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With Walker dead, Kiefer's out for blood. Aware that Walker may have spotted an old Red Square contact, he gets Chloe (who, you'll recall, is the new CTU boss) to give up the location of Sergei Bazhaev. And Bazhaev, in turn, gives up what he knows, which isn't much: the Russian government is behind everything, and Dana is the Russian mole.
To get Russia back on board with the peace agreement, Logan goes to confront Russian Foreign Minister Novakovich with his accusation of Moscow's involvement in Hassan's death. Novakovich caves, but Taylor and Ethan's appreciation is tempered by their fears about what Logan did to make it happen.
Upon learning that Kiefer is questioning Dana, Logan is forced to come clean about what he knows to Taylor and Ethan, which puts Taylor in a difficult position. Logan argues to go ahead with the peace agreement, red-handed Russians and all, while Ethan warns against the Faustian deal. Taylor's too invested in her peace process to throw it away due to a little thing like one of the signatory nations engaging in acts of war, so she makes a house call to CTU to call Kiefer off. Things get pretty heated between them, but the president gets her way. Or at least it looks that way, until Kiefer steals a CTU helicopter. That's going to put a strain on his friendship with Chloe.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previouslies freeze frames: Dalia Hassan, Mikhail Novakovich, President Allison Taylor, Dana Walsh, and Jack Bauer. A couple of first-timers in there, but only because so many other characters are dead.
Speaking of Renee Walker, Kiefer has apparently spent the whole previouslies looking sadly down at her on the abandoned operating table, his shirt still smeared with her blood. A nurse comes in to say they need to move her. Kiefer doesn't say a word, just slowly shambles toward the door. She asks if he's Walker's husband, and when he says he isn't, she asks if he can help contact her of kin. "Do you know where her parents are? Are they alive?" Kiefer can't exactly say he technically only knew Walker for two days, and until an hour ago they were generally too busy shooting at people and arguing with each other to discuss her family, so he has to admit he doesn't know. "Sir, are you going to be all right?" she asks, suddenly noticing that he seems kind of upset. Instead of answering, he wanders out. Well, at least now he only has to buy one plane ticket to Los Angeles at the end of the season.
In the hallway, another nurse presents him with a set of clothes she took off an intern. Literally, that's what she says. And I thought the interns on other TV shows had sucky lives. Kiefer wanders over to a chair, where a moment later, he can see the sheet-covered body of Walker being wheeled out of the OR on a gurney. Bye, Walker. He gets a few seconds to sob weakly before his cell phone rings. And honestly, I think a cheerier ringtone would do wonders for his mood right now.
It's Chloe, who's already heard the bad news. CTU is so connected. She asks what she can do to help. Kiefer, being Kiefer, growls, "Tell me who did this." Chloe tries to tell Kiefer that CTU is on it, but he gets her to admit that Walker thought she spotted someone from the Red Square gang. Of course Kiefer wants to talk to Bazhaev immediately, and demands that Chloe tell him where he is. Before Chloe answers, she informs Kiefer that she's the boss at CTU now. "Bazhaev's our only lead. I need whoever talks to him to be in complete control." Kiefer promises not to interfere, so Chloe finally reveals that he's in Federal Court downtown for arraignment. Kiefer hangs up without thanking her, or even congratulating her on her promotion.
Ethan presents himself to Taylor in the U.N. Council Chamber, and she acts shocked that he's not resting, after specifically ordering him to get back to work ASAP just a few hours ago. Indeed, he was treated for the heart attack for less time than he was actually having the heart attack. He insists he's fine, and wants to continue their conversation about Logan. Of course, Taylor tells him that Logan's already been recruited and is en route to meet Novakovich as they speak. "Whew, that was fast," Ethan marvels. I like how every once in a while this season, some character expresses surprise at how quickly things are moving. It doesn't make it more believable, but at least the writers are admitting they're aware of it. He's curious about what Logan is planning to say, and is a little shocked when Taylor says she doesn't know the specifics. "Don't ask, don't tell was the price for Logan's cooperation," Taylor explains. Which is certainly no reason to assume that Logan's actions aren't totally above board and legitimate. It's Charles Logan we're talking about, after all.
