Since seasons 2 or 3 (I’d have to go back to look),24 has been a constant balancing act between being trying to be a nuanced show about fighting terrorism and The Jack Bauer Show, where more people get lit up by our hero than the entire Matrix trilogy.

We’ve seen where it works (Season Three – Where Jack has to go to insane lengths to stop it, even if it means potentially killing his boss) and where it doesn’t (Season Six – Where Jack was either killing people or dragging the story to the finish). Because, as much as 24 fans want to see people get killed, it’s nothing without a good story.

As much as we know Jack’s the hero, the characters in the show (Besides Agent Hotness), see it the exact opposite. It probably doesn’t help that in the show last episode, he was framed for killing the only man with any information about the plot to takeover the White House.

Despite being the hero in our hearts, but bad guy to everyone else, the show explored what has really been the theme (and grace) of this season – For all the dirt Jack has had to slog through, is there any soul left afterwards?

In short, no. A telling, and one of the show’s best, conversation between Senator Red and Jack has Bauer spilling his guts (while holding Red hostage, mind you) about how after seeing his family and friends killed, he worries for all who passes that they may die next either because of him or at his hand. As always, it’s elevated by Keifer’s gruff acting and emotionless look while Red teeter-totters between wanting to imprison the guy or just give him a hug.

But nothing Red can stay.

As Gordon Ramsey, pretending to be a policeman, puts an end to what would have been one of Jack’s few allies.

And, yes, he’s dead. There’s no Tony Almeida-like comeback for him.

And yes, there’s a subplot involving the president and her daughter I’m not getting at right now because it hasn’t really developed. But it reeks of Sherry Palmer-like, two-faced business that was the B or C stories in seasons one and two.

It basically comes down to this. Poor Man’s Aaron Eckhart all but has his pitchforks and torches out for Jack.

Using Chloe, he got Morris to decrypt Agent Hotness’ e-mail and found out he’s going to Red’s place.

After seeing Red with a few bullet holes in him, he automatically assumes it was Jack’s handy work.

Little does he know, Jack’s work is far more intricate and, in this case, involves trapping his nemesis, Gordon Ramsey, in a trailer and flipping it with a frickin’ Frontloader.

Not only that, he kills his foe with a screwdriver then….

Takes out said screwdriver from his victim…

To steal a truck…

…And drive through a fence! Ah, the only way it could have been more bad-ass is if there explosions in the background and the American flag were to somehow be waving behind said explosions to “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns ‘N’ Roses.

A solid episode that allowed viewers to catch their breath from all the hysterics of the White House takeover and Jack’s framing last week. A well-written episode that proved you can have character along with bad-assery.

Grade: A-

Other Thoughts:

At the beginning of the episode, Jack had one of the most convenient and expensive finds to date. While on the run and hiding from the cops…

He finds a newish MacBook in the car he’s decided to steal. I guarantee even if he had somehow stumbled upon a car with a laptop, it, at the most, would have a slow Dell that would be sans Wi-Fi,

Agent Hotness was looking extra hot in this episode.

At one point, PMAE looked directly in the camera as the scene cut to the clock. I laughed because I either expected him to Airplane! it and say “What a pisser” or ask the director “That Good? We get that sce…”TICK TICK TICK.

Lastly, I know PMAE wants Jack’s head on a stick because Bauer’s the cool guy who smokes and has a motorcycle to PMAE’s do-good, by-the-book manner and stole his chick away from him. But to say Bauer killed Senator Red then jumped out a back window does seem a bit far-fetched for even Jack’s manic style. This is 24, sir, not Looney Tunes.

Next week, on 24: