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In the aftermath of Hassan's murder, it looks like it's going to be all over but the cutting loose of the delegates. But then Taylor and the IRK minister ask Dalia to take over the country and his place in the peace process, not 20 minutes after her husband's death. She accepts, over Kayla's objections. Still, the Russian delegate isn't convinced, and backs out of the peace agreement. Reluctantly, Taylor agrees to talk to the one person who might be able to help with President Suvarov: Ex-President Charles Logan. Logan proposes a shady, secret deal whose details he declines to share with Taylor, which she agrees to.
Samir survived being shot, only to be secretly murdered by a Russian operative using a delayed poison. Apparently he was working with the Russian delegate, and since he's worried Walker might have recognized him, he follows her and Kiefer home to be sure.
At CTU, Hastings is relieved of command, and Chloe is put in charge. Her first crisis to deal with as interim director is what to do when Samir kicks it.
Kiefer takes Walker home, and they finally do it, watched by the Russian assassin. When Chloe calls to tell Kiefer and Walker what happened, Walker stops a bullet from the assassin's sniper rifle. Will she survive? Well, the second episode in a row closes with a silent clock, so that should give you the answer.
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Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previouslies freeze-frames: President Allison Taylor, CTU New York, the late President Omar Hassan, and Jack Bauer. Notice how Taylor's the only one on that list whose very existence hasn't been threatened this season. And Hassan's, as you'll recall, is already over. Seems like that was the climax of the season right there, but we've got eight hours left to wrap up the whole series, so let's get to it.
Having somehow extracted herself from dealing with the bereaved Hassan women during the previouslies, Taylor stares morosely out the window of her borrowed office at McGuire Air Force Base until Kiefer's call comes in from the apartment where Hassan was just murdered. He says he's sorry, but she isn't mad at him, assuming he did everything he could. "I failed you, ma'am," Kiefer says softly. Taylor reminds him it was Hassan's choice. "Don't put this responsibility on yourself." Kiefer lets it drop, because it's not like he can resign, and he advises her to keep after the peace agreement, but Taylor says there's nothing she can do with Hassan dead. Even when Kiefer literally warns her against literally letting the terrorists win. She says goodbye and hangs up before he can bust out another cliché.
Out in the fourth-floor hallway, Samir is laid out on a gurney and is now wearing an oxygen mask instead of the skiing kind, so it looks like Kiefer only mostly-killed him. Cole asks an EMT attending the suspect how he's doing, and learns that he should live. Cole gives instructions to have Samir transported to CTU Medical, and Samir is left alone with a different EMT, who looks like Jack Kerouac. This fellow produces a syringe and injects it into Samir's neck while no one's looking, then he heads down the stairs, presumably to wander off the scene just like a real paramedic. On the way down, he passes Walker on her way up, who looks at his back after he passes like there's something off about him, or maybe she can just hear how the music got all sinister the moment he appeared on the screen.
She enters the apartment, where Kiefer pulls out his earpiece and tells her that the peace process is as dead as Hassan. She's sad, but tells him he did all he could. "Wasn't enough," he grumps. Walker says they should get back to CTU, and Kiefer mutters, "Why? The fuel rods have been recovered, peace conference is over, everyone responsible is either dead or in custody." But there are eight hours left in the season. Kiefer goes out to the hallway, finds Cole, tells him to stay with Samir, and hands field command over to him. "We're going home," he declares. "We're done." Cole says Hastings will want a debrief, and Kiefer says he knows how to find him. At least until he gets on that plane to L.A. Kiefer shakes Cole's hand and tells him he's a good agent. "I wouldn't be standing here without you. Thank you." They say their goodbyes, and Walker follows Kiefer out like the obedient female she's suddenly become, having never said a word since coming out of the apartment. That borders on character assassination.
