This is a detailed synopsis, as well as a commentary and review of the TV series 24: Season 8 – Episode 21, which occurs in the time frame of 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. This episode of 24 was directed by Milan Cheylov. For a complete list of all the stars and directors from all 195 episodes of 24, please click here.
This will be the last year that 24 will be televised. This episode of 24 begins with two policemen taking a handcuffed Cole Ortiz (Freddie Prinze Jr.) to where Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) killed Dana Walsh (Katee Sackhoff). One of the cops says Dana was killed ‘execution style.’
In the back of a cab, Jack watches the video he got from Dana on his PDA. The video recording only shows Pavel Tokarev (Joel Bissonnette), but it incriminates the Russian government in the nuclear threat and Hassan’s assassination. Jack sends the video file to Jim Ricker (Michael Madsen) and tells him to ID Tokarev for him.
At CTU, Jason Pillar (Reed Diamond) tells everyone to drop everything except for finding Jack. He also tells people that Cole is coming in for questioning. Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) asks Pillar about the bank, and the evidence Dana said she had. Pillar shuts her down. Chloe tells Arlo Glass (John Boyd) that something is seriously wrong. Chloe tells Arloe that she thinks Jack was right, and this is a cover up that starts at the highest levels.
Jack arrives at Ricker’s and Ricker makes him tell him what’s going on. Jack tells Ricker everything – including about Renee. Ricker then tells Jack about Tokarev. Ricker can’t locate where Tokarev is. Jack calls reporter Meredith Reed (Jennifer Westfeldt), President Hassan’s ex-lover. He tells her about the Russians and the evidence. He asks her to meet him at a department store in 20 minutes so he can give her the recording and she can follow through with it. She agrees.
Cole arrives at CTU in cuffs and Pillar questions him about Jack. Cole tells Pillar he’s part of the cover up. Pillar gets told they may have a line on Jack and he leaves Cole. Jack’s call to Reed was intercepted and is being prepared so that it can be listened to. Moments later, Ex-President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) and Mikhail Novakovich (Graham McTavish) are listening to Jack’s call to Reed, which was forwarded by Pillar. Now, CTU and the Russians know where Jack will be in less than 20 minutes. Pillar has sent the Russian special ops team to the department store to kill Jack.
Chloe calls Arlo into an office and shows her that Pillar is up to no good. Arlo finally agrees to help Chloe. Chloe and Arlo create a way to work without Pillar monitoring it. Arlo creates a loop of the video feed of Cole in detention. Chloe wants to talk to him privately. Chloe asks Cole for help – he’s reluctant because Jack executed Dana, but he gives in and tells Chloe that Jack must be working with someone in the city – he had state of the art equipment. Chloe goes to search fro someone who might be helping Jack.
Tokarev is setup with a sniper rifle overlooking the place in the department store where jack is to meet Reed. He also has men on the floor. Logan calls and tells him to kill Reed also.
President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) meets with Logan, who tells her they’ve found Jack and will acquire him and the evidence. He also wants Taylor to make public his role in the peace agreement. (He’s so sleazy.) Taylor agrees.
Reed arrives at the meeting place inside the department store. Pillar is watching via store cameras. Jack is at the store, but none of the Russians or the cameras can see him. Then Pillar sees him and tells the Russians, who still can’t see him. Tokarev finds Jack in his scope and is about to shoot when Ricker puts a gun to his throat and has him put the rifle down. He tells Jack the top is clear. Jack grabs Reed and tells her to come with him and do exactly what he says. Pillar tells the Russians to take Jack out now! Jack stashes Reed and goes back for the Russians. Jack takes out 4 Russians with guns and then he and Reed flee. They meet up with Ricker and Tokarev and they all leave the store.
Pillar calls Logan and tells him Jack and Reed are alive and at large. Pillar tells Logan he needs to distance himself because if Tokarev talks, he’s in big trouble. Logan says he can’t – Taylor’s press secretary is making an announcement about his involvement in the peace agreement. Logan tells Pillar to go find Jack! Pillar takes CTU SWAT and heads for the department store to try and track Jack.
Jack and company enter an abandoned building. Ricker has Tokarev empty his pockets. Jack tells him to take off his jacket. Reed realizes that she was used as bait. Tokarev drops his jacket on the floor, and as he is picking it up he removes the card from his phone. Jack gives Reed the video recording and has Ricker take her out of the room. Jack ties Tokarev to a post to interrogate him. Jack tells Tokarev that Renee was killed with a rifle just like the one he is carrying. As Reed watches the video, Jack goes to work with a pair of pliers. Tokarev says “yeah – I killed your bitch.” Jack gets rough. Reed can hear and wants him to stop.
Pillar gets to the store and pulls the NYPD guys away to look for Jack. He tells them to shoot on sight.
Jack wakes Tokarev up with ammonia and then starts using his knife to get answers – he wants to know who runs Tokarev. The knife doesn’t get it – so Jack uses a torch. Jack sees Tokarev’s cell phone. He asks Tokarev where the SIM card is – and starts looking on the floor. When he can’t find it – he knows Tokarev swallowed it. Jack cuts it out of him and puts it back in the phone. He hits redial – it’s to Logan’s cell phone.
