Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Who Rescues the Rescuer?
By M. Giant | Season 5 | Episode 3 | Aired on 01.15.2006
Kiefer tells Buchanan, "One of the terrorists' vests blew up, but none of the hostages were hurt." Nice how he tries to imply that it just sort of happened. Buchanan won't let it lie, though, and Kiefer hesitates before deciding to tell Buchanan that he was behind it. He says he didn't have a choice, and that he didn't give himself away, so it all worked out. He asks if Curtis is still on schedule, and Buchanan confirms it. This is a good time as any to mention that Audrey hasn't yet spoken into the speaker phone, so as far as we know, Kiefer doesn't know she's there. Kiefer hears Beresch down below, telling his guys to get into a different formation and check the circuits on their vests. If that were me down there, I'd be checking the circuits on my vest via long-distance telephone by now.
At 9:46:47, Buchanan gets a call from Logan. Buchanan takes a moment to decide to give his entire pension to Logan's opponent in the next election before he takes the call. Logan, who's still in the Not Camp David Situation Room with Novick and Walt, wants to know what's up with the explosion he's heard about on the news. Buchanan assures him that everything's under control, and that "our man inside" blew the vest in order to stall an execution. Logan asks if Buchanan authorized that, like it matters, and Buchanan says he didn't. He takes a deep breath and Band-Aid-rips, "You should know, Mr. President, the man we're talking about is Jack Bauer." Logan is gobsmacked. He doesn't understand why the suspect in the Palmer shooting is working with CTU now, so Buchanan says they're starting to think Kiefer was framed. "It's complicated, Mr. President," Buchanan understates. "Why am I only hearing about this now?" Logan demands. Buchanan says he didn't want to distract the President with details. Wrong thing to say; Logan goes all Bad Boss and orders, "You. Tell. Me. Everything. And I will decide which details are relevant!" Buchanan says there isn't time. Logan: "Then TALK FASTER!" Hee hee hee! Logan's funny when he's losing it. It's 9:48:02
9:52:25. Kiefer continues to overlook the concourse, FLOTUS sits on the floor ransacking the Archive Room, Derek's knees must be getting tired, and Aaron the Lipless Gnome is bored of waiting for FLOTUS to come out of her suite. Evelyn tries to put him off a little longer, but he's not impressed. Blowing right past her anemic bluster, he quickly determines that FLOTUS isn't around. He tells Evelyn, "If something happens to Mrs. Logan, the blame will fall on you." I normally dig Aaron, but at this point I really have to say, shut up, Secret Service guy who's been standing outside the door doing nothing for fifteen minutes. But Evelyn folds anyway.
Cut to FLOTUS in a very undignified position on the floor of the Archives Room, showing quite a bit more leg than is strictly FLOTUS-ly. She flips through file folder boxes, tossing them every which way until she seems to find what she's looking for. And I have to give props to the Not Camp David transcribers for their quick turnaround on getting these transcripts typed up, printed, and filed in less than twelve hours. If 24 does a four-hour season premiere again next year, I'm totally asking Sars if they can help me with the recaps.