-haha-sorry)

[Wes S.]

Jeff: yes, 24 is that far fetched. Because there are crack addicts everywhere who have 'connections'. Some know drug dealers, but some cozy up to people needing state secrets in the event they ever hook up with someone who's related to someone with state secrets or who has access.

Or maybe they simply put Fat Hobbit Lynn's CTU keycard on E-Bay. "For sale: sooper-sekrit access card to sooper-sekrit spy agency, complete with picture of fat, dumb hobbit. Bidding starts at one dollar."

As many terrorists as the bad guys have at their disposal, and as plugged-in to everything as they seem to be, obviously they were monitoring E-Bay for just such an opportunity...

Well, it's somewhat more plausible...

[M.Eg.]

Ok, well from the beginning they obvioulsy had a plan B, C and D ad infinitum. Why wouldn't they have researched Lynne's connections ( his crack whore sister) and found ways to infiltrate CTU if necessary?
All this 24 blasphemy . . .

[Neal]

"No beep beep? Have they ever done that before?"

After Chappelle's death.

[Alfred]

Wait the fat kid from the Goonies died? What will Sam Wise do?
Wow that is a blow.

[Davey H]

geez, Barry, can't believe you made fun of the fat (dead) guy.

[Betsi]

I feel this season has finally found its momentum. Lots of interesting stuff going on. I am sad about Edgar, but more than anything I'm terrified for Tony. I don't want to lose him (having been a fan since season 2). I sound more serious than I really am...enjoyed all your hilarious posts.
I know the veep and prez aren't supposed to be on the same lpane at the same time, but the same place?

[goaligrltildeath]

With the writers killing off all these major players from previous seasons, it's making me fear the worst: There won't be a season 6. I shall shoot myself in the thigh for thinking that before Jack Bauer can do it for me. He'll probably come shoot my other thigh anyway.

[Stupendous Man]

Broadway plays, Motion Picture Grand Openings, fresh literary publications...
they all have to wait over night, at least, to be put through the shredder of showbiz. But not 24. This presentation gets ripped, wracked, shredded, pulled, whacked, thrashed, trashed, examined, firkytoodled, filliped, fornicated, blasted, wheedled, truncated, bifurcated, dessicated, discombobulated, corruscated, vaccinated, polished, Polished (for those who don't know sh*t from Shinola™), granulated, wizened, drizzled and hot-waxed (I know I left something out) at least once a week...except during the Nielsen Sweeps. Only on the DB (sfx=trumpets) Blog can a presentation get an immediate response that would let that presentation know it has a future...or has its schwantz in the dirt!

[jonblock]

Lotsa comments, rather late:

No beeps after a major death was introduced at the end of Day 1. If you don't know who died then, you *need* to rent the first season. I only remember the silent ending because my wife just watched that season a few weekends ago. Yes, the whole "day" in about two or three day start to finish. She was a basket case.

The President and VP are often together in "public." State of the Union, Campaign trail, etc. The biggest prohibition that I know of is that one of the Supreme Court judges isn't present at the SotU address, just because all of the rest of our government is there. Like a clipping from one of those plants from elementary school, we can recreate the whole government as long as we keep just one seed alive. Or something like that.

If you want a real technical gaffe, think back to the tazer last week. They must have intended to insert a commercial or to cut away to another subplot between when Jack gets zapped (falls just inside the door) and when he wakes up (leaning against a desk). Since they ultimately ran those two shots back-to-back, the "real-time" feel was screwed up. It's still bugging me, a whole week and many deaths later.

Tying in to recent events...the bleep/bloop sound would be a great way to warn award winners that their speech is running long. If they keep going, the daah, da da daa daaah music would swell for a moment, then Jack would shoot them in the thigh.

And finally, to all those wondering about the random connection between the terrorists and the keycard, think of this as the first glimpses of the "real" meta-plot. There's always another layer of complication, and the whole story typically changes direction with further revelations in the middle four hours of the day. Getting the keycard to take out CTU was part of the original plan. Using the cannisters within the US was part of the original plan. [The fact that the show's writers are making up the "original plan" as they go is irrelevant.] Yellow Tie Guy screwed up the plan by believing the Russians back home were ever actually a target. Hmmm...was triggering Martial Law part of the original plan? Is this all a huge power grab by the VP?

Oh, and one more thing. What's the deal with the Ziploc conference room? I was literally saying to my wife, "How can they seal that room, there's a huge gap in the doors," when *zziiiiipp* that rubber seal appeared (out of an eight-foot-high slot in the ceiling above the door, I guess). And if you're going to go to the trouble of designing an airtight conference room, might you design in a cabinet that holds breathing apparatus, and perhaps a few biohazard suits? Is this finally evidence of CTU running up against budget constraints? Well, besides their apparent savings on their own security department.

It's late...I rambled...sorry.

[Joeltron]

Isn't the Vice President to President Manillow ALSO on Robocop? Isn't that Ray Wise?

Robocop is overtaking 24!!

[Rev. Gomez]

I, for one, welcome the coming of Robocop to this generation...it's so deliciously '80s...

[Ryan]

It's amazing how emotionally powerful the silent clock at the end can be, isn't it? Edgar was the man...RIP, big guy...

[Leetie]

Edgar = Deadgar.

[Dave]

Oh my God...they killed Edgar...you BASTARDS!!

Request from the real Dave: Please post under a different name. Thanks.

[Suzy the Q]

Oh, no! Not Edgar!!!! Whatever will Chloe do now? She looked very sad at the end. Her parameters will never be the same.

[Lila]

Some comments for the morning after:

Tony is SO going to kill Robocop. And he's going to make it HURT.

