Mostly it did so thanks to some fun and intense action scenes this week. Watching Carter literally blast his way out of the police station (and nearly get all the way out of the building) was entertaining. (Though I'm not sure if I'm disappointed that CTU got all back together on the same page before things could go full Jack Bauer crazy.) Later in the episode, the cloak and dagger business of the train served up some good moments of tension. And the final foot race actually made me jump a bit in my seat with some great photography and editing as Carter ran over cars and eventually got hit by one.
I also enjoyed some of the quieter character moments sprinkled throughout the episode, something 24 has had mixed success with in the past. Rebecca's willingness to come into the interrogation of her husband's aide with at least a tiny bit of an open mind softened her edges, and felt true for someone who'd actually know her interrogatee for a long time. The loyalty between Carter and Grimes, despite the situation, was a nice 180 from the ruthlessness of later 24 seasons. And while the CTU office romance subplot was a bit of a distraction, I appreciate a bit of LGBT inclusiveness that's far away from the stereotypes.
On the other hand, I was rolling my eyes a bit at another "secretly evil Dad" (though it will be fun to watch Gerald McRaney play him). And the whole "he's not dead yet" revelation in the school terrorist cell subplot was a silly reveal in an already silly story line; that element of the season is feeling like a parody of 24 more than the real thing. The far-reaching surveillance powers of CTU were a bit laughable too. Or maybe alarming. Probably both.
I'd give the episode a B+. Three episodes in, and this new season has built up enough momentum to (gently) hook me.
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