Wednesday, March 31, 2004
4am -5am
Last night's show affected me more than I thought it did initially. The events inside the hotel in particular. I wonder if that was sort of the aim. I had one of those 'just before you wake up' dreams this morning - the kind you actually vaguely remember details of - and it was entwined with what's going on inside the old Chandler Plaza Hotel. As time goes by this morning the images from the dream are fading, but what I can remember is an overwhelming feeling of guilt. I seemed to be part of the containment team outside the hotel and I wore fatigues and I was either carrying a machine gun or I was positioned in the back of a military vehicle with a mounted machine gun. I can't recall which. All I know is that I had access to a weapon. Anyway, the panic inside the building was a fever pitch and there was a huge smashing of windows and a group of people escaped. So I, and several other members in my group or whatever had to gun them down. It was awful. The clearest image I have from the dream is of me just sobbing and racked with guilt at having shot these people. I remember putting my hand to my face and losing it.
And then I woke up.
And that... is how powerful this episode was for me. It affected my dreams.
Anyway on to a bit of recapping :) I have to say that anticipation levels were high for this hour due, of course, to the break, but I was also slightly worried that the hype I kept trying to avoid (spoilers spoilers everywhere in every critic's review. I HATE that!) would overshadow the impact but now I guess that point is moot because that was one KICKASS episode! Sure there wasn't as much Jack as someone like me would have preferred but I understand the necessity of moving the rest of the storylines along. And while I could watch Jack drive for hours on end, I'm guessing watching Jack and Chase drive around L.A. following Amador isn't compelling television.
Besides, this episode was all about Michelle, and deservedly so. We began with a dazed Gael informing the head of security for the hotel that the virus is out and that he needs to shut down the ventilation. But it matters not because we later discover that the entire hotel has been exposed and that the hotel has over 1000 souls inside. Michelle calls Tony to report in and he's gobsmacked to learn that she's inside the building. I had forgotten that no one knew they went in. Tony looked so anguished. Up until now he's been so strong and coordinated - tough and functioning under such pressure for someone who's been shot, but I do believe that he's regretting letting animosity build up throughout the day with Michelle. He knows she's been exposed and you could just feel his heartache. Poor Tony. He tried to get her out of the building thinking that perhaps the chances for her exposure were slim to none, but ToughMichelle reminded him that it would be impossible for her to leave. Not only because she is the ranking officer in charge, but that soon the guests will be waking up and panic will ensue once they realize they can't leave and she needs to stay to help contain it. Also, if there is even the remotest chance that she had been exposed, she knew she could not leave or risk spreading it further. Deep down Tony knows this, but he's worried about his new wife. (I say new because at the very least they've been married three years but I'm betting it's less than that.)
After her conversation with Tony, Michelle goes back to where Alvers is cuffed and interrogates him, asking if there were more vials in the hotel. After some smackdown by Michelle, he admits there are eleven other vials but that he doesn't know where they are to be released. She then begins containment procedures in the hotel, including the jamming of cell phone signals so the guests can't call out and shutting down hotel operations such as the fire alarms etc. She feels bad for Gael and tells him she's sorry for getting him into this. Bravely he tells her that she didn't do anything he wouldn't have done on his own. What a guy. Not long after, as Michelle is calling in a report to CTU she sees blood begin to gush out of Gael's nose and has to isolate him.
Once again she confronts Alvers. The virus is supposed to have a 14 hour incubation period and Gael should not be showing signs of symptoms yet. Alvers forces Michelle to promise to kill him when he begins to show symptoms. "I know what this virus can do. I don't want to die like that." he tells her. Michelle is unwilling to give in to his demands but she has to know what he did to the virus. So she agrees to kill him. Alvers then admits that he added an accelerant to the virus before it was passed off. Stunned, Michelle calls Tony to inform him about the accelerant and we begin to see Tony get a little emotional. But Michelle stops him and tells him they can't do that right now. They need to get an active protocol in place because they're just moments away from panicky hotel guests.
