By Elaine B
Lesson Learned: When in doubt, act like a crazy terrorist.
Real-life pals Janeane Garofalo (Janis) and Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe) square off on which is the better computer geek in Monday’s second-to-last episode. I know they will because Rajskub said so.
In a special “hype the season finale” interview, Rajskub (a good friend of Garafolo’s) spoke of the rivalry. “We do a lot of bickering in real life so we were excited to bring it to television and it’s going to come to a head during the finale. … We had a lot of fun doing these serious, technical roles on such an intense show.”
Chloe is one of the most beloved characters on 24, in spite of an abrasive nature. Matter of fact, after Janis bests her in dueling keyboards, Janis comments that maybe Chloe could thank her or at least say good job. Chloe sort of glowers sideways and says, in essence, you don’t know me very well or you would know that “this is the last place you should look for any validation.”
The character of Chloe grew out of Rajskub’s work with Adam Sandler on Punch Drunk Love. ” I played kind of a bitchy, overbearing, sarcastic sister to Adam Sandler in that movie … I brought a lot of that attitude and sarcasm with me and it was pretty touch-and-go at the beginning. I think the character got interesting for me and everybody else when they started writing me as loyal to Jack. That’s when it kind of went to this other level. I think people probably were annoyed by me and maybe could take me or leave me. It got more interesting and complex when I wasn’t that way, but then also loyal to Jack and very competent. It made people go, ‘she’s interesting after all.’”
And is there any line she won’t cross to help Jack? “I was going to say prostitution, but she might be willing to even do that,” Rajskub says. “She’s very dedicated. I think it would be fun to see, to push her as far as she’ll go.”
She’ll likely have to go to bat for him one more time after this week’s thriller in which:
– Al-Zarian finds out his brother is OK and gets to be the hero of the night. As armed city cops close in, he screams, “I have a bomb!” and rushes it out to Jack and the Hazmat team just seconds before it detonates
– Olivia is still suffering from a guilty conscience for arranging to blow up Hodges. Imagine how much guiltier she would be if the driver had been in the van when it happened
– The terrorists decide to free Tony, who must be a very big player in their organization or very deep undercover (don’t rule that out yet), by threatening Kim so Jack will have to help them. Apparently, he is going to do so. This means, of course, that Renee’s loyalty will also be tested. Chloe? Well, nothing can really test hers.
Commenting on the bad-good-really bad Tony, Rajskub says, “I can’t get over the fact that he’s still alive. That one rocked me to the core. But you know actually that is the crux of it right there; for as much as I couldn’t believe that they brought him back to life, a testament to the show is the fact that it actually works and I love seeing that character back and I love the twists and turns. But it’s always like 24 to just push that edge of believability and I think that we do that very, very well. For as much as there is that’s unbelievable there’s enough that’s like totally convincing that keeps you on the edge of your seat. … I want him to be good because I love the character, but it’s also really exciting like, oh man, he really isn’t that awful. It’s pretty fun, I think.”
And he still has one more chance to flip sides, though after killing Moss it is doubtful.
As for Rajskub’s feelings about Jack and his imminent death, ” He’s pretty sick and I really hope that he can save everybody in the world before he dies himself, but you’re going to have to tune in to find that out.” Of course, Chloe, of course.
Next: The season finale!
©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Greg Gayne/FOX