Logan and his "executive assistant" Jason are led into a balcony restaurant where Minister Novakovich is enjoying a breakfast for one, or at least moving two forks around over his plate. Logan calls over to him, "Mikhail!" Novakovich (and a shout-out here to reader Brian for pointing out that Mikhail Novakovich must have been named after Mike Novick -- I totally missed that) doesn't look thrilled to see him, although he invites Logan to sit and makes a polite remark about the loss of Hassan. Despite being full of smiles, Logan isn't in the mood to be polite; he not only tells the Russian to save his platitudes but, noticing a waiter standing questioningly behind him, also orders an espresso that I assume will go on Novakovich's tab. As Logan sits, the Russian guesses why Logan's here, and speechifies, "President Taylor lured the whole world here with the promise that Hassan had united the IRK, that there would be peace...now it is clear that was a lie." Logan reminds him that Dalia is ready to step up, but Novakovich asks how Dalia can unite the country when Hassan's own opposition took him down. "Because we both know the opposition that undid him had outside help," Logan says pointedly. He outlines the ambitious scope of the whole plot, and how it points to a large-scale rival of the U.S. Novakovich starts to accuse Logan of "insinuating" something, and Logan says, "No, I'm saying, it was people inside your government. First among them you." Hey, that's one upside to being an ex-president: you get to say shit like that. Logan certainly isn't wasting any time. Novakovich of course protests this "outrageous accusation," but Logan says it's a true one, and he's got proof. Which he threatens to share with Taylor. "What I would like to tell her is that Russia is back at the table and her peace process is on track. But if neither of us hears from you before I get there, I'm afraid what I'll have to tell her instead is the unvarnished truth." So he's not even going to stay for his espresso?
It's 9:10:38, and a handcuffed Bazhaev is suffering the indignity of standing in front of a courtroom with his hands cuffed, in front of a judge who's mispronouncing his name and refusing to grant bail. So much for his immunity, I guess. Bazhaev's attorney pleads vainly on his behalf, pointing out his wife, daughter-in-law, and grandson in the gallery, and how nice of them all to show up the morning after both Josef and Oleg were killed, to support the guy who killed one of them. Kiefer, in his new intern-wear, quietly enters and takes a seat, his arrival not unnoticed by Bazhaev. After the judge orders remand, Bazhaev whispers in his lawyer's ear, and the attorney asks for five minutes. The judge calls a thirty-minute recess, and the whole courtroom is cleared so they don't have to shoot the rest of this scene in a different set. Everyone but Kiefer gets up and leaves, and Bazhaev's attorney leaves the two of them to talk privately. Now it's just those two and the bailiff, which is probably a good idea, since the last time Kiefer and Bazhaev were alone in a room they had a big old gunfight. Kiefer goes and sits to Bazhaev at the defendant's table, and Bazhaev begins, "If you touch my family, I swear to God--" "You're not really sitting in the right chair to be making threats," Kiefer interrupts in a whisper. "Who shot Renee Walker?" The name means nothing to Bazhaev, so Kiefer explains how she recognized an old Red Square guy. "There is no Red Square. Not any more," Bazhaev stalls. Kiefer tries to clarify his position: "This agent, Renee Walker? I considered her to be my family. So take a long, hard look into my eyes and realize that I will have no problem taking out each member of yours before they even get home today, unless I get the information I want." Bazhaev follows those instructions to the letter, but insists it had nothing to do with him. Kiefer gets up to leave. "I'll tell your wife and your daughter-in-law you said hello." "Wait!" Bazhaev says predictably. Equally predictably, Kiefer does. Bazhaev says his family will be killed anyway if he talks, so Kiefer promises witness protection. After a long pause, Bazhaev finally says, "Moscow." Kiefer just looks confused, and understandably so. Aren't they in New York, after all? "The Russian government," Bazhaev explains. "They are behind it. Not me." Kiefer wants names, but Bazhaev only has one. "The woman working with them arranged everything...the one they planted at CTU. Dana Walsh." Well, who else? Bazhaev is led away by the bailiffs, reminding Kiefer of his promise. It's 9:14:22.
