24 (season 4)

24 (season 4)

Promotional poster
Starring
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 24
Release
Original network Fox
Original release January 9 (2005-01-09) – May 23, 2005 (2005-05-23)

The fourth season of the American drama television series 24, also known as Day 4, premiered on January 9, 2005, on Fox and aired its season finale on May 23, 2005. The season four storyline starts and ends at 7:00 am.

Season overview

The fourth season is set 18 months after season three. Jack is now working for Secretary of Defense James Heller after being fired by CTU due to his heroin addiction. As the day begins, he gets caught up in an elaborate terrorist plot which involves James Heller and his daughter Audrey Raines.

Unlike previous seasons as well as later ones, which focus on a singular threat, multiple enemies, and conspiracies, this season is based around one main enemy: a terrorist named Habib Marwan who controls a series of Middle Eastern terrorist cells that launch attacks against the United States.[1] Rather than large acts, this season is divided into several smaller acts depending on what terrorist threat Marwan is focusing on.

  1. A train bombing is a diversion to kidnap the secretary of defense and his daughter.
  2. A device from the train is used to initiate the forced meltdowns of nuclear power plants across America.
  3. Terrorists steal a stealth fighter to shoot down Air Force One.
  4. The terrorists steal the nuclear football, allowing them to launch a nuclear missile towards Los Angeles that must be intercepted.

Major subplots

Summary

Day 4 begins with the bombing of a commuter train which (unbeknownst to CTU at the time) enables the theft of a device known as the Dobsen-type Override which could be used to take control of (and melt down) United States nuclear power plants. With Jack Bauer working for Secretary of Defense James Heller, his job brings him to CTU as a visitor on this very day.

Believing that something terrible is about to happen, Jack begs CTU director Erin Driscoll to reinstate him and begins to interrogate a suspect. The suspect reveals that James Heller and Audrey Raines are the primary targets just as they are kidnapped. When Jack saves a programmer who discovered evidence of a cyber-attack in progress (a friend of Chloe O'Brian), he allows one of the terrorists to escape and lead him to where Raines and Heller are being held. Even though Jack rescues them, the mass streaming of the planned execution video gives the terrorists the opportunity they need to launch an attack on the firewalls and begin using the override.

CTU finds out about the override with the help of Bauer and Tony Almeida and identifies the man responsible for using it: Habib Marwan, an employee of the defense contractor that developed the override. Marwan is able to sabotage one plant, the San Gabriel Island reactor, before Jack's team puts him on the run. Seeking extra intelligence, Bauer and Paul Raines (Audrey's ex-husband) travel to the headquarters of the defense contractor McLennan-Forrester. However, in an effort to cover up their complicity and erase computer records, McLennan-Forrester activates an EMP, causing a blackout over an 8-square-mile (21 km2) section of downtown Los Angeles.

McLennan-Forrester sends mercenaries after Bauer and Raines. They critically injure Raines just as agents arrive sent by Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler. The resulting turmoil allows a stealth fighter to be stolen from an Air Force base in Southern California. The pilot of the fighter shoots down Air Force One, which crashes into the Mojave Desert, almost killing President Keeler in the process. Vice-President Charles Logan takes over for Keeler and seeks the help of David Palmer when the role proves too much for him. Ultimately, Marwan's terror cells are able to steal the nuclear football from the Air Force One crash site and they attempt to use it to commandeer a nuclear missile in Iowa.

Chloe nearly loses her life finding a lead about the missile. It leads Jack to a complicit Chinese national, Lee Jong, hiding at his nation's consulate in Los Angeles. When negotiations break down, Jack leads a clandestine raid against the Chinese consulate and kidnaps Jong. Poorly placed shots by Chinese guards kill the Chinese consul and injure Jong. Paul Raines dies in surgery when Jack insists that saving Lee Jong is a priority. This destroys his relationship with Audrey Raines. The nuclear missile is subsequently launched and CTU begins a last-ditch effort to discover its trajectory and intercept it. As Jack closes in on Marwan and the missile's location, Chinese agents find proof that Jack Bauer invaded their territory. To prevent American secrets from falling into Chinese hands, government officials propose that Jack be conveniently killed.

