24 Live Another Day Series Blog: 16.00-17.00

If veteran 24 fans weren’t previously convinced by Live Another Day, episode six must have persuaded them with two trademark narrative devices: torture and the revelation of a mole. In comparison, the past couple of episodes almost seem quiet, with tense standoffs and some big decisions being made. The action dramatically intensified this week with Bauer going back into the field, taking Agent Morgan with him.

It was inevitable that Heller would agree to put Jack back into action, approving Bauer’s plan to go undercover with an arms dealer in order to get closer to Margot Al-Harazi. Mark Boudreau then had a talk with Jack, seemingly trying to keep him away from Audrey. Jack appeared to somewhat win Boudreau over resulting in a typical Bauer line – “If I live through today, which is highly unlikely, I’m going straight to prison”. Mark’s previous endeavours to get rid of Bauer also came back to haunt him when he receives a phone call from a Russian diplomat asking when they’ll be taking custody of Jack.

When Mark says that the order has been rescinded, the Russians won’t believe it without word from the President. It’ll be interesting when Jack, Audrey and the President himself finds out about the forged signature. On the upside, Boudreau has proved to be a fully formed character in this “event series”, being one example of how new protagonists in an already established programme can pay off.

The main spectacle of the episode is Jack and Kate’s mission in which the pair go after Karl Rask (Aksel Hennie) who was in direct contact with Margot. The sequence is flawlessly executed with the maximum amount of suspense being injected into the scene as possible. When they arrive at their destination, Jack reveals that he plans to hand Kate over to the arms deal unconscious in order to make his pitch believable. She reluctantly agrees to be tranquilized, however, things do not go to plan. Kate is soon woken and tortured by Trevor from EastEnders (also known as Alex Ferns). Regardless of various opinions on the depiction of torture on television, this scene serves a distinct purpose in assisting the narrative of the episode, demonstrating that, much like Bauer, Kate cannot be cracked.

If I live through today, which is highly unlikely, I’m going straight to prison

Rask believed Jack to be the informant and wanted money, Jack agreed and all Rask had to do was input the information into his bank. Before he could do so, MI5 entered, all guns blazing. At this point, Trevor from EastEnders tried to run but Kate, with her hands behind her back, swiftly and ruthlessly took him out. Jack, meanwhile, quickly shoots everyone and uploads Chloe’s virus to the system in typical Bauer fashion.

President Heller’s dementia also reappears bringing his decision making into question as his frailties are exposed to PM Alastair Davies by his aide, undermining the President’s credibility. Davies subsequently sent MI5 to track Jack and ultimately attempt to arrest him. This, in future episodes, could pose an interesting plot development with the Prime Minister not believing in, and actively undermining, the President and his agents. It will therefore be intriguing to see how the storyline with Heller’s dementia plays out and to what extent it can be concealed.

‘4.00pm-5.00pm’ holds an element of familiarity with Jack, again, going to extreme lengths to reintegrate himself into a gang – similar to the events of season two. The Al-Harazi familiar also bares a resemblance to the Araz family from season four with a terrorist parent, divided loyalties of the children and a murdered loved one. This episode sees Margot sending Simone to “deal with” her late husband’s sister who seemingly knows too much. Simone subsequently kills Farah (Tehmina Sunny), Naveed’s sister, whose daughter then flees. In a sudden turn of events, Simone gets hit by an oncoming bus. This seems a somewhat bizarre turn of events for the character, as some expected that she would die at the hands of her mother. Regardless, 24 is far from predictable.

In standard 24 fashion, the mole was revealed in the episode’s closing moments and as usual, it was a character who previously occupied the shadows while those such as Bauer and Morgan stood in the spotlight. Steve Navarro is thus the overlooked, and yet obvious, choice. Navarro previously assumed a somewhat paternal role over Morgan; now it has been revealed that he is responsible for her precarious situation. Now the copious mentions of Kate’s husband Adam being a traitor also make more sense, as Navarro framed him and is currently close to being discovered.

Due to the setting of the episode, 24 had a distinct Spooks feel in this action packed episode. However, now the nostalgia and novelty of London has worn off, 24: Live Another Day arguably can’t simply revisit some of its best storylines, and needs a bit more innovation to avoid repetition. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be 24 without moles, torture and hints of melodrama, so why not repeat a formula that has been successful countless times? With episode seven, ‘5.00pm-6.00pm’ looking to follow Jack and Kate in another race against time, the drama is sure to further intensify.