The final hour gets right to work on the big gambit: Jack's hijacking of Marine One to get President Logan to confess. And he does, but how it's done is a brilliant plot twist carried out during Logan's eulogy to David Palmer. And Gregory Itzin deserves serious credit for paying the character at his most vulnerable (like trying to negotiate with a poker-faced Jack, terrific scene) and then leaning into the villainy after the plan "fails" (the guy's just a major sleaze). And from there it's the triumphant happy ending the season deserves; Logan's in cuffs, CTU's restored, Jack and Audrey can rekindle their flame . . .
But there is no happy ending, and it's this turn that takes things to a while new level. As the clock ticks to a close, Jack's beaten to a pulp, lying in the hold of a tanker bound for Shanghai. That's right, the Chinese won't be forgotten. It's a masterful plot twist, directly recalling the prior season's snafu and dooming our hero to a miserable future. Part of the reason the sixth season was a letdown is because there's just nowhere to go from there. It's a vicious swerve.
But smaller scale, as this episode stands, it's a home run. This is outstanding television.
10/10
But there is no happy ending, and it's this turn that takes things to a while new level. As the clock ticks to a close, Jack's beaten to a pulp, lying in the hold of a tanker bound for Shanghai. That's right, the Chinese won't be forgotten. It's a masterful plot twist, directly recalling the prior season's snafu and dooming our hero to a miserable future. Part of the reason the sixth season was a letdown is because there's just nowhere to go from there. It's a vicious swerve.
But smaller scale, as this episode stands, it's a home run. This is outstanding television.
10/10