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“24″ Airs Monday Nights at 9/8c on Fox

Episode: 3:00-4:00 PM

Synopsis: Once Matobo arrives at the White House, Jack, Bill, and Walker meet with President Taylor, outlining why they had to deceive her and others in order to regain the CIP device. While there, Taylor receives a phone call from Dubaku saying that they’ve taken her husband Henry captive. Jack and Walker then contact Moss at FBI HQ and let him in on what they’re doing. From there Jack goes to find the secret service agent responsible for handing over Henry, while Walker pays a visit to the agent’s wife and newborn.

Review: This episode features fingers getting chopped off, a gun being pointed at a baby, shoot-outs, car-jackings, hand-to-hand combat, someone laying a guilt trip on Jack, cars being blown up, Jack doing the “Bauer slide” with a gun in hand, and a character getting shot in the end–just another way to say that “24″ is back in high form. This episode features a really great moment when Taylor finds out her husband has been kidnapped. Cherry Jones shows the right mixture of confusion, anger, and desperation as she pleads with Jack to get her First Dude back. The show has often featured strong character actors in the role of The President, and I’m happy to report that Jones ranks up there with the best of them alongside Dennis Haysbert’s David Palmer and the devious Charles Logan played masterfully by Gregory Itzin.

With so much action in one episode, some characters get left out. Chloe and Tony aren’t seen at all during the episode with Jack and Walker going back to the FBI instead of Makeshift CTU for help. Likewise, with the tension so high, it really frustrated me to see some of the episode dedicated to Janeane Garafolo’s Janis telling Rhys Coiro’s Sean that his affair with an FBI employee is pretty obvious. I’m really getting sick of this plot line–it needs to go somewhere or be dropped indefinitely. Another side plot introduced during the episode is Dubaku’s relationship with his girlfriend, and how her mother (sister? I missed the connection) doesn’t approve and is actually willing to blackmail Dubaku. And with “24″ we know any attempt to blackmail the villain usually never turns out well.

Overall, another solid episode in an increasingly interesting episode. There’s some fat that could be trimmed, but “24″ is currently as engaging as it’s always been. I noticed this early on in the series, but this show saves it’s best episodes for multiples of 4 (so that you’ll go out and rent the next DVD, since they come with 4 episodes per disc), and this episode does not disappoint. The ending will get you excited for what happens next.

Next week: I assume we’ll have to see what happens to the character who got shot. I’m not sure, Obama’s address last night cut into my DVR recordings and messed everything up. I had to watch it on Hulu this morning. Barack, you’ve certainly made my Shit List for interrupting “24″–You better pray that stimulus package works, or you will have interrupted the best night on television for nothing.

Read More: 24 Recaps

What did you think of this week’s episode of 24?