24 Season 6 Hr 22: Jack Against All Governments

So we're up to the two-hour finale of this season - which, contrary to a lot of unimaginative critics, has been excellent. That's of course just my opinion, but I, understandably, put a lot of stock in it...

But back to tonight's episode:

Jack's nephew (at least, as far we know now - he could be more) has become the prime football of the show. Cheng's commandos broke into CTU last week to grab Josh, and killed Milo in the process. I was happy to see them mostly wiped out this week, in a good scene with Jack breaking loose, Nadia and Morris grappling with bad guys, and Doyle arriving just in time to save at least that part of the day.

But Cheng has made off with Josh - for delivery to Phillip Bauer. Jack gets Josh back, but-

The Lisa Miller ploy doesn't work. Lennox and company do get to see her have sex with Michael Bishop on camera (Invasion + Stargate), and Lennox does get to make Bishop send the Russians false information that the U.S. has recovered the circuit board - but the Russians know the info is bogus, and their President Suvarov squeezes our VP Daniels (who somehow doesn't seem as fearsome as he did a few hours ago), threatening things that could lead to global war.... And one last weighty piece falls into place that will pit Jack against not one, but three governments: the Chinese, the Russian, and our own!

That last piece is Phillip Bauer, who tells Daniels that he'll turn the dangerous circuit board over to the U.S. if Daniels gives him Josh.

And in a fine scene to end tonight's hour: Doyle gets a call from Nadia, just as Jack and Josh arrive back at CTU. And Doyle proceeds to take Josh away in a copter, over Jack's strenuous objections (he's restrained). A helicopter presumably going to Phillip.

But here are some things to bear in mind as we think about the next week's two-hour finale: Is Doyle really that much of a company man that he will just turn Josh over to Phillip? I'm not so sure. Will Jack really have no other allies at all in this? What about Karen and Buchanan (there was a glimpse of him in the coming attractions)?

And most of all, what does Phillip Bauer really want? His motives have been unclear all season, and are really no more clear now.

As I've said before, I think the pacing of this season has been very different and appealing - not least because so much of Jack's family is involved.

Whatever happens next week, I predict the result will be a Jack Bauer who will never completely go back to the way he was before...

4-minute podcast of this review at Levinson news clips