Image Credit: Kelsey McNeal/FoxHoly cow, what a ride! I watched this episode knowing that a certain blonde would finally meet her maker (read Michael Ausiello’s excellent interview with Katee Sackhoff here) but the way in which she departed was both poignant and satisfying. Why poignant, you ask? As a longtime member of the Jack Bauer fan club, I can’t remember the last time our hero showed a combination of despair/resolve/regret/anger in one split-second, but he displayed it all before firing two bullets into the very deserving Dana. (Oh, and by the way? SPOILER ALERT for those of you who would even think of reading this recap before watching this high-octane episode. And you call yourself a 24 fan….) As for the satisfying part, it’s always more entertaining when Jack deals with villains like Dana quickly and definitively — just like he did with the blink-and-he’s-gone D.B Sweeney (d’oh!). But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
I have to hand to Ms. Sackhoff; superb work looking like she was choking to death at the start of the episode. I’m not sure how they filmed that faux water-boarding moment but it certainly had me gasping for air. Unfortunately for Sweeney’s Bledsoe, Dana was willing to take what he was dishing (or pouring) out, yelling “bring it on, you son of a bitch!” I admit it, she had me for a moment, though. Her plaintive wails about not having any proof were pretty convincing — but then so were her desperate attempts to “get into Cole’s head” about Jack wanting to seek revenge rather than truth and justice (hey, she’s not entirely wrong there, kids; we know he’s beside himself over Renee’s death). By episode’s end, I didn’t know what to believe about Dana anymore, which is testament to Sackhoff’s mad skillz as a villain.
But let’s get back to the clever use of “son of a bitch” in the episode. Moments after Dana cursed out Bledsoe, Cole was uttering his own “son of a bitch” after discovering how Jack slipped a sleeve of bullets out of his gun while Cole wasn’t looking. “Yeah, I know,” replied Jack — and that’s when I whispered a well-deserved “nice” to exec producer Howard Gordon and his band of 24 writers. This whole sequence was pretty legit — starting with how cool Kiefer looked while dashing down the alley to the way he killed Bledsoe before the dude could even utter 20 words. Good thing Sweeney wasn’t paid by the line for the last two episodes because I’m thinking he had six, maybe seven at most. If you want more of the D.B, however, I’m pretty sure The Cutting Edge is repeating almost nightly on Encore Love these days.
Dana did have the proof that Jack was looking for; it was hidden on a memory card in a safe deposit box that she and Cole had rented while they were (supposedly!) in love. Again, Sackhoff’s bad girl had me giving her the benefit of the doubt here: I bought her pleas to Cole that Jack’s motives weren’t pure, just like I believed she still harbored feelings for the guy whom she totally screwed over. But then the episode packed another punch I wasn’t expecting: Dana hid a gun and a strange little flashing thingie in the box, so she overwhelmed Cole and pulled off a particularly clever exit from the bank (“There’s a guy by the front door…I think he has a gun … OMG he’s looking in my direction!”). What a conniving little bitch! Too bad she fell for Jack’s throw-the-jacket-up-the-stairwell-ruse-so-she’ll-use-up-all-her-bullets. Works every time! So goodbye, Katee; it was super fun hatin’ on your character!
Meanwhile, my predictions came true with regards to Reed Diamond’s Jason Pillar; the writers had much bigger plans for a guy who started out as Logan’s mere administrative assistant. After managing to finagle Taylor (sheesh, the ol’ girl is digging herself one colossal hole), Logan installed Pillar at CTU as the new point person in charge of Bauer’s capture. Chloe can grimace all she wants but there’s no denying she got majorly hosed by the President, so maybe now she’ll start to wonder if Jack is on the right side of the law. But she better think fast; Pillar’s got a magic phone that rings up Renee’s assassin, and he’s ”vaiting for the call” to eliminate Jack.
Two other thoughts about tonight’s frst-rate episode: nice shot of Cherry Jones’ Allison while Dalia was “expressing gratitude to President Taylor, whose integrity and model courage .. have been unshakable.” Yeah, right; can’t wait until she learns the real truth there. And I had no idea that short, shallow breaths could help one endure a painful bout of water boarding. Good tip, Bledsoe; I’ll keep that in mind! What did you think of Jack’s final expression? Were you sorry to say goodbye to Sackhoff and Sweeney? And how ’bout when Taylor hung up the phone on Logan’s sorry ass?
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Even though I felt it coming in my gut, I was still shocked when Jack pulled the trigger, killing Dana in cold blood, proving her right, and, for the first time in 24 history, going back after “giving his word”. Seriously, I think every time he’s ever said that on the show he’s been telling the truth. Til now. Dark stuff.
