24 : 10 p.m. - 11 p.m.

24. 7.15. Somehow Jack and/or Tony figure out the bioweapon is at the Port of Alexandria with a thousand other canisters to search through. Since Ethan sanctioned Jack’s release from custody, he feels he must resign as chief of staff. Jack and Tony approach port authority officer Carl. The bad guys (led by Jonas, whoever he is when he’s at home) told Carl they were smuggling weapons from South America. Since he needed money for he and wife to conceive, he agreed to help. Jack needs the manifest but the database is password protected. Where’s Chloe? They need her. Wouldn’t you know, the phone lines are jammed. Bad Starkwood guys contact Carl by radio. He’s to pretend all is normal and let in the eight heavily armed hostiles.

Olivia informs a press guy that Jack killed Mayer. Isn’t she special? The FBI finds it curious that Mayer was killed with a machine gun Jack didn’t have. Plus there were broken doors and extra slugs around. And open files about Starkwood. Renee tells Larry that Jack believes Starkwood is behind Juma’s attacks. Bad Guy Cooper promises money for Carl in a truck but instead he’s to be killed. Jack can’t let Carl down and takes out Cooper. Carl runs away, with thanks. When Cooper doesn’t copy, combat ensues and suddenly it’s Butch & Sundance against the Bolivians. Jack leaps on a semi and escapes but Tony is caught. Jack calls Larry to inform him of the latest events. Amidst more gunfire, a chopper swoops down and airlifts the bioweapon out. Unfortunately, when Jack was doing something or other in the back of the semi (it’s night, it was dark), one canister was breached and he may have been exposed. Now we’re talking! Best line: Jack’s, “Don’t even think about going for your weapon.”

24 : 9 p.m. - 10 p.m.

24. 7.14. When he looks for Chloe, Morris is told the FBI has her in holding because she’s been arrested. Jack calls the suspended Renee and reiterates that he’s being framed. He manages to grab a frame from the hospital surveillance camera of the hit man who killed Burnett and sends it to Renee. She identifies him as John Quinn who works for Starkwood defense consultants. Senator Mayer would know if Quinn worked with Juma. Jack heads off the see Mayer who I thought was the bad guy, but it appears to be someone else who actually said “the loss of one soul is tragic to me” followed by stating how “collateral damage” was different. Larry figures out Renee talked with Jack and has her records checked. They trace calls to a stolen phone. She’s put in holding. Not the same holding as Chloe. Mayer listens to Jack’s reasoning and allows him access to his files.

Janis can’t decrypt Renee’s files. Only Chloe has the power to do that. Larry informs Morris that he needs to help them find Jack or Chloe will be prosecuted for colluding and given a fifteen year sentence. No slouch, Morris easily figures out the override codes and decrypts the files. Instead of answering the question of where did Renee send Jack, I’d like to know why the FBI hasn’t hired Morris. Jack discovers an accident victim alleged that Starkwood was involved in assassination plots and attempts to acquire weapons of mass destruction, particularly bio weapons. Juma tested a pathogen on a village in Sengala. Chances are Starkwood has the same weapon and intends to use it.

The metro police knock on Mayer’s door. Knowing the police won’t listen to him, since they haven’t for the previous six seasons, Jack plans to run. Mayer advises him to trust the people he’s protecting. Trust isn’t Jack’s greatest asset, but he tries. Unfortunately, it was Quinn, not the police, at the door. Quinn guns down Mayer and Jack makes a run for it. He cuts his hand so Quinn has a blood trail to follow to a shack. When Quinn goes inside, Jack tips the shack over. Quinn jumps out the window and they fight. I believe before dying, Quinn said the weapons were already there. Thinking Jack killed Mayer, Larry orders him to be shot on sight. Jack calls Tony and arranges a meeting. Best line: Jack’s “If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already.”

Go ahead you can laugh

Some Pilkington quotes from The Guide to Philosophy:

• Because I haven’t been sleeping that well (re: how does he know this isn’t a dream?)
  
• If I was dreaming all this, I reckon my boiler would have been fixed ages ago.
  
• You don’t want fun all in one go.
  
• You’ve got the problem gene in your head.
  
• The problem hole is a standard size on everyone.
  
• You’ve got a load of skittles. I’ve got a big cream egg. (The difference between Ricky’s problems and his.)
  
• The problem ball is growing.
  
• I was emptying my worry hole.
  