9:18:42. Logan is in the back of the car on the return drive to the U.N., gazing out the window and taking a break from some thoughtful mouth-breathing to lick his lips in a reptilian fashion. Hard to believe he was never actually elected, with that charisma. He and Jason make some small talk about the meeting with Novakovich until Logan's cell phone rings and he answers, knowing it's Taylor. "Charles, I just got off the phone with the Russian Foreign Minister," she says from inside the Conference Chamber at the U.N. She keeps Logan in suspense for a bit before saying that Novakovich says he's "coming to the United Nations in five hours with the Russian premier to sign the treaty as scheduled." Logan quietly punches the air in celebration (and I'm sure the air is like, "I don't have to take that from you, you traitorous dick") as Taylor adds that Novakovich gave Logan all the credit. "He was in the mood to be convinced, Madam President," Logan says faux-modestly. Ethan chimes in to ask what Logan said to him. "I told him that peace is in all of our interests," Logan says piously. "Seriou
sly," Ethan presses, cracking me up by not missing a beat. Logan reminds Taylor that they agreed that would be his little secret. "Let's not do anything to sully our victory. And it is a victory, for all of us." Taylor and Ethan don't look convinced, no matter how smarmy Logan gets right up to the end of the call. Which is pretty damn smarmy, even for him.
Chloe's up in her new office when Kiefer calls in, true to his word, and orders witness protection for Bazhaev's family, just like that. Presumably we can look forward to catching up with them on In Plain Sight, Wednesdays at 10 on USA. As for what he found out from Bazhaev himself, he passes on the news that the Russian government was behind everything. "He didn't have time to explain why they didn't want the peace accord to go through, but he did say something important." Namely the part about Dana. So of course he's on his way in to talk to her. He wouldn't be Kiefer if he wasn't.
On the main floor at 9:21:06, Chloe takes Cole aside to ask for his help keeping Kiefer reined in when he questions Dana. "Jack respects you," she explains. "You might be the only one who can deal with things if he gets out of hand." Well, Kiefer also respects Chloe herself, and Taylor, and...okay, a lot of dead people. Cole it is. Naturally, he agrees. Arlo watches them both walk away thoughtfully, probably wondering if he needs to scramble Cole's entire TAC team as well.
Returning to the U.N. garage in the back of the limo, Logan gloats, "It's good to be back in the game, even if it is through the rear entrance." Somehow Jason manages to keep his "that's what she said" to himself. Logan's already looking forward to publicly getting the credit for saving the peace process, like that's going to happen. He's already got an airport in Boston named after him, what more does he want? As the car stops and Jason answers a call on his cell, a Secret Service agent opens the door for Logan. The ex-prez gives him a smug grin, but the agent's dour (not to say contemptuous, except whoops, I just said it) expression doesn't change. After Jason gets off his phone, Logan brats, "Who is that agent? I want him reassigned." One successful meeting and he's already a diva again. Jason's more interested in passing on some urgent news he just got from "a contact" at the Justice Department regarding Jack Bauer. "Bauer?" Logan spits, probably thinking about their last meeting, and impatiently waves off the hovering agents to a distance where he and Jason can have some privacy. Jason says that Kiefer talked to Bazhaev, who knows all about Dana Walsh (as does Logan, somehow. There are people on the writing staff of this show who aren't as thoroughly informed as Charles Logan is). Now Jason has just learned that Kiefer's on his way to sweat Dana some more. "My sources tell me Walsh hasn't given up anything about Moscow's involvement...but she knows enough to bring everything down." Man, I can't wait to see who these "sources" are. It's been a while since this show had a character who was so completely omniscient. "We need to stop Bauer before he talks to her," Logan realizes. Jason brings up the whole Walker thing that might be part of Kiefer's motivation: "She was shot dead in Bauer's apartment less than an hour ago." I really want to get a look at what Jason is using for a Magic 8-Ball. He thinks Logan needs to come clean with Taylor before it's too late. Logan, stunned, says, "If she finds out what the Russians have done, she'll be furious I kept her out of it. She might back out of our deal!" Gosh, I though this was all for the good of the country, and the world. Stubbornly, Logan says, "Bauer torpedoed my presidency. Tried to ruin me. Almost did. There's no way I'm going to let that happen again." Okay, so stop being a weasel, then. See how that works out.
Kiefer arrives at CTU at 9:24:23, and Chloe meets him on the way in. She tries to express sympathy about Walker, but of course Kiefer's got his Kiefer Tunnel Vision engaged and is only interested in Dana and whether she's ready for interrogation. Which she is, although she doesn't know it's going to be Kiefer who's doing it. They arrive in the observation room, where Cole is waiting, and offers his own sympathies about Walker. Kiefer barely spares him a glance (there's that respect Chloe was talking about) before returning his attention to Dana's face on the monitor. Chloe tells him she has to leave the cameras on. "You think I'm gonna kill her?" Kiefer asks. "Wouldn't blame you if you did," Chloe says, which is probably the only safe thing for her to say. Kiefer says, "If I wanted her dead, Chloe, she'd be dead. I'm just gonna wake her up to the idea of it. Open the door."
