24 (TV Series) Day 3: 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (2004) User Reviews

Farewell, Sherry

[MaxBorg89 · 9/10 · 10 September 2008]

First Nina Myers, then Ryan Chappelle. And now another semi-regular cast member leaves the show, obviously for shock impact: Penny JOhnson, aka the wonderfully unreliable Sherry Palmer.

Having helped Senator Keeler frame her ex-husband, she now has to deal with three people: David Palmer, who has one last desperate plan to stop her; Wayne Palmer, who is trying to destroy the evidence she used in her scheme; and the paranoid Julia Milliken (Gina Torres), who believes the truth about her spouse's death might leak out and is determined to prevent that from happening at all costs.

Then we have the virus storyline, which takes an unexpected turn as Stephen Saunders is neutralized early on and the location of ten vials out of eleven is revealed in time. The eleventh, however, is being transported by a man named Rabens onto a subway train in Los Angeles, so Jack and Chase have to find him and stop a massacre.

Generally, the penultimate episode of a 24 season is the one where the situation appears to become unbearably tense, in preparation for the emotional overflow provided by the finale. Not this time, though: the suspense has the courtesy of bowing in favor of Johnson using every minute she has to leave a lasting impression before her departure. For three years, she fulfilled the "backstabbing hag" position admirably, and the 24 universe will be a very different place without her.

Saunders is captured but the danger is not over!

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 25 November 2012]

The previous episode ended with the capture of terrorist Stephen Saunders but that doesn't mean the danger has passed; he has eleven operatives with vials of the virus in cities across the United States and he is in no hurry to help CTU find them; even when they threaten to put him in the hotel to infect him. He changes his mind when Jack threatens to put his daughter in the building. This leads to the identification of ten of the eleven terrorists; locating the one in Los Angeles is more problematic. While everybody is looking for the vials Tony has been arrested and charged with Treason because of his part in Saunders escape. Elsewhere the president's brother Wayne breaks into Sherry's house along with Bruce Foxton in order to find the medicine bottle with which she is blackmailing the president; eventually they find it but the arrival of Julia Milliken produces another problem as well as a shocking conclusion to the episode.

With only one more episode to go the tension is kept high as Saunders initially refuses to cooperate then once he does there are tense moments in the underground as Jack and the team zero in on the person they believe has the vial only to discover they were after the wrong man. Surprisingly the most exciting moment in the episode didn't involve CTU or terrorists; it was a confrontation between Sherry Palmer and Julia Milliken that will lead to the death of one of 24's longest running characters; Penny Johnson and Gina Torres but in fine performances and both of their characters will be missed. It wasn't a huge surprise to see Tony arrested although charging him with treason was somewhat; I hope that doesn't mean we won't be seeing any more of him as he was a good character. With twenty three hours gone I look forward to seeing how it will all be wrapped up in the season finale.

Holy, Moly

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 21 January 2019]

This next to last episode is fraught with all kinds of elements coming into play. First, and most important, we have Saunders giving it all up to save his daughter from a violent death. This pushes Jack to go strong and start to get the people carrying the virus (Saunders calls them True Believers). Of course, in the best cliffhanger tradition, there is one vial and one guy left and, in this case, that one vial can do a huge amount of destruction. The second major plot element, the President's problems, take us to an effort to break into Sherry's house and find an incriminating pill bottle. What happens at the end is startling. It's an example of another person, filled with guilt and angst, has had enough.

The good guys almost have control over this threat

[Mr-Fusion · 9/10 · 10 May 2017]

Even though it serves (primarily) as a lead-up to the season finale, this is a shining example of the show's signature plotting; this thing's tighter than a drum. If it's not Wayne tossing Sherry's house for those pills, it's Jack taking down a courier on the subway. All of it is exciting and the tension just continues to build.

Except for Tony Almeida, the crushing weight of whose treasonous actions is finally realized. Michelle is safe, but it's a prison stint for him. A tragic end, indeed.

But its best scene occurs early on. Jack's forced to use Saunders' own daughter to get him to confess (by sending her into the infected hotel, no less). It's one of the series' most dramatic scenes, and the look of harrowed relief on Kiefer's face when Saunders finally breaks is worth a thousand words.

9/10

Major Disappointments

[ccthemovieman-1 · 4/10 · 27 May 2007]

Two major things happen in here with really disappoint me and are inconsistent from what I have seen in the first 22 episodes. The first - and most important - is the main villain "Steven Saunders" willing to forget about his plan the unleash the 11 vials of the virus to see his daughter spared, and the second is Sherrie leaving her house with her key evidence inside, just to have a short meaningless talk with the President.

These things wouldn't and shouldn't have happened. Saunders would not jeopardize all he worked years to achieve nor would he be in the mental state that allow him to be this sentimental in the end. Sherrie, the ultimate schemer, wouldn't jeopardize her position either.

Ås I said, two very disappointing turn of events in this show, a real cop-outs. If that's not enough, Jack also claims "Tony should get a medal" and wants him back on the case instead of charged as a criminal. Excuse me? The lets helps a mass murderer (Saunders) escape, perhaps sacrificing the lives of literally millions of Americans for one person....and he's a hero????

Man, this outstanding season is blowing it in the end. It actually has me rooting for the supposed good guys to lose which, of course, won't happen.

To make matters worse, it looks like the President is going to get off the hook, too, which is not justice in this instance.

Booooooooooo!

(Hey - like many of you folks, I've invested a lot of time and emotion watching this season. I want everything to go my way, too!)