(S07E17) "I'm not giving up on you." - President Taylor

Not a bad pep talk to get from your President after being indicted, considered a federal fugitive, and becoming infected with a bio-engineered virus all in the same day. However, if I know Jack (and speaking of "knowing" Jack, check out this 24 quiz that TV Squad's own Joel Keller put together for Parade), then those words probably meant the world to him. That was until Dr. Macer gave Jack a pouch full of pre-loaded syringes. She looked at his file! She knew he had a daughter. I guess she glossed over the part about that raging heroin addiction he picked up in Mexico while undercover in the Salazar organization.

She told Jack he could inject himself every two hours with the drugs to help slow down the effects of the virus. So much for listening to your doctor. At the very end of the episode (it couldn't have been more than 25 minutes after his first shot), Jack poked himself again - right over the tattoo he got in Mexico while hooked on smack! Look, Jack knows he won't be any help if he lets the symptoms run wild and he keeps seizing, but doesn't he realize he's equally useless if he's all doped up too?

Anyway, Jack didn't have too much to do in this episode. The FBI left Starkwood's base. Tony was left behind and found the bio-weapon. Taylor ordered an air-strike once the location was fixed but she then had to call it off once Jonas proved to her that he had rockets loaded with the virus pointed at cities on the Eastern Seaboard. So much for not negotiating with terrorists. How about Jon Voight though? He went into über-crazy mode this hour and truly sounded like a raving nut on a couple of occasions. He's treating Starkwood more like an independent country than a Fortune 500 company.

A few other thoughts...

• Assuming the air-strike had gone through as planned, would it have even worked? Tony mentioned that the bio-weapon was being kept in a subterranean facility, four stories below the surface. On top of that, he said the walls appeared to be "epoxy hardened." As one of the country's main defense suppliers, don't you think Starkwood would have built a storage unit like this specifically to withstand a hit from the F-18's "bunker buster ordnance?"
• I was wondering how they would bring Kim back into the fold and it makes perfect sense now. When she finally re-unites with Jack, it'll be more than just tears. Seems awfully convenient that this Brighton University (I think that was the name of it?) is doing experimental research with prion viruses. How fast can they turn around a fix for Jack if they get Kim's stem cells? Speculation that Day 8 might be the very next day is starting to look far more plausible. Especially if those rockets are launched.
• I can't wait for the moment when Allison sees her daughter for who she really is. Olivia is a bitch! I'll say what I said last week - bringing on Aaron as her personal secret service escort is going to be her downfall. He won't keep his mouth shut if he sees something off the books go down. I bet Ken still runs the story too, despite the sex tape.

Anyway, things aren't looking good. President Taylor seems ready for her one on one with Jonas and I doubt it'll go as planned. Speaking of one on ones, I had a chance to interview Carlos Bernard a few days ago. So check back here later in the week to hear his thoughts on Tony's season five "death," the elusive Cubs mug, and why he thinks season seven has the best ending yet.