At McGuire AFB, Taylor and Tiny Tim from Homeland Security are on their way to the room where the delegates are waiting -- and a TV monitor is showing news footage from the evening's triumphant press conference over the twin subtitles "IRK PRESIDENT HASSAN REPORTED DEAD" and something about "DISABLED LIST WITH PULLED HAMSTRING," which I gather refers to some famous professional athlete and not the peace process itself, although with Fox News it's a tossup. One of those delegates, the very same Jamot from the IRK who Hassan had arrested for no reason hours ago, gets off his cell phone and hurries out toward the door. On his way, Jamot is stopped by the Russian Foreign Minister we met last hour, the one who looks like Jesse Ventura (who I may or may not have voted for). Novakovich extends his sympathies. "Though, on a personal level, I imagine you have mixed feelings right now," he remarks. He's referring to Hassan's earlier behavior towards Jamot. "I would think you would have little love for the man," he fishes. Jamot makes Hassan's excuses for him and says, "I never stopped believing in what he stood for." The Russian says he meant no offense, and Jamot lets it drop. After all, he's got a U.S. president to intercept.
And in the hallway right outside the room, that's just what he does. Taylor offers to talk to him after her announcement to the others. "But there may be a way to prevent that from happening," he says. "Before you do anything, I need you to hear what I have to say." Taylor tells Tim to keep the delegates waiting for another minute and leads Jamot over to a vacant room.
At 8:07:12, the Russian delegate gets a call on his own cell phone. The caller is the EMT assassin from before, who, in a slow, mournful Russian accent, reports that all of Samir's men were dead, and he took care of Samir himself. How stunned are you that the effort to derail the peace agreement was underwritten by a high-ranking Russian diplomat? Having withdrawn to a more private spot, Novakovich thinks this means there's no connection to them. "Maybe not," the assassin says sadly, but he thinks Walker might have recognized him. He remembers her from "six years ago, when we were using that mobster, Vladimir Laitanan." The assassin adds that he's now following the cab she's riding in with Kiefer. He doesn't think they're going to CTU, which Novakovich takes as a sign that she didn't recognize him. But the assassin thinks it's too risky not to kill them both. Novakovich points out that CTU thinks everyone behind the plan has already been killed or busted, so if Walker dies now, it'll point to a larger conspiracy. "How long before they discover it was us?" "It will take even less time if this woman remembers me," the assassin points out in his funereal voice. Novakovich tells him to continue following, "And I'll get back to you." It's 8:08:52. Short act, but the show must have known it couldn't waste any time getting new plotlines into motion.
8:13:04. A rare overhead shot of McGuire AFB starting its day -- which means a lot of Air Force officers are soon going to be wondering where they're supposed to sit -- leads us into a scene on the inside, where Dalia and Kayla Hassan are sitting around looking sad. Taylor enters the room, even though she was still with them at the end of the last hour, and says, "I don't have the words to tell you and Kayla how sorry I am." She and Dalia embrace, and Dalia says she knows Taylor did all she could. Good, now there doesn't have to be a war. Dalia turns to Jamot, who came in with Taylor, and says that Hassan "expressed his regrets to me, not the least of which was his treatment of you." Jamot thanks her, and now Taylor wants to get to the point, which I think we can already predict. After a short digression in which Taylor tells Kayla that Samir was found and captured, Dalia excuses her daughter from the room so she can talk to Taylor and Jamot alone. Taylor talks about the work she did with Hassan, which of course Dalia already knows about, probably better than anyone still alive. "Clearly, someone needs to take the reins of the IRK government," Taylor says. "Someone who believed in the same ideals and principles as Omar Hassan and who shares his strength." But not necessarily someone all that quick on the uptake, because Dalia doesn't realize they're talking about her until they spell it out for her. She's stunned, but Jamot says he's talked to people in the government back home and he thinks they can make it work. She claims not to be a politician. "But you are a martyr's wife," Jamot points out, "and history has proven that to be something far more powerful." He says she's popular at home, the majority of the people want peace, and she should be able to step right in. Plus there's an excellent chance Andrew Lloyd-Webber will write a musical about her. She protests, so Taylor steps in. "I realize that this is a lot to consider," she says, "especially now, while you're grieving." Which she's been doing for almost fifteen minutes now. "But without a unifying figure to hold your country together, everything your husband worked for will be for nothing." Dalia tells Taylor that although their marriage had its problems, she never stopped loving Hassan, "or sharing his desire for better relations with the West. If it is the will of my people, and of my government, I will take my husband's place at the peace conference." And her people and her government should he able to express their collective will in the eight hours, right? Taylor shakes Dalia's hand gratefully. What nobody is mentioning is the possibility that what happened to the last IRK leader who tried to sign a peace settlement with the U.S. might just happen to the one. Unless, like me, they find her a lot scarier than her husband was.
