24 Recap: 3/5/07

Recapping tonight's epsiode, also known as Day Six: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM, while wondering if 24 will observe Daylight Savings Time next week...

Here's what we (think we) know: Assad is dead, killed by the bomb that Reed planted and activated. President Palmer is alive, but unconscious and unable to serve.

Bill calls Karen to tell her about Palmer. Karen, who is still waiting for a plane, decides she should stay and says she will withdraw her resignation. Vice President Daniels, who is still on a plane, is notified that he will assume all the duties of the Presidency. Does that include dealing with the President's sister? I'd definitely have to ask that before proceeding. Upon landing, Daniels asks to see Tom Lennox a couple of times. When Tom can't be found, the Secretary of Defense calls for a sweep of the bunker to find him.

Reed hurries down to the boiler room to tell Carson the news. Carson wants to kill Tom and make it look like suicide, but Reed talks him out of it. Reed tries convincing Tom that they are doing what is best for the country, and that if he reveals what he knows about the assassination attempt, no one will believe him anyway. He unties Tom, and they leave the boiler room. The second Tom sees a Secret Service agent, he tells him Reed and Carson are directly responsible for the assassination attempt, and has them arrested.

Upon arriving at the Russian consulate, aka Moscow 90210, Logan convinces Jack to let him meet with Markhov alone. Markhov denies any knowledge of Gredenko's whereabouts, even after Logan threatens him by saying he will send evidence to Moscow linking Markhov with the syntax nerve gas the terrorists used last season.

As soon as Logan leaves, Markhov calls Gredenko, who surprisingly is not on the phone with Fayed. He tells Gredenko the Americans are looking for him, but assures him that by the time they locate him, it will be too late. Back in the car, Logan tells Jack he is certain Markhov is lying. Jack calls CTU and tells Chloe to prepare to cut off power to the Russian consulate for sixty seconds. He's going back in. Finally, Jack's back in action! Is it just me, or did it not seem like the power stayed off for anywhere near sixty seconds?

In the bunker, Dick Cheney... I mean, Daniels, tells his assistant(?) Lisa to make sure everyone gets a copy of Tom's proposal. He then walks in while Tom is being questioned about his knowledge of the assassination attempt. The two of them argue over Assad's innocence. And the Vice President tells Tom he wants to push thru the stricter security measures, reminding him it was Tom's proposal in the first place.

Out at Moscow 90210, Jack gets inside the Consul's office, but Markhov manages to press his panic button. Now if Jack only had an Easy button to override the panic button. Jack locks the door and informs the Russian guys outside the door that he is holding the Consul hostage. This sets off a string of phone calls. Jack calls Buchanan, who calls the Vice President, who receives a call from the Russian President asking what's the dealio?

After Markhov initially denies knowing Gredenko's whereabouts, Jack begins to play a sadistic game of This Little Piggy with Markhov's fingers and a cigar cutter. After the first finger is, um, removed, Jack pulls a gun on Markhov. Nine Fingers finally tells all. He says Gredenko is in the desert and planning to launch drones in two hours which will carry the nukes to their destinations.

Jack starts to leave, although I'm not sure why he thought he was just going to be able to walk out. The security guards set off plastic explosives to blow open the door. The explosion knocks Jack off his feet and he is apprehended. Later, Jack tells a Russian guard what Nine Fingers told him and implores him to call CTU and pass the information along to Bill Buchanan. The guard goes outside and calls, but as he is holding for Buchanan, he is shot (SPF: 5) by one of the other Russians. Who didn't see that coming.

At CTU, everyone is concerned when they haven't heard from Jack. Morris somehow finds a message in Russian which says that an American agent is in custody. Nadia tells Bill about the message. Bill tells her to get special ops ready and make plans to storm the Russian consulate to try to get Jack back. Booyah!

The good:
Jack going back into the Consulate and the interrogation of Markhov.

Lennox ratting out Reed and Carson.

Bill rounding up the posse to go rescue Jack.

No mention of Morris' alcoholism.

Palmer's alive. Because really, we've been there, done that, on the Presidential assassination. At the beginning of last season.

Lisa, the Vice President's assistant. We need some new characters in the bunker, with everyone being arrested or blown to smithereens.

The bad:
No Milo. And really not much CTU. Remember when like 80% of the show was either Jack in the field or goings-on at CTU? Sigh.

Still not a ton of action.

No Fayed.

The stricter security measures storyline isn't really going anywhere. I guess it could affect Nadia again at some point.

Best scene:
Jack cutting off Markhov's finger! Although it would have been better to see it drop to the floor. Or at least hear a thud and a roll. And why stop at one? Three Fingers or No Thumbs makes a much better nickname than Nine Fingers.

Understatement of the hour:
"Bill, this is Jack. I've got a situation here."

Did you know...
Four out of five special agents chose the cigar cutter as their preferred finger removal device.

This week's Did You Know is brought to you by La Carolina Torpito authentic Cuban cigars. You'll think you've died and gone to Havana.

Questions:
Who else was in on the assassination plot? Tom said Reed seemed to indicate there were others involved.

Will Palmer return, and when? And WWDD? What will Daniels do?

In the scenes from next week, was that Aaron Pierce with the former First Lady?!?! Are they bringing Pierce back?! I don't think I'll be able to contain myself.

"What's the d-d-d-deal? What's the d-d-d-deal? What's the d-d-d-dealio, the dealio..."