Reversing the events of Day 1, David Palmer warns Bauer of the attempt on his life, shortly after the nuclear missile is shot out of the sky. In response, Bauer fakes his own death with the help of Tony Almeida, Michelle Dessler and Chloe O'Brian. When Bauer is safely outside CTU, he says a final goodbye to his friend and president David Palmer. He then leaves his old life behind and disappears into the sunrise.

Plot twists affecting future seasons

Characters

For a more thorough list, see List of 24 characters § 24: Season 4.

When the season began, every character from the first three seasons was absent except for Jack Bauer, President Keeler (Palmer's Republican opponent in season 3), and Chloe O'Brian. However, as the season went on several characters returned, including Tony Almeida, Michelle Dessler, Mike Novick, David Palmer, Aaron Pierce, and Mandy, the assassin from seasons 1 and 2. To make room for these characters, other characters left. Alberta Watson left after 12 episodes, Lana Parrilla—upgraded from recurring to the main cast in episode 7—was gone by episode 13 and William Devane left after episode 14 making one brief appearance afterwards. Also, Roger Cross was upgraded from recurring to main cast in episode 14, making him the only other actor along with Parrilla to be upgraded to main cast mid-season in the history of the series. As a result, season 4 featured more cast changes than any previous season.

Starring

Two members of the season 4 main cast: Kiefer Sutherland and Kim Raver

Special guest stars

Special guest appearance by

Guest starring

Episodes

No. in
series		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original air date Production
code		 U.S. viewers
(millions)
731"Day 4: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m."Jon CassarJoel Surnow & Michael LoceffJanuary 9, 2005 (2005-01-09)4AFF0115.31[2]
An explosive filled truck derails a train, causing it to wreck, and a briefcase is stolen from the wreckage. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), now working for Secretary of Defense James Heller (William Devane), is revealed to be romantically involved with the Secretary's daughter, Audrey Raines (Kim Raver). A young programmer named Andrew Paige (Lukas Haas) discovers signs of an impending terrorist attack, and is soon on the run. He is able to warn his friend Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) at CTU. Meanwhile, the Araz family is shown to be part of a sleeper cell, and heavily involved in the day's events. After meeting with CTU director Erin Driscoll (Alberta Watson), Jack finds out from a key suspect that the terrorists are targeting Heller. While meeting with his estranged son Richard (Logan Marshall-Green), Heller and Audrey are abducted.
742"Day 4: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m."Jon CassarHoward GordonJanuary 9, 2005 (2005-01-09)4AFF0214.34[2]
Jack pushes Driscoll to reinstate him in the wake of Heller's kidnapping. He finds himself working as a subordinate when the Field Ops team goes to pick up Paige. Behrooz Araz (Jonathan Ahdout) finds himself torn between his loyalty to his parents and his feelings for his girlfriend (Leighton Meester) as he is sent on his first assignment to deliver a briefcase containing the override device to Omar, the leader of the group holding Heller. Heller tries to comfort his daughter as his captors broadcast their intentions to put him on trial on the Internet. Meanwhile, Andrew Paige is pursued by assassins and contacts CTU.
753"Day 4: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m."Brad TurnerEvan KatzJanuary 10, 2005 (2005-01-10)4AFF0311.91[3]
Jack tracks the terrorists with Chloe's aid and rescues Paige, who is badly beaten. Behrooz pleads with his parents when they order him to bring his girlfriend to their home for questioning. CTU agent Curtis Manning (Roger Cross) uses harsh methods to interrogate Richard, who is believed to know something about his father's kidnapping as Driscoll continues to search for Jack. However due to the rural area through which Jack is tracking the terrorist he must use satellite coverage to avoid detection. As the terrorist makes a quick stop for gasoline, Jack stages a robbery to keep him there until satellite coverage is established.
