24: Season 1, Episode 2: 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM Review
1:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Original Airdate: November 13, 2001
Writers: Joel Surnow & Michael Loceff
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Following an impressive, ambitious pilot is demanding. However, 24 pulls off an episode that is better than its predecessor. We start to see deeper into the conspiracy and just how dangerous it is having no one to trust. Also they throw in one of the biggest twists that proves that this show won't follow conventional rules.
Mandy touches ground in the desert. There she waits for her escort to get her money. Only this isn't a simple delivery. Before her escort arrives, she places the ID in a homing device and buries it. As soon as she has left, a mysterious person on a motorcycle rides to where Mandy was and finds the ID using a tracking device.
CTU scrambles for information regarding the plane when Tony approaches Jack regarding what had happened to Mason in the last hour. Jack doesn't say anything, but Nina comes to his defense with a quickly concocted lie. Surprised, Jack compliments her on it. Although Jack is new to Nina's deceptive ways, Tony knows a bit more. Although Tony doesn't question the initial decision, he confronts Nina privately about her talent at lying. He wants to know the truth, but Nina doesn't say. This bit helps foreshadow the reveal at the end of this episode.
The episode really starts when Walsh arrives at a mysterious dark office building. He's there to meet an analyst who has vital information. The analyst, Scott Baylor, provides Walsh with a keycard. As he explains, access codes don't take much space on the magnetic strip. The terrorists used this extra space to store information regarding Palmer. This venue is the perfect way to get information out without raising suspicion because they're used so frequently.
Walsh asks that Baylor stay on duty throughout the day, but Baylor wants to get away. The people behind this hit are so scary that Baylor sent his family into hiding when he found the keycard. He reluctantly agrees to help him for the rest of the day, but that deal ends when an unknown gunman shoots him dead. Walsh is wounded, but manages to escape. He informs Jack of what is going on and that he's the only person who can help him because of this leak. Suddenly, Walsh hangs up, and Jack frantically rushes to Walsh's location.
Teri and Alan arrive at the furniture store to find Janet's car and remnants of the party, including a condom wrapper. Of course neither is pleased. Jack calls to get an update, but when he tells Teri he can't be there, she gets cranky. He tries to ease her worries by saying that Kim isn't missing and she knows her limits regarding partying. Ironically, Jack's reasonable idea is the incorrect one.
In the Van of Doom, Kim grows worried and begs Rick and Dan to let them go. Kim's coherent, but Janet is extremely inebriated. Dan drugged her and tells Rick he should've done the same to Kim. Janet starts to choke, but Dan doesn't want to do anything about it. Dan is the misogynist of the two, shoving Kim in the backseat and putting down Rick for trying to give Janet some air. During this, some aggressive music plays in the background, which helps make Dan's indifference even more troubling.
Looking back on the first couple episodes, I wonder what Mandy's story on the show would've been had 9/11 happened. In publicity material for 24, she was featured in pictures with the lead cast, but she would only appear in three episodes this season. Obviously, she was swept aside because they couldn't have a character who blew up a plane more than necessary. But they decided to finish her initial storyline. When she arrives at the compound, Ira Gaines gives her a briefcase filled with money and offers her another job. She doesn't want a part of it, preferring to lay low for a while. Perhaps had she been kept around, we would've learned more about why. It seems like she may have felt guilty about her actions. If that's so, then they probably made a good decision to remove it.
Jack asks Nina for the clearance code for the office building Walsh is in. Since the line isn't secure, Tony is able to hear the whole thing. This action doubles as both a follow up on his suspicions about Nina's lie and a possible way to draw suspicion on him regarding the mole's identity. At this point on the show, we don't know a whole lot about Tony's character aside from not liking Jack and not trusting Nina when they're working together. His suspicions make him the most obvious choice, which obviously means that it isn't him.