A moment later, he's inside the interrogation capsule with Dana. Handcuffed to her chair, she looks up at him with wary curiosity. "What do you want?" she asks. "I want to know who killed Renee Walker," he hisses. She actually looks surprised and a little sad to hear the news, not to mention confused "It must have been a mistake," she says. Kiefer says it wasn't, and she says she's sorry, quite convincingly. Kiefer, however, is not convinced. He gets in her face, repeating, "You're sorry? You're sorry?" With that, he bounces her head off the table in front of her, then starts smacking her across the face, demanding information. Yes, Jack Bauer is not afraid to take on a team of heavily armed commandos, or a helpless woman restrained in a chair. Chloe tells Cole, "Stop it." "Let her play, Chloe," Cole advises, not moving. One job, she gave him. "You hit me again, you get nothing!" Dana warns Kiefer during a brief respite from the thumping she's taking. For the second time this hour, Kiefer tells someone they're not in a position to make demands, and just to prove it, hits her again anyway. She says, "I can give you the hitter, and the man behind him, all the way up to the top." Big talk, considering the man behind the hitter is the Russian Foreign Minister, and Kiefer can probably figure out who his boss is for himself. It's not exactly a highly vertical org chart. Of course, she has no way of knowing at this point that Kiefer's even aware the Russians are involved. She's willing to provide proof, in the form of an audio file and film. "First I want my immunity deal back. As soon as I start talking, I'm dead. Your move, Jack." What happened to "Mr. Bauer?" Kiefer looks up at the camera in the capsule and leans forward to whisper in her ear. "If you lie to me, I'll find you no matter where you try and hide. You understand that?" How could she not? It's 9:27:34, and I don't know why he thought a vague threat would be more damning for the cameras to catch than the beating he just gave her.
9:31:52. Walking through the corridors of the U.N. with Dalia Hassan, at the head of a phalanx of agents, Taylor tells her that the delegates have unanimously accepted her as the IRK's representative. "I'm pleased," Dalia says, not exactly effusively, but what do you want from a woman who's been a widow for ninety minutes? She thanks Taylor, who reminds her that the IRK needs to accept her as well. Dalia says that she and Jamot have been working that and says it should be covered within the hour. "Dalia, we might just make it yet," Taylor says. "We might," Dalia agrees. It's nice to see these two female heads of state doing what needs to be done to put an end to war. Just imagine the bumper stickers that will come of this. Of course this is when Ethan comes up to tell Taylor that Logan urgently wants to talk to her alone and is waiting in her office.
It's 9:32:56 as we see Logan staring slack-jawed at the news monitor in Taylor's office, which is starting to break the news of Dalia's ascension. There's even footage of street demonstrations already going on in the IRK in her support. I don't care what time it is in Kamistan, that's some rapidly organized demonstrating, right there. Logan quickly mutes the TV as Taylor enters with her usual retinue. He thanks her for seeing him, and asks everyone to clear out, until there's no one left but himself, Taylor, and Ethan, the latter of whom asks, "What's this about, Charles?" Logan starts to spin some story about Kiefer being "out of control." This is when Taylor finds out that Walker's dead, and she takes it pretty hard. Logan's more immediate point is to stop Kiefer, and when she asks why, he says, "You're going to trust me. What we need to do right now is lock Bauer down." Because we should all trust Logan, especially when it comes to Kiefer. Taylor wisely refuses to budge until Logan comes clean, so he does, big time: "Elements inside the Russian government were behind both the assassination of President Hassan and the supply of nuclear material to his enemies." That was an impressively efficient précis of the situation. Taylor and Ethan are shocked, of course, but it doesn't seem to occur to them to question whether it's true, probably because Logan's story isn't self-serving for once. Logan argues that he was trying to protect Taylor, but Ethan rages, "You've compromised her, hopelessly!" Taylor asks why Logan didn't say anything about this. Logan defensives, "You must have understood it was significant." Taylor says she thought he was talking about "a sex scandal, some kind of financial malfeasance. Not this, for God's sake!" I love how she was only down with blackmail as long as it was about something merely sordid or shady. She starts threatening, "If I find that you were in a position to prevent anything..." A panicked Logan