“24” Day 7, Hour 20: Better Off Dead?

©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Greg Gayne/FOX

By Elaine B
Lesson Learned: Hope is no substitute for logic.

Real-life pals Janeane Garofalo (Janis Gold) and Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O’Brian) square off on violations of civil liberties in tonight’s episode. Actually, I wrote that last sentence yesterday before I saw this episode, but didn’t you know they would? Chloe just looked peeved, but Jack made it clear to Janis why they had to use racial profiling, given the situation. This is about the time that Chloe comments that Jack looks terrible and Janis tells her that Jack is dying. In a tearful moment (or one that would be tearful if we didn’t know he is signed on for Day 8), he tells her, “Whatever time I have left, I want it to matter.” It is another quiet interlude, but then this season has seemed less frantic and more thoughtful than previous ones.

Now, consider this: A bunch of highly armed strangers break into your apartment, hog tie your brother and tell you that you will both live if you do exactly what they say, then ask you to make a suicide video. This is the situation the mild-mannered and rather intelligent Jibraan Al-Zarian faces, yet he agrees and even gets the police to go away when the ruckus Tony and pals made caused neighbors to call the police. His brain is likely telling him one thing, but his heart makes him go along. He likely saved a lot of lives as DC cops are no match for an ex-CTU terrorist. Hopefully, he will opt to save even more lives later.

Fortunately, Chloe targets Al-Zarian as the likely terrorist dupe. At that point, the team thinks he is really a terrorist. With no known address, they head for the mosque where Al-Zarian worships and speak to its imam. The man is suspicious and not cooperative. But they do get info on Al-Zarian’s whereabouts from our girl Chloe – who is so great at working through her tears. They take the imam with them so he cannot warn Al-Zarian. On the way, Chloe determines that Al-Zarian is being framed as a terrorist (Gee, wouldn’t Tony figure out that she would do this? I can’t believe he is that stupid. Potential twist coming?). Jack takes off the imam’s handcuffs and apologizes, which stuns the man. “Police go to any lengths not to admit they were wrong,” he tells Jack, adding Jack should also forgive himself and “it is never too late to turn towards God, Mr. Bauer.”

God is likely going to judge Jack well for all the lives he has saved, including Al-Zarian’s brother. He also saves the terrorist who was guarding the young man, with a most creative use of duct tape.

Hot-headed Olivia, who apparently lacks empathy or she would know that for Hodges witness protection would be a fate worse than death, has murder on her mind. She contacts Martin, a shady fellow with connections to hit men, and arranges to have Hodges rubbed out. But at the last minute she heeds Martin’s advice and does not authorize the hit. While she is having a tearful reunion with mom and dad Henry, she learns that someone has blown up Hodges anyway and she falls into full breakdown mode. In a phone call Martin calms her down and asks for a meeting.

Next: Al-Zarian has second thoughts. Jack gets to do what he does best (think T-word) and Olivia does something really stupid — but, for Olivia, what else is new?

PS – According to a 2008 interview, Rajskub says that while pregnant, she dreamed her child was an iPhone trapped in a dishwasher. Now isn’t that something that Chloe might experience?

 

©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Greg Gayne/FOX