Out in the hallway, Taylor gives Tim the good news, and tells him to have the delegates head back to the U.N. Tim says he also wants to call CTU, "and implement those changes we discussed, if I still have your permission." Taylor leaves that up to him. No micromanager she. Which, believe it or not, is not another shot about Tim's height.
At CTU, Cole meets up with Hastings on the floor and explains how Kiefer and Walker bailed. Hastings nods understandingly as Cole adds that Samir is at Medical, barely conscious. Cole heads over that way while Hastings takes a call on his Bluetooth from someone named Wilson. At the same time (which is 8:18:13), Chloe gets a call from Tim. She offers to get Hastings for him, but Tim tells her she's the one he wants. Tim explains how the delegates are heading back to the U.N. to continue with the peace agreement. Chloe wonders how that's going to work, but Tim defers that question for now and asks whether CTU can provide security for the duration. "It's already been infiltrated by an enemy agent and compromised more than once today," he reminds her, as though she needs it. Chloe thinks he's trying to blame her for that. "On the contrary," he says, entering his office. He says that from his review of the hourlies, she's been doing a great job. Chloe wonders why he's calling, and he says, "I'm relieving Brian Hastings of his post effective immediately. We're now in the process of vetting suitable candidates to replace him, but until we find someone, you'll have provisional command." Chloe is stunned, as am I, but Tim has done his homework. "There's nobody in that building who has more experience than you do." What a pants-pissingly terrifying thought. Chloe tries to defend Hastings, but Tim insists, "My decision's made. Now accept it, and let's move on." Chloe asks if Hastings knows. "Division's informing him as we speak," he tells her, as she looks up to see Hastings up in his fishbowl office, gazing out over the floor and looking even more beleaguered than usual. Tim tells her he'll be in touch, and hangs up. I can see why that needed to be done before all the delegates had to be contacted and told not to go home.
As soon as he does, Chloe gets up and climbs the steps to what's about to be her office, then knocks on what's about to be her door. Hastings' call is over as well, and he tells her it's okay. Chloe in turn says it's not fair to put the blame on him, but he bravely points out, "Everything that happens here is my responsibility. The successes and the failures." And now they'll be Chloe's, although he doesn't say that part. "I recruited Dana Walsh into this agency. I let the snake into the garden." Flowery, aren't we? Hastings says they should start going over protocols, and says they shouldn't waste any time. Which could either mean "let's get right to it" or "please don't argue with me about every little damn thing while we're doing this."
Kiefer and Walker are now at his apartment, and she asks if he lived there long. "No, just during my recovery," he says, whatever that means. Wouldn't that pretty much mean most of the time since they last saw each other? And let's not even get into the question of what he's been doing for money this whole time, because the Chelsea Hotel can't be cheap, unless he's getting the $24 room rate promotion I heard they launched once they realized they were putting up Jack Bauer. He heads into the kitchen to make some coffee, and she takes off her jacket and starts looking around at 8:21:06. She lets her hair down and notices a picture of Kiefer's granddaughter on the shelf, and asks her name. "Teri," Kiefer says. "Kim named her after her mom." Walker's like, awkward. She turns around to let Kiefer off the hook for anything he might have said to her during the stresses of the day. Kiefer looks surprised, then comes over and shuts her up by kissing her. And then he hoists her up and carries her to the bedroom. Stop talking, woman!
In an office somewhere, an elderly professorial type shuffles papers. Hearing a door opening out in the hall, he calls out, "Hello? Somebody there?" The professor's clearly used to having the whole building to himself. After he peeks around a bit, suddenly the paramedic assassin appears out of nowhere and stabs him to death. Worst paramedic ever. Now that the killer has the office to himself, he pulls out a sniper scope and peers through it across the street. In a full-length mirror, he can see a slice of Walker and Kiefer, in bed and doing the nasty already. It's 8:23:26, and let's hope for Walker's sake that Kiefer doesn't do everything quickly.
