24 is back, and it's brought it's mayhem to London.
It's been a long wait, but Jack is finally back - and he's got more split-screen action than you can shake a handgun at. Tonight saw an explosive two-hour return for real-time thriller 24, and Bauer, who has been off the grid (and our TV screens) for four years. In a nutshell, season nine, dubbed '24: Live Another Day' was everything that Kiefer Sutherland super fans could've wanted, and then some.
At the end of the last series, our favourite antihero was forced to go on the run, maligned by his country for killing two Russian officials, not to mention dozens of other baddies throughout his admittedly patchy career. Of course, in the eyes of the viewer, Bauer can do no wrong. He's a legend. Except, after 48 months of laying low, evading capture, the idiot has gone and got himself caught... Or so it seems.
Check out our top 11 (yes, 11) moments from the double-whammy installment here:
1. Jack's capture.
The first episode opens on a grotty railway arch in East London (looking more like a scene from EastEnders than our beloved 24). A horde of CIA London agents are surrounding a disused warehouse and, inside, is a high-profile subject. Undoubtedly, it's Bauer. The operatives storm the building, accompanied by a drone, and descend upon Bauer. "It's Jack Bauer!" one shouts, and we get our first glimpse of Kiefer's face. It's a glorious moment for any diehard fan. He then uses super-human, ninja-style precision to knock-out half a dozen agents with ease and darts outside, only to be pinned down by more guns. The man who cannot be caught has, well, been caught.
2. Old faces.
The President is in London, and it's no longer Allison Taylor. Instead a familiar face - James Heller (William Devane), former secretary of defence - is now holding the top job. And of course, where Heller goes, so does his daughter Audrey (Kim Raver). Can of worms? Opened.
We also see the return of Jack's long-suffering sidekick, Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub). The ex-CTU worker has undergone a somewhat gothic makeover after serving a stint behind bars: punishment for helping Jack escape four years prior. She is now being tortured for information about a group of hackers she has been working with in London.
Jack Bauer is back! (Sky / Fox)
3. Shady head of security.
24 wouldn't be 24 without a dodgy head of security - and we don't like this one at all. Mark Boudreau (Tate Donovan) not only berates President Heller for his forgetful, Reagen-esque demeanor, but, as soon as he gets word that Jack is in CIA custody, he immediately calls for him to be transferred to the "specialist activities" unit. No, we don't like the sound of that either. But it IS where Chloe is being held. Hmm...
4. Don't be silly, of course Jack got caught ON PURPOSE. Duh!
TIME FOR THE BIG REVEAL. Unsurprisingly, being the torture-resistant mastermind that he is, Jack has fooled all the CIA agents (bar one) into thinking he slipped up. In actual fact, he tipped them off as to his whereabouts so he could get caught, get into the CIA building and rescue Chloe. Of course, he achieves his goal - and with style and gusto.
5. The rogue agent.
Every season of 24 has a rogue agent who's a bit like Jack. In this instance it's CIA field operative Kate (Yvonne Strahovski) - although she may not be around for long. The blonde bombshell is on the cusp of being transferred back to the US after finding out her husband was selling secrets to the Chinese under her nose. But she smells a rat this time, and that rat is Jack. She knows he's up to something and that he's too clever to get caught. She figures out his plan, but too late...
6. Jack speaks.
It takes 45 LONG minutes to get there, but when Jack finally opens his mouth it's a beautiful moment. "Take me to her, now!" he yells at one of the specialist activities agents, having swiped a gun from cocky CIA boffin Erik Ritter (Gbenga Akinnagbe). And by her, he means Chloe of course. After knocking out yet another agent, he grabs Chloe and makes for the exit. He almost gets caught by Kate (and he pulls the classic, angry/scrunched up Jack Bauer face in dismay) but his Serbian mob buddy is outside waiting and, on Jack's signal, blows a hole in the CIA base for the pair to escape through.
7. Drone takes out US troops.
While Jack is busting Chloe out of a CIA torture chamber, and President Heller is trying to lobby British support for his US drone programme, an activist by the name of Derek Yates is hard at work... Using a custom-made gadget, he takes control of a US drone in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and uses it to fire on a US-British convoy. Four men (British and American) are killed. But that's just the dry run. Derek plans to use the equipment to assassinate the president - a statement of irony amid his campaign for the drone programme.
8. We hear the first British person speak.
...and he's a copper called Ken. 'Nuff said. Kate uses Ken's connections to trace Jack's phone. She tracks him down in West Ealing, but of course, he manages to escape with barely a scratch. That's our Jack!
9. Catelyn Stark isn't dead.
Sorry to get your hopes up Game of Thrones fans! What we ACTUALLY meant is that the actor who played Mummy Stark, Michelle Fairly, is back on the screens. This time she's playing Margot Al-Harazi, the British big bad of the show (or so we can gather thusfar...). We only catch a glimpse of her as she tries to negotiate a deal with Yates - the chap behind the drone hijacking device - but we already know she's going to be awesome villain. Watch out for her daughter too...
10. Stephen Fry as the PM!
What a season opener! Made even better by the appearance of Stephen Fry as our Prime Minister. The comedian is the epitome of all things British, so who better to represent Old Blighty? He's amicable with President Heller, but things take a nasty turn when he hears about the two Brits killed by the "rogue" US drone...
11. Chloe hot-wires a Volvo.
Probably irrelevant compared to our other top moments, but we just love bad-ass, post-prison Chloe. She's her usual grouchy self, but with a bit more street cred and a whole lot of eyeliner. Word.
24 is back next Wednesday on Sky 1.
Source : http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/148564/-24-Live-Another-Day-The-Best-Bits-From-The-Season-Nine-Opener