says he only found out about this "very recently," but he can't tell her from whom. "It would do no good. My sources would plausibly deny even knowing me." How? They seem to know everything else. Taylor lets that slide for the moment, so they can get back to the part where Kiefer's about to expose Russia's part in all this by talking to Dana. "If Bauer gets to her," Logan warns, "it'll all come out. Then this, this will all be finished," he says, pointing at the monitor that's still all about the peace process. Ethan says it already is. "You think the president wants anything more to do with the Russians after what they've done?" Like she can just take Russia's picture down from inside her locker or something. Logan says she does, for the sake of the greater good. He makes a passionate case for the peace she's about to achieve. Ethan demands, "Do you really think Dalia Hassan will sit down at the table with the people who murdered her husband?" "Who says she has to know?" Logan says, knowing full well it's a shitty suggestion but one he has to make. Taylor glares at him, and he says he knows how hard she's worked for this. Again, he argues eloquently, but he stops short of mentioning all the work he put into his own treaty with Russia -- possibly because he fucked that up himself by being an incredible cockslap. "Is the situation ideal?" he asks rhetorically. "No, far from it. But you have a real chance to make the world a better place." Ethan tells her not to listen, and says this isn't their last chance at this. "You can build a better peace, with honest partners." Logan quotes, "'There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.'" Ethan doesn't know his Shakespeare as well as does Taylor, who translates from Julius Caesar: "It means now or never." Funny, I don't recall that episode.
Just then there's a knock at the door, and Taylor's assistant comes in to tell her Kiefer's calling from CTU about Dana's immunity agreement. A bit slow, Logan. "I'll have to call him back," Taylor says, which is not a good sign. Ethan tells her there's no choice, but Taylor says there is. "And unfortunately, only I can make it." In other words, go have another heart attack. She announces that she's going to CTU, "to see Jack Bauer." It's 9:39:14, and I guess we're about to see a confrontation so dramatic, it can only happen in person.
9:43:32. At CTU, Chloe has to tell Kiefer that Taylor hasn't called back yet. Of course, neither of them knows that one of the act-in splitscreens showed her already in the car on her way. Chloe again tries to get Kiefer to leave it to CTU, but Kiefer insists, "I need to see this through." Unlike Cole, who has apparently taken a bathroom break while waiting around to watch his hero slap up his ex-fiancée some more. Arlo bursts in to say Taylor's calling back, but when Kiefer reaches for it, he adds, "She asked for Chloe." Kiefer hands the phone to her. With motorcade sirens in the background, Taylor tells Chloe that she's on her way there right now to talk to Kiefer. "Make sure he doesn't leave." Chloe acknowledges this, and tells Arlo to notify security that the POTUS will be there in minutes. "She's coming here?" Arlo asks in surprise. Chloe snarks old-school that she already said that, and Arlo leaves the room to distribute the appropriate heads-ups. "Why's she doing this?" Kiefer wonders. "Why didn't she just talk to me on the phone?" Chloe doesn't know, and suggests he meet her in what she's still calling Hastings' office. With another look at Dana on the monitor, he grumps, "Fine," and heads off. Although you know if he could figure out how to open that door himself, he'd stick his fist in there to pop her another one just for good measure.
Chloe, meanwhile, heads down the hall to the main entrance, where a whole damn Presidential motorcade pulls up into the security tunnel. Taylor steps out, and Chloe shakes her hand, saying, "Madam President, welcome to CTU. I'm Chloe O'Brian." Let's give Chloe a hand for being able to introduce herself to the president without saying something socially inept. Taylor thanks her and asks to see Kiefer. Chloe escorts her into the building, giving us a rare chance to see the two women side by side (who knew they were the same height?). When they reach the main floor, Taylor pauses to make a little speech to everyone, thanking them for the work they've done. "The peace process is still alive, and I'm counting on your hard work and your vigilance to keep it that way." So it sounds like she's made up her mind. "I know you won't let me down." The troops are as stingy with their applause as always. She looks up towards Hastings' office and sees Kiefer looking darkly down at her. Chloe escorts her to the stairs, and she says she'll go up alone. Chloe doesn't argue. Even though that could have been funny.