8:27:43. Taylor finishes packing her briefcase and hands it to an assistant to deliver to Marine One. But before she leaves, she's agreed to talk to Novakovich. He's curious about how the peace talks can be continuing, as Tim apparently told him they were. Taylor says she wasn't planning to announce this until later, but tells him now that Dalia Hassan is stepping in. Hand: tipped. And I think we can start the death clock on Dalia right now. Novakovich acts skeptical, but Taylor says the IRK parliament is already having an emergency session to ratify her as provisional president. Novakovich argues that the opposition at home will get stronger in the wake of Hassan's death, but Taylor insists that it'll galvanize support for the Hassans and the peace agreement. "You can't be certain of that," Novakovich says with surprising directness. Of course, we'll know either way in a matter of hours. For the second time in as many hours, Taylor calls him out on not seeming as behind the peace agreement as he lets on. Good for Taylor for realizing that Russia is not that into her. With nothing else to say, Novakovich stands and says, "Respectfully, my country will not be signing your peace document." He's about to leave, when Taylor threatens to take this up with President Suvarov, who's been running Russia since Season Five. That's just adorable! Especially considering the 24 version of the U.S. is on its fifth president since Suvarov was first introduced, unless I'm forgetting some of them. Novakovich says he's got full authority on this: "Any decision I make represents the formal position of the Russian government. Good day." He leaves without remembering to add, "I said GOOD DAY!" Frustrated, Taylor gets up and heads out into the hallway, wanting to talk to Ethan right away. "Liberty is on the move," a Secret Service agent says into his cufflink. That must be a symbolically encouraging thing for her to have to hear all the time.
Ethan is already being wheeled out of the infirmary as the doctor says they cleared a blockage, and the damage turns out to not be as bad as they thought. It must not have been, if he's already out of there. "In other words, I'm a tough son of a bitch," Ethan says. Especially after a fistful of Tums. He wants to get right back to work, and is glad to not hear a flat no. It probably helps that unlike everyone else on this show, he had a good night's sleep. Taylor comes up and asks for a minute at 8:30:54. She wheels him off to one side so she can sit down with him, and in addition to being fully functional, he's already up to speed on what's been going on. Someone must have been briefing him during his surgery. He calls the idea of putting Dalia in charge "inspired," although since the other options were Jamot, Nabeel and Kayla, I wouldn't go that far. Taylor says the Russians disagree, and are using this as an excuse to pull out, which will effectively kill the agreement as dead as Hassan. And since Ethan got Russia there to start with, she needs his help getting them back. Ethan says he knows someone who could help them, "but you're not going to like it." Who is? Of course, Ethan's referring to Charles Logan, the former president. After a little expository dialogue referring to how Logan was pardoned by Taylor's immediate predecessor, Noah Daniels (all of this talk of ex-POTUSes is just making Suvarov seem more and more like a one-man dynasty), Ethan says that Logan has been leaving him messages offering to help. "Despite his political downfall, he's managed to maintain a uniquely close relationship with Moscow." No shit, if he already knows what's up. And why did Ethan bother asking permission to get back to work when clearly he was listening to voice mails as well as briefings when the doctors were working on him? As for Logan, he's claiming to have "information" that could keep the Russians on board, although he wouldn't say more. So, blackmail, then? Ethan calls Taylor by her first name and says he doesn't trust Logan ether, but thinks she should hear him out. After all, it's the final season, and there's only so much time to start shipping in the few surviving former cast members. Speaking of which, where the hell is Aaron?
Hastings and Chloe descend the stairs from what used to be his office, and he addresses his troops one last time. "I've never been very good at goodbyes," he begins. Who ever claims to be good at goodbyes? I'm going to start doing that. I'm going to get so good at goodbyes that I'll say them and leave and then come back and say them again. This is he way of announcing that he's being replaced, with Chloe taking over for now. "I'm sure you will show her the same level of loyalty and commitment that you've all shown me." Way to sabotage her right away. He smiles, thanks them, and walks toward the exit, making sure to cross in front of the big screen so everyone has plenty of opportunity to give him a round of applause if they want. Looks like they don't, though. Chloe catches up to him and says, "I just want to say we had a rough start, but I eventually really enjoyed working for you." Eventually? Like as in the last 12 hours of the month they worked together? Hastings returns the compliment: "If I'd listened to you in the beginning, maybe things would have turned out differently." They reach the door, and Hastings says he'll be at Division for his debrief, but she can ask him any questions she might have. "Okay, why don't you ever stand up straight?" she doesn't ask. Just as he's about to walk out, a security guard at the front desk tells Hastings that Cole is calling about a situation in Medical. "This one's all yours, Chloe," Hastings all but smirks, and leaves her to it. Chloe picks up the phone, and Cole's first question to her is "Where's Hastings?" Off to a great start. He's currently getting into the back of a town car in the background, so Chloe asks what happened. "Samir's just gone into cardiac arrest," Cole says. Samir is indeed seizing hard, foaming at the mouth and everything. Chloe says she'll be right there, and the doctors try to save Samir, but get nothing.
