# 24: Season 5: Episodes 3-4 (9:00am - 11:00am) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274 "2006-01-16T22:59:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/101 "2006-01-17T18:25:14Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I don’t see why that’s true. The other airport baddies could have been told not to shoot the guy; they may have known him and could have just shot everyone else. His angry reaction to the treaty signing made me think that he actually did want to stop that, too. I don’t think the other airport baddies knew about Yellow-Tie being the sleeper – else they wouldn’t have tried to select him for the next Random Killing. (But I agree with you that airport leader thought he could make Logan cave in). ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/102 "2006-01-17T18:35:25Z")
> [@Max the Vool](#): > > Also, I was VERY pleased that when the finally figured out what flank 2 meant and changed plans, they still set off the charges from the get-ambushed entry point, confusing and diverting the bad guys. Me, too – I thought that was a particularly nice touch. Good way to ambush the ambushers, and good attention to detail in the planning of that scene. > [@mazinger\_z](#): > > That’s why Mia Kirshner (Mandy) blew up the plane? I missed a couple of eps that season. I thought we didn’t know what her motivation was to blow up the plane, and why she had to take such extreme measures. Why did she poison Palmer? Mandy blew up the plane to get the ID card of a photographer that was to be covering an event where then Senator Palmer was going to be. She was getting the ID (and killing the real photographer in the process) in order to pass it off to a person, basically the photographer’s double, who was going to infiltrate the event in his stead. As to why the poison handshake at the end of season 2? That one was apparently a cliffhanger idea that was abandoned – and was never really satisfactorily explained, other than as another failed attempt on Palmer’s life. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/103 "2006-01-17T18:42:02Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > I could be remembering wrong, but wasn’t Walt the guy in season four who secretly told the arresting officer to kill Jack? Yes. [Here’s the episode guide page for the last episode of season 4](http://www.fox.com/24/episodes/season4/6am.htm). Relevant parts at the subheadings for 6:17 AM, 6:33 AM, 6:39 AM, and 6:40 AM. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/104 "2006-01-17T18:49:32Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I don’t see why that’s true. The other airport baddies could have been told not to shoot the guy; they may have known him and could have just shot everyone else. His angry reaction to the treaty signing made me think that he actually did want to stop that, too. I think at least part of his angry reaction was that now phone-bad-guy was going to expect him to start setting off explosive vests, which phone-bad-guy assumed he would be happy to do (beliving him to be a martyr type), when in fact, his main objective was the magic cannisters. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/105 "2006-01-17T20:00:51Z")
Just a few mildly improbable things from this episode: ``` a. All incoming calls to the First Lady are captured on a hard drive. Transcribed that same day. And then filed immediately. Seems ... unlikely. b. Jack can have his hands tied together behind his back, cut himself free on a broken door, grab a handgun from a bad guy (his? random gun he's never used before?) and still nail the bad guy in the hand at a distance far enough away so that when the explosive vest goes up, Jack isn't affected. (Those were mighty wimpy vests.) Jack has 'leet handgun skillz. ``` c. Mole in the White House has chloroform (or equivalent) handy and ready to go. Even though he’s supposedly doing Aide-type stuff for the President at the time. He must have his own Jack-Bauer-emergency-case-of-spy-goodies handy. d. We won’t discuss the remote-firing of the explosive vest based on a glimpse of the case because that will make my head explode too. Let’s just say that you can take all the pictures you want of my cell phone, but that’s not going to let you figure out the number. e. It’s been over three hours since Jack sat down to a leisurely cup of coffee with the girlfriend, and he still hasn’t peed. ``` I'm not sure if this was covered in the preview or not, but Jack now knows that someone tipped off the head terrorist in the terminal about Jack and his relationship with Derek. (Although I'm not sure how even the bad guys would know who Derek is.) Still, this means that sometime in the next 20 hours, someone is gonna be in the patented Jack Bauer World-of-Pain. Which usually involves trying to answer questions with a couple of rounds embedded in your thigh or kneecap. ``` ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/106 "2006-01-17T20:35:45Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > e. It’s been over three hours since Jack sat down to a leisurely cup of coffee with the girlfriend, and he still hasn’t peed. Sure he has. When the Big Terrorist told Jack to show himself, Jack peed. I know I would have. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/107 "2006-01-17T20:44:19Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > e. It’s been over three hours since Jack sat down to a leisurely cup of coffee with the girlfriend, and he still hasn’t peed. He does that during commercials. That, or watch for scenes where they don’t show the front of his pants for awhile. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2006, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/108 "2006-01-17T20:45:43Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > e. It’s been over three hours since Jack sat down to a leisurely cup of coffee with the girlfriend, and he still hasn’t peed. We, the viewers, do not see Jack Bauer 100% of the time during a given day. Pretty please, with sugar on top, dipped in chocolate, can we all assume he pees during commerical breaks or something and stop grumbling about it? ---