Johnafication – Jack didn’t go back on his word. The deal was Dana would hand over the evidence and he would let her go. She started playing games again and doublecrossed him, tried to escape, killed more innnocent people during the process and tried to kill Jack. At that point the deal was off and there was no way he could let her go.
Honestly, I think Jack was planning on killing her anyways. He clearly held her at least partially responsible for Renee’s death and I don’t think he really intended to just set her free. At the very least, Dana truly believed he was going to kill her anyways. While she deserved to die, everything she did this episode was really just to save herself. Almost made me feel sorry for her, almost.
I agree, Jennifer. I think Jack would have let her go. But Dana was so twisted, she couldn’t believe him.
When Jack asked Dana if she had killed Cole, I think part of him wanted her to say yes. That way he could have justified killing her on that ground. I think part of the reason the writers had Dana spare Cole was so that Jack would not be able to use that as a justification.
Very dark stuff. Even when he killed Nina Myers, she was the person who had directly killed Jack’s wife. Dana, as far as Jack knows, didn’t kill anybody.
I don’t think I like this darker Jack.
I agree with Jennifer. Dana broke the deal and got what she deserved.
I also agree with Jennifer. I’m thinking that perhaps it was Jack’s first intention to kill her, but perhaps was leaning to let her go due to Cole, but when she pulled the double cross (and Jack didn’t know for sure that Cole was alive – can’t take her word for it..) she broke the deal, and she got her just reward… Disappointed but not surprised that DB Sweeny’s stint was short as they’ve done that with other actors (David Anders, Juergen Prochnow) this season, but looks like Reed Diamond is going to fill in as the intermediate baddie for now.
I wouldn’t say Jack doesn’t know if Dana’s killed anyone. He had to have known about the security guys she killed while trying to escape CTU.
Yeah…what you said!
I agree with Jennifer. Katee had become a mad dog who kills indiscriminately, pathologically. She had to be put down or more innocent people would certainly die.
Didn’t she shoot a couple of people inside and outside the bank? Seemed kind of justified to me. Not to mention the rotting body in CTU they have yet to smell decomposing. I danced a jig myself when he shot her because after Cole found that gun in the safe deposit box, I knew she was gonna have to die in order to stop her. Good riddance I say, great acting by Katee.
I loved this episode
Too bad Katee didn’t stick around for longer so we can see more of her baddie side, but her death was more than deserving and satisfying.
If anything, I feel she stayed too long. It’s exhausting to hate a villain so intensely week after week. I honestly don’t enjoy it, which makes “24″ a frustrating show for me to watch. The bad guys win 99% of the time.
I’ve seen Jack Bauer kill a lot of people but I have to admit that was by far the most shocking death in the eight seasons I’ve watched the show. Dana had it coming, but I really thought Jack might let her go. But I guess it was justice and not revenge. Jack’s eyes said it all. What a great show! I’m really going to miss it…
Jessse,
Are you kidding me? This was more expected than shocking. Jack did this before when he took out Henderson in season 5.
Or Nina Myers in Season 3…
Still not convinced Henderson is dead.
See, the thing with Henderson is that Henderson was directly responsible for the deaths of David Palmer, Michelle Dessler, and Tony Almeida (I know, Tony wasn’t actually dead). Dana Walsh was not directly responsible for Renee’s death. Jack killing her was a revenge-driven murder, pure and simple.
More shocking than Terri Bauer? Or Ryan Chappelle? Or Sherri Palmer? Or David Palmer? Or Michelle? Or Paul Raines? Or Edgar? Or… I can go on and on. Was it a cool death? Yes. Was it shocking? Ummm not even close, it wasn’t even the most shocking death of the season, which would belong to either Renee or Hassan. I don’t understand how people are even calling this a shocking death at all.
Was that Edgar on InPlain Sight last week?
i agree… i thought it was badass. Shocking didn’t even cross my mind until reading this article/comments
I thought it was shocking. Jack murdered her. He didn’t kill her in a gunfight. He didn’t kill her to stop her from killing someone else. She was unarmed. He murdered her. For Jack, that is shocking.
Umm, I’m pretty sure whether or not a death is shocking to someone is a matter of opinion… just saying.
Definitely going to miss Katee, I think she’s an amazing actress and I need my Sackhoff fix after BSG but her death was definitely deserved. I was completely shocked when he shot her in cold blood at point blank range, though. Just didn’t seem like a Jack thing to do but I guess the honorable and moral Jack Bauer is gone now. It’s all about revenge because murdering Dana like that, definitely wasn’t justice for what happened to Renee.
Hello? Curtis anyone? Curtis was Jack’s right-hand man and Jack took him out without even blinking. Cold indeed.
