The first 10 minutes will shock you, the ads said. Lordy, they right.
We left 24 last season with former president David Palmer saying: “For all intensive purposes, Jack Bauer is dead.” After an international debacle with the Chinese Embassy, former CTU agent and repeated National Hero Jack Bauer faced arrest by the Chinese government with a trial and jail time in the future. President Logan and his staff were wary of the embarrassment and threats to national security that could arise with the trial of such a high profile CTU agent and Special Council to the Secretary of Defense. The death of Bauer while still on American soil would eliminate all risk to the administration and the country.
After overhearing such a discussion, former President David Palmer informed Bauer and three other CTU officials, Tony Almeida, Michelle Dressler, and analyst Chloe O’Brien, of the plan to kill him. Together, they faked his death in front of a Secret Service agent and CTU Director Bill Buchanan. Quickly and quietly, he was escorted into hiding. Besides the four people whom he most trusted, Jack Bauer was dead.
DAY FIVE
Frank waits for jobs to be called out at a Southern California oil station. Not getting a gig for the day, he heads home to an apartment he rents from a young mother and his teenage son. Frank looks handsome with his short slightly receding hair, tanned weathered face, and steel blue eyes. He should look dramatically handsome. He’s Jack Bauer.
Former President David Palmer and his brother Wayne(Palmer Lite) are talking in Palmer Lite’s high-rise apartment. Palmer’s moody. Staring out the window, he says that he’s been working on his memoirs and perhaps that’s the reason for the melancholy.
BANG!
A shot shatters the window pane. David Palmer has been assassinated.
The rest of HOUR ONE after the jump.
Tags: 24, Jack Bauer, television, recap
Meanwhile, President Charles Logan (pompous ass who dissed Jack AND Palmer last season) gets ready for the arrival of the Russian President. He asks his aide, equally slimy Walt Cummings, about the “condition” of his wife Martha. Outside the room, David Palmer’s former chief of staff Mike Novick hears the fate of Palmer.
Chloe O’Brian, fresh from a sexual encounter with coworker Spencer Wolf, gets ready for the day including getting rid of the guy. She’s punchy. She’s quirky. She’s CHLOE! Hearing about Palmer, she heads to work. She’s safe. So far.
Hearing the news on the assassination shocks Jack back into the world he left 18 months ago. When the attractive landlord Diane knocks on his door, he draws his gun. Food’s ready! Besides the most recent event, Jack’s been living well. Working and living. No death or threats. The landlord’s son Derek has suspicions about Frank/Jack and tests his back story. Jack’s too good for that. Derek “The Token Teenager” is just being protective of his hot Mom.
Michelle Dressler and Tony Almeida have both left their positions at CTU, gotten back together, and formed an independent security company. Hearing the shocking news of Palmer’s assassination, Michelle thinks they should report to CTU to aid the investigation. Tony disagrees while fondling his ever-present Chicago Cubs mug. Michelle, never looking better, heads off leaving him with a kiss. Tony calls to cancel an afternoon meeting.
BOOM!
Michelle’s car has exploded. Her body lays limp on the ground.
Tony runs outside, cradling her body in his arms.
BOOM!
Another bomb goes off engulfing Tony and Michelle in flames.
Chloe leaves her apartment heading towards her car. On her cell is fellow CTU employee Edgar Stiles. Michelle is dead. Tony in critical condition from a car bomb. She stops just before inserting her key into the lock. Over her shoulder, suspicious men step out of a van. Chloe hangs up with Edgar and starts running, ditching her car and cell phone.
Suddenly, Frank/Jack gets a call.
It’s Chloe. She’s breaking protocol by contacting him but three out of the four people who knew Jack was alive are now dead and the same people are after her. She’s outrun them so far but doesn’t know what to do now. Frank/Jack excuses himself from the table (so polite!) telling Chloe to meet him in a remote location. Jack rushes to his room, packs the essentials including his field kit hidden behind a vent. He heads to a med helicopter pad, knocks the pilot out, and sees the landlord’s KID HAS FOLLOWED HIM. Damn these teenagers with their first act subplots! Jack’s got to take him with in the chopper to L.A.
President Logan (just like last season but this time with more EGO!) speaks to the press about President Palmer. Inside the residential complex Martha Logan stares into the mirror as an assistant gets her hair and make-up set. How does she like it? Martha plunges her head into the sink full of water (didn’t see that coming Ms. Assistant?). Looks like we’ve got another Mary Todd instead of a Jackie O for a First Lady. Weasley Walt comes in telling Martha of the assassination. She freaks demanding that she talks to Logan right now. But that must wait.
At CTU, Curtis and Buchanan attempt to put the pieces together that connect the events of the day. Phone calls between Tony and Palmer the day of Jack’s death are discovered. Tony gets wheeled into CTU’s clinic. Because that way he can be a part of the plot when he regains consciousness! Jack’s love interest from last season, Audrey Raines arrives to help with security plans for President Logan’s summit with the Russians. And to complicate the plot.
Jack and The Token Teenager (TTT) talk in the helicopter, because that’s where it’s easiest to hear people speak. He doesn’t reveal much to TTT but calls his hot mom Diane to meet them in L.A. to pick TTT up.
President Logan condescendingly consoles his wife, Martha, telling her that she needs to take her pills. Yep. She’s a Mary Todd. Hopefully she won’t end up like the bi-polar daughter of last season. Martha tells Logan that David called her last night about a matter of national security. They were going to meet later and then this happened. Logan says he’ll look into it. He then tells Weasely Walt to look into the call in order to prove Martha is delusional again.
Edgar’s getting antsy about Chloe not arriving yet. Sexy Spencer throws him some bones saying that Chloe is fine AND throws the bone that he knows she’s alright because he was boning her. Edgar gets flustered. (Edgar Loves Chloe! Edgar Loves Chloe!)
Chloe and Jack meet up, briefly discussing what’s happened. That and that she took A CAB TO THE SECRET RENDEVOUS POINT. Great. Back to the chopper. Oh GREAT! The guys tracking Chloe never lost her (something to do with a BRIGHT YELLOW CAB MAYBE?) and they’re here now. The chopper won’t start fast enough (because Jack didn’t think Chloe would take A CAB!) and the bad guys are still coming.
Chloe and TTT run off into a refinery maze while Jack lays down some smoke. Hello Token Teenager! This is a strange woman. Her name is Chloe. She’s anal and you’ll be running from certain death with her until your sub-plot ends. JACK KILL NUMBER ONE! Knife in the terrorist. KILL NUMBER 2! Jack shoots a bad guy driver.
In the refinery maze, the leader of this motley crew (he was the Big Magic Dealer for Willow when she was a “magic druggie”) closes in on Chloe and TTT. Jack shoots and nails him in the leg. Go Go CHLOE! She shoots the guy in the stomach a couple of times! Gotten better in 18 months since the machine gun incident! Jack tells the Magic Dealer that he’ll call the hospital if he talks. Strangely enough, the guy talks. Palmer was the primary target. The others (Michelle, Tony and presumably Chloe) were diversions in order to frame Jack for the assassination. Jack realizes THIS guy killed Palmer, the man who saved Jack’s life. A man who Jack saved many times. A great man.
BANG!
Jack shoots him. (That’s for Palmer, I bet. And for Willow while we’re at it)
BEEP-BOOP BEEP-BOOP BEEP-BOOP
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