764"Day 4: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m."Brad TurnerStephen KronishJanuary 10, 2005 (2005-01-10)4AFF0413.34[3]
Jack acts as a bandit and takes hostages, including the terrorist, Kalil Hassan to buy Chloe more time to get satellite surveillance. Meanwhile, Chloe must confide in Edgar Stiles (Louis Lombardi) for help when Driscoll becomes suspicious. Behrooz discovers just how far his mother is willing to go to ensure that their secret mission is successful. Heller and Audrey attempt to escape from Omar (Tony Plana) but are recaptured, while Driscoll uses her influence to deal with a personal crisis. Jack, still under the guise of a bandit, escapes, taking Hassan as a hostage, eventually setting him free once Jack is clear of the police. Hassan hijacks a vehicle and resumes his way to Omar and where Heller is being held. Jack is apprehended by the police.
775"Day 4: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m."Jon CassarPeter M. LenkovJanuary 17, 2005 (2005-01-17)4AFF0511.51[4]
Jack and Driscoll agree to work together when the police make a critical error in dealing with Hassan (Anil Kumar) which arouses his suspicions that he is being followed. Hassan then martyrs and kills himself by driving headlong into another vehicle. Heller and Audrey take drastic action in the hopes of avoiding the impending trial by breaking a gas valve, attempting to kill themselves in the ensuing gas leak. This is foiled as the terrorists smell the gas and 'save them'. Driscoll makes a deal with Chloe to get her out of the way, while the Araz family faces another problem in its cover-up. CTU manages to locate the site where Heller is held captive, but with the upcoming deadline, the President reluctantly deploys fighter planes to destroy the site rather than allow Heller's execution to happen and be shown on the Internet.
786"Day 4: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m."Jon CassarMatt MichnovetzJanuary 24, 2005 (2005-01-24)4AFF0612.20[5]
Jack infiltrates the site alone as CTU are still en route, and initiates a fierce gun battle with the terrorists as he races to rescue Heller and Audrey before the military strike begins. As CTU Delta teams arrive, Audrey is taken hostage by Omar, but is eventually saved. Dina Araz (Shohreh Aghdashloo) questions her own dedication to their cause when her husband reveals his plans for Behrooz. Driscoll and Manning uncover new evidence that points to an even bigger attack by the terrorists. Audrey has an awkward meeting with her husband, and Heller butts heads once again with his son over information Richard may or may not be withholding.
797"Day 4: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m."Ken GirottiJoel Surnow & Michael LoceffJanuary 31, 2005 (2005-01-31)4AFF0711.52[6]
Jack takes Audrey to ID the man she recognized at the compound by going to a private security firm with surveillance footage of the function where Audrey met him, but the terrorists get there soon after and pin them down. Jack, realizing the attempt on their lives means that CTU has been compromised, calls on an old friend to help him escape. Heller puts Edgar in charge of dealing with the nuclear override, while Driscoll's daughter Maya Driscoll (Angela Goethals) takes a turn for the worse. Dina is wounded when she helps Behrooz flee from Navi Araz (Nestor Serrano). Navi's boss orders him to kill his wife and son before the day is over. As Jack and Audrey are cornered in the garage, Tony Almeida arrives and rescues them by killing the remaining terrorists.
808"Day 4: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m."Ken GirottiTeleplay by: Stephen Kronish & Peter M. Lenkov
Story by: Matt Michnovetz		February 7, 2005 (2005-02-07)4AFF0811.10[7]
Jack and Audrey hide out with an embittered Tony as Audrey makes a positive ID of the man from the kidnapping. Jack contacts Heller and informs him of the situation and that there is a mole at CTU. He sends Secret Service to collect Audrey. As Jack heads out to follow another lead, Tony decides to go with him. Meanwhile, the CTU mole Marianne Taylor (Aisha Tyler) successfully diverts suspicion from herself, leading Driscoll to torture the wrong person, Sarah Gavin for information. Behrooz takes Dina to a hospital for medical attention, but the doctor becomes suspicious of her gunshot wound and phones the police. Jack and Tony attempt to capture the man Audrey ID'd, but he is shot by a sniper. Meanwhile at CTU, Edgar is able to shut down most of the nuclear power stations, but is unable to prevent one from melting down while a handful remain in terrorist control.
