24

The time is now, everyone, for the season finale of 24.  I'm always giddy for these, because you know that after the major conflict has been sufficiently thwarted by Meestah Bauer, there will be some absolutely insane twist to end the season, leaving a massive cliffhanger as we wait until day seven.  What will this season's be?  I really can't wait.  What follows are my live thoughts while watching tonight's two-hour season finale.

You know what I'm really not interested in this episode?  The Buchanan/Hayes storyline.  I like both the characters, but I have more important issues to worry about.

We get a super long recap at the beginning of the episode, this being the finale and all.


It's nice seeing to acting heavyweights like Powers Boothe and James Cromwell facing off.

Hey, Josh, you get to live in China!  And, wait, it gets better: you get to live with your evil grandfather who, earlier today, killed your father.

Doyle tells Josh that he will recover him after the drop off.

Jack has been put in "temporary custody".  Whatever the hell that means.

Jack calls Chloe.  She exposits the plot for Jack.

Noah Daniels speaks with Russian president Suberov, telling him that the Chinese are no longer in line to receive the circuit board.

Jack call Karen Hayes.  He's a little bit upset that Josh is about to be handed over to Phillip Bauer.

Bill Buchanan has put on his casual, non-CTU attire.  He;s been subpoenaed at home and he is NOT HAPPY.  Is there a more subdued man in the world than Bill Buchanan?  Even when he's angry, its a very zen anger.  Okay, I'm babbling.

Karen Hayes call her husband and spews exposition.  She then asks Buchanan to stop the exchange.

Doyle has inject Josh with one of those wrist trackers.  They've apparently landed at the meeting point.

Doyle gets the call from Phillip Bauer.  Phillip has somehow hacked into their satellite surveillance.  He is good, that Phillip Bauer.

Phillip Bauer knows what he's doing out there.  However, his grandson hates him.  He brings up the pretty good point that, soon, the news that his father was involved in the nuclear detonation will become public knowledge.  He won't be the most popular kid in school.

Phillip sends a couple henchman to pick up Josh.

Doyle says that he is going to go against the White House's orders, and may try to reattain Josh after the exchange.

Karen Hayes calls and receives a tracker on Jack.

Marilyn Bauer wants to see her son.  "Umm...we kind of gave him away."

Morris and Doyle have a little row over the phone.

Nice!  Buchanan rescues Jack Bauer.  There were guns involved, and handcuffs.  Also, Jack pistol whips a CTU agent, for no real reason.
Who the hell is this guy?  Oh....I see.  Chloe goes up and hugs some dude...it turns out that it is Milo's brother.  Character for next season?

Karen Hayes has been found out and arrested.  That sucks.

Nadia is told by Chloe that Jack and Buchanan have gone rogue.  Doyle is then told that Jack and Bill are on their way to stop the exchange.  Doyle then pees his pants.

VP Daniels talks to Hayes in her holding cell.  They discuss how to deal with a sociopath.  Daniels says that he's going to take down both her and her husband.

I keep expecting Powers Boothe to just open-handed slap Karen Hayes.  But, alas, he does not.

Phillip's henchman arrive on the beach.  Are they in a submarine?  Jet skis?  Hydroplanes?  Canoes?

Oh, it's a little motorboat carrying two henchman.

Doyle approaches one of the henchman, trying to start the exchange.  While Doyle is "verifying the component" it blows up in his face.  It was a fake.  It's like a weapon that the riddler would use.

Jack and Bill get there too late, and Josh is taken away into the ocean by Phillip's minions.

Daniels admits that he has been wrong all day.  About Karen, President Palmer, everything.  He gives a very humbled speech to Lennox.  Lennox tells Daniels that they should release Hayes.  He won't.

Doyle might be blind in both eyes, definitely one.

Phillip's company has oil rigs off the coast.  Jack infers that he will probably have taken Josh to the rig.

And he's right.  Phillip awaits Josh's arrival on a rig.  And Cheng is with him.  He plans to give the component to Cheng.

And Chloe is all messed up.  She's woozy, drugged and eventually passes out at Morris's station.

And that's the end of the first hour.

Here comes hour 24.

Can Cheng kill both Phillip and Cheng on this oil rig.  This may play out like the end of Return of the Jedi.

Man, I can't believe Doyle might be blind.  That is rough.

This oil rig is sweet, by the way.  Big, colorfully lit, just waiting for a climactic shootout.

Josh yells at his grandpappy, but it doesn't work. 

Cheng tells Phillip that "the submarine is on its way".  Really.  Phillip and Josh are going to be picked up by a submarine.

Chloe is okay, in the infirmary, recovering.  She looks really messed up.

CTU figures out where Josh and Phillip are.  Well, Morris figures it out.

