Redemption
Wr: Howard Gordon
Dr: Jon Cassar
Synopsis: Set and shot on location in Africa, Bauer and mentor Carl Benton battle an international crisis, while here at home the nation prepares for a new president on inauguration day. Taking place just a few months before the new day dawns, U.S. State Department officer Frank Tramell and Jonah Hodges are pulling the strings that will set the stage and raise the stakes for Season Seven.
Review: Well this is a curious beast. The two hour, sorry, scratch that, 90 minute special prequel to season seven of 24 actually turns out to be more of a 'feature' than a standard two episodes of the programme; to borrow writer Howard Gordon's analogy, to be 'more of a Western than a conventional thriller'. And he's right: while there is action galore during the space of one harrowing day's 3pm til 5pm, Redemption is really about character... specifically, Jack's character. The narrative establishes Bauer's current mental state and situates it within the narratalogical geography of the show and then sets about taking him from this mental and physical space to that which he will inevitably be in in season seven. Over the course of the 'movie', he takes a journey from hiding from his past to confronting it head on, and it takes the catastrophic macrocosmic events that are going on around him in Sengala to allow him to make the change. Redemption makes no qualms about the fact that this is, first and foremost, Jack's psychological piece: the first half an hour (at least) is dedicated to establishing the relationship between he and his mentor, the wonderful, exemplary Robert Carlyle, and the actual terrorist threat doesn't really swing into gear until around 15:40 (except for that lovely, disturbing pre-title sequence: "kill the cock-a-roach!" is now a personal favourite quote). For the most part, this works well, giving the special an altogether different feel to the show on which it's based. This is also true of the cinematography: the contrast between Sengala and Washington simply couldn't be sharper. Visually, the African sequences are stunning, thanks to both a combination of the highly picturesque climate and the attention to detail by the production crew: even small things like hiring a lorry load of extras (mostly people off the street) to press up against the walls of the Embassy contribute significantly to the creation of a strong level of authenticity. The US scenes, of course, are far more drab: all whites, blacks and greys, but they have their charm too, in large part thanks to the brilliance of the actor playing the ex-drug addict who met a sad end far too soon, and the presence of Jon Voight. Jon Voight! Let's hope he shows up in season seven. Oh, and lest I forget, Peter MacNicol's back! And Powers Boothe! And... it looks like they won't be in the next season. Oh well. At least we got some astonishing performances out of both; Boothe, in particular, makes every scene he's in. Just look at how tired and weary he manages to appear without uttering a single breath when new President Alison Taylor is talking to him. It's astonishing. Cherry Jones is pretty damn good herself actually, coming across very stoic and strong-willed, and standing up well to the might of current President Daniels. Their scenes together are perhaps the most well written of the entire piece and are definitely to be savoured. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come in the White House and that season six's shaky start (thanks to the ill-informed placement of Wayne Palmer) has been firmly put to bed. Overall, this is a refreshingly different kind of 24 'episode', one that takes its time, lets its characters have room to breathe (and even, have a lie on the doctor's couch) and sets up some tantalising plot points for the future, while also delivering very well on the action, drama and suspense front in the later stages of its narrative. The cast is a dream - Robert Carlyle, Jon Voight, Tony Todd! - the visuals are stunning and Jack gets to brandish an AK-47. Honestly, what more could you possibly want? 9.0
701: '8am - 9am'
Wrs: Howard Gordon, Joel Surnow & Michael Loceff
Dr: Jon Cassar
Synopsis: Season seven opens with Jack Bauer before the US Senate, defending his actions throughout his career with CTU, mostly involving human rights crimes and torture of suspects. He is pulled away by FBI agents Renee Walker and Larry Moss, who need his help to quickly locate Tony Almeida, once thought dead, who appears to be masterminding a terrorist plot to override the government's CIP firewall and cause massive damage. Meanwhile, President Allison Taylor struggles with how to best deal with the genocide unfolding in the African nation of Sangala under the command of General Juma. The First Gentleman, Henry Taylor, is distracted by a desire to prove that his son's recent suicide was in fact a murder.
