GREAT BIG HAT TIP TO LOYAL READER MARGO FOR SENDING ME A TAPE OF THIS WEEK’S EPISODE!

One of the more puzzling twists in the plot of this season’s “24” has been the largely unexplained presence of so many Americans working with Hamid Marwan, the terrorist mastermind. Who are they? Are they just a PC construct used by Fox to show that Arab Muslims aren’t the only terrorists thus placating the American Muslim community? Or are they working with the terrorists to achieve their own nefarious ends?

McGLENNON-FORSTER

While it’s apparent that Mr. McGlennon was in the dark about Marwan’s activities, we were told that for Marwan to get clearance to work there he would have needed help. Someone in that company (someone who’s presumably still alive) helped Marwan to evade all the security checks. Security VP Conlon is dead. Who was it?

THE PILOT

This clean cut, all-American looking killer is either current or ex Air Force. If our speculation pans out about the pilot attempting to shoot down Air Force I, he’s going to have to have the expertise to fly a fighter escort.

You don’t learn how to fly a fighter jet by playing Lethal Skies II.

ADULTEROUS WOMAN

The sleazy woman who was sleeping with the real pilot John could very well be ex-special forces or ex-black ops CIA. Either way she’s in business for herself. Could Marwan have had some help in recruiting? Could some rouge intelligence agents have some part to play in the unfolding drama?

THE “ROAD CREW”

Getting those guys out to the tunnel on such short notice is either a weak plot device or evidence of extraordinary precision. Since several of the “workers” who spoke had American accents we have to assume some kind of coordinated effort here. But why? And what is it?

Could the President’s conversation with Secretary Heller about martial law be a clue? Does someone in the American government want the country under martial law?

Could we possibly be looking at some kind of attempt by the military to take over the government?

Don’t put it past these Hollywood types. As unrealistic and preposterous as it sounds, military plots to take over the country are standard fare in Hollywood through the years.

SUMMARY

With Audrey’s accusatory look (“Tell me Paul is going to live, Jack”) still fresh in his mind, Jack comes up witha real “Andy Hardy” idea; why not have Dina go undercover with Jack as hostage and pay a visit to terrorist Joseph Fayeed. Maybe Fayeed can get them close to Marwan.

Andy Hardy, for those not familiar with 1960’s Saturday morning TV, was a character portrayed by Mickey Rooney in a series of movies with Judy Garland back in the 1940’s when both were playing teenagers. The story was always a variation on a theme. Mickey and Judy would have to solve some financial problem for some poor widow or an orphanage or some other worthy cause. How did they do it? Mickey would think a minute and then announce “Hey kids! Let’s put on a show!” Which, of course, gave Mickey and Judy a chance to do a few musical numbers and save the day.

So here’s Jack thinking outside the box again and what does he say? “Hey kids! Let’s mount an undercover operation!”

And it’s a doozy. But wait. If this crazy, loony plan is going to have any chance of success, we’re gonna need top-flight surveillance from beginning to end. Fat geek Edgar doesn’t appear to be up to the challenge. Oh dear, what are we going to do?

Why call Chloe of course! And with her usual persnickety manner, Chloe accepts Michele’s appeal to her loyalty to Jack and rejoins the crew.

So now, they’re all back together-Jack, Tony, Michele, and Chloe-battling the forces of evil while trying to keep their personal dramas from destroying the country. All that’s missing is President Palmer (stay tuned for that potential shocker).

With Dina in tow, Jack arrives at Fayeeds house. But he’s faced with a rather perplexing problem; how do you convince the terrorist that the cover story, which has Dina escaping from CTU custody with the help of her terrorist cell, is real? Jack comes up with a novel, if rather painful solution.

He stabs himself.

The look on Dina’s face when Jack commits partial Harri-Kari should be bottled and sold. It was that precious. It reminded me of the look that Dale Arden used to get on her face when Flash Gordon was about to jump into a pit with some extraterrestrial monster to save Prince Baron; absolute horror along with a touch of “What the hell are you doing?” (More 60’s flashback TV. Sorry.)

As far as the plan itself, Marwan smells a rat immediately. When Fayeed gets off the phone with him, you can tell by the look on his face he’s been ordered to commit suicide. Why did Marwan order that unless he didn’t believe a word of the cover story? Then there was the vehicle switcheroo in the tunnel. It all adds up to one thing; Jack’s in big trouble.

The plan falls completely apart when Dina is ordered by Marwan to whack Jack to prove her loyalty. When Dina aims the gun at Marwan and pulls the trigger only to have the hammer fall on an empty chamber, the jig is up and poor Behroos becomes an instant orphan.

Meanwhile, back at CTU Audrey professes her loyalty to Paul who may be crippled because a bullet is lodged against his spine. It’s unclear at this point who she’s going to choose but the smart money is going to be on Paul. Which brings me to a question I’d like to ask all female readers? Why is it that women can love two men at the same time?

I’m 51 years old and never been in love with two women at once. The very idea is beyond my imagining. Is this something only women are capable of. And by the way, how DO you make a decision between the two? Anthropologists the world over are waiting for an explanation.

BODY COUNT

Real pilot John and his family are toast (we didn’t see the family get it but the faux pilot was kind enough to inform John that his family was dead…just before putting a bullet in poor John and cutting off his finger so that he could gain fingerprint ID access to flight ops).

Also, Fayeed gets to play with his 72 virgins for martyring himself and taking a CTU agent with him. And Dina probably wishes she had reasoned out the fact that if Marwan suspected her, he wouldn’t have given her a loaded gun.

Jack: 27

Show: 122

LOOSE END

Anyone else notice the crappy return salute given by the fake pilot to the AF security guy? What a joke! If I had been that Sergeant, I would have been immediately suspicious of an officer who couldn’t salute worth a damn.