48 Minutes (The Souzas)

"48 Minutes"
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 20
Directed by	Rachael Passalt
Written by	Rachael Passalt
Production code	314
Original air date	February 18, 2023
Episode chronology
<span /> ← Previous "There Goes The Myanmar Neighborhood" Next → "[[]]"

"48 Minutes" is the twentieth episode of The Souzas' third season. It originally aired on first-run syndication in the United States on February 18, 2023 . It was written and directed by Rachael Passalt.

The episode is a spoof of the Fox television drama 24, and sees Donna Doogan's new Counter Truancy Unit (CTU), led by Telissa Souza, attempting to prevent a stink bomb being released at Donna Doogan Elementary School.

Plot

To tackle misbehavior, Principal Donna Doogan opens a CTU – Counter Truancy Unit – at Donna Doogan Elementary School with Telissa heading up the operation. When the bullies from Trista Parker's gang play truant, Vicki is assigned on a mission to spy on them. At the Brandi is found to be the owner of a container of expired and highly pungent strawberry milk and is ordered to dispose of it. Brandi tries to return the chocolate milk to Kroger. While Brandi is distracted, the bullies take the yogurt. Outside, Brandi unwittingly breaks Vicki's cover, and the bullies throw them both in a trash container and send it rolling down an avenue.

Meanwhile, Deanna discovers that there is a bake sale at the school that day, and realizes she has just 87 minutes to make a cake.

Telissa suggests that Lina help them, though she only agrees after negotiating immunity from punishment for ten future pranks. At Marin's house, the bullies make a powerful stink bomb (which resembles the canisters of Sentox Nerve Gas from season 5 of 24) from the expired chocolate milk and a variety of other putrid items, and plan on detonating it at the bake sale. During his investigation, Lina's phone call is accidentally crossed with a call from Jack Bauer of 24, who is busy in a gun battle, and turns it into a prank call against him ("Ahmed Adoudi").

Lina finds out about the stink bomb and informs Tessanne. Upon returning to school, he discovers that Gianna is a double-agent working for the bullies. Before Lina can tell Telissa about Gianna's double-dealing, Gianna knocks Lina unconscious and takes her to the ventilation room, where the bullies tie up Lina.

At the bake sale, the bullies start the three-minute timer for the bomb. Lina, still tied up, manages to contact Telissa by her cell phone, telling her to have Doogan dump the hot dog water to short circuit the ventilation fan. Doogan starts filling up the room with the water. Running out of air and floating dangerously close to the sharp ceiling fan blades, Lina swims down with the chair tied to his back to the room's only window, which faces the bake sale room. The Police Chief is unable to shoot through the bulletproof glass, but Deanna then throws her cake like a discus through the window, breaking the windows and allowing Lina, the bomb, and all the water to flood into the room. Telissa defuses the bomb with one second to spare.

Cultural references

The title is a reference to the Fox show 24. The episode includes many of the show's hallmarks, such as the multiple split screens, the timer before and after the commercial break, and extended opening credits running over the opening scenes of the narrative. 24 characters Jack Bauer and Chloe O'Brian, voiced by their original portrayers, make cameo appearances.