[24] The Following Takes Place Between 4:00PM and 5:00PM

Bierko tells his men to set up as there's only 40 mins until the ambush on the Suvarovs.

Novick was smart enough to get the Secret Service to figure out where the likeliest location for an ambush would take place. He gets the call informing him of the First Crazy's location and relays it to Pres. Wienie who begins to freak out, but not really enough considering his wife may be blown to smithereens at any moment. He calls the limo and tries to convince Martha (I didn't actually know her name until this episode) to get out of the car but she refuses. If he can't "control" his own wife, how does he expect to control the country?! "What do I do, Mike?" I wonder if Novick wants her to sleep with Walt's fishes because while he doesn't actually suggest it, he does play devil's advocate. Sneaky bastard!

Lynn's still outta control. He insists every action go thru this screen so he knows what everyone is doing at all times. Audrey gets Edgar to cover for Chloe who's helping Jack and briefing Audrey on the Omerchron development. Audrey calls Jack and we find out that Christopher Henderson used to work for CTU and is the man who recruited Jack. Henderson was fired for selling intelligence and Jack was a part of that investigation. In other words, this impending meeting will not go well.

Pres. Wienie still cannot make up his mind about Martha. Should he sacrifice her for the greater good of the country? If he saves her, he saves the Suvarovs, terrorists find out and release the Centox gas on American. "It's that simple." Wow! What a great husband! He's no Pres. Jed Bartlett, who temporarily stepped down from office so that his feelings for his abducted daughter would not obscure his presidential judgement, I tell ya! Novick points out that Martha's a wild card, and if the President does nothing she may tell the Suvarovs herself. Wily coyote!

Lynn freaks and a techie is fired. So is Edgar, almost, when he tries to stand up for her. Lynn notices Chloe is not at her desk and goes a huntin'. Chloe is in the middle of getting Jack into Omerchron's system as a legit visitor when Lynn finds them. Audrey, stalling for time, shows a side of herself we have not seen before! She is woman, hear her roar! It's the first time I've been able to respect her as a person of authority, instead of see her as the result of nepotism.

Jack's in and with guns up walks into Hendersons office. He gets tasered for his trouble. "Just for the record, I never believed you were dead." Henderson may work for the private sector now, but he hasn't forgotten his training. He pleads ignorance about the gas and insists he's being framed, just like he was at CTU. Jack's not going to take his word for it and insists on getting all the files on the gas and seeing the bunker where it was stored.

Edgar tells Chloe he's picked up NSA chatter about the possible ambush on the Suvarovs motorcade. She tells Lynn but he says he's not going to take some techie's word on it and refuses to act on the matter, "I've been embarrassed enough for one day." Curtis, the robot, steps up and suggests they look into the possible threat and is shot down. New & improved Audrey steps up to the plate and it's strike 3 you're all out! She points out that this could all be related to the gas considering it's the Russian President's motorcade, but Lynn's all "I can't heeeear you." Audrey confronts Robot Curtis and tries to convince him, as the senior officer, to invoke Section 112, name Lynn as mentally unfit to remain in his post and declare mutiny! But is the Robot programmed to take such drastic action? Only "real time" will tell....

Martha's in the limo starting to freak out a little. She's gonna be majorly pissed when she comes out of this unscathed! Pres. Wienie better hope she dies by the end of the hour! President asks for Novick's help AGAIN. "I don't have answers, but..." Always with the "but...". President chooses the terrorists over his wife! "You brought it on yourself." What a super ARSE! You can just see the disgust in Novick's eyes. This is not a President he, nor anyone else, can respect. He wants Novick to pray with him and Novick's like, I don't want God to think anything to do with you on this one!

Lynn marches in with the MPs who look all gestapo in their red uniforms and orders them to arrest Edgar for forging his email to the Secret Service about the possible threat (Audrey's idea), then Chloe, then Curtis, then tells them to escort Audrey out of the building. The Robot's ethics turn out to be stronger than his need to follow the rules and he invokes Sect. 112, orders the MPs to take Lynn to holding and release Bill. It's off to Mordor with you Sam Gamgee! Bill is filled in on the ambush and on Omerchron. He calls the President to "inform" him of the ambush and that they have already contacted the Secret Service. The motorcade turns around right at the point of the ambush and the Russians attack. The Suvarovs, Martha and agent Aaron come out alive. President worries about terrorist retaliation when he should be worried about Martha's retaliation!

Henderson leads Jack into the bunker where the Centox gas was kept. "Nothing gets in or out," which should tell Jack that he should not get in! Henderson pulls up the files on the scientists who worked on the gas and they find out they all died suspiciously. Henderson leaves to make a call, but really locks Jack inside with a bomb. He calls a woman to brief her of the situation, holds a detonator in his hand and exposes himself as the traitor he always was. But Jack finds the bomb, calls Henderson stupid and uses it to blow open the door.

As Novick tries to spin the ambush away from the President's involvement, Bierko calls and tells Wienie that he's going to use the gas on the US. Dun Dun DUNNNNNNN!

Originally Posted by Highbrow