Ahh, the feeling of impending doom. Every single episode of 24 has some of it, and the ones where not so much "big" stuff happens manage to evoke a more stern feeling of foreboding problems for Jack Bauer and the whole U.S. population. When we see Walt Cummings being "removed" from President Logan's sight after Jack & Co. are done with him, we know that this just can't be a good situation, and when the terrorists roll up on a machine shop and ask for help - ever so politely - in opening the canisters containing the weaponized nerve gas (sorry, I just like the word "weaponized") that at least one person is going to bite the bullet this week. Also of interest, and discussed a bit in our TV Squad 24 Chatroom last night, was the fact that like every single person who works at CTU either is shady on his or her own volition, or has a shady family member that manages to crop up out of nowhere on a regular basis. What's with the background checks here, people? You have a harder time getting a burger-flipping job than you do getting a clearance at CTU. I mean, Jack cut off some dude's head one day in the damn conference room and no one really said anything about it.

Out annoying pal Lynn (sorry, I can't stand him) has an exact opposite sister, apparently, who is some sort of drug addicted, hair messed-up freakazoid who just happens to show up right now to borrow some money from her good old pal of a brother, who absolutely appears to have just left The Shire by the way he handles this situation. Along the way, Chloe brings Spenser "back on" to help out with the surveillance project to get Jack and Curtis (Curtis!) into the software building. Unfortunately for him, though, it's got nothing to do with his in-bed mannerisms, as Chloe continues to be all about the business of saving the world. Do you think she dreams about Jack when she's with Spenser? Is her tattoo really an homage to her man in flannel?

Jack and Curtis manage to sneak their way into the software company that they're led to through intel on the situation, and are met as they exit an upper-floor elevator by automatic-weapon-toting gunmen, which are quickly wasted, but not before Curtis takes a bullet - in his vest. As they enter the room that was being guarded, they meet Jacob Rossler, who takes a bullet in the leg from Jack. When a scan of the surrounding area shows that another person is present in the apartment / office / whateverspace, we're treated to the remainder of the scene from last week's promo - where someone emerged from behind the bed. Would it be Behrooz? Kim Bauer? Nope, it's some 15-year old girl, Inessa, that Rossler was hiding here.

Inessa appears to be in the mail-order bride category, most likely someone smuggled out of her home country. I'm guessing she's Russian, or from a former Soviet republic, because a) that would tie in nicely to the show and b) she kinda looks and sounds like it. Jack's hand is forced when he is negotiating with Rossler for the location of the chip that would allow for the detonation of the canisters which are being opened up as we speak in the machine shop, leading to some sort of immunity deal, which loser Lynn thinks is a good idea, and includs the return of Inessa to Rossler's "care." You can see it in his eyes that he doesn't like this idea, but Buchanan says that it's to happen, so he tells the girl what is happening, but that he and his men will be following her every step to get her back.

This ep manages to "roll up" very nicely, with Inessa clearly stating ....ahem.... that she won't be leaving with Rossler - with a piece of lead, Spenser losing his friend with benefits, most likely, when he's escorted out of the CTU offices, and Lynn getting a beatdown by whomever his sister is working with. It's important that they took his money, but even more so that they took his ID. Will they create a "fake" Lynn and infiltrate someplace such as the CTU offices? My favorite part was when the terrorists get all the canisters opened up and plug the machining guy - like we didn't see that coming 50 minutes ago. So Jack is left with Inessa, who I presume knows *something* about what is going on, and the terrorists are running around with semi-live nerve gas that is definitely going to be used here in the States. As for Cummings hanging himself, I sort of expected him to end up dead, but this isn't what I thought would happen. Is there a chance that it *isn't* a suicide? And why would they possibly bring in the President and First Lady to look at this, anyway? It's not like he asked to see it, they just told him to come in, like you do with people when you are throwing them a surprise birthday party in the office lunchroom.

Next week's preview is pretty telling, so I'm not even going to touch it. But Kim has now been worked into the storyline, and not only will she be shocked that her dad is alive, but the fact that he's in love interest la-la land is probably even more challenging. Will it be dramatic in nature, or will it flop and just be Kim for the sake of having Kim?