WRITERS: Howard Gordon & Evan Katz (story by Manny Coto & David Fury)
DIRECTOR: Jon Cassar
CAST: Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer), James Morrison (Bill Buchanan), Peter MacNicol (Thomas Lennox), Powers Boothe (Noah Daniels), Carlo Rota (Morris O'Brian), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O'Brian), Marisol Nichols (Nadia Yassir), Rade Serbedzija (Dmitri Gredenko), Joseph Griffin (Medic), Dylan Kenin (Victor), Marci Michelle (Marcy), Butch Hammett (First Responder), James Horan (General Walsh), Ryan Cutrona (Admiral), Jim Holmes (Dr Welton), Rena Sofer (Marilyn Bauer), Kari Matchett (Lisa Miller), Adoni Maropis (Fayed), Bob Gunton (Ethan Kanin), Regina King (Sandra Palmer) & Rick Schroder (Mike Doyle)
Daniels threatens nuclear retaliation if another terrorist bomb detonates on U.S soil, Jack is given some devastating news, Karen Hayes returns to work and CTU believe they have an intelligence leak...Okay, okay, there's another mole. I thought we'd go a whole season without that particular cliche being deployed, but clearly I wasn't thinking straight! That said, it does help to shake things up at CTU, no matter how well-worn the twist has become.
At the moment I'm not sure about Agent Doyle's effectiveness. He's clearly been thrown into CTU to rub people up the wrong way, but while he has "potential nutter" stamped across his forehead, his sweeped blonde hairstyle doesn't quite fit. Actor Rick Schroder definitely needs to prove himself.
Fortunately, Episode 14 gets back on track with asense of threat and tension missing with "diversionary" episodes involving Philip, Logan and the Russians. The terrorists launch an unmanned drone very early in the episode and it provides that edge-of-your-seat experience 24 is so famous for.
The situation in the White House is also becoming more exciting and, let's be honest, gleefully ridiculous. Vice President Daniels is almost frothing at the mouth about nuking a country if another bomb goes off, in a wonderfully unhinged performance from Powers Boothe that beggars belief. His actions may not be plausible (only Karen Hayes seems to have half a brain cell in that bunker) but it's very enjoyable.
A big problem 24 has wrestled with for years is the lack of emotional impetus for Jack, beyond his sense of duty. Season 1 was the benchmark with his family's kidnapping, while seasons 2 and 3 had wife-killer Nina Meyers floating around, but seasons 4-6 have been weaker overall.
Here, Kiefer Sutherland gets the chance to play more emotion when he learns of Audrey Raines' off-screen death. These scenes are meant to provide a tangible reason for him to ensure the day pans out successfully, in her memory -- but it doesn't quite work. Still, Jack's threat to find Audrey's murderers should provide a strong impetus further down the line. Perhaps in season seven?
It's just great to see Sutherland flex his acting muscles on the show as the hectic pace rarely lends itself to this. He even gets a romantic interlude with Marilyn (Rena Sofer), something that has gone undernourished this year. Mind you, if you're a "Bauer Girl" your life expectancy drops significantly, so maybe should have a quiet word for Marilyn.
Overall, Episode 14 marks a strong upswing in developments and quality. The writer's decision to replace Wayne Palmer with Noah Daniels is working wonders mid-season, while the refocusing on the nukes is long overdue. While it's disappointing to see the mole cliche wheeled out again, it works despite gross familiarity. As if to balance things out, a fresh dilemma for Karen Hayes regarding the President's condition should make for interesting drama next week...
One niggling question: a full hour passes and we don't know if Logan survived Martha's stabbing last week. Odd.
