“24” Kills Off Dana Walsh, Katee Sackhoff Responds to Criticism

This week’s “24” served up yet another dramatic death, but unlike the recent eliminations of Omar Hassan and Renee Walker, this week’s execution was hardly upsetting for fans.

What might have resonated, however, was the blunt manner in which Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer killed Katee Sackhoff’s Dana Walsh. After an episode-long quest to obtain evidence of Russian involvement in the day’s terrorist plot from Walsh, who had been operating as a mole for the Russians within CTU, Bauer finally cornered Walsh. Left without an escape route, Walsh forfeited the evidence and begged for mercy, asking if there was anything she could do.

Bauer sternly rejected her call for clemency and shot her dead.

The Walsh character had been frequently panned throughout the season–first, for an overbearing side plot in which an ex-boyfriend extorted her into using CTU resources to help him commit a robbery and then for the seemingly ludicrous reveal that she had been embedded in CTU by the evil Russian contingent. Suffice it to say, her elimination ahead of the series’ final few episodes was hardly a tragedy.

Speaking to EW’s Michael Auseillo, Sackhoff weighed in on criticism regarding the character:

“I didn’t realize that,” explained Sackhoff. “I don’t care. I played a character [Starbuck on “Battlestar Galactica”] who was hated from the very beginning just because she was a woman, so I learned a long time ago not to read [fan feedback]. It’s counterproductive to doing your job…I respect the fans and I respect their opinions but it’s sad that they’re not happy when it’s the last season.”

Of the dramatic death, she added that she feels no sympathy for the Walsh character.

“None whatsoever,” noted an unsympathetic Sackhoff. “She doesn’t have one redeeming quality. I tried desperately to give her a redeeming quality. I really tried. The only thing I could come up with was that she didn’t crack when she was tortured.”