I think CTU was the target all along - the Hobbit mugging was a set-up, just to get that keycard. Hopefully, Lynn will be the one making the ultimate sacrifice next week.

Doesn't it seem like CTU should have more of an emergency plan than this? I mean, there's NO gas masks anywhere? Chloe had to pull up a schematic to find out which rooms could be sealed?

First Lady Crazy and Secret Service Aaron need to ride off into the sunset together at the end of this day.

And finally, Edgar, we hardly knew ye. Chloe is going to KILL someone for this. RIP, big fella.

[rita]

Geez, even Chloe can't remember everything, Lila.

Didn't she look even more-ferretlike last night?

[Lila]

Chloe did look a bit ferret-ish last night - although I have to commend her on a nice chin quiver in the last momments.

And all I'm saying is, you have a room that has metal shutters and rubber seals that fill in all the cracks and NOBODY can remember which room that is?!

[Poop "Da Popp" Dogg]

"They killed Edgar!" he said.

Be proud, Dave. He takes after you.

[rita]

Lila, it is a government agency, after all. It's a surprise when they remember anything.

[Lila]

Ha, ha - good point, rita.

[Sara R]

So why is there even a vice president? I guess we're supposed to believe that President Manilow was elected? If he was put in there only because the old president died in office 1 1/2 years ago, then he wouldn't have a vice president. Truman didn't during his first term, after Roosevelt died.

[brains, the elf]

Ford is the only one to replace a veep (Agnew). THe office has been empty a lot.

[MJ]

Ok, lots to comment on, will do seperate posts just to annoy the hell out of people.

First to Sara R

"If he was put in there only because the old president died in office 1 1/2 years ago"

Actually Keeler lived through the Season 4 incident (I won't say what specifically just in case people haven't seen season 4). This is because the producers/writers originally had him dying, but Fox had this big issue with the President dying due to a [bleep] event. So to them he is dead, but for story line purposes Keeler survived but was unable to continue in office.

[MJ]

"No beeps after a major death was introduced at the end of Day 1. If you don't know who died then, you *need* to rent the first season."

It was also silent when Mason walked out of CTU in Season 2. I won't give specifics, just in case people haven't seen it.

Also it was silent in Season 3 after the 6am-7am episode, which to me is still the most "OHMYGOD!" episode in 24 history.

"If you want a real technical gaffe, think back to the tazer last week. They must have intended to insert a commercial or to cut away to another subplot between when Jack gets zapped (falls just inside the door) and when he wakes up (leaning against a desk). Since they ultimately ran those two shots back-to-back, the "real-time" feel was screwed up. It's still bugging me, a whole week and many deaths later."

Yeah I'm still wondering WTF that was about. I've heard numerous theories, the most popular being that there was supposed to be a commercial break right after he got zapped. My own theory is that the camera gave the view of "getting knocked out" along with Jack. I'd love to hear the producers explanation of this.

"Oh, and one more thing. What's the deal with the Ziploc conference room? I was literally saying to my wife, "How can they seal that room, there's a huge gap in the doors," when *zziiiiipp* that rubber seal appeared (out of an eight-foot-high slot in the ceiling above the door, I guess)."

Ha, I said the same thing. As Jack closed the door I said "look at that giant gap inbetween the doors! How the hell are they going to seal the room?!" And then the weird stuff appeared. I'm also confused as to why they didn't have cabinets with gas masks in the room as well!

[John]

It's obvious that VP Ray Wise is not trustworthy. He is inhabited by the evil spirit BOB, and he killed Laura Palmer.

[Lila]

MJ - you're right... I was trying to remember if there were any silent endings, too. The season 2 and 3 moments were by far the most shocking on the show so far - especially season three.

If anyone on here doesn't know what this refers to, get thee to the store and get your hands on the DVDs!

[Jeff Meyerson]

SAra R: there was an amendment passed allowing the President to appoint a new VP, subject to Senate approval. So far it's only had to be used once in RL (Ford appointing Nelson Rockefeller).

But when last we left Jack & co. last season, President Weasel was only Acting President. Did the former guy die from his injuries after being shot down or was he just too incapacitated to keep the job? And if the latter, can't he recover and take back the office? (OK, I realize that is wishful thinking.)(And thanks MJ for the clarification. I didn't think he'd "officially" died.)

And no one has mentioned that the new Psycho VP was the murderer of Laura Palmer on Twin Peaks.

(Whoops, just see that John did mention it, so we at least think alike.)

So, Laura Palmer - David Palmer. Coincidence? You make the call.

[The angene 15]

555 posts. I'm proud of y'all.

[mpthompson]

My bet for the final plot-line for this season is the weasley Vice-President will get the slightly less weasley President Logan to declare martial law, watch chaos ensue as the public panics (gas may or may not go off), get the Russians on his side (they are already suspicious of Logan), and then pull a coup to restore order -- perhaps dissolving the pesky congress in the process. Oh, the vice-weasle is in bed with the terrorists as well. Aaron will somehow save the day (with Jack of course) and get the First Lady as his reward. Sound far fetched? There are 12 hours left...

[Lmd33]

Okay, I will make no more comments and leave you all to your collective insa . . .collective interest in this program.

And just so you know, that pain in my thigh could be from ANYTHING!

[Cecil]

>Ford is the only one to replace a veep (Agnew). >THe office has been empty a lot.

>Posted by: brains, the elf | 02:01 PM on March 7, >2006

Current law allows the President to appoint a new VP when the office is vacant. Nixon appointed Ford to replace Agnew, who resigned, then when Nixon resigned himself and Ford became Pres, he appointed Nelson Rockefeller to the VP spot.