So it has come to this. 22 hours of ups and downs. Most in the know are aware that the downs have been very steep and the ups mere blips on the radar that have not endured. The ideas had run completely dry this season and at what cost? The integrity of the show is probably the biggest thing that has suffered, as well as a few decent actors and characters along the way. The only good to have come out of season 7 really has been the introduction of a few half decent new characters and the welcome return of Tony Almeida (even if he has been largely wasted).

So how does the finale go down? Let's find out now...

Leaping right into action, Jack commandeers the van transporting Tony. Tony cuffs and takes Jack so he can harvest his blood and make a new weapon. He then makes a play with his ally for wanting to meet Mr Big (that's Will Patton to you and me).

Olivia is questioned over the assassination of Jonas Hodges. Meanwhile Ethan Kanin comes to the White House and meets Aaron. He retrieves a recording from his old office but is pinched by Olivia's staff when she catches wind of what has happened. Although he is searched, he manages to pull the old switcheroo on them! Aaron having the real copy on him.

Kim at the airport is alerted to the immediate threat she is in and a gun fight breaks out. Kim gets to shout "DAMN IT" when her phone goes dead at the wrong moment! So instead she goes chasing after the bad guy who tries to leg it. He of course doesn't last very long and Kim manages to get the information she needs to Renee so she can go find Jack's location.

All now seems set for the finale hour.

Jack gets caught by Tony again (these two are worse than the Road Runner and the Coyote). Olivia is finally confronted with a recording of her asking for Hodges to be killed. Kanin tells her she can tell her mom the truth, and then let her decide what to do with her.

Tony then pulls one final twist on us and says this is all a play to get to the next guy up. It's all a revenge plan for his murdered wife Michelle. Turns out Will Patton's Wilson is the end of that line and Tony has spent many a year trying to get to him. While this endears us to him slightly, Jack of course points out that Tony has murdered quite a few people in order to get there. Tony also now plans to use Jack as a bomb to kill the guy, and he promptly straps one to Jack.

Wilson shows up to meet Tony, but then so does the FBI and a final gun battle breaks out. It is fairly low key. But Renee gets to Jack and they go chase after Tony, who is chasing after Mr Big.

Then something miraculous happens! Possibly the best scene of the whole series is played out where Tony confronts Wilson and even shouts for possibly the first time ever in the show (possibly even the first time in his life). He is about to shoot the guy once and for all when of course Jack shows up and stops him. And thankfully the creators have the good sense not to kill Tony. He gets caught.

At least this gives Tony a time to shine in a future season again as he was not used enough in this show. But this finale episode is evidence of how good he is. They just need to toughen him up a bit more so that if he and Jack go Mano-a-Mano then it should actually be so that Jack may actually get his ass kicked.

Jack gets taken to hospital and gives Renee the emotional run down on his choices hoping that she can draw some sort of advice from it.

The Taylors have a family dispute over Olivia's choices. Daddy quite clearly wants a cover up, but after going for a long think, President Taylor decides to have her arrested and prosecuted. Happy day! Olivia is taken away by Aaron leaving Alison Taylor feeling like one lonely president as she has managed to alienate her entire family. Her only consolation is that Ethan Kanin is back to support her.

Ending the show, there are two open ended moments: Firstly we see Renee doing a Jack on Wilson. Or at least we are left to believe this as she threatens Janice with a gun and cuffs her. The door then closes behind her as she approaches Wilson to try to extract information from him. And we are left to our own devices as to what she does.
Secondly, Kim of course does the stem cell operation as we all knew she was going to anyway. Jack is dozing away in his coma, and again we are left open as to what may happen.

This was probably one of the better episodes, so thankfully they saved it for last, but it is far from a good excuse for the previous material we have been subjected to these past few months. Let's hope the producers have their ears open to the feedback from this year and decide on an actually story next year - and maybe perhaps rely on pure adrenaline and proper drama rather than relying on a cycle of old hat tricks.

See you next year...