Review: So it's all change in the high-adrenalin, hyper-tense world of television's greatest superhuman: CTU's gone kaput, the White House staff has had a complete overhaul including, shock, the culling of Peter MacNicol (hah! You thought I was going to mention the President of the female variety, didn't you? Well clearly, you didn't read the Redemption review. Get to it!), Tony Almeida's turned into a facial-hair sporting, overly stern gazing terrorist badass and poor Jack Bauer's caught up in a ludicrously right wing perception of a human rights violation trial. Which, well, despite my distaste at the completely one-sided depiction of it all, does give Kiefer Sutherland some rather nifty dialogue and is a somewhat refreshing change for the show. What a shame the FBI wander in and subpoena him, eh? I could watch 24 hours of Kiefer's soliloquies. Still, it all goes a bit pear-shaped once Bauer is, in his words, 'activated' (do you suppose someone presses a big red button on his back?!) and he has to set about thwarting Almeida's dastardly plans to tkae hold of the US' essential systems including, it seems, air traffic control. This particular threat is far more effective at raising the horror levels than the suitcase nukes and gas cannisters of seasons past as, really, it couldn't get much worse than planes falling out of the skies, heating, lighting and electricity being shut down and the water supply getting all contaminated.
The build-up of the threat to the plane is executed especially well - kudos to the writers and, notably, to Sean Callery whose thumping underscore keeps a fast pulse rate certain. This is actually true of the episode as a whole: everything moves along at just the right pace, taking time to set up new characters and scenarios but simultaneously ensuring that there is sufficient tense dramatic weight to stoke the viewer's interest. It's nice to see the crew thinking outside of the box and delivering some genuine surprises: while I'm sure there are thousands of Almeida fans up in arms about his 'turn', at least the move feels fresh and is actually convincingly depicted by the ever dependable Carlos Bernard. The female President, Alison Taylor, is also a welcome change of pace and it's good to see that the events of Redemption tie directly into the thread of the season-long narrative... but they killed the son! My God! I was sure that handsome young model was set to break female, and gay, hearts worldwide for a good 24 episodes. A solid, enjoyable start then and certainly a massive improvement from where we were at the end of year six. And it's got John Billingsley in it! It must be good! 9.0
702: '9am - 10am'
Teleplay: Evan Katz & Howard Gordon
Story: Joel Surnow & Michael Loceff
Dr: Jon Cassar
Synopsis: Tony and his crew put their CIP override device to the test as they divert two planes in mid-air, nearly causing a collision and hundreds of casualties. With the successful test of the device, Tony's boss, Emerson, delivers it to General Juma who is planning to use it to blackmail the US. Jack follows up a lead with Renee but is convinced there is a leak inside the FBI when their suspect is shot dead by a sniper before he can give up any useful information. He is proven right when the fleeing shooter leads them to Tony's boat. Meanwhile, Taylor meets with former Sangalan president Matobo to convince him to hold Juma accountable for his crime in a proper court, not trial by angry mob. Henry continues his quest to find out the truth about his son by visiting his girlfriend, Samantha.
Review: With Renee and Bauer locked together like a well-oiled machine, it's time for the CTU veteran to teach the naive FBI stalwart a thing or two about how to get things done. After having shown her how a real agent does things by threatening that weird-looking Scottish dude with a pen at the end of '8am - 9am', now Jack really hits the high road (quite literally) by persuading her to deviate from Agent Moss' rather strict orders and follow him down the long, slippery road towards Senate hearings and prosecution. Yup, Renee's chasing Tanner (as it turns out is his name) in order to get to Almeida and co. and, crucially, no one knows. It's all rather thrilling really... if you put the fact that we've seen it all before to one side. Seriously, a mole? AGAIN? ALREADY? Oh sure, I know it was well established in Redemption that there's some significant corruption going on within the government but it all just feels a little too familiar for this embittered writer. And yeah, they've went with some faceless guy as the one responsible for getting Tanner out of there but I'd put money on him not being the only one in the office who's tipping off the terrorists. Who's your money on? Sean - the obvious, snivelling choice? Moss? RENEE? Mine's currently squarely on Janis, the new Chloe O'Brien... you're telling me she's really that naive? Come on! She's hiding something behind those spectacles and you know it... What else do we have to lap up? Oh yes, a fantastic opening fifteen minutes in which the dramatic tension is upped to breaking point as the bad guys almost crash a couple of planes into each other. I dunno about you, but I was squinting through almost fully closed eyes at that one. The Presidential and Bauer-led narratives are connected (as everyone knew they would be) with the introduction of Emerson, played to perfection by Peter Wingfield, and we get to see Matobo again (yay!) as Alison tries to her very hardest to ensure the polite removal of Juma from office, while juggling a national crisis at the same time. All very well written stuff, giving the impression of a well-rounded whole and, most importantly, that the writers know what they are doing. The show feels more cohesive than it has done in a long, long time and that is most definitely something to celebrate. 8.8
703: '10.00am - 11.00am'
Wrs: Manny Coto & Brannon Braga
Dr: Brad Turner
Synopsis: With Tony in custody, Jack leads his interrogation, but is shocked when a code word Tony whispers in his ear leads to old friends and a plot much deeper than anyone in the FBI anticipated. Jack once again takes the law into his own hands when he breaks Tony out of the FBI's custody to deliver him back to the terrorist faction. Renee asks FBI technician Janis Gold to try to uncover a possible leak in the agency, but Janis is terrified when her discoveries point to fellow analyst Sean Hillinger. Colonel Dubaku sends a message to Taylor, insisting that the US withdraw its forces from Sangala, or risk a terrible attack on their soil.
