’24: Live Another Day’ Review: “6:00 P.M. — 7:00 P.M.”

'24: Live Another Day' is officially two thirds of the way through its 12-episode run and the pieces are being moved into place for a crazy finale. Last week's episode was one of the series' high points, but what about this week? Does it top Jack's explosive car chase through the streets of London? Does it even try? Read our exhaustive recap and review to find out!

THE EPISODE:

Simone is in critical condition at the CIA station. Navarro and Kate demand to speak with her, but the doctor says she needs to be stabilized or she will die.

As they evacuate the estate, Margot fills Ian in about Heller and how he'll give himself up. She says they will destroy the drones if he actually complies. If he can keep his word, so can she.

Jack takes a call from Kate and gets an update about Simone. Jack orders her to wake her up. If she dies, so be it.

Navarro takes a phone call from his hired gun and learns that Jordan is still alive. Navarro orders him to finish the job. The killer notices a trail of blood leading into a nearby alley and follows it.

Jack sits down with Heller, who fills him in on his plan. He needs to be at Wembley stadium by 7:00 P.M. so Margot can execute him and cancel further attacks. Jack is outraged and says the United States doesn't negotiate with terrorists, but Heller shows him his pre-written resignation letter. This is not a political act, but a personal one. Jack says there's still time, but Heller reveals that he has Alzheimer's. Heller says he wants his final act to be saving people from Margot and says that Jack would do the same thing. Jack finally agrees to sneak Heller to the stadium, but says that they will need help.

Heller meets with Mark and requests his help. He's reluctant to assist, but Heller asks him to not deny him this last service. He agrees to help.

Jack calls Kate and orders her to get the doctor to "wake the bitch up," and she complies by pulling a gun. Kate begins interrogating Simone and gets an address, but Simone says she won't be there anymore. However, Naveed hid a hard drive there that may help them crack Margot's computer system and take back the drones. Kate forwards the address to her team as Simone goes into shock.

Jack and Mark meet to make a gameplan. Jack needs a car, a helicopter and all of the Secret Service security detail. Mark complies, certain that Audrey will never forgive him for this. Jack takes a call from Kate, learns the latest about the Margot situation and tells her to forward whatever they find to Chloe.

Heller talks with Audrey and asks to see her treasured photo of their entire family in happier times. Heller says he's doing great, "apart from this being the worst day of my life." Audrey says she needs to get back to work, so Heller takes one final look at his daughter and leaves her to it.

Mark gives Jack everything he needs and wishes him luck.

Navarro gets a call from Jordan, who says that someone is trying to kill him and that he needs a rescue. Navarro gets his location and promises that someone is on the way ... so he calls his hired gun and tells him to go finish the job.

Jack fills Heller in on the plan as he uses a med kit to cut the emergency responder from Heller's arm. Heller changes into street clothes and tells Jack that he's ordered his team to not disturb him all evening. Ready to go, Jack leads him out into the hallway, using Mark's security plan as a guide. They duck into a service stairwell, but encounter a Secret Service agent who wasn't on the official plan. Jack knocks him out and stashes the body.

They step into the city street and blend in with the crowd, as night has fallen. A few minutes later, they arrive at the promised helicopter and take off.

The hired gun tracks Jordan into a bike shop, but the computer technician catches his attempted killer by surprise and knocks him down, taking his gun. Jordan puts two and two together and learns that Navarro set him up. He demands to know why, but the killer lunges at him and they struggle. Jordan is stabbed, but he opens fire and kills the assassin.

The CIA team searches Margot's house. As expected, it's abandoned, but they find Naveed's hard drive under the floorboards. As they download its contents, Kate searches for Jordan, but no one knows where he is. Navarro lies to her face, saying he doesn't know where he went. Kate orders the remaining computer techie to forward everything to Chloe.

At their new hideout, Ian regains control of the drones. Margot orders him to program the drones for destruction after they've dealt with Heller. She wants to show the world justice, though Ian is skeptical.

Jack lands the helicopter in Wembley's parking lot. Jack takes a call from Chloe. She's still working out of the pub and doesn't think she can crack Margot's system in time.

Cross calls Navarro and learns that Jordan has been fixed. He then immediately calls Chloe, but she's too busy to talk. Cross says that he wants her back, and when she says she's still helping jack, he questions her loyalty to their cause.

Mark finds Audrey in Heller's room. She's found his resignation letter. She sees the look on Mark's face and realizes that he had a part in this. She says she could have changed his mind or at least had the chance to say goodbye if she was involved. She says she'll never trust Mark again. Mark insists that he had to do this one final service for Heller and that he's with someone he trusts.

Inside the stadium, Heller tells Jack that he's arranged a full presidential pardon for him and all charges will be dropped. He can go home. Jack says that he wasn't looking for that. Chloe calls: she still can't figure out Margot's system. Heller says that they're out of time and steps into the field.

The doctors struggle to save Simone.

Jordan lies still on the ground.

Heller stands in the middle of the field, awaiting his fate.

Ian uses a drone's facial recognition software to confirm that Heller is standing alone on the field. Margot takes control of the drone, locks on, and fires. Heller vanishes in a fireball, leaving a smoking crater in the middle of the field.

OUR REVIEW:

Since '24' characters not named Jack or Chloe tend to have pretty short lifespans, it's not surprising that President Heller didn't make it out of this hour alive. However, as the rare '24' supporting character who has lived to appear in several seasons, it was still a huge bummer to see him finally meet his maker. The show's universe is now missing a big William Devane-shaped piece in the middle of it.

Despite that huge ending, this was a slower episode that felt more like table-setting for the final four hours than anything else. With almost no action, it was really just a way to say goodbye to Heller, drive a wedge between Mark and Audrey, and wipe Jack's slate clean. Not every episode can feature Jack out-driving a drone in the streets of London -- this was a necessary, if slightly slow, breather.

However, with only a few episodes left, '24: Live Another Day' has no more time for slow hours. All of the pieces are in place: Jack, the Russians, Margot, Navarro and Cross are all on some kind of collision course, and we imagine it's not going to be pretty.