Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.
24 traditionally will go through a few big bad guys in a given season, with the trade-in of one for another signaling the next story arc. So while Margot may have unceremoniously handed the Big Baddie baton on to Cross and Navarro during the last episode, this week was the real transition. With the abbreviated structure this time around they're able to zip through those two in an hour before landing squarely on Cheng, aka The Man Who Tortured the Crap out of Both Jack and Audrey. His entrance at the end of the hour significantly raises the stakes in every way.
But that’s not to say this episode was twiddling its thumbs while it waited for the big reveal. Picking up with Jack’s pursuit of a desperate Navarro, this was yet another strong, fast-paced hour. I particularly enjoyed Cross and Navarro's "you throw me the idol I throw you the whip" moment, with Navarro getting predictably hosed when he hilariously asked where his car was. I actually found his blind spot here about getting double-crossed believable, considering he had just been burned and Jack Bauer was now hot on his trail within the last half hour. I imagine those things might throw anyone off their game.
