24 (season 6)

infobox tvseason
season_name = 24 Season 6


caption = Season 6 cast
dvd_release_date = December 4, 2007 (US)
dvd_format =
country = flagicon|USA United States
first_aired = January 14, 2007
last_aired = May 21, 2007
network = Fox Broadcasting Company
num_episodes = 24
prev_season = 24 (season 5)
next_season = 24 (season 7)|

Season Six, also known as Day 6, of the television series "24" premiered on Sunday, January 14, 2007. It premiered in the UK on January 21, 2007 and in Australia on January 30, 2007.

The season's storyline began and ended at 6:00 a.m. It is set 20 months after the events of the fifth season.

A 10-minute prequel was available with the fifth season DVD.

Season overview

Season Six (2007) is set 20 months after Season Five. Show designers acknowledge that they avoid the use of dates in order to have the show remain in a "perpetual now." [ [http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2007/01/looking_for_clu.html Looking for clues on the set of '24' - From Inside the Box - Zap2it ] ]

After the events in Season Five and over the last 11 weeks before Day 6, the United States has been targeted coast-to-coast in a series of suicide bombings. A man named Abu Fayed agrees to give the U.S. the location of Hamri Al-Assad, the supposed terrorist mastermind of these attacks, in exchange for CTU Agent Jack Bauer with whom he has a personal grudge. As a result, President Wayne Palmer has negotiated the release of Bauer, who was illegally captured by Chinese Government Agents at the end of Day 5, under "high-price" terms.

However, while under torture from Fayed, Bauer finds out that Assad is actually trying to stop the attacks, and Fayed is the true mastermind. Jack manages to escape, and saves Assad from being killed in an air strike. Jack and CTU, with Assad's help, discover Fayed's true intention: to detonate nuclear bombs on U.S soil. After one nuclear strike, Jack has the task of recovering the remaining nukes, thus setting up the day's chain of events.

Prequel of Season 6

A ten minute prequel of the sixth season of "24" is available on the Season 5 DVD. The clip begins with Jack being held captive by the Chinese, seven months after Season 5 at an unidentified location. He is being tortured by several guards who inform Cheng Zhi that they are still unable to extract information from him regarding a Chinese government agent who they believe is working for the United States. Two American covert-ops soldiers break into the complex and free Jack from his cell. They lead him through an outdoor complex, to a concealed vehicle nearby. They arrived in a field and summon a man by the name of "Hong Wai", who had been concealed in the shadows of the field, to greet Jack. Hong Wai is immediately recognizable as one of the men that Jack had been questioned about earlier, regarding the mole in their government. As Jack flinches in recognition of Hong, several flood lights come on, and Chinese military vehicles swarm on the scene. Cheng Zhi walks into the field and thanks Bauer for his help in identifying Hong, whom he had apparently suspected all along. Cheng then executes Hong with a single shot to the head.

Major plots

*Episodes 1-4: Agent Jack Bauer, having been taken prisoner by China 20 months earlier, is released under a deal arranged by President Wayne Palmer. Jack is immediately asked to sacrifice himself to Abu Fayed, who has offered CTU Hamri Al-Assad, who is believed to be the terrorist mastermind behind the suicide bombings of the last 11 weeks, in exchange for Bauer. Bauer finds out, however, that Assad is actually trying to stop the attacks, and Fayed is the true mastermind. Bauer escapes, rescues Assad, and then prevents a subway bombing in Los Angeles. Bauer & CTU then find out that the bombings of recent weeks were all designed to distract the United States from Fayed's true objective: the detonation of five suitcase nuclear bombs across the United States. At the end of the fourth episode, Jack is forced to kill Curtis Manning to keep Assad alive and one bomb is detonated in Valencia, north of L.A (twenty thousand are killed as a result from the initial explosion. Many more are expected to die from exposure to nuclear radiation.)

