After last week’s explosive episode, Hour 8 of Live Another Day is a far more subdued piece of television, but it’s equally as effective.

With Heller having opted to give himself up to Margot and stop the chaos – an option made all the more appealing by his imminent slow decline through Alzheimer’s – Jack has to escort the president to Wembley Stadium for the handover.

The meat of the episode is concerned with Heller covertly arranging his route to Wembley, and also in saying his goodbyes to a life in office. His scene with daughter Audrey is particularly poignant, while his impassioned attempt to convince Jack that this is the right thing to do are one last reminder of what a strong force President Heller is.

William Devane has been a great presence on the show, but come the hour’s end, he stands dwarfed by the surroundings of Wembley Stadium. And, as the missile flies towards him, at least he goes out on his own terms, with a sense of peace. RIP President Heller.

For her part, it appears that Margot genuinely intends to stick to her part of the bargain, in destroying the remaining drones after her vengeance on Heller is complete. Whilst this is admirable on her part, nothing leading up to this ever really gave the indication that she was anything other than a terrorist hell-bent on destruction. Her actions against Naveed, and the innocent bystanders in the hospital, don’t seem to be those of an honourable woman, so this sudden change in personality doesn’t quite gel.

Still, Margot’s desire to bring some much-needed good PR to terrorists worldwide is grimly amusing, although her son Ian doesn’t appear to see it that way, and it seems obvious at this point that it won’t be long before he turns on her and tries to complete their long-planned terrorist attacks solo.

Elsewhere, poor, clueless Jordan finally wises up over in Camden and susses out that Navarro is trying to have him killed. He survives, although with a bullet-wound and now a knife-wound to live through, we wouldn’t like to guess for how long.

The episode also gives us by far the best scene between Audrey and Mark Boudreau so far. Both actors are excellent: Kim Raver in depicting her grief over her father’s decision, and then her indignation that she wasn’t told; and Tate Donovan in determinedly sticking to his guns.

Not much for Kate Morgan to do this week, but she does get to force a doctor into waking Simone up, even at the probable risk of killing her. It’s a gambit that pays off, but… maybe it’s just us, or perhaps the fact that 24 has been off-air for quite so long, but Jack’s decision to wake her feels particularly harsh, even for everyone’s favourite known torturer. His “Wake the bitch up” line further emphasising just how cold Jack has become in 2014.

Of particular note in this episode is the masterful score by composer Sean Callery, which accentuates and heightens the emotions in an already affecting episode.

24: Live Another Day is on a serious roll at the moment, providing action extravaganzas one week, and reflective, personal dramas the next. The fact that both facets of the show are equally entertaining at this point is evidence of a show firing on all cylinders. Long may it continue!

Aired on Wednesday 18 June 2014 on Sky1.

> Follow Alex Mullane on Twitter.

What did you think of the episode? Let us know below…