On the rooftop, actually the top floor of a parking garage, Jack finds Walsh. They go together to Jack's car. This is a great idea for suspense. They're in a dark, mysterious building with an unknown number of men sent to kill them. As they finish descending the stairwell, Jack makes a tourniquet for Walsh's arm. Walsh blames himself for setting up the meeting wrong and apologizes to Jack for getting him involved. Jack insists that he has no reason to apologize, adding that he owes Walsh his life. Why isn't clear. It feels pointless to throw something like this in when Walsh is killed off at the end. However, his early demise meant that the writers needed to establish Walsh and Jack's relationship quickly. Maybe they thought such a major connection would make Walsh's death resonate more.
They navigate to an office area where they spot one of the gunmen. Working together, they find some desks they can hide in and from there they kill other men. Here's where it gets a little shocking. Jack goes to one of the bodies, checks to see if he's still alive, then brutally lops off the gunman's thumb. At first you may wonder why he would do this, but in the next episode, it's clear why, aside from the hell of it.
Mandy tells Gaines that the ID will be delivered shortly. The biker, a woman named Brigit, arrives at Gaines' compound, but doesn't have the ID. Instead, she hands him a Polaroid. He threatens to kill her, but relents since she is the only person who knows where the ID is located. Unbeknownst to Mandy, Brigit has decided to hold out on the ID for more money. Brigit must've been new to the life of a mercenary and clueless as to when you should negotiate for more money.
At Palmer's hotel room, the Senator plays down the call he received last hour and jokes around with his wife one more time before things become serious. His kids come home from a political rally excited. However, his aide Carl calls him regarding Maureen's call. Palmer leaves to meet him in person, avoiding the secret service agents (first appearance of Agent Pierce) who have been called up to increase security. It's surprising they didn't do this earlier considering when they found out about this threat. But the writers had to get Palmer out somehow.
Teri can't find Jack, so with Nina's reluctant help, she finds the number of the owner of the store. While they clean up the kids' mess, Teri reveals to Alan that she was separated and has been trying to revive her marriage. The frustration Teri has towards Jack is now opening herself up to Alan and their position together certainly leads to some dramatic tension for those who don't know how the rest of the season will play out.
Walsh and Jack manage to get out of the building, but as they climb over the railing, Walsh is shot. Jack tries, but can't get the shooter. In his last action, he gives the keycard to Jack, instructing him to give it to Jamey. As he throws it to Jack, the gunman fires at him again. Jack manages to escape, but is reeling from the murder of his friend. It's shocking that after only two episodes they would kill off someone we expected to be a major player. Michael O'Neill is a recognizable character actor, so we assume he'll be around. Such a bold move was to make this early. Now we know to make no assumptions and that no one is safe.
In an ominous empty parking lot, Dan pulls over and throws out Kim. He tells her to call her mom to make her believe she's OK. Kim defiantly remains quiet. Rick keeps Dan from seriously hurting Kim, saying that Gaines doesn't want her hurt. While Rick may be Dan's friend only because it makes Dan feel better about himself, Rick helps keep the worst of his sadistic side down. Still, Dan whips out a crowbar and breaks Janet's arm to get Kim to call. Trying unsuccessfully to quell her hysteria, she tells her mom that she's at a party and Dan quickly cuts off the conversation. Since Kim said "I love you", a phrase she never uses, Teri's worry appears to be justified.
Still upset, Jack calls Jamey about the keycard. She gets him to send the data via his remote magnetic scanner. From this information, she'll be able to find whose computer was used to burn the information on the card. Surprisingly, it is Nina. It makes Tony's suspicions about her ability to lie much more grounded.
Meanwhile, a naked Mandy meets Jonathan. This scene cements her status as a cult icon among 24 fans. Anyway, Jonathan is a sniper who has had his face altered to resemble Martin Belkin. Assuming the photographer's identity, he will kill Palmer later that day. He spends some time practicing on eggs, a rather explosive way to end the episode.
The story capitalized on the pilot's question. We learned just how bad the mole situation is. Walsh's death is certainly unexpected. This twist eventually led to far too many "Walsh isn't dead and is actually the mole" speculation, but it's a small price to pay for a suspenseful episode. It is one of season one's highlights.
