Jack in a Box: Day 3

In the beginning: Jack is addicted to heroin, picking up the habit while undercover infiltrating the Salazar drug clan.

The Threat: A weaponized virus is sold to Nina Myers and a group of British terrorists derailing Jack's plan to buy it for the Salazars so they could comandeer it and neutralize the threat.

12-Hour Villian: Ramon and Hector Salazar are drug lords who Jack convinces to take him in, even after sending Ramon to prison. Jack spends half of season 3 convincing them he is no longer working for the US Government so that they will buy the virus with him. They are by far the dumbest villians in 24 or maybe television history.

Real Villian(s): The virus eventually falls in the hands of a British ex-patriot named Stephen Saunders who uses the virus to manipulate CTU and President Palmer.

Their Reason: Saunders was under Bauer's command during "Operation Nightfall" and was believed to be dead by Bauer but from his perspective he was abandoned by Jack and the United States.

Political Angle: Palmer is strongarmed again by a major contributor Alan Milliken over an affair Palmer's brother Wayne had with his wife. Sherry Palmer is sent to appease the situation and ends up indirectly killing Milliken and blackmails Palmer with threats to implicate him in a murder conspiracy.

The Mole(s): Technically, Bauer, Tony Almeida, and a CTU operative named Gael, are working outside of CTU to get Jack undercover again with the Salazars upsetting the chain of command at CTU and President Palmer. Almeida also commits treason by stalling CTU's apprehension efforts of Saunders in exchange for the sparing of his hot wife Michelle Dessler.

Kim Bauer: Hired at CTU to be kept safe under Jack's orders falls for Jack's partner Chase Edmunds. Is briefly kidnapped when sent in the field as a double for Saunders daughter.

The World is Saved but…: Chase ends up losing a hand. Jack is still strung out and breaks down and in later unseen footage is fired from CTU for his heroin addiction.

Thoughts: This is my least favorite season and the last one I'll buy on DVD. The real Mexicans who end up appearing like fake Mexicans and whose characters are written to be dumb Mexicans. The slow pace of that angle. All bugged me. Like Season 5, a lot of major characters are killed. The daughter-bating mano y mano between Jack and Saunders is entertaining and some events in this season lead to MY favorite season of the series which I will detail tomorrow.