That “abandoned construction site” sure looked a lot like the San Fernando Valley, didn't it?  You can't fool me, 24.  Jack Bauer has survived five hours of his seventh day of sheer hell without killing a single person.  My wanton bloodlust is boiling up in ways I didn't anticipate.  After the episode last night, I felt so empty that I searched my house for a spider to step on (not true).  Although we all knew that Jack Bauer wasn't going preside over the gangland execution of Pretty FBI Lady, wouldn't it have been an absolutely stunning turn of events if Jack actually had blown Agent Walker's head off?  24 would have taken an immediately dark and sinister turn.  I suppose he did end up burying her alive (don't worry – I guarantee she'll Uma Thurman her way out of there), but it would have changed the game if he'd have gone through with Emerson's orders. 

Time to light up a cigarette and cool off for some 24 Aftergasm Predictions:

Sean Hillinger's Paramour (pretty blonde analyst) is the mole inside the FBI, and slept with Hillinger to get access.  This seems quite obvious. 

Agent Walker will now believe that Jack is a good guy, even though she probably shouldn't.  She will be killed by the end of the season. 

Samantha (Carly Pope)  will survive the trip back to her apartment and become integral in outing the conspiracy. 

I thought Tony would go back and maybe join with Emerson in a moment of weakness.  But, I think he'll stay good and the chances are 50/50 that he'll die before the end of the season. 


OK, so that's all the prediction mojo I have for today.  The episode wasn't excellent by any stretch of the imagination, but it had its moments.  Jack concocting the homemade poisonous gas was Grade A MacGyver stuff, and the whole fake execution/burial was rightfully chilling.  Henry Taylor getting axed by his male model-looking assistant wasn't terribly shocking, though it came far earlier in the season than I would have guessed.  This conspiracy runs deep, indeed. 

So, who else inside the White House is a bad guy?  Ethan is the big name, but that could be too obvious.  It could also be Joe, the Secretary of State.  It could be someone we haven't met.  I'm confident that we will learn who it is within the next few hours.  What I'm not confident of is that it will make sense.  I know that the White House staff isn't paid an exorbitant amount of money, but can there really be numerous among them on the take?  They vet the hell out of these people.  We need Jon Voight to get here and make sense of it all. 


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of FOX)