Meanwhile an employee of the hotel who had just come off of his shift was heading out when the head security guy stops him and tells him no one can leave because of an 'irritant' in the air, and they need all hands on deck to help with the guests. But this employee isn't falling for it because in his hurry to find an exit he discovers where they've got Gael isolated and overhears what's really going on. So, of course, he panics. He finds a gun and some keys in the security room (good job leaving them in a fairly accessible area security guys!) and heads for the nearest door - after pulling a fire alarm to alert the guests. Apparently the security team did not get them all disabled in time. Soon the guests begin to appear downstairs, bleary and confused. They are upset that they can't leave the hotel, even after being told that it was a false alarm. One man refuses to go back to his room until he's told what's going on (there is always one eh?). Several guests shout that they've seen men with gas masks on outside the building. So, and I don't know if this is proper protocol but I thought it was pretty slick actually, Michelle announces that she is a federal agent and that a toxic substance has been released outside the building and that they are all safe so long as they stay inside. Clever, clever :)
But Michelle is told by the security man that a fire door has been breached so she goes off to find out why, asking the security man to stay and keep the guests calm. She discover the panicked employee before he can get out of the building thank goodness. I completely thought he would be the first casualty by shooting because he was so panicked. But Michelle did a great job being honest with him about what's happening and she calmed him down. But now he must be isolated from the rest of the guests because he knows the truth.
Suddenly, Michelle gets a call on her two-way from the security guy - one of the guests has become symptomatic. Blood is gushing out of this poor lady's nose and mouth. Soon several others are beginning to bleed as well as Michelle does her best to maintain order. But I think if I was surrounded by spontaneously bleeding people I'd panic myself. And they do. One guest throws a trash bin through a window (it is unclear whether this is an inner window leading out into a lobby, or one that actually leads outside. There's some confusion about whether this means the virus is outside now) and Michelle pulls her gun on him. She tells him she will kill him if he tries to make a break for it. He doesn't believe her and bolts. BAM BAM, she shot him. The other guests are shocked - as is Michelle I think. She stood over the dead man with quite a look of remorse on her face.
And that ends the hotel saga for this hour. I bet you're wondering where Jack is by now :) Well he was with Amador at the beginning of the hour. He continued to press him on the mysterious person who knows him. Amador refuses to give up Saunders (Saunders being the man who now controls the virus vials.) Amador's hand has been bandaged and Jack can clearly see that Amador would rather die that reveal Saunders. He believes Amador is afraid of this guy. Jack speaks to Tony and learns that there are eleven other vials out there in the wide world and that Michelle is inside the hotel. He tells Tony he's sorry :( But then gets back to business. He tells Tony that he believes the virus has been altered in some way but that further testing will have to be done from the samples they gathered in the club. He cuffs Amador to a radiator ("Knees." *klunk*) and leaves the room with Chase. As they talk over what to do about him, Amador manages to bust the pipe he's cuffed to and escape. At first I was smacking my head and saying, 'Jack you dolt!" and then they showed Jack getting a call from Kim telling him that Amador was on the move. Nice fakeout :)
They wanted Amador to escape so they placed a tracker in the bandage and let him think he had escaped. The following hour pretty much just had jack following Amador at a safe distance because he believed Amador would lead him to the mystery guy. He knew Amador would want to get out of the country, but that he'd need powerful help doing so. And that is why the episode was relatively Jack-free. I don't believe watching Jack make a left-turn would be a good ratings draw :)
After Amador contacted Saunders and set up a location to meet someone in a silver taurus to get money and travel documents etc, he doubled back on his route for most of the show to ensure he was not followed. But he didn't know he actually was being tracked by Jack. So when he went to meet his contact Jack was nearby and about to pounce. Meanwhile Saunders hands off a cell phone to a henchman and told him that when it rings twice, to release the virus and destroy the phone. Then he ominously shuts several briefcases that contain the same timers/vials o' virus as the one that went of in the hotel. Spooky stuff, that.
So Amador gets into the car with the contact to receive his documents. But, just as he opens the briefcase, guess what happens... a bomb explodes, killing both Amador and the flunky sent to meet him. Jack and Chase race to the scene, horrified by what just happened. Just then, Jack's cell rings.
And I'll come back to that. Damn this is a long recap, sorry about that. Lots of stuff happening :) Just have Palmer to cover yet... Now don't groan because for the first time, Palmer is about to be drawn into Jack's storyline. I know there have been complaints about how Palmer's story this year hasn't been very interesting, and while I hate to badmouth, it has moved slowly and seemingly on a totally unrelated path from everything else. But now, Sherry has come to David and blatantly told him that she and Julia watched Milliken die because she withheld his meds. And she proceeds to blackmail David into lying to the chief of police about her whereabouts during the evening. The sad sad thing is, David did it. After a showdown with Sherry and another with his brother telling him he has to lie to stay president, David lied to the Chief's face about where Sherry was. And I think now he's racked with guilt. We also had a clear, tight shot of Palmer taking some more meds (the ones Dr. Packard gave him earlier in the day?) I don't know what this will lead up to, if anything, but it was interesting to say the least.
