24: Season 9, Episode 12 “Day 9: 10pm-11am” (F)
It’s hard to know if this should be termed a season finale or a series finale since this show signed off a while ago only to emerge again. What this finale did is it cheated, skipping ahead twelve hours to a convenient point in time when funeral arrangements were all too hastily prepared and events conveniently took place over the span of just a few minutes. Dissecting this admittedly terrible finale isn’t an easy task, since it’s puzzling to decipher just what the point of it all is. The absurd speed at which things happen, like Kate managing to track Audrey down in minutes despite having no clue where she was before dillydallying rather than taking action, ultimately leading to Audrey getting fatally shot. You’d think that more caution would be exercised, but that hardly seems wise since Jack appears to be destined for eternal misery. As if his holding a sword to Cheng’s neck to get him to admit his name (which hardly seems necessary when facial recognition has already confirmed his identity) while on camera with the president wasn’t brazen enough, Jack had to go ahead and slice his head off, both sparing Cheng of the punishment he might endure in prison and ensuring that he could be prosecuted for a crime that he most obviously committed. Jack turning himself over to the Russians in exchange for Chloe is an even bleaker resolution, hardly fitting of comparison to the way the show ended, with Jack going on the run, or even how previous seasons finished, like Jack faking his death or being captured by the Chinese. This show could well return, and I’d certainly hope for a more coherent, optimistic effort next time. This wasn’t worth it.
Season grade: D
Season MVP: Yvonne Strahovski as Kate
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