1. Jack meets Rainman: I knew it - as I said last week, none of the main characters at CTU was the mole. Each had a convincing alibi. The breach - as one of my readers suggested - was from someone outside CTU, who was hacking in. The drone pilot had a chip that allowed the terrorists to use Nadia's computer.... And this wasn't the only hacking going on tonight. An impaired, autistic Rainman-type character is being used by his brother to get the blueprints for a nuclear plant, to give to Gredenko. Drawing on a rarely displayed sensitivity, Jack is able to gently but effectively get Rainman to get to Gredenko, in one of the more interesting, offbeat sequences we've yet seen on 24.
2. Ricky is good: I had a feeling about this, too. Why put all that energy into introducing Mike Doyle (played by Ricky Schroeder), just to make him another sleazy high-adrenalin lowlife at CTU. He's tough, but honorable, not willing to let Nadia take the fall even though he was wrong to loudly suspect her, and wrong to threaten her in interrogation. Doyle is increasingly shaping up as the best operative at CTU after Jack.
3. Prez v. VP: This is handled very well, too. Wayne is perilously brought out of the coma so he can order the strike in the Middle East to stand down - only to be contradicted by VP Daniels, who says Wayne's not in his right mind. The Palmer bros seem ever subject to this claim - David got it in his administration, too. But this was still handled nicely tonight.
Other good touches included Milo kissing Nadia (see, I told you he was a good guy!) and the doc in charge of Wayne's treatment standing up to the growling Daniels (ever played just right by Powers Boothe).
And as we gear up for next week, we need to check over our shoulders to see what's happening with Jack's father, the condition of former Prez Logan, and ... is Audrey really dead and what more may be happening with Jack and his sister-in-law.... Just in case any of those may have slipped your mind....
Useful links:
4-min podcast of this review at Levinson news clips
Memo II to Olbermann: Did You See Jack Bauer's Concern About Militant VP? my continuing attempt to hold Olbermann accoutable for his attacks on 24
