In a very typical move for this show, the original premise is resolved within six or seven episodes, allowing for the real, scarier plot to be unveiled. We also get our first glimpse (well, not really: he's just mentioned) of the season's primary villain, although, based on the program's track record, he might answer to some higher authority (or maybe not: even that has become a cliché).
With the military ready to bomb the compound where Secretary Heller and Audrey are being held captive, Jack must act quickly in order to save them. Translation: we need a shootout. Elsewhere in town, Dina Araz is surprised (?) to find out her husband and his boss, a certain Marwan, are planning to kill her son because of the Debbie incident, and Curtis makes a rather shocking discovery concerning the terrorists' real intentions.
From a technical standpoint, this is an excellent episode: the rescue mission is carried out with Michael Mann-like precision, both on-screen and off, and the general pace of the show leads to the complete absence of any dull moments. The problem, so to speak, lies in a slightly exaggerated plot twist. I mean, the terrorists staged the train bombing seen in the first episode so they could steal a device that allows them to control all 104 nuclear plants in the States? That's a tad far-fetched even by this series' standards. Still, with the right villain doing this (and the producers have always had good eye for casting in that department) and Jack Bauer trying to stop him, a little credibility-stretching doesn't sound so alarming.
With the military ready to bomb the compound where Secretary Heller and Audrey are being held captive, Jack must act quickly in order to save them. Translation: we need a shootout. Elsewhere in town, Dina Araz is surprised (?) to find out her husband and his boss, a certain Marwan, are planning to kill her son because of the Debbie incident, and Curtis makes a rather shocking discovery concerning the terrorists' real intentions.
From a technical standpoint, this is an excellent episode: the rescue mission is carried out with Michael Mann-like precision, both on-screen and off, and the general pace of the show leads to the complete absence of any dull moments. The problem, so to speak, lies in a slightly exaggerated plot twist. I mean, the terrorists staged the train bombing seen in the first episode so they could steal a device that allows them to control all 104 nuclear plants in the States? That's a tad far-fetched even by this series' standards. Still, with the right villain doing this (and the producers have always had good eye for casting in that department) and Jack Bauer trying to stop him, a little credibility-stretching doesn't sound so alarming.