**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:** [January 17, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/109 "2006-01-17T20:51:50Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > e. It’s been over three hours since Jack sat down to a leisurely cup of coffee with the girlfriend, and he still hasn’t peed. He used the airport stalls before he found Chevensky. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/110 "2006-01-17T21:17:42Z")
Forgive me for bumping my earlier question, but: how did the terrorist dude make a direct call to the policeman’s cellphone? Right after the terrorists blew up their van and took over the terminal, the leader pulled out his phone, made a call, and it rang the cellphone of one of the cops _outside of the terminal_. Did I miss something? ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/111 "2006-01-17T21:20:29Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > And, I’m sure I’m alone in this, but everytime that throbbing bass line started up to increase the tension, I couldn’t help but think of _Astronomy Domine_ by Pink Floyd. Nah. I got Queen’s _Flash Gordon_. Hmmm. (President Logan, Jack Bauer approaching. What do you mean, “Jack Bauer approaching?”) Jack- AH-AH! King of the impossible! (Bauer is alive -live -live.) Just a man, with a man’s courage… (Jack, I love you, but we only have 14 hours before MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DIE!) ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/112 "2006-01-17T21:22:23Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Forgive me for bumping my earlier question, but: how did the terrorist dude make a direct call to the policeman’s cellphone? > > Right after the terrorists blew up their van and took over the terminal, the leader pulled out his phone, made a call, and it rang the cellphone of one of the cops _outside of the terminal_. Did I miss something? Was it a cop or an airport security guard? If the later, he easily could have goten it from Chevencky. If it was an actual cop, it still wouldn’t be that hard. He could have done his research and figures out what cop was on duty near the airport that day, and found his cell phone number. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/113 "2006-01-17T21:35:21Z")
Jack is rarely in a situation where he could go to the bathroom during commercials, but is it so much to ask to grant _24_ some dramatic license? The thing I’m confused about is how the terrorists got their ‘live feed’ on all the television stations. Maybe that was addressed and I missed it. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/114 "2006-01-17T21:41:50Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Forgive me for bumping my earlier question, but: how did the terrorist dude make a direct call to the policeman’s cellphone? > > Right after the terrorists blew up their van and took over the terminal, the leader pulled out his phone, made a call, and it rang the cellphone of one of the cops _outside of the terminal_. Did I miss something? Don’t forget, 24 takes place in the near future, so by then Google will be powerful enough that you’ll be able to google “nearest policeman’s personal cell number” with your cell phone and get the number. 😃 It is possible that the cop (he wasn’t an airport security guard, he was in black while the guards shot inside the terminal were in white, so he’s either Ontario PD or San Bernardino County Sheriff) is part of the conspiracy. “Transportation has been arranged” was one of the final lines of the episode, perhaps getting the biohazard out of the airport is this guy’s main role in the plot. If we never see him again, chalk it up to sloppy writing. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/115 "2006-01-17T22:06:42Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The thing I’m confused about is how the terrorists got their ‘live feed’ on all the television stations. Maybe that was addressed and I missed it. Maybe they used the WiFi in the terminal and licensed Marwan’s internet broadcast technology from last season. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/116 "2006-01-17T22:09:34Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > “Transportation has been arranged” was one of the final lines of the episode, perhaps getting the biohazard out of the airport is this guy’s main role in the plot. I thought that was the dumbest line of the night. A meticulous plan to steal nerve gas (that apparently involved blasting through a concrete floor) and they found it necessary to say “transportation has been arranged”? ---
**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:** [January 17, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/117 "2006-01-17T22:10:52Z")
Hmm, I wonder if they actually filmed it at the airport: [Filming at ONT](http://www.lawa.org/ont/airportFilm.cfm) ---
**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:** [January 17, 2006, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/118 "2006-01-17T22:13:42Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > It is possible that the cop […] is part of the conspiracy… Was he the same one who got Derek and his mum to “go down to CTU for debriefing,” or was that someone else? Whoever it was, he skeeved me out, hovering over her shoulder and then “Oh, by the way, can you get into the back of this van, please?” God knows they’ve kidnapped people close to Jack to try and slow him down enough times before, but I got that vibe from him. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/119 "2006-01-17T22:27:07Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The thing I’m confused about is how the terrorists got their ‘live feed’ on all the television stations. Maybe that was addressed and I missed it. Why not? Fox News loves terrorism stories. You’d have to blow up their HQ to keep them from running that. As long as there’s no breaking news about Natlee Halloway. On the other hand, if she were being held captive by the terrorists… ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274/120 "2006-01-17T22:29:06Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > And did anyone else secretly hope that Jack would pull a Keyser Soze and blow a hole in Derek himself? That’d be a new level of cold-bloodedness for our boy. But then he wouldn’t get any loving from Diane when this is all over. He already learned last season that killing the loved ones of your girlfriend is hell on a relationship. Not to mention a little improvised electro-shock. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/24-season-5-episodes-3-4-9-00am-11-00am/340274.md?page=7)