• That me name was Brett (re: the one thing he would want to change.)
  
• I kept forgetting I was Brett ‘cause I wasn’t answering, so they went back to Karl.
  
• The thing with numbers is, there’s loads of ‘em.
  
• You could rule numbers out of your life if you wanted to.
  
• Anything over 3, they say we’re just being greedy.

24 : 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

24. 7.13. Conveniently for the good guys, there are five canisters (oh, canisters again!) of CH-4 or similar in the lockdown room. Jack figures he can make a run for it and cause an explosion. Mrs President asks for the release of the other hostages. Juma’s semantics may need help. Depending on your definition of release, he does release one. Mrs President is forced to read a statement. Bill overhears that Juma is not acting alone. Jack will need to find out who on the outside is helping so Bill runs for the CH-4 and causes the explosion. A shootout ensues. Juma orders the hostages killed but Jack corners him, planning to bring him in. Juma moves and Jack brings him down. And Bill is honored by the silent clock. With his hair emitting a golden halo this season, I figured he was already halfway to the angels. Sad, sad…

Mrs President brings FD Olivia on as an advisor, or a political liability since she leaked damaging personal information during the campaign. Larry suspends Renee for going behind his back and talking Ethan Kanin into allowing Jack access to Burnett. Meyer has twelve possible targets programmed in. He sends hit man Quinn to the hospital. Quinn kills a patient so the nurses will have to leave their station and he can block their computer monitor. A pen drops from the ceiling in Burnett’s room. The gas it gives off renders Jack unconscious long enough for Quinn to slit Burnett’s throat. When Jack comes to, he jumps up in the ceiling to escape, then he calls Larry to inform him he’s being set up by someone wanting to distract the FBI. The threat isn’t over. Best line: “The rules don’t apply to you anymore.”

24 : 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

24. 7.12. The frogmen swim across the Potomac and quite easily gain access to the White House from underground. Burnett is transferred to Kennedy memorial. Jack wants Bill to go to him and get information but Bill doesn’t think that would be prudent. Renee runs mighty fast. Not fast enough. Dubaku’s son reaches her. She informs him that Juma killed his father to stop him from talking. He doesn’t buy that story. They fight. As he’s about to strangle her, he’s shot from behind. Renee tells the FBI where the target is and they lockdown the WH. But too slow. Juma’s men are headed straight for Mrs President. Bill puts on her tracker and heads west with it, drawing them away from her. He’s seen and taken hostage with some other unknowns. Aaron and the First Daughter look for a way past the hostiles. Jack and Mrs President are sealed off in lockdown. Agents move in but Juma claims he has the president and they must evacuate or she will die.

They can’t risk that Juma is lying. Juma’s men think they can open the lockdown door in fifteen minutes because they have access codes. They don’t know Jack. He finds a toolbox and disables the door. Juma calls Mayer. They don’t have the shipment yet. What shipment? Suddenly I’m lost. If they find FD, Mrs President will have to open the door. Aaron knows Juma is bluffing and hopes to get out a signal but he’s shot. He sends FD to a security kit where she can signal code green out the window. She’s grabbed before she finishes. Juma spots the camera in the chandelier and threatens to kill FD if Mrs President doesn’t come out. Jack doesn’t want to open the door, but relents. Best line: “Stress is the fertilizer of creativity.”

24: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

24. 7.11. Code blue in ICU. I take it there’s no hospital security. Again. An unidentified man was with Dubaku before his sudden heart attack. Jack calls Chloe and asks her to delete Ryan Burnett’s name from the list or they won’t get the information in time. Janis interrupts her. Burnett’s trying to extend the window. If they recess the hearings, Jack’s subpoena expires, and Mrs President can pardon him. Senator Mayer won’t hear of it. Jack renders Bill unconscious so he can have a little chat with Burnett. Janis plays her boss a call between Chloe and Jack that implicates Burnett. Jack’s chat with Burnett includes a lot of high voltage tasering and the risk of becoming paralyzed but Burnett insists he doesn’t know the target. Mrs President pages Jack to stand down. He shoots out the intercom but the door is blasted through before Burnett gives in.

Mrs President offers Burnett full immunity if he talks. Otherwise, he’ll be charged with treason and she has no problem with the death penalty. On her own, Renee follows the soldiers to a warehouse basement. She calls Larry to inform him she saw Juma with the soldiers who she then follows to a boat, giving us new respect for her swimming abilities. Janis loses Renee’s signal. Glub glub. When the scuba geared guys jump off the boat, Renee quickly finds their plans include targeting the White House. She’s seen by Dubaku’s son, I think it was, and quickly dives in the water. He follows in a motor boat.