Anyway, back to Jack. His cell rings. It's Saunders and he wants to chat with the president. He doesn't reveal who he is to Jack, and I'm wondering how he got Jack's number, but it's magic 24 power and I don't question it :) Jack gets Palmer on the line and Saunders proceeds to explain that he has eleven other vials of virus out there and he will use them if the president does not do as he's told. "You are no longer in control of your country." are his haunting words to Palmer. Tick Boom, tick boom.
*phew* I'm out of practice on these recaps :)
And then I woke up.
And that... is how powerful this episode was for me. It affected my dreams.
Anyway on to a bit of recapping :) I have to say that anticipation levels were high for this hour due, of course, to the break, but I was also slightly worried that the hype I kept trying to avoid (spoilers spoilers everywhere in every critic's review. I HATE that!) would overshadow the impact but now I guess that point is moot because that was one KICKASS episode! Sure there wasn't as much Jack as someone like me would have preferred but I understand the necessity of moving the rest of the storylines along. And while I could watch Jack drive for hours on end, I'm guessing watching Jack and Chase drive around L.A. following Amador isn't compelling television.
Besides, this episode was all about Michelle, and deservedly so. We began with a dazed Gael informing the head of security for the hotel that the virus is out and that he needs to shut down the ventilation. But it matters not because we later discover that the entire hotel has been exposed and that the hotel has over 1000 souls inside. Michelle calls Tony to report in and he's gobsmacked to learn that she's inside the building. I had forgotten that no one knew they went in. Tony looked so anguished. Up until now he's been so strong and coordinated - tough and functioning under such pressure for someone who's been shot, but I do believe that he's regretting letting animosity build up throughout the day with Michelle. He knows she's been exposed and you could just feel his heartache. Poor Tony. He tried to get her out of the building thinking that perhaps the chances for her exposure were slim to none, but ToughMichelle reminded him that it would be impossible for her to leave. Not only because she is the ranking officer in charge, but that soon the guests will be waking up and panic will ensue once they realize they can't leave and she needs to stay to help contain it. Also, if there is even the remotest chance that she had been exposed, she knew she could not leave or risk spreading it further. Deep down Tony knows this, but he's worried about his new wife. (I say new because at the very least they've been married three years but I'm betting it's less than that.)
After her conversation with Tony, Michelle goes back to where Alvers is cuffed and interrogates him, asking if there were more vials in the hotel. After some smackdown by Michelle, he admits there are eleven other vials but that he doesn't know where they are to be released. She then begins containment procedures in the hotel, including the jamming of cell phone signals so the guests can't call out and shutting down hotel operations such as the fire alarms etc. She feels bad for Gael and tells him she's sorry for getting him into this. Bravely he tells her that she didn't do anything he wouldn't have done on his own. What a guy. Not long after, as Michelle is calling in a report to CTU she sees blood begin to gush out of Gael's nose and has to isolate him.
Once again she confronts Alvers. The virus is supposed to have a 14 hour incubation period and Gael should not be showing signs of symptoms yet. Alvers forces Michelle to promise to kill him when he begins to show symptoms. "I know what this virus can do. I don't want to die like that." he tells her. Michelle is unwilling to give in to his demands but she has to know what he did to the virus. So she agrees to kill him. Alvers then admits that he added an accelerant to the virus before it was passed off. Stunned, Michelle calls Tony to inform him about the accelerant and we begin to see Tony get a little emotional. But Michelle stops him and tells him they can't do that right now. They need to get an active protocol in place because they're just moments away from panicky hotel guests.
Meanwhile an employee of the hotel who had just come off of his shift was heading out when the head security guy stops him and tells him no one can leave because of an 'irritant' in the air, and they need all hands on deck to help with the guests. But this employee isn't falling for it because in his hurry to find an exit he discovers where they've got Gael isolated and overhears what's really going on. So, of course, he panics. He finds a gun and some keys in the security room (good job leaving them in a fairly accessible area security guys!) and heads for the nearest door - after pulling a fire alarm to alert the guests. Apparently the security team did not get them all disabled in time. Soon the guests begin to appear downstairs, bleary and confused. They are upset that they can't leave the hotel, even after being told that it was a false alarm. One man refuses to go back to his room until he's told what's going on (there is always one eh?). Several guests shout that they've seen men with gas masks on outside the building. So, and I don't know if this is proper protocol but I thought it was pretty slick actually, Michelle announces that she is a federal agent and that a toxic substance has been released outside the building and that they are all safe so long as they stay inside. Clever, clever :)
But Michelle is told by the security man that a fire door has been breached so she goes off to find out why, asking the security man to stay and keep the guests calm. She discover the panicked employee before he can get out of the building thank goodness. I completely thought he would be the first casualty by shooting because he was so panicked. But Michelle did a great job being honest with him about what's happening and she calmed him down. But now he must be isolated from the rest of the guests because he knows the truth.