*Episodes 5-11: Jack discovers that his father Phillip and brother Graem are involved in the plot as well as events in Day 5. After defusing one of the remaining bombs which was purposely activated by Fayed to aid his escape, Jack successfully rescues his nephew, Josh, from Phillip (who killed Graem because he was a liability). Phillip escapes, but leaves Jack a lead to call former President Charles Logan. President Logan claims that his connection with the Russian Consulate General, Anatoly Markov can help Jack find Dmitri Gredenko, a lead given by Assad. Gredenko provides Fayed with the bombs and is planning to arm RQ-2 Aerial Drones with the bombs to attack the U.S. At the White House, President Palmer refuses to implement security measures that would suspend civil liberties and refuses to take military action against countries some believe supported the attacks. Instead, he enlists Assad to make a speech to the world asking his people to give the U.S. information on locating Fayed and move towards peace. Some in the government, claiming to be true patriots, are unhappy with Palmer's plan, namely Deputy Chief of Staff Reed Pollock. He plans to assassinate the President and frame Hamri Al-Assad for the attack. Chief of Staff Tom Lennox tries to prevent such attempt, but he is unsuccessful as the podium explodes, killing Assad and leaving Palmer in critical condition.

*Episodes 12-15: As the president is in critical condition, Vice President Noah Daniels assumes executive powers and threatens to attack Fayed's country if they fail to stop Fayed. Logan fails to blackmail Markov successfully into giving up Gredenko, so Jack breaks back into the Russian Consulate and takes Markov hostage, torturing him until he gives up Gredenko's whereabouts. Gredenko and Fayed are in the desert, preparing to launch the nukes on the unmanned drones. Jack tries to contact CTU, but he is captured by the Russians. President Logan convinces his ex-wife Martha to call the Russian First Lady, Anya Suvarov, who convinces Russian President Yuri Suvarov to authorize CTU action against the consulate (led by new Director of Field Operations Mike Doyle). Jack immediately gives CTU Gredenko's location, but it is too late, as Gredenko has already launched a drone toward San Francisco. CTU manages to locate the drone pilot through a breach at CTU (for which Nadia Yassir is blamed, but later cleared), and Jack manages to crash land the drone. However, the bomb's nuclear core is compromised in the crash landing, releasing radiation, prompting Vice President Daniels to launch a nuclear strike against the Middle-East. Sandra Palmer gives consent to bring President Palmer out of his coma, and he is able to stop the attack.

*Episodes 16-19: Gredenko is captured by CTU and he agrees to cooperate in exchange for amnesty, but his cooperation is fake when he tells Fayed that it is a trap. CTU still manage to get Fayed, and Gredenko bleeds to death after his arm is amputated to remove a CTU tracking device. Fayed temporarily escapes, but Jack tracks him and after a struggle, Jack single-handedly kills Fayed and finds the two remaining bombs. Jack then receives a phone call from Audrey Raines who had been presumed dead in China, and is held by Cheng Zhi. Cheng demanded that Jack obtain a Russian circuit board from the suitcase nuke, information that could cause a war, in exchange for Audrey's freedom. With Chloe's help, Jack tries to retrieve the circuit board. However, CTU finds out and captures Jack, who asks to speak to the President to request authorization to save Audrey. President Palmer reluctantly agrees, but soon after collapses from during a press conference, allowing Daniels to assume executive duties and reverse Palmer's order for Jack's operation. Jack goes rogue, determined to save Audrey. He and Cheng meet to do the exchange, but Doyle and his team attack Cheng's men just as Audrey is freed and Jack gives up the board to Cheng. Jack is arrested before he can destroy the board, and Cheng escapes with it. Audrey is safe, but she is in a trance-like state and seems to have had a mental breakdown as she does not recognize Jack.

*Episodes 20-24: Russia discovers that the Chinese have the circuit board through a leak in the White House staff. Russian President Suvarov threatens to launch an attack if the US government fails to retrieve the board. Cheng has possession of the board, but discovers that it has been damaged and so decides to call Phillip Bauer to fix it. Back in CTU, Doyle helps Jack to escape custody so that he can get information from Audrey without her being hurt by a Division doctor. Jack takes Audrey out of Medical and she provides a name which CTU thinks may be where Cheng held her. A team is sent that discovers Cheng's hideout which has the empty crates from a significant amount of weaponry, and it is soon discovered that Cheng planned to attack CTU. CTU is infiltrated by the Chinese, led by Zhou, and most members of CTU are taken hostage. After the assault, Milo is fatally shot when he steps up to protect Nadia. Jack escapes his cell and kills several Chinese operatives. Cheng orders Zhou to find Josh Bauer, who is hiding with Jack and Marilyn, as it becomes apparent that he is the "package" that they are looking for. After his mother's life is threatened, Josh reveals himself to Zhou. It is discovered that Cheng had made a deal with Phillip Bauer, who has agreed to repair the component in exchange for his grandson. Jack and Doyle then kill all of Cheng's men before Jack corners Cheng. He escapes as Jack saves Josh, who reveals Phillip's involvement. Meanwhile, the White House find the mole and try to trick the Russians, but Suvarov monitores the events and knows about Daniels' deceit, again threatens to launch an attack unless the U.S. government retrieves the board. Phillip Bauer calls the White House and offers to give the circuit board for Josh, and they agree. Doyle takes Josh from Jack to go ahead with the exchange.