Or maybe Chloe isn't okay.  They're still waiting for the test results.

Now knowing where Phillip and Josh are, VP Daniels agrees to hit the oil rig with an air strike.

Jack learns of this, and, obviously, he is then going to attempt to save Josh himself, with Bill Buchanan's help.

The two steal a helicopter and head to the rig.  Really.

The Russian troops are approaching US bases.  Suberov and Daniels speak, and Daniels explains the sitch.  Suberov agrees that complete obliteration of the oil rig will stop their troop advance.

Jack contacts CTU and gets Nadia to help them out by sending satellite images of the rig.

Do we even need to discuss the significant amount of suspension of disbelief needed for this episode?  Chinese submarines in California?  F-18s needing a half hour to make it to the oil rig?

Jack and his helicopter approach the rig.  Jack shoots a couple dudes as they land the helicopter.

Explosions!!!

They capture Cheng.  He yells "You're too late!!!"  Whatever, Cheng, you miserable bastard.

You know what it's time for:  Bauer vs. Bauer.

Josh tries to fight his grandpa.  Bad move.

Sweet.  Josh hits Phillip over the head with a wrench and takes his gun.  Then, he shoots him in the chest, but its not a lethal shot.  Jack arrives and talks Josh out of finishing Phillip off.

A final conversation between Jack and Phillip.

Jack leaves him, wounded on the rig, about to get blown up.

Jack is about to be exploded.  I'm guessing he makes it.

Jack leaps onto the helicopters rope ladder just as the rig is hit by the F-18s.

The White House and the Russians get the news of the full destruction of the rig.  The Russians agree to make their troops stand down.

Jack jumps off the rope ladder and swims up to the beach.  Why?  I have no idea.

Oh, nevermind.  Jack is going on the lam again.

Daniels agrees to exonerate Bill Buchanan and Karen Hayes.  Lennox, in return, gives up the recording from earlier in the season.

Chloe is pregnant!  With a child!

Josh, Bill and Cheng arrive at CTU.  Marilyn reunites with her son.  Happy times.

Jack arrives at Heller's house.  He is not happy.  He's holding a gun to Heller's head.  Jack is emoting, and it's not pretty.

Audrey is at the house, and Jack goes to see her.  She is asleep, connected to a machine.  Jack talks to her anyways.

He says that the only way for him to protect her is to let her go.  Noble words.

Jack leaves.

He's contemplating suicide, looking over the ledge of Heller's beach front home.

And that's how we end the season.  Wow, that was not the best ending.  I was expecting a twist of some kind.  Oh, well.  The door is wiiiiiiiiide open for next season's plot.
It's nice seeing to acting heavyweights like Powers Boothe and James Cromwell facing off.

Hey, Josh, you get to live in China!  And, wait, it gets better: you get to live with your evil grandfather who, earlier today, killed your father.

Doyle tells Josh that he will recover him after the drop off. 

Jack has been put in "temporary custody".  Whatever the hell that means. 

Jack calls Chloe.  She exposits the plot for Jack. 

Noah Daniels speaks with Russian president Suberov, telling him that the Chinese are no longer in line to receive the circuit board.

Jack call Karen Hayes.  He's a little bit upset that Josh is about to be handed over to Phillip Bauer.

Bill Buchanan has put on his casual, non-CTU attire.  He;s been subpoenaed at home and he is NOT HAPPY.  Is there a more subdued man in the world than Bill Buchanan?  Even when he's angry, its a very zen anger.  Okay, I'm babbling.

Karen Hayes call her husband and spews exposition.  She then asks Buchanan to stop the exchange. 

Doyle has inject Josh with one of those wrist trackers.  They've apparently landed at the meeting point. 

Doyle gets the call from Phillip Bauer.  Phillip has somehow hacked into their sattelite surveillance.  He is good, that Phillip Bauer. 

Phillip Bauer knows what he's doing out there.  However, his grandson hates him.  He brings up the pretty good point that, soon, the news that his father was involved in the nuclear detonation will become public knowledge.  He won't be the most popular kid in school.

Phillip sends a couple henchman to pick up Josh.

Doyle says that he is going to go against the White House's orders, and may try to reattain Josh after the exchange.

Karen Hayes calls and receives a tracker on Jack.

Marilyn Bauer wants to see her son.  "Umm...we kind of gave him away."

Morris and Doyle have a little row over the phone.

Nice!  Buchanan rescuues Jack Bauer.  There were guns involved, and handcuffs.  Also, Jack pistol whips a CTU agent, for no real reason.
Who the hell is this guy?  Oh....I see.  Chloe goes up and hugs some dude...it turns out that it is Milo's brother.  Character for next season?

Karen Hayes has been found out and arrested.  That sucks.