He's dead by the time Chloe charges into the OR demanding to know what happened. Well, who can tell, in this dimly lit cave they expect the doctors to save lives in? Cole in turn asks where Hastings is, and Chloe says Division removed him and put her in command, "until they find a replacement." Commandingly, Chloe asks Cole if he was with Samir the whole time, and Cole has to admit that there were a few minutes Cole wasn't, but the paramedics were. Cole suggests an autopsy, but Chloe insists they hold off and do a tox-screen at once. Cole points out that Samir couldn't have taken anything in his semi-conscious state. "No, but somebody could have given it to him," Chloe says. Cole gets what she's saying, and tells the waiting doc, "Do as she says." So we're really going to do this Chloe-in-charge thing. She says, "I'll be in Hastings' office -- my office," she says. "Let me know when you find something." It's 8:35:38.
8:39:55. Dalia and Jamot are talking plans when Kayla is finally let back into the room. So while Dalia was being put in charge of a country, Kayla's been on her own more than half the time her dad's been dead. Jamot tells Kayla he's sorry, and says he'll see them at the U.N. before leaving them alone in there. Obviously Kayla's pretty curious about why they're going to the U.N. instead of home, like they planned. Dalia euphemizes, "There are new developments. I'll explain them to you on the way." Kayla asks what's going on now, and as Dalia puts on her coat, she explains, "They have asked me to consider staying on to complete your father's work." Kayla's not getting it, so Dalia says, "Our party wishes to appoint me as the new president." She seems to know that Kayla isn't going to take this well, and she's not wrong. "You told them you couldn't possibly accept, not after what's happened?" Kayla says warningly. In fact, I'm not even sure there should be a question mark at the end of that sentence, she said it so definitely. Dalia lays it out for her: "Our country is on the verge of a coup by the people responsible for the murder of your father. Someone must lead." Kayla thinks Dalia is going to get herself killed and throws herself into her mother's arms weeping, but Dalia shuts that shit right down. "You are not the only one who has suffered today," she says. "This was not an easy decision for me, but it was mine to make. I do not need you to remind me of the danger. I need you to help me be strong. Now pull yourself together, there is a car waiting for us." Shit, man, that's hardcore. Maybe she should have been president to begin with. A neck that can hold a head that high would have shattered Samir's knife on contact.
It's 8:42:16, and we're back at the U.N. with Taylor already, ten minutes after we last saw her at McGuire AFB, some sixty miles away. Did Marine One go supersonic or something? The return to the U.N. certainly didn't take as long as the evacuation. She finishes a cell phone call and tells Tim the Russians are already leaking word of how they're going to "reluctantly" quit the talks. "They don't like wasting time," Tim sighs. He adds that her "guest" has arrived, by way of the freight elevator, and is now waiting in a conference room.