Review: Let's just take a moment to appreciate the unquestionable brilliance of Brad Turner's direction, shall we? Jon Cassar's good and all that but Mr. Turner, he knows how to push my 'squee like a fan boy on heat' buttons, and it's all in the presentation. The boxes. Yes, that may sound pedantic but they are one of 24's key features and something that sets the programme apart from every other two-bit terror fantasy on our screens. And sure, Cassar uses in 'em in his episodes but their appearance is sporadic, usually confined to telephone conversations or the post-break act openers. Turner, on the other hand, harks back to the 24 of old and throws split-screen everywhere: in the middle of scenes, during chases etc. etc., to give you either two simultaneous views of the same sequence of events or reveal what others are doing while the main action is occurring. It's wonderfully off-putting stuff, forcing the viewer to really pay attention and making your eyes look like they're dancing the world's most erratic jig. This used to be a particular favourite of season one executive producer Stephen Hopkins' and it works a treat: it is, after all, a completely unique viewing experience. *sigh* I suppose I should put aside production technicalities and talk about the episode. Bloody good, methinks. Jack and Renee get Tony back to FBI HQ and into an interrogation room and sparks bounce off the walls and straight through your television set. Seriously, how utterly excellent is this scene? Just put Keifer and Carlos in a room together for 24 hours... I'd happily watch the carnage that ensued. The dialogue crackles with venom and resentment and is fantastically written: kudos especially to Coto and Braga for including lines that take us way, way back through the mists of time to season one. And then, of course, it turns out he's not a terrorist after all. I'd normally be pounding my fists off the table about something like this but, well, we didn't really want Tony to have gone 'dark side' (to quote another favourite show of mine) did we? And this does mean we now get to see the fabulous James Morrison and Mary Lynn Rajskub again which is alright by me. Elsewhere, Sean turns out not to be the mole (probably), bringing the count of surprised viewers to a nice round zero and Dubaku makes a more than welcome return to our screens, threatening the poor President and everything. Another strong episode then, with the minimum of distractions to the central narrative. Things are looking good. Especially that Agent Gedge, he looks yummy......... 9.1
704: '11.00am - 12.00pm'
Wrs: David Fury & Alex Gansa
Dr: Brad Turner
Synopsis: Buchanan takes Jack to "CTU", a secret hideout where he and Chloe had been working with Tony to uncover the conspiracy within the US government. Tony had been undercover with the terrorists aiding Juma to discover the moles. Jack agrees to help get Tony back in play by joining Emerson's crew himself. Taylor is forced to meet with Matobo to inform him that she may be required to withdraw her forces from Sangala to protect American lives. Her Chief of Staff, Ethan Kanin, agrees with this decision, but Taylor is not yet convinced. Henry meets with Samantha, Roger's former girlfriend, who tells him that Roger was indeed murdered and provides him with proof.
