Jack’s seizing up – literally. Tony’s taken the path to the Dark Side. Hodges chose the Red Pill. And there’s a bigger fish than Hodges pulling the strings. What the hell’s going to happen next?

As Jack is treated for his seizure and waiting for his muscles and vocal chords to loosen up, Walker approaches and Jack desperately tries to tell her to stop Tony. He manages to get the message conveyed, but not before Tony shoots a couple of officers and gets away.

When Jack is able to speak, he tells Walker that Tony was helping Starkwood guy all along, and they realize Tony killed Moss. And Jack shoulders another burden by placing the blame for Tony’s actions on himself. “I made a terrible, terrible mistake.” he tells Walker. “I just wanted to believe him.”

Meanwhile, Tony gets away and meets up with Starkwood guy and exchange money for the canister – except the Starkwood tries to doublecross Tony so he can sell the canister himself. A fight ensues and Tony uses a shower curtain to suffocate (seems to be Tony’s M.O. eh?) the info out of Starkwood guy. We don’t learn just yet if he gives up the info before Tony kills him, because we turn to the White House where Taylor is informed that Hodges survived the self-inflicted poisoning.

Taylor is briefed by Jack and Walker about Tony’s treachery and they, in turn, are briefed on what Hodges tried unsuccessfully to do. Jack sees a play for info by giving Hodges ‘proof of death’ to keep the Bigger Fish away from his family in exchange for intel on who the Bigger Fish are.

Tony, in the meantime, meats up with Hodges’ fake lawyer chick. Tony wants to use the canister for one more attack on the country, but her “group” want it to develop more of the pathogen. It’s obvious the two are seeing each other as well. *shakes head* Ahh Tony WTF happened to you. It seems like he’s become an extremist activist or something.

Back at the White House, Taylor and Olivia have a tiff when Taylor asks her to draft a witness protection order for Hodges. Olivia is put out about it since Hodges killed her brother, but ultimately Taylor orders her to get it donw.

Back with Tony and FakeLawyer, she has contacted the “group” via some kind of encrypted chatroom. Several members are revealed to be your basic business men and women. The leader of the group, is asked by the FakeLawyer to step in and favour the use of the canister right away rather than wait six months. He does so and a vote is called. Everyone involved unanimously agrees to go ahead with another attack.

Jack and Walker arrive back at FBI to cut the deal with Hodges, who is currently conscious and whining about how they revived him. Interestingly, as Jack interrogates Hodges, we learn that hodges was watching Jack’s Senate hearing, and was disgusted at how Jack was treated. Hodges said Jack should be treated like a hero. Jack is slightly rattled, and says, “I broke the law.” But Hodges fires back with, “You were following yoru instinct to protect this country – just like I did.”

Hodges is comparing himself to Jack.. His actions, he regards as similar to Jack’s. I think that’s an interesting topic for comment discussion if you folks are interested. How does Hodges patriotism differ so very much from Jack’s (apart from being a psychotic whackadoo and all.)

Anyway, to get back to it…

Hodges’ goal was always to show the government how woefully underprepared they were for any kind of attack. He got fed up with trying to convince them through the proper channels and so decided it was time to show them” “Yes! A few innocent lives would be lost,” says Hodges. “But only to save the greater number. Having the courage to make those hard choices gives us a lot in common, Mr. Bauer.”

“Let me explain something to you,” Jack retorts in his growliest, raspy voice. “You and I have absolutely nothing in common.”

Jack then proceeds to trick some intel out of Hodges by pretending to call a reporter at WaPo. Hodges quickly reveals that the group’s foundation is based on anonymity, but there was a woman, an intermediary, he dealt with. FakeLawyer.

Jack goes back to talk to Taylor and tells her he believes they will strike again immediately with the final canister because strategically, it’s the best play. He and Walker both agree that their best lead is to sift through all known terrorist suspects and activity – but that intel has been sealed on CTU servers because of Mayer’s investigation. The President tells Jack she will have them recommissioned and that the resources of the government are at his disposal. FINALLY!

The servers happen to be in the building and while Walker goes off to release them, Jack calls the only person who knows CTU protocols: Chloe.

He makes the call to our favourite analyst and has to break some hard news to her about Bill. Painful scene Jack tells her about the possibility of another bio attack and after she agrees to help, she goes to hug her son and ask Morris to take him and get out of the city. I like the lisstle glimpse into Chloe’s world outside of the office.

As Jack waits for Chloe, he has to shoot up again. I wonder if it gives him flashbacks to his days as a junkie… After he takes his dose, he goes into a meeting to brief the agents on what’s going on. He’s pulled out of the meeting (as Janice gets all uppity about having to use CTU services – “What are we… CTU Lite?”) when Chloe arrives and he has to tell her about Tony. She, of course doesn’t believe him but Jack works his special kind of Jack magic and makes her tell him she is with him on this – that Tony is to be treated like an enemy combatant.

I can’t remember, would Chloe know, at this point, that Jack’s been exposed to the toxin? He hasn’t mentioned it and I wonder if she already knows, or if he’s just keeping it from her.

Tony and FakeLawyer (does she have a name yet?) begin casing a Middle Eastern man they intend to make take the fall for the next attack. He fits their profile as someone who could be angry against the government blah blah blah… But it turns out he seems to be a gentle, nice guy living with his brother.

As Tony and his little gang move in on the Muslim man, Olivia is dithering over the witness protection order. She spills the beans to Aaron about Hodges being alive. She reluctantly lets Aaron take the documents to the Attorney general, but then she calls ummm… another political guy she knows, named Martin. I think she’s going to try and take out Hodges with this dodgy guy.

At the FBI, Chloe is supervising the reinstallation of CTU servers and there’s a bit of headbutting going on between her and Janice Hehehe. Awesome. Of course, I say that knowing full well the same thing happens to me at work on the odd occasion and I hate it, but somehow it’s more satisfying to watch it happen to other people.

Janice continues to whinge about the servers until Jack loses it and blows up at her. Except that he shouts that President Palmer made the call to recommission the servers. Awkward. I think Chloe does not know about Jack and Janice didn’t enlighten her.

At the Muslim man’s apartment, Tony and his people infiltrate and capture him at gunpoint. And he’s terrified.

…

Interesting episode this week. Much to think about. I’d love to see what you guys thought in the comments See you next week!