Jack-o'-lanterns in the White...

Jack-o'-lanterns in the White House windows, orange-and-black twinkle lights hanging in the first daughter's bedroom and a terror plot against the nation's elementary schools: 'Tis the season, folks. Mac's up against her first threat to national security, leading to some delicious infighting with her attorney general, aka The Ghost of Teri Bauer. (See? Halloween! Spooky!) Clearly, the former Mrs. Bauer learned a thing or two from her husband, Jack she's busy pushing the president to torture the answers out of their terror suspect. Hey, play your cards right and you'll be faking your own death in less than 24 hours. Or at the very least, you'll be dusting off your résumé: Mac gives her the "Oh, snap!" moment of the night with a far-better firing than the Donald ever thought about delivering. "You are relieved of your duties. And I'm not talking in metaphors." Too bad I can't appreciate Geena Davis' dead-on snark there, as I'm too busy giggling over the fact that she just said "duties." What do you want from me? I'm all hopped up on preholiday candy.

I can't decide how I feel about this show's portrayal of Washington as a hotbed of misogyny. It's unsettling, to be sure, but I think that's because I suspect it's not that far off the mark. I find Templeton's pointed use of the word "girl" week after week to be every bit as offensive as the "b" word, the "c" word and any other epithet you might want to throw around. And now we're adding Bosco to the list, as he calls out Ally McPressSecretary on some mealymouthed accusation of her collegiate, ahem, extracurricular activities. Mad props to her for not offering up a swift knee to his groin; I'm pretty sure once you use the phrase "on your knees" to a female colleague, any claim you have to professional diplomacy goes right out the window. In other words, dude, I'd start wearing a cup.