*Episode 23-24: Jack finds out about the deal and, knowing Phillip would never give up the circuit board, he calls Karen Hayes and asks for her help. Since she is unable to convince the Vice President to call off the exchange, she goes rogue and asks her husband, Bill Buchanan, to help Jack. Bill agrees and helps Jack escape. As Karen is detained, Bill and Jack drive to where Doyle is waiting to make the exchange of Josh for the circuit board, but they are too late - a decoy circuit board has exploded, seriously injuring Doyle and Josh being taken away by Phillip's men on a boat. Using the information Jack provides about his father's business holdings, Chloe and Morris are able to deduce where Phillip is - an offshore oil rig. Daniels decides to launch an air strike against the oil rig to destroy the circuit board believed to be in Phillip's possession, and everyone on the oil rig, hoping that the Russians would be satisfied and prevent a war. Determined to save Josh from both the air strike and Phillip, Jack and Bill proceed to the oil rig via helicopter with only minutes remaining before the strike. They arrive in time to kill Phillip's men and capture Cheng alive. Phillip tells Josh they are going to rendezvous with a Chinese submarine, to go to China. Josh hits Phillip over the head and manages to grab his gun and shoots him, but does not kill him. Jack arrives and stops Josh from killing his grandfather, not wanting him to live with that for the rest of his life. He sends Josh to the helicopter and leaves Phillip to die. Jack barely makes it back to the helicopter as the missiles hit. During the flight, Jack jumps into the water, Josh wants to go back to get him, but Bill says Jack isn't ready to return to CTU yet. Bill takes Josh back to CTU where he and his mother are reunited. Bill and Karen are freed from custody and resign. Jack confronts Audrey's father, former Secretary of Defense Heller, at his home, and verbally lashes out at Heller and the men like him for abandoning Jack despite his sacrifices for his country. Heller agrees that it isn't right but that it is Jack's personality to devote himself to violence and that Jack will not be able to take care of Audrey in the way she needs. Jack realizes he is right and tells a sleeping Audrey that even though he loves her, he must let her go for her own sake. He walks outside to a cliff and mournfully stares off into the ocean as the season ends with a fade to black followed by a silent clock.

Characters

"This is a list of the main cast for Season 6. See List of 24 characters for a more thorough list."Stars
* Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer
* Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O'Brian
* DB Woodside as President Wayne Palmer
* James Morrison as Bill Buchanan
* Peter MacNicol as Tom Lennox
* Jayne Atkinson as Karen Hayes
* Carlo Rota as Morris O'Brian
* Eric Balfour as Milo Pressman
* Marisol Nichols as Nadia Yassir
* Regina King as Sandra Palmer

Special Guest Stars
* Powers Boothe as Vice President Noah Daniels
* William Devane as James Heller
* Kim Raver as Audrey Raines
* Jean Smart as Martha Logan
* Gregory Itzin as Charles Logan
* James Cromwell as Philip Bauer

Recurring
* Roger Cross as Curtis Manning
* Rena Sofer as Marilyn Bauer
* Evan Ellingson as Josh Bauer
* Nick Jameson as Russian President Yuri Suvarov
* Paul McCrane as Graem Bauer
* Kari Matchett as Lisa Miller
* Tzi Ma as Cheng Zhi
* Rade Šerbedžija as Dmitri Gredenko
* Adoni Maropis as Abu Fayed
* Glenn Morshower as Aaron Pierce
* Kathleen Gati as Russian First Lady Anya Suvarov
* Chad Lowe as Reed Pollock
* Alexander Siddig as Hamri Al-Assad
* Michael Shanks as Mark Bishop
* Harry Lennix as Walid Al-Rezani
* Kal Penn as Ahmed Amar
* David Hunt as Darren McCarthy
* Ricky Schroder as Mike Doyle

Episodes

References

External links

* [http://www.tv.com/24/show/3866/episode_guide.html&season=6 TV.com: 24 Season 6 Episode Guide]
* [http://www.fox.com/24/episodes/ Fox.com: Seasons 1-6 Episode Guides]