# 24: Season 4: Episode 9 (3:00pm - 4:00pm) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149 "2005-02-15T04:00:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/21 "2005-02-15T09:08:35Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Where the hell are they flying to and from, and why are they in the air in a national emergency? Heh. I seem to recall that refrain from half-a-dozen 9/11 conspiracy websites. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/22 "2005-02-15T09:14:29Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Heh. I seem to recall that refrain from half-a-dozen 9/11 conspiracy websites. And _that_ didn’t last nine hours! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/23 "2005-02-15T10:12:10Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > I don’t see why everyone is hung up on the President flying around all the time. Air Force One can be refueled in the air and kept flying for quite a while. It’s not the whether it can, it’s why is it? Nine hours ago, the plane was going from somewhere, to somewhere. Where was it coming from? Where was it going to? Why is it taking so damn long to get there? They only found out about the nuclear meltdowns two hours ago. It would be one thing if they took off, an hour later found out that there might be a nuclear disaster, and decided not to land for the President’s safety. But they’d been flying for over seven whole hours before there was a threat to the President’s safety…so why on earth hadn’t they landed yet? Why haven’t they landed now. Does this President just have a thing for planes? ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/24 "2005-02-15T12:14:34Z")
I just assumed the president is perpetually in the air as a security measure. If terrorists are gonna start melting down nuclear power plants and bloeing stuff up left and right, the safest place for the president, presumably is in the air. They can circle around for days (theoretically of course), keep generally out of sight, avoid any sort of probable ambush, and get the hell out of Dodge (ie to Canada) at the drop of a hat if it became necessary. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/25 "2005-02-15T13:54:52Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > They only found out about the nuclear meltdowns two hours ago. It would be one thing if they took off, an hour later found out that there might be a nuclear disaster, and decided not to land for the President’s safety. But they’d been flying for over seven whole hours before there was a threat to the President’s safety…so why on earth hadn’t they landed yet? Why haven’t they landed now. Does this President just have a thing for planes? Think about it like this: At the start of the season, Prez is on his way to whereever, maybe a meeting in CA, so he is coming from DC. Now, after a couple hours, the Sec of Def is kidnapped. Hmm…a high-ranking official in the US government is kidnapped, someone knew where he was going to be and when, you don’t think they might decide to not go where they were originally going, for fear that they might get the prez as well? Then, after turning around and heading to a secret location, they learn of the nuke plot, and perhaps the secret location was too close to a nuke plant, so they jsut eicde to stay in the air. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/26 "2005-02-15T14:23:49Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Marianne is awake in previews for next week’s episode. [spoiler] “I want a deal.” “Here’s your deal. You get to live.”[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/27 "2005-02-15T14:31:26Z")
> [@Stuffy](#): > > Did I leave anything out? You left out Edgar. Edgar calls Mom, who missed the evacuation. He tries to route the National Guard there. Fails. He get’s Jack’s squeeze to try to route the NG there. Fails. He starts to walk out of CTU. Ms. Driscoll stops him, and rather than having his ass placed in a featureless white room for torture on general principal _(oops, wrong show)_, she talks him back to his station. “What would your Mom want you to do?” ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/28 "2005-02-15T14:47:20Z")
I hope that this season of 24 doesn’t get people riled up against adding new nuclear plants. Some people won’t get that this is all very fictional… ---
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/29 "2005-02-15T14:57:43Z")
I was impressed with last night’s episode. It was nice to see Jack try a different approach with terrormom, and her responses were great, especially at the end of the episode. She and terrorson have done a great job acting, IMO. Question: If you were at the hospital and you heard a teenage boy yelling at his uncle that he had killed people and his father was responsible for a massive terrorist attack, would you let him run away? Also, I think they can go ahead and put an end to the Tony and Jack drama. Tony whining: “I don’t wanna go anymore”. Jack intense (what a suprise): “I need you more than ever. I love you, Tony”. Tony kicking the ground: “I guess I’ll go then.” What about the cover up plot between Driscoll and Curtis. Has Driscoll made a good call yet? I think the end of this season will have the Blues Brothers a.k.a. Jack and Tony putting Driscoll, Curtis, Marianne, and the President 6 feet under. A guy can dream can’t he? ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/30 "2005-02-15T15:15:07Z")
