Jack in a Box: Day 2

In the beginning: Out of CTU, estranged from his daughter, unshaven and depressed over the loss of his wife, Teri, Jack is about to visit Kim at her babysitting job when he gets a call from now President David Palmer.

The Threat: President Palmer has reason to believe that a nuclear bomb has made its way to Southern California and without Jack's help, terrorists could use the bomb on American soil.

12-Hour Villian: Syed Ali, an Islamic terrorist who is recorded to have conversations and the backing of leaders from "three arab countries" but is killed before he can confirm or authenticate any recorded conversations.

Real Villian(s): A group of American and European business man led by a man named Peter Kingsley who forged the recording

Their Reason: To force the U.S. into war with the Middle East to increase the value of their oil in the Caspian Sea.

Political Angle: As Palmer is reluctant to go to war until the recording is authenticated, a group of his cabinet members led by Vice President Jim Prescott and Chief of Staff Mike Novick try to remove Palmer under section 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, believing his reluctance to be a sign of weakness.

The Mole(s): A fair-haired daughter of privilege, Marie Warner is an Islamic sympathizer. National Security Adviser Roger Stanton is integral in getting the bomb on US soil.

Kim Bauer: Is on the run all day from an abusive employer, police, even cougars in a season in which some fans created websites calling for her death. It was all in the purpose of getting a shot of her changing into a tanktop in which her "erasers" are clearly visible.

The World is Saved but…: President Palmer is almost assasinated by biological means after shaking hands with Mandy, a hot terrorist played by Mia Kirshner. Fans did not learn the fate of President Palmer until the beginning of Season 3.

Thoughts: The lesson of this season was that acts of war should only be considered after exhausting all possibilities before establishing probable cause. Can't imagine what that was in reference to in 2003. While the last 10 hours of this show are an effort to avoid war, which seems contradictory and the whole season ends with Sherry Palmer in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This season establishes Jack as a "by any means necessary" interrogator and #2 Tony Almeida as more than a desk job whiner.