24: Live Another Day Review: “5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.” (Season 9, Episode 7)

To save money and get the explosive action its producers want flinging at the screen in steady amounts, the rest of the episode is pretty low-key – at least for the standards of 24: Live Another Day. There is a lovely, well-acted scene between Kate and Yasmine, Navid’s niece who was a witness to both her mother’s death and to a bus running over her aunt, Simone, at the end of last week’s hour. There is also a heated and expository shouting match between the President and Prime Minister, where the latter’s health suspicions about the former are confirmed, and there is a slightly gruelling moment when Jack resorts to old habits (i.e. torture) to persuade a half-conscious Simone to testify to her terrorist mother’s whereabouts, but it is short-lived. These serious dramatic scenes are terrific, although they all feel solemn and even stolid next to the car chase Cassar and company concocted this week.

With such heavy drama and light-hearted action, an intriguing subplot involving CIA mole Steve Navarro and – surprise! – Adrian Cross gets only our lack of interest. Steve knows that Jordan is investigating into the file that indicates he framed Kate’s husband, Adam, in some sort of cover-up. He doesn’t go through much pain to send one of his main analysts into the field where certain death awaits Jordan, as Cross hires an assassin to try and take the CIA agent out. (Speaking of hackers this week, Chloe is shoved aside and takes up shelter in a crowded pub, which may not be the best place to get Wi-Fi.)

In an ordinary season of 24, this would be an outstanding subplot. In Live Another Day, the CIA mole remains to be filler compared to Michelle Fairley’s scowling and Kiefer Sutherland’s trigger-quick decision-making, punching and cursing. The potential for some intricate political maneuvering between the British and American governments could also use some more time to unfold, but as more than one character says in this episode, “Time is running out.”

The episode, which will likely be remembered for that action-packed chase, does set up a couple of juicy potential stories for next week, with Margot and President Heller peering into each other at the episode’s end and possibly agreeing to certain terms, as well as Jordan surviving the gunman who was hired to take him out. 24: Live Another Day is getting down to business, although it is sacrificing memorable subplots (and a ton of credibility) for an undeniably exciting main story.