Great episode, leading up to the inevitable ‘Jack v TerrorDad’ scenes where Bauer starts mutilating the shit out of the guy trying to get intel. My bad-guy antennae started flickering, ever-so-slightly, w Tony. When they were at the hospital and it was just him and TerrorMom in the car and Jack said ‘get over here to the garage,’ Tony had this look on his face for just a second, I thought he was gonna bolt. Antennae malfunction. And the security guy he got into it w - Castle - a nod towards The Punisher, perhaps? On the other hand, the bad-guy antennae are still bristling during every scene involving Audrey. Remember - we still don’t know how the terrorists knew Heller would be at his son’s place this morning. Assuming the son is clear, that means the only characters who could have squealed are Heller or Audrey. I am assuming this storyline will rear its ugly head later this season. Where the hell is the Aussie husband? ---
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/31 "2005-02-15T15:20:34Z")
> [@Survey1215](#): > > Great episode, leading up to the inevitable ‘Jack v TerrorDad’ scenes where Bauer starts mutilating the shit out of the guy trying to get intel. > > My bad-guy antennae started flickering, ever-so-slightly, w Tony. When they were at the hospital and it was just him and TerrorMom in the car and Jack said ‘get over here to the garage,’ Tony had this look on his face for just a second, I thought he was gonna bolt. Antennae malfunction. And the security guy he got into it w - Castle - a nod towards The Punisher, perhaps? > > On the other hand, the bad-guy antennae are still bristling during every scene involving Audrey. Remember - we still don’t know how the terrorists knew Heller would be at his son’s place this morning. Assuming the son is clear, that means the only characters who could have squealed are Heller or Audrey. I am assuming this storyline will rear its ugly head later this season. > > Where the hell is the Aussie husband? I had the same feeling about Tony, but I just can’t imagine them making him a bad guy. Interesting thoughts on Audrey, though. Maybe she and hubby have rigged the whole thing, including the relationship with Jack? ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/32 "2005-02-15T15:21:14Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I’ve decided that Jack is a supernatural being. Kill him, shoot him, run him over. He can’t be stopped. I’m a little disappointed that he actually missed TerrorDad when shooting at the car before it hit him. > [@bouv](#): > > Think about it like this: > At the start of the season, Prez is on his way to whereever, maybe a meeting in CA, so he is coming from DC. Now, after a couple hours, the Sec of Def is kidnapped. Hmm…a high-ranking official in the US government is kidnapped, someone knew where he was going to be and when, you don’t think they might decide to not go where they were originally going, for fear that they might get the prez as well? Then, after turning around and heading to a secret location, they learn of the nuke plot, and perhaps the secret location was too close to a nuke plant, so they jsut eicde to stay in the air. That makes sense. I would have thought they’d mention something to that effect though. I find it extremely suspicious that so far no reason has been given why the prez has been in the air this whole time. I really don’t think that plane will ever land, except in a ball of flame after the reactors have been dealt with. The fact that they showed it flying in one of the split screens convinces me even more. What’s up with Edgar just realizing now that his mom lives close to a nuclear reactor that hadn’t been saved? He should have realized when the 6 plants were still in trouble, and gotten someone there then to be ready to evacuate. I remember someone mentioning that TerrorMom would redeem herself because of an agreement with the actress. I don’t think theres any way TerrorMom can redeem herself now, after that speech at the end. Even if she helps stop the meltdowns, or dies protecting Behrooz, she’s still going down as a terrorist asshole, and nobody (viewers) will feel sorry or forgive her. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/33 "2005-02-15T16:17:25Z")
> [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](#): > > Question: If you were at the hospital and you heard a teenage boy yelling at his uncle that he had killed people and his father was responsible for a massive terrorist attack, would you let him run away? The average IQ, or the ability to put 2 and 2 together, or something similar in the _24_ verse is clearly 5 to 10 points lower. > [@](#): > > Also, I think they can go ahead and put an end to the Tony and Jack drama. I think they have, but yeah. I liked how they dealt with it- Tony’s ‘I want outs’ kept getting weaker, so it became clear he understands that he’s in this now. In my opinion he realizes this is probably the end for him and he’s accepted that. > [@D\_Odds](#): > > Ms. Driscoll stops him, and rather than having his ass placed in a featureless white room for torture on general principal (oops, wrong show), she talks him back to his station. “What would your Mom want you to do?” Is it me or have we heard this speech before? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/34 "2005-02-15T17:03:24Z")