Taylor enters that conference room, and there's Logan, looking like a nervous frog, and accompanied by an aide played by Reed Diamond. Logan's also looking a little better than we last saw him, because then he had a beard and was bleeding out in the back of an ambulance back in Season Six. In fact, this episode is the first indication that he even survived that incident. On the other hand, his hair has thinned and his neck has thicked and he's got that ever-present flag pin stuck in his lapel. Nice character touch, that. His first words when Taylor enters are ones of sympathy over Hassan, for which she thanks him, remembering to call him "Mr. President." She asks to talk to him alone, meaning "lose the spook." Logan introduces his "executive assistant, Jason Pillar," and says he's trustworthy. Taylor drops the pretense and says, "Forgive me if I don't give much weight to your endorsement. He needs to leave." Which is pretty awesome of her, although I can't believe Reed Diamond was thrilled about showing up for shooting and not getting to do anything but nod and exit the room. The two presidents face off, standing on opposite sides of the long conference table. Taylor starts to bring Logan up to speed, but he already knows everything that's going on like he's been watching the whole episode with us, or monitoring the Kremlin's top-secret Twitter feed. "I have close friends in Moscow," he says with a modest smile. "In some ways, people there appreciate me more than people in my own country." Oh, because of that time he almost got the Suvarovs killed? I bet they get together and laugh about that all the time.
"It wasn't their Constitution you trampled," Taylor reminds him. Oh, sure, bring that up. Back to the point, which is her question as to whether he can change Russia's mind. He smugly says he's certain he can. "Let's just say I'm going to be able to exercise some leverage," he says with an evil smile. Taylor, no fan of evil smiles or the people who deploy them, asks for elaboration, but Logan will only promise that no laws will be broken. Wait, isn't blackmail a law? Logan starts talking about how she can't give up on the awesome thing she and Hassan almost did, probably calling on the glorious memory of his own historic treaty with Russia (a glorious day that of course ended up getting marred somewhat by his own arrest), but she interrupts with an impatient, "Don't play me!" She knows this is about his rehabilitation. "You participated in a conspiracy to cover up the assassination of David Palmer." Logan tries to claim that was for the good of the country, which Taylor doesn't buy. Logan admits she's right. "I made mistakes... for which I will be paying for the rest of my life." With the pardon and all. But he still wants to do good, and says this is her only chance to save what she and Hassan built. "Please, let me help you." Taylor agrees, and asks what's . He says he'll set up a meeting with Novakovich. When Taylor wonders what to do if Novakovich refuses to meet, Logan says, "Make sure he knows it's me. He'll agree to it." So when Logan said that no laws will be broken, I assume he only means that no laws will be broken by Logan himself, which won't count when the Russians kill his smug ass to shut him up. "God help you if you make me regret this," Taylor warns. That's the last thing either of them says before she leaves the room. It's 8:47:36
At 8:51:54, Kiefer and Walker are still in bed, happy as everything, even though Kiefer's just come in contact with even more of Vladimir Laitanan's DNA. "I'm so thirsty," he chuckles romantically, and gets up to get them something to drink. Slipping on his jeans on the way out of the room, he lets her touch the old scars on his back before throwing on a white dress shirt over those, and the bandage covering the spot Bazhaev shot him and the other bandage covering the spot where Walker stabbed him (and now he's returned the favor, squee!). "Don't move," he says, much more gently than when he usually does. Across the street, the assassin in the window watches Kiefer's progress across the apartment through the sniper scope, then returns his gaze to the part of Walker he can see in the mirror. I bet he's wishing for a laser weapon so he could bounce the beam off the mirror at her and be done with this already.
Walker lies there blissfully until Kiefer's cell phone rings from where it's lying on the floor to the bed. She alerts Kiefer, but he just calls to her from the kitchen to let it go. And now we're about to see a particularly harsh instance of what happens to people who don't listen to Kiefer, because instead of doing that, she picks it up and sees that it's Chloe's cell. Her new cell, I guess I should say, although I don't know when Kiefer had the time to program Chloe's new NSA-provided number in there with her full name, complete with apostrophe. "Hello, Jack's phone," Walker answers. That almost seems like sacrilege. From CTU, Chloe doesn't blink to find herself talking to Walker, and she quickly tells her about her suspicion that Samir was murdered. Yes, the tox screen already came back with "traces of an unidentified toxin." Way to keep it on the down-low, Russians. She figures someone injected Samir with it at the scene. Walker says she thought one of the EMTs looked familiar, and she asks Chloe to pull up her Red Square FBI case file. Chloe gets on that, as Walker admits she's not sure. Wrapped in Kiefer's sheet, Walker starts to leave the bedroom to tell him what's going on, but is rudely interrupted by the sounds of glass breaking twice and herself hitting the floor. Kiefer turns, sees the bullet hole in the window, and Walker's feet sticking out of the doorway in a way that suggests someone just swept her off them in a totally different way from how he did. He runs to her, only to have to dive for cover to dodge more bullets himself. Apparently that sniper rifle is an automatic. Kiefer waits out a few more rounds before darting into the bedroom and dragging her out of the line of fire. Blood is already pouring from her mouth and she's gasping for breath. Kiefer picks up his phone, which is still on, and tells Chloe that Walker's been shot. "We're still taking fire. I need a trauma team at St. Andrew's now." But how's he going to get there when they're pinned down like this? Well, fortunately he has a plan for dealing with that problem, which is not to care. He picks her up, and runs with her across the apartment to his front door, while the sniper fails to hit either of them even once. He looks really sad about it, too. Now it's a race between Kiefer and the assassin, running through their respective stairwells and hallways in splitscreen. Since the sniper's only carrying a gun and Kiefer's carrying a person, this seems like a foregone conclusion. But Kiefer makes it to the front entrance and right into a conveniently waiting cab out front before the assassin can get another clear shot. Kiefer gives directions to the cabbie, who pulls out with a squeal of tires. The sniper looks sadder than ever. I'd give him a hug if I didn't hate him right now.
