Episode Report Card M. Giant: A- | 170 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT Day 8: 4:00 PM -- 5:00 PM
By M. Giant | Season 8 | Episode 1 | Aired on 2010.01.17
It's Kiefer, calling from his apartment and asking to talk to the director. So it seems like for once, Kiefer and Chloe have been keeping in touch between seasons, to the point where Kiefer has her direct line and Chloe already knew about Kiefer's plans to move back to L.A. before Spawn did. Chloe says "Mr. Hastings" doesn't like to be interrupted, so Kiefer tells her, "It's about a plot to assassinate President Hassan. See if that gets his attention." Chloe drops her headset and crosses the floor, which is when we get our first really good look at CTU NY. Unsurprisingly, it looks like a combination of a design studio and Minority Report, with glass everywhere, brown wood paneling where the concrete used to be at CTU LA, and glowing glass cube-walls.
But of course the boss's office is still an upper-level fishbowl, and in it, Brian Hastings (played by Mykelti Williamson, the original "Bubba" in the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company although slightly less mentally challenged in this role) is on his Bluetooth going over images of security measures for the conference. He's not thrilled to see Chloe enter his space (no one ever is), but he gets off his phone call when she tells him what's up. A moment later, he's on the line with Kiefer for the first time. Kiefer says he's with an informant who's telling him about a hit on Hassan planned for today. He goes on to say that the snitch is Victor Aruz, who Kiefer worked with on the "Salazar op." Funny, I don't remember him from Season Three, but then I probably wouldn't, since I missed most of it. Chloe gets to work pulling up Victor's file on Hastings' computer while Kiefer adds that Victor wants CTU protection and immunity in exchange for the info. Hastings is uncertain, and Kiefer asks if they've pulled Victor's file yet. "No," Hastings says with a sour look at Chloe. Heh. Hastings tries to blow Kiefer off, saying he's got it covered. "CTU isn't the organization you knew," he adds. One would hope not. But Kiefer gets snotty, threatening to call President Taylor if anything happens to Hassan. Hastings bitches impatiently at Chloe for the file, and Kiefer presses him to make up his mind already. Hastings wants to talk to Victor. Kiefer puts his phone on speaker, and we see that he's bandaged Victor's arm as Hastings asks Victor for corroboration. Victor names his two dead confederates and Hastings agrees to check with the cops. So that's a done deal. Hastings asks for Kiefer's address. "1145 West 18th," Kiefer says, which is going to be a little tricky to find, seeing as it sounds like it's either in a part of Chelsea that's so trendy it doesn't actually exist or in the middle of the Hudson River, but Hastings says he'll send a helicopter. Show-off. He asks Kiefer if they can get to the 12th Precinct, five blocks away. Kiefer says he can, and Hastings says the chopper will be there in twenty minutes. Doesn't all of this seem a lot more risky than just calling a car service? Before hanging up, Kiefer warns Hastings not to use official channels. The call ends, and both parties get into motion.