819"Day 4: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m."Brad TurnerHoward Gordon & Evan KatzFebruary 14, 2005 (2005-02-14)4AFF0911.42[8]
CTU are able to trace Dina's location, but Behrooz slips through their fingers. Jack and Tony arrive, and despite the objections of Agent Lee Castle, Tony is allowed to support Jack as they capture Dina. Dina demands a full pardon for her son in exchange for information on the override device. Edgar wrestles with his emotions when his mother is trapped in the path of the nuclear fall-out. Behrooz turns to his uncle for help with getting hold of some painkillers for Dina, but his uncle contacts Navi, citing that Behrooz is acting suspiciously. Navi arrives and closes in on Behrooz and even kills his brother-in-law before he can get away.
8210"Day 4: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m."Brad TurnerStephen Kronish & Peter M. LenkovFebruary 21, 2005 (2005-02-21)4AFF1013.16[9]
Audrey places herself in a compromising position when she and Jack learn of her husband's possible involvement with the terrorists. Audrey goes to see Paul at his hotel under the guise of wanting to talk to him about their marriage as he was about to check-out. Marianne offers Curtis information on the location of the override device in exchange for a lighter sentence, but the tables soon turn when Curtis and Marianne head to an office to retrieve evidence and are ambushed by more terrorists. Marianne and the rest of the CTU TAC team are killed and Curtis is taken hostage. Sarah Gavin (Lana Parrilla) bargains for a stronger position at CTU, while Tony takes charge of the interrogation of Dina and Behrooz.
8311"Day 4: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m."Jon CassarJoel Surnow & Michael LoceffFebruary 28, 2005 (2005-02-28)4AFF1114.55[10]
Jack tortures Paul Raines (James Frain) in front of Audrey, which shocks her. Habib Marwan (Arnold Vosloo), the terrorist in charge of orchestrating the day's events, is discovered to be an employee at McLennan-Forster under an alias. Curtis, as it transpires, is being held captive in the same building where Marwan is working to meltdown the rest of the power plants. Curtis manages to kill his captors and escape, before linking up with Jack, who is leading an operation to capture Marwan. Unfortunately they do not know what Marwan looks like and Marwan is able to take advantage of this and spot them entering the office. He escapes but is forced to leave behind the override device. Driscoll's daughter Maya commits suicide in the clinic bathroom.
8412"Day 4: 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m."Jon CassarHoward Gordon & Evan KatzMarch 7, 2005 (2005-03-07)4AFF1213.09[11]
Jack and Paul try to find information about Marwan at McLennan-Forster, whose employees try to prevent any incriminating evidence from being found. They detonate an electromagnetic pulse bomb causing a blackout spanning several blocks. Paul finds evidence of their involvement and prints it out but is captured by McLennan-Forster. However Paul is able to hide the evidence beforehand as McLennan-Forster attempt to beat it out of him. Driscoll struggles with her leadership of CTU due to her daughter's suicide and steps down. Tony takes over provisionally while Heller contacts Division for a more permanent replacement, much to the dismay of Curtis. Later Michelle Dessler (Reiko Aylesworth), Tony's former wife arrives from Division to take over permanently.
8513"Day 4: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m."Rodney ChartersAnne Cofell SaundersMarch 14, 2005 (2005-03-14)4AFF1312.05[12]
