Jack in a Box: Day 5

In the beginning: Jack is working and living under the identity of Frank Flynn when former President Palmer is assasinated and everyone else who knew he was alive (Tony Almeida, Michelle Dessler, Chloe O'Brian) is attacked. Dessler is killed immediately. At the time Jack is dating the wife from Friday Night Lights (both the movie and show) and she has a 15 year old named Derek, whose an insult to Dereks everywhere.

The Threat: Russian Terrorists have acquired several containers of Sentox Nerve Gas for the purpose of setting it off in Russia. The plan is changed when President Charles Logan refuses to give up the Russian President's motorcade after signing an anti-terrorist treaty.

12-Hour Villian: A diminuitive man named Ivan Erwich provides to canisters to Vladimir Bierko. A supposed Chechen rebel hoping to use the canisters against Russia. I remember thinking that these guys couldn't be the real bad guys because Jack could easily kick both their asses.

Real Villian(s): It's revealed the day's events are part of a mass government conspiracy led by President Logan and former CTU agent and Bauer's mentor, Christopher Henderson with Henderson directly responsible for the assasinations of Jack's friends.

Their Reason: The canisters were supposed to go off in Russia, leading to Russia and US invoking the military provisions of the treaty, making Russia an ally in the War on Terror and shoring up oil interests in Central Asia. Palmer knew of this and was going to take action to stop Logan so he was killed under orders of Henderson.

Political Angle: This season had the most politics of any season by far. Logan was pretty much a Richard Nixon clone in look, mannerisms and corruption. Even some political allies like Vice President Garner and Secretary of Defense Heller advise him against what he's doing.

The Mole(s): Logan first of all. Then a Homeland underling named Miles Sapazian corrupts a recording implicating Logan in exchange for a White House job.

Kim Bauer: Comes back as her psychiatrists' mid-life crisis girlfriend in time to witness the nerve gas attack on CTU and Edgar's death. She cuts off Jack because whenever she's around him people die. Effectively writing her off for the most part.

The World is Saved but…: The Chinese recapture Jack and send him off to Shanghai, for about 20 months of torture and solitary confinement, the effects of which we learn when Day 6 begins on Sunday.

Thoughts: While in truth I enjoy every season of 24. There is simply nothing else like it on television. This season killed so many people that no one's (except for Edgar's) had as much of an impact as it should. Tony Almeida is killed by Henderson and its dismissed, and not even brought up again until the season finale, that it seemed like a reedited plot. It may not seem so but Jack's capture by the Chinese was a suprise and well placed and has whet the appetite for a New Day which is just moments away...