Review: So the four hour treat for the eyes comes to a close with perhaps its weakest instalment. '11.00am - 12.00pm' feels like it's treading water a little, biding time before the big narrative tropes are hauled out. This is especially true of the Dubaku scenario which is hindered somewhat by the longevity of the time allowed for President Taylor to withdraw her troops from Sengala. Effectively, we're waiting around until the 1pm mark for a decision to be made or for any catastrophic action to take place. Yeah, that's right, all I wanna see is bloodshed baby... lots and lots of American bloodshed. Crash those planes now! Contaminate that water supply! Yeah! *ahem* There's much to enjoy here though: James Morrison and Mary Lynn Rajskub fall straight back into their respective roles as if they've never been away. While the 'mini CTU' is a little contrived, the actors pull it off with enough panache for us to forgive it... let's face it, why would we not want these wonderful characters back on our screens? Carlos Bernard continues to be at the top of his game and credit to the writers for not back-tracking entirely on Tony's 'wayward' status. This sort of nuance is exactly what is needed to make the players in 24 less like ciphers functioning to aid the plot, and more like believable human beings caught up in impossible situations. While Jack's infiltration of Emerson's group has been done countless times on the show before too (come on... undercover Jack? In what season have they not pulled that one out of the bag?!), Keifer does it so well that it still seems fresh. Henry's pursuit of the truth regarding his son's death also moves forward a few significant steps and it's continuing to intrigue, largely thanks to the talents of Colm Ferore, but what's the betting that the incredibly hunky Secret Service Agent Gedge is in on the whole thing? Ya boo hiss if he is. That man is TEH HOTNESS. 8.6
705: '12.00pm - 1.00pm'
Wrs: Howard Gordon & Evan Katz
Dr: Jon Cassar
Synopsis: Jack and Tony use creative means to force Matobo out of his saferoom and prepare to leave with their captor when Agent Walker arrives on the scene, prompting Emerson to make some quick decisions. Agents Moss and Gold are sidetracked from their mission to find Walker when a representative from the Attorney General's office arrives to question them regarding the interrogation of Tanner. Henry receives new information about the death of his son when he follows a lead from Samantha Roth.
Review: A slightly slower episode than the opening two-day, four-hour salvo but an eminently enjoyable one nevertheless. The decision to concentrate the first twenty five minutes squarely on the 'flushing out' (if you'll pardon the expression) of Matobo is a stroke of genius, as it gives the narrative a headlong focus that strengthens the dramatic gravitas of the situation. It's a curious beast from a viewing perspective too, as one's allegiances are thrown completely out of alignment. Technically, we should be rooting for our protagonist(s) - the erstwhile dysfunctional dynamic duo of Tony and Jack - and willing them on to achieve their goal, but when their goal is to kidnap the peace-loving Prime Minister of a foreign country, regardless of whether or not their intentions are ultimately honourable, one inevitably finds oneself pulled in opposite directions; feeling ambivalence, if you will. You just can't help but secretly hope that Matobo and his wife find the secret trap door that lets them out of the panic room... it's only natural! And as if that wasn't enough, our sympathies are abused still further with the abduction of poor, sweet Renee who's currently on a 'Bauer = bad' kick... a problem only exaserbated by his assignment to, you know, kill her. These sequences play considerably well, in large part thanks to the considerable acting talents of all involved. Granted, the plot is all a bit season one (remember Nina beside all those wind turbine things? Ah, those were the days), and you just know Bauer'll find a way to save her, but it's all good, sincere fun and at least the production staff do a damn good job of representing the situation: the closing moments, juxtaposing shots from above and below of the dirt covering her face, and the clock counting down with the 'tick tocks' replaced by Renee's breathing, are just plain wonderful. This particular plot strand is certainly the best thing about the episode and thankfully, it makes up about three quarters of the whole.
Elsewhere, things are a little less appetising as things heat up at FBI HQ when we find out that Moss has the hots for Renee and Sean is having his way with Erika (a.k.a. 'some random') and no one actually cares (sorry, but romance is the last thing on any of our minds in the midst of a roller coaster ride of an international crisis... it's just distracting), then some idiotic beureaucrat from the Attorney General's office comes along and actively tries to hinder the resolution of a serious terrorist threat to the stability of the nation by asking to interview blatant mole sweet and innocent Janice about Renee's unsavoury 'interrogation' of Tanner. Which happened about fifteen minutes ago. Sorry guys, but come on... you're telling me that's enough time for the guy to file a complaint, for it to be registered and for it to be pursued IN PERSON? Gimme a break. These narrative strands are just frustrating for the viewer anyway and never prove to be enjoyable: they act as deviations, putting obstacles in the way of progressing the plot. And let's face it, 24 is about plot. No question about it. That's all we want. Really. Plot like Henry being poisoned by gorgeous, gorgeous Brian Gedge. Oh yeah, that wasn't telegraphed at all, was it? Shame really; every fibre of my being was screaming, "No! Not Gedge! Not that pretty face! Don't do this to us!", until I realised just how pathetic I was. I actually didn't mind this development, mostly as it allowed Colm Feore to do one of the most spectacular collapses in recent memory, but it was a bit bloody predictable, wasn't it?
Wow. That was a bit long. A good episode on the whole, mostly due to the A storyline being strong enough to propel the narrative forward in a satisfying manner. Cut down on the soap opera elements (which, to be fair, have been few and far between so far), get rid of buerecratic interference and give us more Dubaku, then I'd be a happy man. See, I don't even need Chloe and Bill... (but it would've been nice). 8.5
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