Episode Report Card M. Giant: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Everything Changes
By M. Giant | Season 7 | Episode 11 | Aired on 03.02.2009
Where Mayer is in the Oval Office, arguing with Taylor over Kiefer. He says Kiefer has committed atrocities, and she reminds him, as though it's relevant, "Mr. Bauer has served under the aegis of three presidents, not just me." Yes, Palmer's predecessor, Palmer, Keeler, Logan (not Ray Wise, since Kiefer was in China throughout that administration), Palmer II, Daniels, and... whoa, POTUS is really shitty at math. She argues that she just wants Mayer to excuse Kiefer, "As an expression of gratitude for what he's done today." Mayer warns, "Pardon Jack Bauer, and you're telling every interrogator in the field that it's open season again." Before she can formulate a reply to what is actually an excellent argument, Moss's call is put through on speaker. He confirms that Mayer is in the White House, with Burnett, and informs them, "I have reason to believe that Jack Bauer is carrying out an off-book interrogation of Mr. Burnett as we speak." Mayer pops up out of his seat. This has got to be like some kind of atavistic nightmare for him: "Jack Bauer is coming to get me!"
Kiefer's still pulling the trigger on the taser gun, whose wires are still attached to Burnett. "I can pull the trigger 128 more times before this battery dies," he says. Burnett is maintaining his innocence and ignorance, claiming he loves his country. Kiefer hates it when people say that, so of course he zaps Burnett again. Then he disconnects the wires from the gun, activating direct-contact mode, which he says will up the voltage from 120 volts to 40 times that. I come up with 4,800 volts, but we can't expect Kiefer to be doing math when he's so occupied with his favorite pastime. Burnett begins blubbering, and makes the mistake of asking Kiefer what he wants him to say, so Kiefer fries his leg for him. "Don't even try and play that game with me," he hisses into Burnett's ear. He tells Burnett, "I've been doing this a long time," and he knows when a subject is lying. From which I guess we can assume that when he was just starting out as an apprentice torturer, he had to do a lot of learning by trial and error. Comforting. Then he tells Burnett that the next hit will be to his throat, which risks a "complete neuromuscular shutdown." Paralysis, in other words. "Mr. Burnett, you built the entire federal case against me. You of all people should know how far I'm willing to go to stop this attack from happening. So I'm going to ask you one last time, where is the target?" Burnett doesn't start talking until the taser is pressed up against his neck, and then he starts dribbling info as slowly as he can. "Soldiers... a unit... Juma's presidential guard... it already started." Kiefer is asking where, when suddenly Taylor's voice interrupts over the speakerphone. Kiefer tries to ignore it, but he has too much respect for the office to do that. Which is why he's torturing someone in the White House in the first place. We see that Taylor, Mayer, and Ethan are standing in the outer office as Kiefer tells them that there will be another attack within minutes. Soldiers are meanwhile busy attaching explosives to the outside of the locked door, while the President of the United States stands just feet away. I can't imagine the Secret Service would love that visual. Kiefer argues with Taylor until she pulls rank as his commander-in-chief and orders him to stand down. Which is when he fries the phone with the taser. But now he only has 125 jolts left! Sadly for him, he never gets to use another one, because Taylor gives the order to blow the door. It vanishes in a shower of smoke and splinters, sending Kiefer sprawling against the wall. Burnett's fine, because Kiefer's body shielded him from the worst of the blast. But I guess I should say he's fine other than having just been tortured. Soldiers rush in to arrest Kiefer and call the EMTs in for Burnett. Mayer is the first civilian to enter, and as he spots Kiefer pouting in a chair, he tells him he's finished. "He was talking," Kiefer insists. "Whatever is happening is happening now and it's on your conscience." Oh, Kiefer, don't get in a conscience match with... well, anyone. Taylor and Ethan come in to ask what Kiefer knows about this attack, and he doesn't help his credibility much when he reluctantly says that his source was Tony Almeida. Mayer scoffs and tells Taylor, "I don't care if his source is the blessed Virgin Mary. Nothing justifies what went on in this room." Taylor asks if that's true even if Kiefer's right. "Look at that and tell me it's not barbarism," says Mayer, indicating his bloody, shaking Chief of Staff. "Is that something you can live with?" Maybe if Burnett's hair was sticking up in an electrical afro and his pupils had been replaced by little voltage meters and he was doodling his fingers over his lips and going, "Blububublububulub." Kiefer reminds Taylor of the plane crashes earlier today. "Is that something you can live with?" Mayer calls Kiefer reprehensible, and Kiefer retorts, "And you, sir, are weak! Unwilling and unable to look evil in the eye and deal with it." Okay, Taylor, first of all, how is it weak to want to prevent the country from abandoning its principles and giving into its basest instincts out of naked fear? And secondly, Mayer is looking Kiefer in the eye right now and has, by all accounts, been trying to deal with him for some time now.