When the Secret Service agents open the door for her, she says, "Hello, Jack." He manages a polite little smile as he greets her in return. She says she's sorry about Walker. "I gather she meant a lot to you," she adds. Kiefer confirms it, and she says that's why her request is "so very, very hard" (that's what Walker said). At 9:46:54, she asks him to sit, and she takes the couch while he perches on the chair. "I need you to stand down," she says. Kiefer's confused, understandably. Isn't he already sitting down? So to stand down from here, would he have to stand up and then stand down? Or is he sitting up enough so that it's roughly equivalent to standing down already? Taylor clarifies that she doesn't want him to question Dana. Kiefer says this isn't just about Walker. "I believe she knows the names of the people who facilitated the assassination of President Hassan. People working within the Russian government." Rather dishonestly, Taylor says that's only speculation, and she's not about to give Dana immunity. She gives Kiefer all the good news from her end, including the part about the Russians coming back. Kiefer argues that she can't trust them. "If you let me question Dana Walsh, I can prove it to you." Like that's what she wants. And when Taylor continues to refuse, Kiefer slowly stands up (almost the opposite of standing down), accusing, "You don't want to know the truth." Without standing up herself, Taylor says what she wants is to keep the Russians around and "bring peace to a part of the world that has known nothing but war for generations. That is the greater good that I am working toward. To achieve it, there have to be sacrifices." Angrily, Kiefer says, "With all due respect Madam President, these people gave nucular weapons to terrorists who were willing to obliterate half of Manhattan!" Taylor repeats that he doesn't know that, which is a pretty weak argument. "And I'm telling you, we have to move on." She says that Dalia is even on board. Through all this, the music is rising eerily in a way that calls to mind a summer afternoon in the Midwest when the sky turns green. This isn't supposed to be happening. "Does she know the Russians helped murder her husband?" Kiefer demands. "Do you think she'd be willing to sign that treaty if she knew that? Have you even told her?" Taylor finally stands and snaps, "That's enough!" She says the peace process is more important than his desire for revenge, which is dirty pool. He says he doesn't want revenge, but justice. "And I want peace," she says. Kiefer fails to make the old argument that there is no peace without justice, which is why it's too bad for him that he doesn't hang out with more hippies. Taylor insists, "If there were another way, I would take it, but there's not. That's my decision. Do you understand?" Kiefer is silent. "Do you understand, Jack?" she repeats. He sucks it up and says, "Yes, ma'am." She is the only person he takes orders from, after all. She says there's a helicopter ready to fly him to McGuire Air Force Base, as a few uniformed CTU guards appear outside the glass door. "You're locking me down?" he asks, disgusted. She says he'll be "debriefed." I bet he will -- over his head. "Goodbye, Jack. I'm sorry." He leaves the room, pausing at the door, but thinking better of whatever he was going to say. I'm sure it would have been something lame, like pointing out she just made herself an accessory after the fact to everything that went down today. Or that this is all going to come out somehow, whatever she does, probably within the six hours. Or that for somebody who gave up her own daughter to be tried for murder, she's sure willing to cut Russia a lot of slack. Or even playing the old "I saved your life." Not that any of that is even relevant.
Down on the main floor, Chloe hands him a file box with his stuff in it, and asks what happened. "Nothing," he insists. She and Taylor watch him and the guards get into the elevator, which closes at 9:50:38.
9:54:53. This is going to be a short final act, but then there's not a lot left to happen. Taylor is still in Hastings' old office, yelling down her cell phone. Chloe has apparently spent the commercial break screwing up the courage to go up there to see if she needs anything. Taylor signs off her call, telling the person on the other end that saying she's leaving CTU now and will be there in ten minutes. Then she directs her attention to Chloe, and instructs, "Dana Walsh is to remain locked down until further notice. No one gets access to her without my express permission, is that clear?" "I guess," Chloe says. Who says "I guess" to the president of the United States? Well, I suppose it depends on whether that president, previously so conscientious, is suddenly giving orders of questionable legality. Chloe asks about Kiefer, and Taylor tells her Kiefer's on his way to McGuire AFB. "He was disappointed that I wouldn't grant Dana Walsh immunity in exchange for her testimony," Taylor admits. Chloe also points out that Dana knows everything, and Taylor, not about to have this argument all over again, snaps, "She is a sociopath. She'll say anything. And the last thing we need right now is a bunch of unfounded allegations [or worse yet, provable allegations] derailing the peace that we've all worked so hard for, do you understand, Chloe?" Chloe nods, chastened. Taylor says there'll be a press conference all about Dalia at the U.N. in two hours, and wants CTU to cover security. "Yes, ma'am," Chloe says crisply, but heaves a grumpy sigh as Taylor walks past her to the office door. Before leaving, Taylor turns to tell her, "Tim Woods speaks very highly of you. When the situation got out of control, he was quite adamant that you were the one to take over." "I'm surprised he even knows who I am," Chloe says, not modestly, but just as a statement of fact, Chloe-like. "It was a pleasure to meet you finally, Chloe," Taylor says. Chloe thanks her, unaware that this is just the latest example of Taylor's new habit of lying to everyone.
