This is my first 24: Live Another Day review. I am a bit of late bloomer when it comes to 24. Though I watched season 1 when it aired I stopped afterwards. It wasn’t until season 8 that I started again, and I must say. I have become a 24 addict. 24: Live Another Day is the long-awaited season 9, though at only 12 episodes long it is still quintessential 24. I thought that season 8 was the perfect conclusion for Jack Bauer and actor Kiefer Sutherland because neither are getting younger. Yet, 24: Live Another Day, proved me wrong as he appears just as able as before. This weeks seventh episode sets the stage for the last half of the season. The main terrorist plot is known, the corrupt politicians and spies within the American government have yet to be revealed and Jack is on the loose. Lets get this 24: Live Another Day Episode 7 Review started

24: Live Another Day Episode 7 Review

After last weeks disastrous attempt by MI5 to arrest the arms dealer Karl Rask Jack is forced to wait for new leads to the location of Margot Al-Harazi. The opportunity comes when Chloë recognizes a woman who has been hit by a bus as Margot’s daughter Simone. Despite some animosity between the MI5 agents and Jack the situation seems very different from the earlier episodes when Jack was a wanted fugitive. Instead the only thing he needs to worry about are the Russians. Oblivious to the danger Jack and agent Kate Morgan rush to the hospital where Simone is being treated to question their only lead.

Meanwhile President Heller (William Devane) and Prime Minister Davies (Stephen Fry) are forced to make amends to each other. After Heller confronts him about why MI5 took action against their agreement Davies asks him about his health. Heller doesn’t deny he has Alzheimer’s but convinces Davies that if he can’t do the job he will resign. Later on Heller tells his daughter Audrey and his Chief of Staff Mark Boudreau about the conversation. He doubts he managed to convince the Prime Minister despite their amicable talk. Boudreau mentions that Margot Al-Harazi is trying to reach out to Heller through an untraceable computer connection. Heller states that it is time he thinks the Vice-President is included in what needs to happen during a power transfer. The episodes focus on Heller’s moral judgment stands in stark contrast to previous seasons when presidents were usually seen colluding to increase their own power. Little has so far been seen of Heller actually suffering from Alzheimer’s, but it would not have been introduced if it were not to be used.

Meanwhile Jack and Kate figure that Simone tried to warn her sister-in-law about the danger of Margot before she murdered her. Margot determines Simone is attempting to betray her after one of her agents rather fortunately overhears Simone’s intentions. Jack detects Margot’s agents but the police at the hospital shoot him dead before he can escape thus ending another possible lead on Margot location. On the agent’s mobilephone a message from Margot states that within 8 minutes she will target the hospital with a drone to finish off her daughter. Jack manages to get Simone to escape with him. In a spectacular chase through London which I think ate most of the season’s budget Jack manages to outwit Margot’s son Ian as he fires drone missiles. The last missile is expended on an empty car that Jack rigs to drive away after hiding under an overpass. This chase made the season finally genuinely 24 for me, that along with Jack casually torturing Simone just 10 minutes before.

At the CIA headquarter Jordan Reed continues to attempt to retrieve the files about Kate Morgan’s husband despite Navarro ordering him to stop. Navarro’s contact calls him to tell him he is tracking what Reed is doing He warns Navarro that if Reed is not stopped he won’t be able to protect him from the consequences of being discovered as the mole. To the audience the contact is revealed as none other than Adrian Cross, the leader of the hacker group with Chloë is associating. Navarro asks if Cross can arrange for a cleaner to take out Reed. Later on Navarro orders Reed to go to a supposed dead drop site to pick up information. As Reed thinks this is a promotion he thanks Navarro. At the dead drop site Reed is shot in the arm and falls into a canal. In what I imagine to be the most amateurish hitman in history the assassin fails to kill a stationary target at 20 feet. As a viewer I will point out that this scene is what loses this episodes otherwise perfect mark. I know Reed had to be kept alive to keep the treason plot going, but this is just bumbling stupid on the part of the shows creative staff. Indeed the whole Kate’s husband being a traitor felt weak since week 1. Pretty much every viewer had identified Navarro as the traitor as soon as the plot was revealed.

Mark Boudreau meanwhile meets with a deputy minister from Russia about Jack Bauer. The minister doesn’t beat around the bush when he reveals he knows Mark forged the signature to extradite Jack Bauer. He openly blackmails Mark, telling him to hand over Jack as soon as possible. Mark slowly feels the nose tightening around his neck and seems paralyzed to do anything about it. President Heller orders Jack to drop off Simone with the CIA and then try to meet with him. Heller starts an internet conversation with Margot Al-Harazi. She accuses him of stalling for time, but he assures her he has made up his mind. He only asks her to keep to her end of the bargain. Margot agrees.

Conclusion

Last week’s episode was a bit of a letdown as it never made any sense. Just what was Jack trying to get from the arms dealer? Luckily this episode does not dwell on what has happened before and moves the story forward with incredible pace. No longer are the drones just some fictitious weapon but they are Margot Al-Harazi’s claws and teeth. 24 is slowly moving to its conclusion and everything is finally in motion. Margot does not manage to kill Jack or her daughter Simone. She will probably not even manage to use the drones by the end of the season but she is sure to take a heavy toll on everybody. As mentioned the attempt by Navarro to have Reed killed is just plain stupid. Reed was a fool for trusting that Navarro would give him such a task and the hitman that Adrian Cross sent was ridiculously ineffective. It was hands down one of the worst scenes in the history of 24. I hope it won’t sink the season. 24: Live Another Day has the distinct disadvantage that because of it only having 12 episodes that it can’t generate a sense of believable interest in the outcome. I sense less urgency than any other season before despite the drone threat to London. This was 24: Live Another Day Episode 7 Review

Score; 8.4 A very good episode of 24: Live Another Day that was almost killed off by the Navarro is traitor plot.

Source; http://www.fox.com/24-live-another-day/