“I can make this right."
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
24: Legacy turned a corner last week and for the first time really felt like an extension of the original. While this week’s episode wasn’t quite as good, it was still a solid outing. We got to see Carter operating within CTU for the first time and the extended period spent inside felt right. The fourth hour of this series allowed the side stories to take most of the focus, while the main plot received important exposition for what has yet to come.
Drew's dead! ...again. I don’t know why I cared so much about this guy. Looking back, he had maybe three scenes where he wasn’t unconscious but I was still pulling for him. But to bring him back just to kill him again? It seems like a waste on the surface. However, it did allow for Amira to be the one that kills him, which is important enough to warrant this seemingly cheap conclusion to a character's life. Mr. Harris’s lackey nature felt like a miss; despite him snapping, his character lacked the emotional punch something that surprising should illicit. On the other hand, Amira’s internal struggle was an attempt to humanize her. As she is seemingly unable to do it herself, her finally pulling the proverbial trigger was an attempt to humanize someone that just murdered an innocent teenager... while weak in the moment it plants the seed for her to eventually make the right decision later.
Worst. Fundraiser. Ever. The Donovan storyline shows just how fast this show is moving. In an hour’s time, the presidential candidate found out that he wasn't betrayed by Nilaa and that his father was the one that gave up the rangers. That is a lot to take in at a campaign fundraiser. Classic 24 would stretch these revelations, needing to fill out the namesake 24 episodes. The smaller season order for Legacy forces these type of rapid fire reveals. I am all for a brisk pace, but John realizing his father’s betrayal so soon sucked the air out of the thread. While that may have been the point in the writer’s room, something about it didn’t quite work on screen. Where this story goes is anyone's guess. It seems settled, but not in a satisfying way.
For the past two episodes Nicole hasn’t really had much to do, but this week we saw another glimpse of the reluctant hero. The cartoony physics of her escape notwithstanding, it was nice to see her fight her way to claim the upper hand. It was satisfying to watch Aisha get put in her place as we all know that Nicole would have pulled the trigger if she had to. Her not firing as they walked away reinforces the notion that she isn’t a killer; she has just been forced to kill.
Ben has a long way to go before he can make amends for what he has done. As far as our characters know he is the one responsible for what will become a vast coordinated series of attacks on America. That is a lot to have on your shoulders. He can say that he never wanted Jadalla to get the drive, but as Carter told him, there was a very easy way to accomplish that. Also, I saw someone in the comments last week point out how the flash drive was damaged, so props to you if you picked up on that one too.
So can we all agree that “Gabriel” is Tony Almeida? We are four episodes in and we have no indication of how Tony fits into this story. While most think the last time we saw Tony he was on his way to jail for -- you know --terrorism, that is not the case. Tony later received some help and was planning an escape from his incarceration. Of course, that information was contained within a bonus scene from the Live Another Day Blu-ray, so it's understandable if you don't know that.
Does any of that matter? Not really, but we can assume given the reboot that Tony has successfully escaped and is still a wanted man. Any interactions with CTU would be strained; explaining why we haven’t seen him so far. Despite every warm memories we have of Tony Almeida, smuggling makes sense for the one-time hero. In a way, it circles his fall from grace.
Refusing to follow orders is nothing new for 24, but you have to feel bad for Mullins. On paper, approving the mission Carter suggested is borderline insanity. I wouldn’t have given the go ahead; it begs the question why they couldn’t just fake some classified Intel. Getting told “no,” but then doing it anyway is a classic Jack Bauer staple, and it is nice to see it continue without him. Once again Rebecca feels more like the “Jack” character than Carter does, as she is consistently putting more at risk by choosing to go forward with this operation. Her husband’s political campaign is pretty much over so it isn’t quite as selfish as it was previously. Andy’s foresight to search for the schematics before Rebecca even asked him to commit treason was awesome, and only furthers my “Andy Is The MVP” campaign.
I do not want to give the impression that Carter wasn’t great in this episode-- because we was. I’m not sure how he knew CTU security well enough to “Batman” his way through an elaborate-yet-foolproof escape plan, but it was fun to watch even if he had a smaller role in context. Ben wants to make this right, however I think he will somehow screw it up. They now have the plans, and they are off to meet up with... Tony? We can only hope.
The Verdict
While not quite as explosive as some previous episodes, this exposition-heavy hour of 24: Legacy elevated the season’s major threat, while giving our characters distinct and interesting paths to take. A minor slowdown in action provided room for critical plot reveals, even if they felt a little rushed.
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