Score: 9/10
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Following an impressive, ambitious pilot is demanding. However, 24 pulls off an episode that is better than its predecessor. We start to see deeper into the conspiracy and just how dangerous it is having no one to trust. Also they throw in one of the biggest twists that proves that this show won't follow conventional rules.
Mandy touches ground in the desert. There she waits for her escort to get her money. Only this isn't a simple delivery. Before her escort arrives, she places the ID in a homing device and buries it. As soon as she has left, a mysterious person on a motorcycle rides to where Mandy was and finds the ID using a tracking device.
CTU scrambles for information regarding the plane when Tony approaches Jack regarding what had happened to Mason in the last hour. Jack doesn't say anything, but Nina comes to his defense with a quickly concocted lie. Surprised, Jack compliments her on it. Although Jack is new to Nina's deceptive ways, Tony knows a bit more. Although Tony doesn't question the initial decision, he confronts Nina privately about her talent at lying. He wants to know the truth, but Nina doesn't say. This bit helps foreshadow the reveal at the end of this episode.
The episode really starts when Walsh arrives at a mysterious dark office building. He's there to meet an analyst who has vital information. The analyst, Scott Baylor, provides Walsh with a keycard. As he explains, access codes don't take much space on the magnetic strip. The terrorists used this extra space to store information regarding Palmer. This venue is the perfect way to get information out without raising suspicion because they're used so frequently.
Walsh asks that Baylor stay on duty throughout the day, but Baylor wants to get away. The people behind this hit are so scary that Baylor sent his family into hiding when he found the keycard. He reluctantly agrees to help him for the rest of the day, but that deal ends when an unknown gunman shoots him dead. Walsh is wounded, but manages to escape. He informs Jack of what is going on and that he's the only person who can help him because of this leak. Suddenly, Walsh hangs up, and Jack frantically rushes to Walsh's location.
Teri and Alan arrive at the furniture store to find Janet's car and remnants of the party, including a condom wrapper. Of course neither is pleased. Jack calls to get an update, but when he tells Teri he can't be there, she gets cranky. He tries to ease her worries by saying that Kim isn't missing and she knows her limits regarding partying. Ironically, Jack's reasonable idea is the incorrect one.
In the Van of Doom, Kim grows worried and begs Rick and Dan to let them go. Kim's coherent, but Janet is extremely inebriated. Dan drugged her and tells Rick he should've done the same to Kim. Janet starts to choke, but Dan doesn't want to do anything about it. Dan is the misogynist of the two, shoving Kim in the backseat and putting down Rick for trying to give Janet some air. During this, some aggressive music plays in the background, which helps make Dan's indifference even more troubling.
Looking back on the first couple episodes, I wonder what Mandy's story on the show would've been had 9/11 happened. In publicity material for 24, she was featured in pictures with the lead cast, but she would only appear in three episodes this season. Obviously, she was swept aside because they couldn't have a character who blew up a plane more than necessary. But they decided to finish her initial storyline. When she arrives at the compound, Ira Gaines gives her a briefcase filled with money and offers her another job. She doesn't want a part of it, preferring to lay low for a while. Perhaps had she been kept around, we would've learned more about why. It seems like she may have felt guilty about her actions. If that's so, then they probably made a good decision to remove it.
Jack asks Nina for the clearance code for the office building Walsh is in. Since the line isn't secure, Tony is able to hear the whole thing. This action doubles as both a follow up on his suspicions about Nina's lie and a possible way to draw suspicion on him regarding the mole's identity. At this point on the show, we don't know a whole lot about Tony's character aside from not liking Jack and not trusting Nina when they're working together. His suspicions make him the most obvious choice, which obviously means that it isn't him.
On the rooftop, actually the top floor of a parking garage, Jack finds Walsh. They go together to Jack's car. This is a great idea for suspense. They're in a dark, mysterious building with an unknown number of men sent to kill them. As they finish descending the stairwell, Jack makes a tourniquet for Walsh's arm. Walsh blames himself for setting up the meeting wrong and apologizes to Jack for getting him involved. Jack insists that he has no reason to apologize, adding that he owes Walsh his life. Why isn't clear. It feels pointless to throw something like this in when Walsh is killed off at the end. However, his early demise meant that the writers needed to establish Walsh and Jack's relationship quickly. Maybe they thought such a major connection would make Walsh's death resonate more.
They navigate to an office area where they spot one of the gunmen. Working together, they find some desks they can hide in and from there they kill other men. Here's where it gets a little shocking. Jack goes to one of the bodies, checks to see if he's still alive, then brutally lops off the gunman's thumb. At first you may wonder why he would do this, but in the next episode, it's clear why, aside from the hell of it.
Mandy tells Gaines that the ID will be delivered shortly. The biker, a woman named Brigit, arrives at Gaines' compound, but doesn't have the ID. Instead, she hands him a Polaroid. He threatens to kill her, but relents since she is the only person who knows where the ID is located. Unbeknownst to Mandy, Brigit has decided to hold out on the ID for more money. Brigit must've been new to the life of a mercenary and clueless as to when you should negotiate for more money.
At Palmer's hotel room, the Senator plays down the call he received last hour and jokes around with his wife one more time before things become serious. His kids come home from a political rally excited. However, his aide Carl calls him regarding Maureen's call. Palmer leaves to meet him in person, avoiding the secret service agents (first appearance of Agent Pierce) who have been called up to increase security. It's surprising they didn't do this earlier considering when they found out about this threat. But the writers had to get Palmer out somehow.
Teri can't find Jack, so with Nina's reluctant help, she finds the number of the owner of the store. While they clean up the kids' mess, Teri reveals to Alan that she was separated and has been trying to revive her marriage. The frustration Teri has towards Jack is now opening herself up to Alan and their position together certainly leads to some dramatic tension for those who don't know how the rest of the season will play out.
Walsh and Jack manage to get out of the building, but as they climb over the railing, Walsh is shot. Jack tries, but can't get the shooter. In his last action, he gives the keycard to Jack, instructing him to give it to Jamey. As he throws it to Jack, the gunman fires at him again. Jack manages to escape, but is reeling from the murder of his friend. It's shocking that after only two episodes they would kill off someone we expected to be a major player. Michael O'Neill is a recognizable character actor, so we assume he'll be around. Such a bold move was to make this early. Now we know to make no assumptions and that no one is safe.
In an ominous empty parking lot, Dan pulls over and throws out Kim. He tells her to call her mom to make her believe she's OK. Kim defiantly remains quiet. Rick keeps Dan from seriously hurting Kim, saying that Gaines doesn't want her hurt. While Rick may be Dan's friend only because it makes Dan feel better about himself, Rick helps keep the worst of his sadistic side down. Still, Dan whips out a crowbar and breaks Janet's arm to get Kim to call. Trying unsuccessfully to quell her hysteria, she tells her mom that she's at a party and Dan quickly cuts off the conversation. Since Kim said "I love you", a phrase she never uses, Teri's worry appears to be justified.
Still upset, Jack calls Jamey about the keycard. She gets him to send the data via his remote magnetic scanner. From this information, she'll be able to find whose computer was used to burn the information on the card. Surprisingly, it is Nina. It makes Tony's suspicions about her ability to lie much more grounded.
Meanwhile, a naked Mandy meets Jonathan. This scene cements her status as a cult icon among 24 fans. Anyway, Jonathan is a sniper who has had his face altered to resemble Martin Belkin. Assuming the photographer's identity, he will kill Palmer later that day. He spends some time practicing on eggs, a rather explosive way to end the episode.
The story capitalized on the pilot's question. We learned just how bad the mole situation is. Walsh's death is certainly unexpected. This twist eventually led to far too many "Walsh isn't dead and is actually the mole" speculation, but it's a small price to pay for a suspenseful episode. It is one of season one's highlights.
Score: 9/10
posted by Matt @ 4:24 AM
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