I don’t think it’s fair to say he shot Curtis without a blink. His immediate reaction was to quit CTU and walk away. Only the detonation of the nuke brought him back to reality.
To me, the shocking thing was not the act of killing Dana, but the act that it seemed like it was done out of resignation rather than anger. You really got the feeling Jack is finally hollowed out, that he may be alive but his soul is dead.
Not the same context, Sean.
I simply meant it was a more shocking death scene because it was easy for Jack to kill Dana, what with so much hatred built up. Killing Curtis, one of your longtime buddies, that’s not so easy to pull the trigger. Don’t think too many were surprised that Dana got what she deserved. We were all shocked Curtis (Jack’s heir apparent) was dead and gone in an instant.
Jack was justified in killing Curtis. Wasn’t Curtis about to kill some terrorist suspect out of revenge? That was definately shocking though. It ranks just below Renee’s death (which still bothers me).
This is why I love 24. I never saw this coming. Sure, Dana had her name on one of Jack’s bullets, but this was the most gratifying death since Nina Myers. And – Jack murdered Dana. Even with Nina, Jack waited for her to reach for her gun to give her two to center mass. He just flat out shot an unarmed Dana while looking her stright in the eyes. The second shot was puntuation. Great moment in the Jack Bauer character journey.
No way – Chappelle’s death was, hands down, the most shocking death on 24. Jack’s face before he plugged Dana was a mess – he is in assassin mode at his point.
Johnafication – Jack didn’t go back on his word. The deal was Dana would hand over the evidence and he would let her go. She started playing games again and doublecrossed him, tried to escape, killed more innnocent people during the process and tried to kill Jack. At that point the deal was off and there was no way he could let her go.
Damn. Just when Dana started to show some interesting aspects of herself, she’s dead. But hey, I’m glad that her death was memorable, since the rest of her storyline was anything but.
As for Jack himself…after seven and a half days of hell, and the equally dreadful transition between them, he’s finally snapped. The blowtorch scene in the next episode looks brutal. Somebody’s must’ve been watching Hostel recently.
Some viewers – myself included – don’t watch the previews for the next episode.
Some consideration for those of us who didn’t know anything about a “blowtorch scene” would be appreciated.
Thanks.
go away.
The previews for the next episode is just as exciting as watching the episode it self.
Yes because clearly knowing there’s something as ambiguous as a “blowtorch scene” in the next episode has just RUINED the entire 30 minutes for you. I totally empathize with you. Why bother even watching now? The blowtorch scene has been spoiled for all! God have mercy upon us!
I’m pissed because “Hostel” is spoiled for me now… lol
Yikes. I didn’t know mentioning the blowtorch torturing would’ve sparked off such a response. But like Nihilistic said, I didn’t exactly spoil the context of the act. For all you know, while it’s easy to assume it’s Jack’s doing (given his sadistic history), he may not have been the one to use the thing.
Damn, you guys just “blow” torched No Spoilers…
hey no spoilers please… in next weeks episode jack catches the guy who killed renee and burns his face off with a blow torch!
Either that or they’re making one king-sized creme brulee. Winner winner, dessert after dinner!
Hahahahaha!
Love it!
I’ve never seen Hostel, I think he’s channeling Pulp Fiction “,,,a pair of pliers and a blowtorch, and get medieval on his a@#,,”
Wow… Awesome episode! I must admit, Dana had me reachong for the fast forwatd button for much of this season, but she came through in the end. She ended up being one of the better villians… next to Logan! What a scum bag!!! Love it!
My favorite part about Dana’s death was how the clock ticked down to 12:00…and the sound was almost belligerent…like it was saying “oh not only do you not get a silent clock but you get a really loud clock…bitch…”
I thought that too… I was thinking, “We’d better no get a silent clock.” When it was LOUD, I laughed.
Exactly!
HAHAHAHA
awesome. Great episode. Jack Bauer Pathos.
ha, ha, ha. (No moment of silence for Dana.)
LOL!
Meanwhile the corpse of Jimmy James continues to decompose in the CTU ventilation system. Where’s the silent clock love for him?
Remember – and I have to keep reminding myself – that he’s only been in there for 4-5 hours. With apologies to CSI, I don’t know how long it takes for decomp to set in.
Probably in a climate controlled environment such as CTU, he won’t smell until the season’s over.
You know what would have been more hilarious? If a certain Seinfeld character popped up right after the episode ending beeps.
“No silent clock for you!”
There wasn’t a silent clock at the end of the episode because Dana Walsh deserved to die. I noticed in the previews for next week that the woman who was having an affair with Hassan is by Jacks’s side. She must be involved in the conspiracy too. By the way, the actress who plays that character, Jennifer Westfeldt is married to MAD MEN leading man Jon Hamm. It looks like the final episodes will be exciting and satisfying.
