24: Legacy Review: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Season 1 Episode 3)

On  24: Legacy Season 1 Episode 3, “2:00 – 3:00,” the tempo slows down considerably. From the previous episodes, we are facing a deadlock inside the precinct, a mole hunt on the leak in CTU, and the ever elusive list of sleeper agents. Plus there’s a campus murder cover-up.

Focusing on the parts of the puzzle which are done the best, I need to applaud the Khalid faction of the series. The foreign powers outwit and are leaps and bounds ahead of CTU in the art of tradecraft.

Let’s compare the acting in the scenes mirroring each other.

On one hand, the CTU situation room, with staged shots and stiff body language, paired with a dialogue where the actors are taking turns. On the other hand, the Khalid surveillance unit, with flowing conversation and fluid shots, creating a believable scenario!

I have to admit, the third hour gets, in part, a great ending, with some notes on what I missed. A big plus for the Running Man akin to Lucas Hood, from Banshee, by Eric Carter.

Running over moving cars is a feat in itself!

The list is still in the wind, as far as CTU is concerned. And, yes we’re only three episodes in, and this was one of the slow ones. Might be good for pacing, as we need some downtime to appreciate a good adrenaline rush.

What did I miss from the episode, then?

On a couple of occasions, we could have been shown flashbacks from Carter’s time in the army. When in tight spaces and under attack, we could have been shown the terrors of war. This would have given us the background we lack to understand Carter’s greatness.

Bear in mind that Carter is one of the two surviving members of his former team. Given this, he must be good at what he does. So far, I’m having trouble seeing that.

The background information we’re getting is what bugs me the most. Why should we root for Carter? I’m almost rooting for Khalid at this stage. And, it’s bad to not feel for the intended hero.

Logistics were quite bad too. During a scene involving multiple parties, it must be clear who belongs to which party. That is not directed on point here. We could have been shown how the parties prepared during the split screens.

Rebecca Ingram is still the heroine in my book, even if we disregard the security holes of CTU. During the course of hour three, we get to know who is leaking intel about CTU, which puts a spin on things.

The last plot line is the campus dilemma. This part of 24: Legacy is feeling glued on to the series. It doesn’t feel like it belongs to the same universe. The trouble at campus itself is beyond explaining. Surely we could have cut this out and inserted the Yemen operation in its stead?

It’s an amazing way to infuse more story in the same time span of an ordinary TV series. Use it, don’t discard it!

Time to reset the watch for hour four!

What did you think of this episode of 24: Legacy? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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24: Legacy airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX.

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