24: Season 5, Episode 8: Day 5: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Review

Day 5: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Original Airdate: February 13, 2006
Writers: Evan Katz and Robert Cochran
Director: Brad Turner

After last week's episode, which a bit sluggish, this one was a much more welcome installment. Although both dealt with the issue of whether it is right to do morally questionable things for the greater good, this one felt more focused and is a good stepping stone for the showdown with this nerve gas, which must be coming soon. It didn't suffer from lame side stories, like Lynn's sister, which is addressed quickly, even if that means we'll have to deal with it later.

If Lynn's impromptu beat down did anything, it made him cranky. He is flexing his district muscle a lot more, in an effort to prove himself as effective. Perhaps his insistence on letting the terrorists release the nerve gas is a way for him to unleash that frustration at being rendered helpless less than an hour earlier. Only we know what happened, but that will likely be revealed soon.

It would've been funny if they had a scene with Lynn impatiently waiting outside CTU's entrance for someone to let him in while trying not to look suspicious because he lost his ID card, but instead he gets back in easily. No one asks why he looks disheveled, something more noticeable on repeat viewings.

The central problem of this episode is a common one for "24": how many need to be sacrificed to prevent a larger scale slaughter? How many casualties are acceptable? In addition, is there a way they can avoid loss of life and still be able to avert the attack? "24" has answered that question several different ways during its run, most notably with the Saunders situation at the end of season three. It is even more important now as they have this single lead to use, although they are forgetting one that I mentioned in the previous review.

Though Lynn and Buchanan believe that this would help, Jack and Audrey don't. Although following this canister lead is the best lead they have, there is no guarantee that the tracker on the remote will lead them to Erwich or the other nineteen canisters, which could easily be en route to their new target if not there already. It is a huge gamble, and Audrey can't use the lives of the people in the mall as collateral.

It's not surprising that Jack disobeyed Logan's order to allow the terrorists to release the nerve gas. While Jack is willing to help avert the crisis, he doesn't respect Logan the way he respected Palmer. Seeing how he reacted after discovering Walt's deception alerted Jack to Logan's inability to lead. Logan wasn't much to offer help during the warhead or hostage situations, so Jack would logically defy Logan when he had an order. Also, considering they know how to activate the canisters on site, the remote activation lead is moot.

The release of the canisters is a lighter version of the hotel saga from season three because only a small portion of the people succumbs to it. It also gives Jack an opportunity for some heroism. Because there were no puppies or little old ladies nearby, he saves a little girl from the nerve gas. This is worth noting since they don't go for these moments on 24. He has helped civilians before, but not to the degree where some may cry manipulative.

What surprises me is how long it took Erwich to realize that CTU is onto their mission. Only two hours earlier, he learned that Walt was going to betray them. In this episode, he arranges the meeting with Jack as Rossler with Jack only saying one quick word and only suspects something when Jack surprises Pulakov and the other henchman. Considering Walt was a high ranking government official and the fact that his operation has been changed at the last moment, it seems sloppy of him not to be aware of potential government intervention.

Logan reverts to being a little twerp. Walt's suicide gave him the opportunity to escape from a potentially long and embarrassing trial, something that would damage his much coveted legacy. Of course, it fits his character to take this route, and it still sets Logan up for a more tragic fall. Although they hope the potential scandal would die with Walt, it won't be that easy.

Logan's plan relies heavily on CTU's ability to keep the Russian threat under control. Since this is only the third way point, this attempt to cover up will cause considerable fall out, and that will be interesting to see. Martha warned Logan that the public wouldn't forgive him if he lied, so this statement about Walt's "heroism" is irrevocable. Evelyn knows the truth, and considering her job performance, this should be on every major news outlet before the evening news comes on.

When Martha confronts Logan with the lie, he manipulates her by trying to get her to tell Walt's widow the truth about her husband. We're rooting for Martha to do the right thing, but Logan's request is kicking Mrs. Cummings when she's down and we can understand why she wouldn't want to go there. Thankfully, Martha doesn't lie, but it isn't entirely the truth: Walt claim of patriotism is what got him in bed with terrorists, who in turn set forth to attack America. Logan's decision also cuts down the hour he spent with her trying to work on remedying the situation, further splitting these two. You have to wonder if Novick is comparing the Logans to the Palmers.

This episode moves a lot faster than the predecessor. The moral question of CTU's actions remains a strong part of this season and we see that dilemma over "the greater good" paralleled with Logan's storyline. I'm not sure what to expect after the nerve gas problem is solved, but I like 24 that way.

Score: 8/10