Nadia is told by Chloe that Jack and Buchanan have gone rogue.  Doyle is then told that Jack and Bill are on their way to stop the exchange.  Doyle then pees his pants.

VP Daniels talks to Hayes in her holding cell.  They discuss how to deal with a sociopath.  Daniels says that he's going to take down both her and her huusband.

I keep expecting Powers Boothe to just open-handed slap Karen Hayes.  But, alas, he does not. 

Phillip's henchman arrive on the beach.  Are they in a submarine?  Jet skis?  Hydroplanes?  Canoes?

Oh, it's a little motorboat carrying two henchman.

Doyle approaches one of the henchman, trying to start the exchange.  While Doyle is "verifying the component" it blows up in his face.  It was a fake.  It's like a weapon that the riddler would use.

Jack and Bill get there too late, and Josh is taken away into the ocean by Phillip's minions. 

Daniels admits that he has been wrong all day.  About Karen, President Palmer, everything.  He gives a very humbled speech to Lennox.  Lennox tells Daniels that they should release Hayes.  He won't.

Doyle might be blind in both eyes, definitely one. 

Phillip's company has oil rigs off the coast.  Jack infers that he will probably have taken Josh to the rig.

And he's right.  Phillip awaits Josh's arrival on a rig.  And Cheng is with him.  He plans to give the component to Cheng.

And Chloe is all messed up.  She's woozy, drugged and eventually passes out at Morris's station.

And that's the end of the first hour.

Here comes hour 24. 

Can Cheng kill both Phillip and Cheng on this oil rig.  This may play out like the end of Return of the Jedi.

Man, I can't believe Doyle might be blind.  That is rough.

This oil rig is sweet, by the way.  Big, colorfully lit, just waiting for a climactic shootout. 

Josh yells at his grandpappy, but it doesn't work.  

Cheng tells Phillip that "the submarine is on its way".  Really.  Phillip and Josh are going to be picked up by a submarine.

Chloe is okay, in the infirmary, recovering.  She looks really messed up. 

CTU figures out where Josh and Phillip are.  Well, Morris fidures it out. 

Or maybe Chloe isn't okay.  They're still waiting for the test results.

Now knowing where Phillip and Josh are, VP Daniels agrees to hit the oil rig with an air strike. 

Jack learns of this, and, obviously, he is then going to attempt to save Josh himself, with Bill Buchanan's help. 

The two steal a helicopter and head to the rig.  Really.

The Russian troops are approaching US bases.  Suberov and Daniels speak, and Daniels explains the sitch.  Suberov agrees that complete obliteration of the oil rig will stop their troop advance.

Jack contacts CTU and gets Nadia to help them out by sending satellite images of the rig.

Do we even need to discuss the significant amount of suspension of disbelief needed for this episode?  Chinese submarines in California?  F-18s needing a half hour to make it to the oil rig?

Jack and his helicopter approach the rig.  Jack shoots a couple dudes as they land the helicopter.

Explosions!!! 

They capture Cheng.  He yells "You're too late!!!"  Whatever, Cheng, you miserable bastard.

You know what it's time for:  Bauer vs. Bauer.

Josh tries to fight his grandpa.  Bad move. 

Sweet.  Josh hits Phillip over the head with a wrench and takes his gun.  Then, he shoots him in the chest, but its not a lethal shot.  Jack arrives and talks Josh out of finishing Phillip off. 

A final conversation between Jack and Phillip. 

Jack leaves him, wounded on the rig, about to get blown up. 

Jack is about to be exploded.  I'm guessing he makes it.

Jack leaps onto the helicopters rope ladder just as the rig is hit by the F-18s. 

The White House and the Russians get the news of the full destruction of the rig.  The Russians agree to make their troops stand down.

Jack jumps off the rope ladder and swims uup to the beach.  Why?  I have no idea.

Oh, nevermind.  Jack is going on the lam again. 

Daniels agrees to exonerate Bill Buchanan and Karen Hayes.  Lennox, in return, gives up the recording from earlier in the season.

Chloe is pregnant!  With a child!

Josh, Bill and Cheng arrive at CTU.  Marilyn reunites with her son.  Happy times.

Jack arrives at Heller's house.  He is not happy.  He's holding a gun to Heller's head.  Jack is emoting, and it's not pretty.

Audrey is at the house, and Jack goes to see her.  She is asleep, connected to a machine.  Jack talks to her anyways.

He says that the only way for him to protect her is to let her go.  Noble words. 

Jack leaves. 

He's contemplating suicide, looking over the ledge of Heller's beachfront home.

And that's how we end the season.  Wow, that was not the best ending.  I was expecting a twist of some kind.  Oh, well.  The door is wiiiiiiiiide open for next season's plot.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer


(Image Courtesy of FOX.com)