Jack and Paul hide in a gun shop as McLennen-Forster commandos, led by Dave Conlon (Tomas Arana), try to kill them. There, they enlist the help of the owners of the shop — two US-born Muslim brothers who decide to help after Jack explains the situation to them. CTU continue to struggle to locate Jack and Paul in the aftermath of the EMP strike even as they spot a hostile helicopter entering the airspace. Sarah Gavin is dismissed by Michelle for not being focused on her job as Sarah attempts to bargain for a higher pay raise as compensation for being falsely accused. Michelle and Tony struggle to work together again as she deploys field teams to cover the entire blacked out area, contrary to Tony's suggestion. As Jack initiates a firefight, CTU moves in to assist. Jack, Paul and the two brothers survive. Afterward Conlon, thought to be dead, attempts to shoot Jack, prompting Paul to push him out of the way and is seriously wounded when the bullet strikes him.
8614"Day 4: 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m."Tim IacofanoHoward Gordon & Evan KatzMarch 21, 2005 (2005-03-21)4AFF1411.55[13]
Back at CTU Jack plans to use Dina to contact Marwan via one of Marwan's contacts. Jack offers Dina her own freedom and the chance to live with her son under the Witness Protection Program in return for her help. A cover story is prepared — that remnants of Navi's group attacked the CTU transport detaining Dina, and in the ensuing firefight Dina was able to take Jack hostage. Meanwhile Michelle is able to convince Chloe to come back to CTU after being let go earlier in the day. Jack and Dina are taken to Marwan, and Marwan's contact martyrs himself while being trailed by CTU. Marwan discovers CTU's ploy and has Dina killed and manages to evade CTU surveillance.
8715"Day 4: 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m."Bryan SpicerJoel Surnow & Michael LoceffMarch 28, 2005 (2005-03-28)4AFF1511.58[14]
Jack is held prisoner by Marwan. Marwan's plan to have Mitch Anderson (Ned Vaughan), a disgraced former Navy pilot now working for Marwan, hijack a Stealth fighter jet is endangered. He proposes to exchange Jack for Behrooz as a means of distracting CTU's attention. Meanwhile, Bill Buchanan (James Morrison) from Division takes over CTU, and Edgar misses an important piece of information because he is still grieving the death of his mother. The exchange for Jack and Behrooz goes ahead and Jack is returned to CTU, but CTU is unable to track Behrooz to Marwan as they find the tracker bugs planted on Behrooz. The exchange succeeds and buys Marwan the time he needed. As the episode ends a Stealth fighter jet operated by Mitch Anderson prepares for takeoff.
8816"Day 4: 10:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m."Bryan SpicerTeleplay by: Howard Gordon & Evan Katz
Story by: Robert Cochran		April 4, 2005 (2005-04-04)4AFF1611.06[15]
Jack and CTU raid the warehouse where Jack was held prisoner, but Marwan manages to escape. At the warehouse Jack discovers intel from the warehouse identifying Anderson and heads to his apartment. Unbeknownst to Jack and CTU, Marwan has an operative sent over there as well to search for and destroy this evidence. The FBI also become involved as they send an agent over to Anderson's apartment who is killed, allowing Marwan's operative to pose as FBI. Jack and another CTU agent assist the 'FBI agent' in searching for the evidence, which they find. The CTU agent and Marwan's operative are killed, and Jack discovers from the recovered hard drive that Marwan's plan is to hijack a Stealth fighter to shoot down Air Force One. Air Force One's fighter escort are unable to prevent Anderson's attack and Air Force One is shot down.
8917"Day 4: 11:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m."Jon CassarDuppy DemetriusApril 11, 2005 (2005-04-11)4AFF1711.64[16]
Jack and Marwan hunt for the nuclear football at the crash site. Two campers in the desert find the nuclear football and contact CTU. With help from Jack, manage to evade Marwan long enough for Jack to arrive. But by the time he does, Marwan takes possession of the football. President John Keeler (Geoff Pierson) survives the crash, but is seriously injured and unable to continue as President. Vice President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) takes the oath of office, and is warned of an impending attack. Jack chases Marwan, who splits up into two groups. Using CTU air support one of the terrorist jeeps is taken out and the nuclear football recovered, however several pages containing locations and firing codes for the nuclear warheads are missing — removed by Marwan.