At 9:56:05, Chloe exits the office through the opposite door and updates Cole on the situation, such as it is. Cole wonders what's going on, and Chloe tells him to get his teams ready for the press conference already. I'd wonder about shift changes, but I guess Cole's already had his time off for the night. Still waiting to see if any of that ever blows back on him, but we're running out of time.
In the security tunnel, the presidential motorcade has gotten itself turned around, which probably took up the whole time Taylor was in there. As it carries Taylor away, Arlo is on the main floor wondering, "So Jack's being taken away for a debrief? About what, may I ask?" "No," Chloe says flatly. Heh. Into her headset, a helicopter pilot announces, "Director O'Brian, this is Falcon One, touching down at CTU." Of all the frightening moments 24 has given us over the years, I can't think of many more terrifying than hearing Chloe addressed as "Director O'Brian." The helicopter can be seen on the big screen, landing on the helipad in an overhead shot from a camera that's either on a surveillance satellite or a major pain in the ass for pilots to maneuver under. Chloe copies and says Kiefer's on his way up with security personnel now.
Splitscreen. As the chopper sets down, Dana is being removed from her chair by uniformed CTU guards. Presumably Taylor's order to keep everyone away from her doesn't include them. Logan and Jason are shown into what I assume will be their office at the U.N., as Taylor rides back there. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see they've been given permanent digs.
Kiefer emerges from the above-ground entrance of CTU, back in his own clothes, complete with leather jacket and man-purse, squinting in the morning sun. An Agent Winnick meets him and says he's escorting him to McGuire AFB. As Kiefer wordlessly starts walking with him across the lawn to the chopper, Winnick tries to suck up to him. "I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances." "No reason to be sorry," Kiefer says graciously, especially considering what he's about to do. Down below, Chloe is intently watching their approach on the security cam, like she doesn't have anything more important going on than to make sure Kiefer doesn't snap his leash on her. Which, okay, she doesn't. Because suddenly, Kiefer snatches Winnick's sidearm out of its holster and puts it to Winnick's ribs. "I'm taking this helicopter," he says. "Tell your men to drop their weapons or you're gonna die. Do it!" I really hope they comply, if only so I can get to see how Kiefer intends to fly a helicopter underground to where Dana is.
Down below, Chloe notices on the satellite feed that this is starting to look hinky, and tells Arlo to "pull up audio. Something's happening." Apparently the helipad is also miked, and even over the roar of the rotors, Kiefer's voice can be clearly heard bellowing, "Put your weapons down now! I will kill him!" Chloe reacts quickly, knowing Kiefer too well to be even a little surprised at this. She orders all security to the helipad and runs to the elevator herself. "He's going to steal that helicopter." Of course he is.
While she's riding up in the elevator with two guards, Kiefer is ordering the pilot out of the helicopter at gunpoint. Kiefer climbs in just as Chloe runs out onto the lawn, telling her agents to hold their fire and lower their weapons. It would be pretty embarrassing if her first act as interim CTU director were to preside over the shooting down of her own helicopter. Kiefer lifts off alone and turns to fly over the river, and Chloe demands Winnick's walkie-talkie off him. Apparently it's already tuned to Kiefer's headset, because she yells into it, "Jack, you know I have to call this in. The Air Force will force you down. This is a bad idea. Land the chopper now." Kiefer doesn't answer, and you know he doesn't land. Apparently he doesn't take orders from anyone any more. Chloe gives up and tells Winnick to call the FAA and the Air Force. "Tell them we have a stolen helicopter flying west over Manhattan that needs to be intercepted and forced down." It's 10:00, and something tells me that the Christmas cards Kiefer exchanges with Chloe are going to be worded a bit awkwardly.
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.
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