It’s Hour 5 on 24 and this week, there was a lot less Jack Bauer to be seen for most of the episode. While it’s clear that Kiefer Sutherland is the show, episodes like this offer a nice glimpse of the ensemble cast, which has been consistently strong since the revival.

 

Kiefer Sutherland
Could the series continue without Kiefer Sutherland? It seems unlikely at this point.

On Monday night, 24 finally offered viewers some relief from the classic “only the hero knows what’s going on and how to stop it” situation.

Cross identified the proof that the drone had been hijacked, the message got passed all the way up the chain to President Heller, and for once in a very rare while on 24, every character in authority recognized what was actually happening and took steps to prevent it.

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Sure, it may have taken away some of the dramatic tension, but for a distinctly Bauer-less episode, this was probably the best route the screenwriters could have taken.

Jack finally returned to the scene, but he wasn’t immediately sent into action – another plot point, which longtime fans will no doubt appreciate. Not just because it gives us time to soak in everything, but also because it means that this time, Jack will be used as a tactical weapon, instead of going on insane and highly questionable missions just for the sake of non stop action.

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There was a great scene between Jack and Audrey, which we won’t spoil, but you should watch out for as one of the better character moments of 24’s current run. Interestingly enough, it looks like the shortened season has made the plot more concise and easy to digest, trimming the unnecessary details, instead of jamming the same plot into fewer episodes. It’s great to see that even in a shorter season, the writers are paying attention to the character dynamics as much as the Jack-Bauer-kills-people moments, which have become the show’s trademark. 

Kiefer Sutherland
For the first time in a while, Jack wasn't the centerpiece.