24: Live Another Day - “10:00 PM – 11:00 AM” Season Finale Recap. Heads Will Roll.

Episode 12

Air Date: Monday, July 14, 2014, 8:00 PM ET/PT on Fox

Rating: ★★★★★

“It’s time for you to go home.” – Jack

Warning: This recap contains major spoilers.

Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) and Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski) search for information to locate Cheng

With the United States on the brink of war with China, and a sniper taking aim at Audrey (Kim Raver), will Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) be able to find Cheng (Tzi Ma) in time to save Audrey and stop the attack? It all comes to a head in the season finale of 24: Live Another Day.

Audrey sitting alone in the park is difficult to watch, especially for those who know what Cheng did to her while she was a prisoner in China. Most shows would have utilized flashbacks to emphasize what Audrey is going through. Instead, Raver’s expressions do a wonderful job of conveying the panic and terror running through Audrey’s mind, and you sense her anxiety growing simply with the way Raver breathes.

Boudreau (Tate Donovan) and Morgan search for information.

With Russian Deputy Minister Anatol (Stanley Townsend) dead, Jack, Morgan (Yvonne Strahovski), and Boudreau (Tate Donovan) search his office for clues of Cheng’s whereabouts. Just as Jack finds some information, Boudreau receives a photo of Audrey on his phone that is immediately followed by a call from Cheng warning them, “Stop tracking me. As soon as I’m safely away, I will set her free.”

Cheng’s call sets up an interesting dynamic, as Jack is torn between duty and love. Boudreau, wanting to save his wife, chimes in with, “It’s over. We can’t go after him.” Desperate to save his wife, and hoping to trigger some emotion from Jack, Boudreau confesses, “She loves you.”

Letting Morgan try to save Audrey while going after Cheng is a huge step for Jack (mentally and emotionally) given his rare dependence on others for help. It’s a break from the usual 24 mold where Jack goes rogue to save someone he loves, ignoring the mission at hand.

Since playing the criminal warlord Bello on Graceland, I have been a fan of Gbenga Akinnagbe. He always brings great intensity to his roles, so it’s disappointing that he, as Ritter, has only been a minor character. With Navarro (Benjamin Bratt) in custody, Ritter takes over as the London CIA station chief, and his role is expanded. If there is another season of 24, I hope the writers will find a way to bring Akinnagbe back and give him more to do the second time around.

Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) waiting for Jack.

Having escaped from Cheng and his men, Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) contacts Jack, who then picks her up. Their conversation is awkward as Chloe tries to explain her actions with Cross (Michael Wincott). Given that she was betrayed by Cross after walking out on Jack, it’s odd hearing Chloe tell Jack, “At this point, I think I’m the only friend you have left.” With Audrey, Morgan, and Heller (William Devane) in Jack’s good graces, and vice versa, I would think it’s Chloe with only one friend left, not Jack.

I have been saying for some time now that Jack seems more restrained in 24: Live Another Day compared to previous seasons of 24. It becomes clear that in order for Jack to return to the Jack of old, Audrey will have to die. I am surprised as Morgan takes out a sniper, saving Audrey but I then grew suspicious when there appears to be a lack of urgency to get Audrey out of the park.

Audrey’s death is definitely sad but watching Morgan call Jack to inform him of Audrey’s death is absolutely gut wrenching. For a moment, it appears Jack is on the verge of killing himself. But, despair turns to rage as Jack suddenly starts unleashing his anger by raining down hell Cheng’s men until Cheng is the last man standing. Once the CIA is able to confirm Cheng’s identity, Jack executes him.

There is a humbleness to President Heller that I really enjoy. Watching Heller receive the news of Audrey’s death is painful. From the beginning of the season, I expressed concerns about the revelation of President Heller’s battle with Alzheimer’s. I worried the writers would take this serious condition and turn it into a plot device that would have serious ramifications. My concerns were unwarranted as President Heller’s situation has been handled in a respectful manner throughout the season, including his speech as he realizes he won’t remember the events of the last 24 hours, including his daughter’s death.

Much of 24: Live Another Day has a familiar feel to it, almost as if the writers use a checklist of things that have to happen during a season.

Some threat pisses Jack off.
Jack tortures someone.
Double agent working inside the government.
Jack shoots lots of people while yelling.
Jack takes out the main villain only to have a second one pop up.
Jack goes rogue.
Death of a major character.

With the threat over and the checklist complete, the only thing left to figure out is what to do with Jack. Since it’s doubtful we will see Jack sitting on a beach drinking a Mai Tai, you know something bad is going to happen. Jack discovers Chloe is missing and gets a mysterious call. In the meantime, everyone else gets closure—Morgan turns in her gun and badge; Boudreau is taken into custody; and Heller escorts Audrey’s body back to the US.

Several hours later, Jack arrives outside London and turns himself over to the Russians in exchange for Chloe. Jack gets in the Russian helicopter, and they leave as the clock silently hits 11:00.

Will we see Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) again?

While I enjoyed the season finale overall, I was disappointed by the final few minutes. The episode felt so much like the conclusion of season five. The ending feels rushed, as we never learn which Russians Jack turns himself over to, or how they found Chloe. That said, despite the familiarity and the routine 24 checklist, I would love to see another season where Morgan and Chloe team up, and go to Russia to save Jack.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you thought about the season finale of 24: Live Another Day.

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.