Suddenly, Michelle gets a call on her two-way from the security guy - one of the guests has become symptomatic. Blood is gushing out of this poor lady's nose and mouth. Soon several others are beginning to bleed as well as Michelle does her best to maintain order. But I think if I was surrounded by spontaneously bleeding people I'd panic myself. And they do. One guest throws a trash bin through a window (it is unclear whether this is an inner window leading out into a lobby, or one that actually leads outside. There's some confusion about whether this means the virus is outside now) and Michelle pulls her gun on him. She tells him she will kill him if he tries to make a break for it. He doesn't believe her and bolts. BAM BAM, she shot him. The other guests are shocked - as is Michelle I think. She stood over the dead man with quite a look of remorse on her face.
And that ends the hotel saga for this hour. I bet you're wondering where Jack is by now :) Well he was with Amador at the beginning of the hour. He continued to press him on the mysterious person who knows him. Amador refuses to give up Saunders (Saunders being the man who now controls the virus vials.) Amador's hand has been bandaged and Jack can clearly see that Amador would rather die that reveal Saunders. He believes Amador is afraid of this guy. Jack speaks to Tony and learns that there are eleven other vials out there in the wide world and that Michelle is inside the hotel. He tells Tony he's sorry :( But then gets back to business. He tells Tony that he believes the virus has been altered in some way but that further testing will have to be done from the samples they gathered in the club. He cuffs Amador to a radiator ("Knees." *klunk*) and leaves the room with Chase. As they talk over what to do about him, Amador manages to bust the pipe he's cuffed to and escape. At first I was smacking my head and saying, 'Jack you dolt!" and then they showed Jack getting a call from Kim telling him that Amador was on the move. Nice fakeout :)
They wanted Amador to escape so they placed a tracker in the bandage and let him think he had escaped. The following hour pretty much just had jack following Amador at a safe distance because he believed Amador would lead him to the mystery guy. He knew Amador would want to get out of the country, but that he'd need powerful help doing so. And that is why the episode was relatively Jack-free. I don't believe watching Jack make a left-turn would be a good ratings draw :)
After Amador contacted Saunders and set up a location to meet someone in a silver taurus to get money and travel documents etc, he doubled back on his route for most of the show to ensure he was not followed. But he didn't know he actually was being tracked by Jack. So when he went to meet his contact Jack was nearby and about to pounce. Meanwhile Saunders hands off a cell phone to a henchman and told him that when it rings twice, to release the virus and destroy the phone. Then he ominously shuts several briefcases that contain the same timers/vials o' virus as the one that went of in the hotel. Spooky stuff, that.
So Amador gets into the car with the contact to receive his documents. But, just as he opens the briefcase, guess what happens... a bomb explodes, killing both Amador and the flunky sent to meet him. Jack and Chase race to the scene, horrified by what just happened. Just then, Jack's cell rings.
And I'll come back to that. Damn this is a long recap, sorry about that. Lots of stuff happening :) Just have Palmer to cover yet... Now don't groan because for the first time, Palmer is about to be drawn into Jack's storyline. I know there have been complaints about how Palmer's story this year hasn't been very interesting, and while I hate to badmouth, it has moved slowly and seemingly on a totally unrelated path from everything else. But now, Sherry has come to David and blatantly told him that she and Julia watched Milliken die because she withheld his meds. And she proceeds to blackmail David into lying to the chief of police about her whereabouts during the evening. The sad sad thing is, David did it. After a showdown with Sherry and another with his brother telling him he has to lie to stay president, David lied to the Chief's face about where Sherry was. And I think now he's racked with guilt. We also had a clear, tight shot of Palmer taking some more meds (the ones Dr. Packard gave him earlier in the day?) I don't know what this will lead up to, if anything, but it was interesting to say the least.
Anyway, back to Jack. His cell rings. It's Saunders and he wants to chat with the president. He doesn't reveal who he is to Jack, and I'm wondering how he got Jack's number, but it's magic 24 power and I don't question it :) Jack gets Palmer on the line and Saunders proceeds to explain that he has eleven other vials of virus out there and he will use them if the president does not do as he's told. "You are no longer in control of your country." are his haunting words to Palmer. Tick Boom, tick boom.
*phew* I'm out of practice on these recaps :)
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