The first season of 24 introduced two manipulative women whose equal has not been seen in any movie or show ever since: Jack's colleague Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke), actually a mole working for the Drazen family, and David Palmer's wife Sherry (Penny Johnson), whom he left at the end of the season because of her political scheming. With this episode, they both return to the series in a positively intriguing way.
Okay, so Nina was brought back two hours ago, but this is her real moment in the spotlight, as the interrogation finally gets underway: with the President willing to grant her a pardon, she feels confident enough to toy with the CTU's expectations and be as elusive as possible regarding the nuke's location. Things take a different turn, however, when Jack asks to be left alone with her: after less than a minute she has a gun pointed at her head. Mason protests, only to realize Jack has a plan: if Nina thinks he'd rather avenge his wife's death than save Los Angeles, she loses her strategic advantage. In the same time-frame, Palmer's staff has to deal with a tragic accident, while the President himself receives an unexpected visit from Sherry, who claims to have proof of a conspiracy within the administration. Is it true, or is she just aiming to regain her ex-husband's trust?
In pure 24 style, that question remains unanswered for the moment, allowing Johnson (now a series regular) to shine in a rare mix of ambiguity, (lethal) charm and faultless wordplay - her character may not be trustworthy, but it's impossible to avert the eyes from her. Clarke is equally brilliant: a pure femme fatale in the first half of the episode, she reveals Nina's more fragile side once Bauer starts having it his way, and the sight of her squaring off with Sutherland again is a delight. Who said there are no meaty parts for women in the thriller genre?
Okay, so Nina was brought back two hours ago, but this is her real moment in the spotlight, as the interrogation finally gets underway: with the President willing to grant her a pardon, she feels confident enough to toy with the CTU's expectations and be as elusive as possible regarding the nuke's location. Things take a different turn, however, when Jack asks to be left alone with her: after less than a minute she has a gun pointed at her head. Mason protests, only to realize Jack has a plan: if Nina thinks he'd rather avenge his wife's death than save Los Angeles, she loses her strategic advantage. In the same time-frame, Palmer's staff has to deal with a tragic accident, while the President himself receives an unexpected visit from Sherry, who claims to have proof of a conspiracy within the administration. Is it true, or is she just aiming to regain her ex-husband's trust?
In pure 24 style, that question remains unanswered for the moment, allowing Johnson (now a series regular) to shine in a rare mix of ambiguity, (lethal) charm and faultless wordplay - her character may not be trustworthy, but it's impossible to avert the eyes from her. Clarke is equally brilliant: a pure femme fatale in the first half of the episode, she reveals Nina's more fragile side once Bauer starts having it his way, and the sight of her squaring off with Sutherland again is a delight. Who said there are no meaty parts for women in the thriller genre?