> [@Ichini Sanshigo](#): > > I gotta say that I loved Terror Mom’s little speech about her devotion to the cause near the end of the episode. As well as Jack’s stone-faced tag line to Driscoll: “You got all that?” Tee Hee. Can’t wait (though the previews showed enough that I hope they didn’t give too much away). ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/35 "2005-02-15T17:22:42Z")
Somebody explain to me why Curtis’ neck would be in the noose regarding Marianne’s involvement with CTU. As I recall, _Driscoll_ is the one who paved the way for her to come on board, over Curtis’ objections. I can see Driscoll’s butt being in the sling over Marianne, but I dunno why Curtis should be so worried about it. Even before she was shown to be an evil mole, I was flabbergasted that Driscoll and CTU would just welcome a non-aligned outsider with open arms during an obvious national crisis, regardless of her security clearance. “You have no connections with any governmental agency beyond an advisory role? You just happen to be available on the same day our Secretary of Defense gets kidnapped and a train is blown up? Great! Why don’t you sit at this workstation? We’ll whomp up a list of codes and passwords for you.” This year is my first experience with “24;” my wife got me interested. I’ll watch this season, just to see how everything plays out, but I gotta say, the suspension of disbelief I’ve got to exercise each week gets tougher and tougher. I don’t think I’ll watch any more seasons after this. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/36 "2005-02-15T17:45:16Z")
Maybe the President was en route to Australia or back for a diplomatic visit. I takes 13 hours from L.A. to Sydney so why not? ---
**Author:** ![annieclaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@annieclaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annieclaus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/37 "2005-02-15T17:49:38Z")
> [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](#): > > I had the same feeling about Tony, but I just can’t imagine them making him a bad guy. Hey! We’ve seen Tony swilling Bud out of a Cubs mug. You don’t get much badder than that. How come nobody has commented on how quickly Homeland Security was able to dredge up the call from Behrooz to Mommy Dearest about how it was Daddy Dearest who ordered him killed? And wasn’t the sound crystal clear??? (I kind of tee-hee-ed at that!) ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/38 "2005-02-15T17:51:05Z")
> [@Sauron](#): > > Somebody explain to me why Curtis’ neck would be in the noose regarding Marianne’s involvement with CTU. As I recall, _Driscoll_ is the one who paved the way for her to come on board, over Curtis’ objections. I can see Driscoll’s butt being in the sling over Marianne, but I dunno why Curtis should be so worried about it. > > Even before she was shown to be an evil mole, I was flabbergasted that Driscoll and CTU would just welcome a non-aligned outsider with open arms during an obvious national crisis, regardless of her security clearance. “You have no connections with any governmental agency beyond an advisory role? You just happen to be available on the same day our Secretary of Defense gets kidnapped and a train is blown up? Great! Why don’t you sit at this workstation? We’ll whomp up a list of codes and passwords for you.” I don’t recall how the conversation went in the initial introduction to Marianne, but yesterday, Curtis told Driscoll he had said he didn’t want her there, Driscoll countered that Curtis said he didn’t like it, but didn’t give her a good reason to say No Thanks. Seems like Driscoll is splitting hairs here - I’m beginning to think Michelle’s gonna swoop in from Division, relieve Driscoll of command and go from there. Regardless, I too found it improbable/highly unlikely that this ‘consultant’ w no previous connection to CTU would get such access. But I love the show anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/39 "2005-02-15T18:04:49Z")
Wasn’t it implied that Curtis was hooking up with Evil-mole for a somewhat extended period of time? I’m assuming that wouldn’t look too good when review time comes around again. His spidey-sense leaves alot to be desired I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149/40 "2005-02-15T18:38:58Z")
Thanks to **RickJay** and _RikWriter_\* for sending me last week’s episode… I and a handful of friends who also missed it appreciate it. And thanks to **Dr. Love** for starting this thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-4-episode-9-3-00pm-4-00pm/290149.md?page=3)