Watching 24

It’s been a long time, but we finally got some new 24 in late November. It was a two-hour movie that sets up the new season called redemption. Check out the trailer below

Now that you’re all in the right mood, let me fill you in on what happened in case you missed it. I’ll recap the first hour today and the final hour tomorrow. The whole thing took place in real time (as always) between 3 PM and 5 PM Africa time.

We see a man rounding up a bunch of kids in Africa. He plans to turn them into soldiers to fight what he sees as an unfair government. He hands one of the children a weapon and tells them all their parents made them weak, but he is going to make them strong. They will fight to take back the country. He talks the child he handed the weapon to into killing a man in front of the others. They all hoot and cheer when the kid does. The scene changes to two children (Desmond and his brother Willie) fighting. A third kid comes along and breaks it up and Desmond goes off the ring a bell that causes a bunch of other children to come running towards a school house.

The scene changes to show Willie in a room, going through someone’s things. Jack Baur then walks in and we find out this is his room and the scarf Willie is holding was intended for Kim. Jack bought it in India. The kid starts asking all kinds of questions, finally revealing that Jack is not intending to go home again. Jack tells the kid he can keep the scarf as long as Willie gives him the knife back. Willie pulls it out and hands it back to Jack.

Once again, we change scenes and Carl (the head of the school) is introducing Jack to a man we saw a little earlier traveling with a young man he ordered to turn the car’s AC off. It turns out this guy (Frank) is from the Embassy and is trying to serve Jack a federal supena. Frank informs Jack he has to respond, as ignoring it is a federal offense. Jack says his response is “if they want me back in Washington, they can come and get me”. Jack walks off to help the kids load a truck and Frank tells Carl he needs to talk sense into Jack. Carl tries, telling Jack that running constantly (as he has for a year now, ducking the thing) isn’t actually freedom. Jack says he’s lost everything else and he’s not going to go back and get locked up, too, and feels it’s best he leaves now. Carl isn’t happy Jack is leaving, but knows he can’t change his mind. As Jack leaves, Carl hears a fight breaking out between Solenz and Thomas. Apparently, there’s a rumor that someone is going to steal a bunch of the kids from a nearby area. Carl decides to go check it out.

A man named Dubaku (the guy from earlier, who took the kids) gets a phone call from a man named Hodges in Washington. Hodges has been providing Dubaku with guns and other supplies and wants to send him professional troops. Dubaku refuses, saying the weapons are all he needs before hanging up. Hodges hangs up and tells another man with him (Nichols) that he doesn’t want the transactions to be traceable. Nichols nods and calls in another guy (Chris), ordering him to close all the accounts and burn the records. Chris agrees, but seems a bit weirded out. He later places a call to a man named Roger, begging Roger to meet with him. Roger has somewhere to be, but promises he will meet, but he’s leaving in exactly 45 minutes. Roger’s girlfriend is not happy with Chris coming, but Roger feels like he has to help. It appear Chris may have a bit of a drug issue. Girlfriend agrees, but tells him he can’t be late for his mother’s inauguration.

The scene changes to a group of children playing. The fun’s quickly interrupted by gunfire and Dubaku telling the children they are now part of the People’s Freedom Army. He plans to use two of these kids (one is Desmond) to get to the others at the school. Desmond and the other boy (James) try to make a run for it, but they are shot. Dubaku yells at the man who shot them, since they are no good to them dead. Meanwhile, the other kids are rounded up and driven away.

The scene switches again, and we get our first glimpse of Roger’s mom, President-Elect Tayler. She’s walking down the hall with her husband discussing how nervous and excited she is when Tom Lennox arrives (remember him?) and tells President-Elect that her predecessor can’t meet with her. He’s busy with a situation. Since this is going to be her situation in a couple hours, she demands to know what’s going on. He says it’s a coup and that the President is on the phone with Sangola’s Prime Minister. PM wants help, but the President is not granting it because he’s about to leave and it’s more her job. He just doesn’t want to help, which Taylor disagrees with.

Back in Africa, Carl finds the field and two bodies. Only one (Desmond) is still alive. He helps Desmond up and leads him away from the scene. Meanwhile, Willie is begging to leave with Jack. Jack won’t let him, telling Willie he needs to stay and help everyone here. Before Jack can get away from the camp, a call comes in through the radio. It’s Carl, telling Jack that men are on their way to steal the kids and he has to help them. All the adults jump into action, leading the kids into a shelter while Jack gathers weapons. Carl begs for help from the Embassy, but Frank says none is going to be given. The President won’t let them and they are not evacuating all nationals. The only way they can get help is to show up there before the last Chopper leaves. A woman with a baby is at the Embassy begging for help, because her husband fought against the members of the Coup and she’ll be killed along with her child. Frank refuses her because she’s not a national. Meanwhile, Jack’s been captured by the Coup members after having put up a pretty good fight and is being tortured to get info about where the kids are. Jack pretends to give in when he sees Carl is right there. Carl starts shoots the men who have been sent in his direction while Jack manages to break Dubaku’s brother’s neck with his legs. Carl hurries over the Jack and sets him free. And there you have it… the first hour. Stay turned for part two tomorrow. Take care!!