24 : 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

24. 7.10. Marika tries to play dumb but Dubaku shoves her around and takes her phone. He quickly tries to cover his tracks by saying his enemies showed her lies when he actually brought peace to Sangala. He’d still like her to accompany him. Whether to play the hero or martyr, she does. Jack and Renee are released but lose Marika’s phone signal when Dubaku crushes it. Somehow they get a make on the car. Copy that. Big car chase ensues. When it looks like Dubaku will escape, Marika attacks him and the car crashes. Jack easily takes out the driver and pulls Dubaku from the car which is about to explode. Jack begrudgingly helps Renee drag Marika out of the car, but to no avail. She’s a martyr. Dubaku’s critical. Jack has him brought around with epinephrine. Talk or he’ll make his son suffer. He has a list of names. Interestingly, he carries it with him in a plate just beneath his ribs. Who doesn’t? Jack extracts the digital storage device.

The device has an auto erase function. Chloe will have just one chance to download. Sean realizes he and Erika’s names will be in the database. If he crashes the server, they’ll have time to reformat and she can configure parameters or whatnot. When it’s accomplished, Sean shoots Erika. Chloe figures someone deliberately crashed the system. Sean claims Erika followed him up to the server room and shot him so he grabbed her weapon in defense. He didn’t mean to kill her. Chloe miraculously recovers the file, as only she can. Sean has a sudden errand but the FBI is quick and he doesn’t get away, but starts crying for his lawyer. Bill goes to bat for Jack with Mrs President. Tony has a lead for Jack. There will be another attack, target unknown, by Juma. The window opens at 1900 hours. Ryan Burnett, who works for the confusingly named Senator Mayer, is involved in its planning. Best line: Jack’s, “You ever pull your weapon on me again, you better intend to use it.”

24: 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

24. 7.9. Information is not to be disseminated. Jack calls Mrs President to say the FH has been transported to the hospital. Dubaku is trying to leave the country, with an exit strategy already in place. Bill wants Chloe cleared to help the FBI. Dubaku tells Marika his visa expired and immigration caught him. He must leave tonight, but invites her to go with. Her sister can join them later. Mrs Vosser’s anguish bothers Renee who should feel better knowing Mr Vosser was a killer and a traitor. In a weird scene, Morris, with son Prescott in the back seat, drops off Chloe at the FBI. Will she ever see them again?

Here is where the cat sat on my notes and things become even sketchier.

Mrs President has Aaron contact the First Daughter. Rosa rats out Dubaku. Our heroes want Marika to help them find out where he wants to meet. She doesn’t know, since he’s sending a car and driver for her. They can use her cell phone as a transponder. Janis is suspicious of Chloe who briefly loses the tracking grid because someone/Janis was in the system. The metro police place a road block around Jack and Renee. Federal warrants for their arrest were issued by the FBI/Sean. Dubaku is tipped off about Marika. Best line: “Life gets ugly, innocent people get hurt.”

24: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

24: 7.8. The First Husband is locked in the trunk of a car. I hate when that happens. This was a few weeks ago, so I’m trying to remember if he overheard that Dubaku was behind the First Son’s death or how we viewers were informed. Mrs President wants an explanation from Jack, Bill and Renee. They say using the CIP device as bait was necessary to get Dubaku. He has names of government betrayers so they can’t involve the FBI or Homeland Security. Dubaku calls. He has FH. Mrs President will meet his demands or he’ll send FH back once piece at a time. Mrs President feels she can’t give in. Jack offers to find FH.

Renee inexplicably trusts Larry Moss and enlists him to help find out who Gedge was in contact with. Sean doesn’t like being kept out of the loop. While Jack finds/crashes into Edward Vossler, Renee goes to Vossler’s house. She threatens to off his wife and child. There’s a green grocer with a staircase in back, Vossler offers, but then tries to one-up Jack so Jack must kill him in self defense. Marika’s sister Rosa doesn’t trust “Samuel.” She checks with immigration and finds out he doesn’t exist. Marika decides to break up with him that night. At the grocer’s Jack and Renee exchange hand signals. In a shootout, the FH is shot. Jack yells for an ambulance. Best come back line: “The rules are what make us better.” “Not today!”