Keith, Westfeldt and Hamm have been together for almost a decade, but they are not married.
You know, I actually thought about Westfelt’s character during the episode, wishing they would bring her back as a journalist who really did care about President Pompadour and is outraged by the coverup re his killing. We’ll see!
Good point.
I love Katee Sackhoff. I hate how 24 writers gave her such a bad storyline. I mean, this is STARBUCK you are dealing with! Not some little girl. Katee Sackhoff is such an amazing actress, I agree with that 100%. I will never forgive the 24 writers. Not just for this bad storyline for Katee Sackhoff, but for killing of President David Palmer and Michelle Dessler. Best characters ever.
Janet D., I have never agreed with someone more.
It looks like they actually water boarded her, I can’t think of how else they could have filmed that! Ausiello should have asked her that when he interviewed her! And thank god I avoid spoilers like the plague because I was completely shocked when he killed her. I thought he would tell her to walk away since he “gave her his word”. Though, I was rooting for her to shoot him, but I didn’t think Jack would do it!
I’m pretty sure all you’d have to do is put plastic in the wrapped towel. So no water would go in her nose or mouth, it’d seep down the sides. Problem solved.
2 Possibilities:
1. It wouldn’t go into the towel, but would instead seep down the sides, into her nose and mouth.
2. Or maybe the plastic inside the towel also suffocated her.
Third possibility: CGI. LOL
For waterboarding to actually work, the recipient must be slightly inverted, meaning the head has to be lower than the rest of the body. In the scene she was perfectly level. She may have gotten water in her nose but that’s all. It’s the upside-down feeling that causes the “OMG I’m drowning” panic during waterboarding that makes it so effective.
No, I just read an interview with Katee Sackhoff, and they DID actually waterboard her! They tried to fake it, but it wasn’t working, so she was like, “Oh, go ahead and do it!”
Link?
Link? I wanna see that interview.
That does sound like Katee Sackhoff though. lol
Jack Bauer = Inigo Montoya. We shall now see all episodes include with “my name is Jack Bauer. You killed Renee Walker. Prepare to die.” Over and over again for four satisfying murderous hours.
Oh great, a revenge porn.
That would be AWESOME!
I wasn’t really shocked by Dana’s killing. Although, Katee Sackhoff acting was so good that I really did dislike her character and was hoping she would have been killed by Jack. It will be interesting to see how the final four hours will play out.
Jack Bauer killing Dana Walsh was a shocker. This is the darkest place that Bauer has ever gone. You knew this moment was coming. I never thought it would be as I had imagined. Painful, gut-wrenching, sad, poignant and unforgettable. Katee Sackhoff waited until her character’s final episode to deliver her very best performance. This show is going out on an extremely high note. Can’t wait for next week’s episode. This show, like ‘Lost’ is really going to be missed when it’s gone.
@ Dwayne,
I disagree, this was not a shocker. We all had an idea Dana was going to die. Also, it was certainly not a shocker that Jack would be the one to shoot her. Heck, that’s what he did to Chris Henderson in season 5.
Regarding her acting…it was average at best. I could not stand the scene where she pretended to cry with the 911 operator, and then put on a normal expression.
It wasn’t shocking that that she died or that he killed her but the whole situation was a huge shock. He murdered her in cold blood, at point blank range out of pure revenge and she was unarmed. So unlike Jack…
the darkest place jack has ever gone? no offense, but is this the first season you have watched?
Yeah, enjoy the next twenty days. Because after that there will be an official funeral service held for the television drama, followed by a rebirth of the TV sitcom (in its 21st century form).
Maybe it’s just me, but I thought last night’s ending was just a repeat of the Season 3 episode where Jack killed Nina Myers (in cold blood, btw). The only difference being that that episode had two seasons of emotional resonance and plot development behind it, so it felt more meaningful.
Plus, Nina WAS directly responsible for Teri’s death.
Yeah but at least then Jack waited for Nina to reach for her gun.
It’s too bad that the writers gave Dana that stupid past boyfriend plot at the beginning of the season, because it still makes no sense. I do believe she cared about Cole, and her only redeeming quality is that she didn’t kill him. Kudos to Katee for making us hate Dana. I only wish she had been that interesting since the first hour! Baaad to the bone!
I think that plot was used partially for the purpose of time filler, but also because it brought her out. Without the ex-boyfriend, does she tell Cole about her past? Then all her evil actions after that would have been a huge mystery to everyone.
I loved Jack’s final words to Dana before he offed her. She was asking something like “What can I do?”…Pause…Jack: “Nothing!” POW!! Goodbye Dana!
And a second one for good measure. Very satisfying. Now if we only could find out what happened to Berooohh….