In the back of the cab , Kiefer tries to keep Walker conscious, and tells the cabbie as they approach an intersection, "Do whatever you have to. We've got to get to the hospital now." The driver cuts through oncoming traffic as Kiefer holds her. I hate to say it, but maybe at this point, the best way to prevent her from dying of her bullet wounds is to get her killed in a head-on collision.
It's 8:56:16 as Chloe gets off her cell phone at CTU (having just told the hospital to drop what they're doing as soon as Walker gets there), and tells Arlo to pull up satellite. "Renee Walker was just shot." She barks instructions while he worriedly wonders if she'll be okay and who would want to kill her. Because the two of them were so close.
Kiefer carries Walker into the hospital (don't ask me how he paid the cabbie, let alone tipped him as richly as he deserved), saying there's no exit wound. The surgical team takes her from him and rolls her on a gurney into an OR. Kiefer is left standing helplessly behind in the hallway. This will teach them to have sex.
Splitscreen. He sits down on a chair, teary and barefoot. The surviving Hassans arrive at the U.N. Taylor re-enters the Conference Chamber that's been empty for simply hours. Novakovich is handed a message. Logan rides in a car, and it's not clear whether Jason Pillar is with him. Chloe dials her cell phone.
Kiefer's phone rings again, and Chloe asks, "How is she?" "Not good," he chokes out. Chloe has to tell him that the shots came from an office across the street, where a body was found, but no shooter. Kiefer asks what they were talking about before she got shot, and it's clear he's already getting ready to activate revenge mode. Chloe tries to say it doesn't matter right now. "Just be with her." Kiefer grits, "She's in surgery, Chloe, I can't," and repeats the question. Chloe says she told her about Samir's lethal injection. "Renee thought she may have recognized one of the EMTs." Kiefer says she didn't mention it, like he let her do much talking anyway, and Chloe says Walker didn't think it meant anything. "Where did she say she remembered him from?" Kiefer asks, pacing around the floor in his bare feet. Chloe says it was while she was undercover with the Russians, and that Walker asked her to pull up the Red Square file. Which she did. But before the conversation can continue, the doctors start coming out of the OR. That can't be a good sign this early on, even on a show where time is constantly compressed. Kiefer hangs up, and the surgeon comes up and tells him, "I'm sorry, she didn't make it. There was just too much arterial damage and blood loss. I'm very sorry." Kiefer is, unsurprisingly, devastated, and walks o the open door of the room, ready to cry. Walker's body is in there, covered in blood, with the oxygen mask still on her face. And his sheet is ruined. This is turning into his worst morning ever. He makes it all the way in there and manages to almost kiss her dead forehead before breaking into sobs. The second episode in a row ends with a silent clock, this one counting off to 9:00:00. But I'm sure we'll learn hour that Walker was pregnant with Kiefer's child.
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M. Giant is a Minneapolis-based writer with a wife, a son, and a number of cats that seems to have settled at around two. Learn waaaay too much about him at Velcrometer, follow him on Twitter, or just e-mail him at M.Giant[at]gmail.com.