“24” Day 7 Season Finale Does Not Disappoint

All photos from Fox

Last night’s 2-hour season finale for ”24” (Fox) delivered the usual action packed close to the season. I admit I was worried when, in the previous week’s episode, that it seemed Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) would be the center of the story. Things that involve Kim with this series have usually not ended well – especially for the viewers. But I have to admit that her storyline in the finale wasn’t as horrible as I expected. Still, it seems to me that the writers need to find another way to interject personal drama into one of Jack’s days without having to bring Kim in to do it.

We also learned that Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) has truly gone over to the dark side, all over the death of his wife, and the big reveal – she was pregnant with his son. His son! Well, I suppose if it would have been a daughter maybe he would not have been so crazed. Still, it seems rather pathetic that they would take Tony and allow such a beloved character to be “resurrected” only to have him turn so bad that the prospect of the death of thousands of people at his hands wouldn’t make him bat an eye. Tony deserved better.

The other main story in the finale was President Allison Taylor’s (Cherry Jones) daughter Olivia (Sprague Grayden), who gets her comeuppance when her wish to have Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight) killed backfires on her. Olivia’s involvement is discovered by the ever-watchful Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce (Glenn Morshower), and later confirmed by the former White House Chief of Staff, Ethan Kanin (Bob Gunton). I figured, though, that Agent Pierce and Kanin would be smart enough to keep the data card safely out of the hands of Olivia, so that aspect of the finale was a bit predictable. I was thrilled when President Taylor makes the hard choice and decided to turn in her daughter Olivia for her involvement in Hodges’ death. Cherry Jones did an excellent job in her role as president, consistently convincing as a person who has the highest respect for her office and for the people of the United States. I hope they find an excuse to bring her back in this role next season.

Agent Renee Walker (Annie Wersching) finally “gets it” and comes to grips with why Jack Bauer is the way he is. And she looks like she wants a piece of that action, too. Jack can turn even the nicest person over to his “dark side” ways of getting his job done. But, it seems we have a new “evildoer” in Alan Wilson (Will Patton) and I wonder if he will come back to haunt them, that is, if her survives his session with Renee.

It wouldn’t be a finale without Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub), and she and Janis (Janeane Garafolo) finally work together as a team, and Chloe actually complements Janis. I think I felt a disturbance in the force.

Of course, since “24” has been renewed for another season, Kim comes in and saves the day, offering to participate in a bone marrow transplant to help save her now comatose father who is dying from the biotoxin. They begin to prepare for the operation as the season ends, and we can presume that Jack will live for another season – oops, I mean another DAY.

All in all, a nice, neat close to a very interesting season, with not as many scenarios that strained believability as in the past. Oh sure, there were some - after all, Jack Bauer’s day has to have the element of incredible happenings in it. With the end of every season I wonder how they will be able to top it next season, somehow, with Jack Bauer’s talents, I don’t think they will have any problems finding him something exciting to do.

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