If there was one thing that always happened on 24, it was the mid-season slump. It seemed as if the writers believed the audience was too bored, so they start to stray a little bit during hours 11 and 12. I am happy to say that it seems this is not the case this year, as the writers have actually consolidated story lines and with good results.

Nobody could forget how the show ended last week. Navi Arnaz had just taken his son hostage, hit Jack with his car, and then escaped down a staircase. A lot of people say that Behrooz is a pussy and almost deserves to be shot, but give the kid a break. He had no clue what he was getting into. His parents are on this secret mission, but he really doesn't care. He's in the US and dating a nice blonde honey from California. As long as his parents' master plan doesn't interfere with that, he won't mind throwing around a hearty "Death to the Infidels!" every now and then for show.

Then it turns out that his parents are a little more serious. They are involved in train bombings and the kidnappings of cabinet members. Still, that doesn't seem like it will get in his way, so why should he care? Because his parents want him to kill his girlfriend, and then his mother shoots her when he won't. His dad is so disappointed that he orders him killed. Behrooz is resourceful enough to kill his assassin, but when he asks his mother for help, his dad shoots his mother. To top it off, you learn that your parents, despite all of this other stuff, are taking great joy in an impending nuclear holocaust.

It's a lot to take in for any human being, correct? Soon, you just can't take anymore, including Behrooz. As his dad is dragging him down the corridors, he finally shouts "Dad, you're choking me." What an odd time to choose to speak. You would have thought it would have been something like "Dad, you're holding a gun to my head." or "Dad, you sent an assassin after me." I hear that "Dad, Mom shot my girlfriend" is also a contender.

Poor Navi, if he can't get his own son to help him kill a few million innocent people, who can he trust? He calls in his boss and lets him know the news. The friendly terrorists have even given him a special cell phone scrambler that works by plugging it into the charger. This little green device might have also been a signal booster since I know of no cell phone that penetrates thirty feet of basement. Anyway, he is going to stall CTU as long as he can, then kill go down in blazes once the reactors are down. All that is left is to wait it out and score some virgins for his trouble.

Why haven't the terrorists been able to meltdown more reactors? CTU is on the job, and especially Edgar. The last hour was really rough on him, and he seems to be taking the loss of his mother pretty hard. Driscoll, who has proven herself quite the smart and practical bureaucrat while on the show, lets Edgar know he is needed, and even apologizes for being a little too rough with him while he was mourning.

There will be no such kid gloves with Marianne. Continuing with this year's theme of capture, torture and ask questions later, Curtis is told to get information out of his ex-lover any way possible. If that means getting a little messy, then so be it. You can be sure that the ineffective sensory deprivation has been shelved, so what is Curtis to do now? Some jumper cables and a car battery? Perhaps some less invasive methods like force feeding a person saltines and denying them any water? Maybe he'll just be cruel and make her listen to Maroon 5 on repeat ALL DAY.

Posted by J-Unit on February 22, 2005 8:16 PM