9018"Day 4: 12:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m."Jon CassarJoel Surnow & Michael LoceffApril 18, 2005 (2005-04-18)4AFF1811.08[17]
The location of one of Marwan's associates is flagged by CTU and Curtis is sent to lead a TAC team to bring him in. Marwan's associate meets with another man, Joe Prado. Prado, having spotted the CTU teams moving in kills the other terrorist and turns himself in. However Marwan calls Amnesty Global to prevent Prado's questioning. While Logan resists calls to intervene and sanction Prado's interrogation and torture, Jack then resigns from CTU and takes the matter into his own hands, forcing the suspect to give up Marwan's location. Meanwhile, Marwan's men steal a nuclear warhead in central Iowa.
9119"Day 4: 1:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m."Bryan SpicerHoward Gordon & Evan KatzApril 25, 2005 (2005-04-25)4AFF1911.03[18]
Logan, outraged that Jack went against his orders and tortured the suspect, orders his arrest. But that order destroys CTU's cover outside of a nightclub where Marwan was hiding. As Jack is withdrawn from his position and Agent Castle moved in, one of Marwan's sentries spots them and Marwan escapes. Logan then enlists the help of former President David Palmer to assist him in recovering the nuclear warhead. Meanwhile, a woman who is dating one of Marwan's associates becomes suspicious of him and contacts CTU. Chloe is sent into the field to decrypt files on his computer but is attacked by one of Marwan's associates sent to clean up. Chloe manages to barricade herself in the CTU vehicle, secures a rifle from it and kills her assailant.
9220"Day 4: 2:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m."Bryan SpicerPeter M. LenkovMay 2, 2005 (2005-05-02)4AFF2010.88[19]
The intel that Chloe pulls from the hard drive identifies a freelance Chinese programmer's involvement with Marwan. CTU believes this man, Lee Jong, sold information to Marwan about how to reprogram a nuclear detonator. Palmer contacts the Chinese Consulate but is unable to gain their cooperation. Jack goes covert to extract Lee from the Chinese consulate, risking an international incident. During the extraction the Consul guards open fire on Jack and Lee is wounded while the Chinese Consul is killed by one of his own after stepping into the cross fire. Jack must make a difficult choice to save Lee's life – he forces the only available surgeon, who had been working on Paul Raines, to save Lee's life. Much to Audrey's horror, Paul dies, as a result.
9321"Day 4: 3:00 a.m. – 4:00 a.m."Kevin HooksJoel Surnow & Michael LoceffMay 9, 2005 (2005-05-09)4AFF2111.00[20]
The situation from the Chinese consulate intensifies – the Chinese consul was accidentally killed by friendly fire. The Chinese grow suspicious, and launch an investigation after they manage to identify Howard Bern, one of the CTU agents involved in the raid. Jack, Curtis and Bern begin to work up cover-stories and alibis, so as not to implicate the US government. Lee Jong comes out of surgery and gives Jack a lead on the location of Marwan. He leads a CTU team including Curtis to surround the location. Although CTU manages to capture Marwan they are unable to prevent the launch of a cruise missile with the armed nuclear warhead.
9422"Day 4: 4:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m."Kevin HooksMatt Michnovetz & Duppy DemetriusMay 16, 2005 (2005-05-16)4AFF2211.67[21]
Jack attempts to negotiate with Marwan but is unsuccessful. As they prepare to return to CTU, remnants of Marwan's men attack and rescue Marwan, killing the CTU TAC teams with only Jack and Curtis surviving. Tony and Michelle soon re-discover their love for each other, and agree to leave CTU once the crisis is over and to start over anew. Richard is discovered to have called Marwan's phone, but once brought in for questioning, it is revealed that he was set up – he was picked up by a couple in a bar and while he had sex with one of them, the other used his phone to activate a 'listen-in', allowing Marwan to hear Richard's conversations and discover Heller's location in order to abduct him. CTU follows the lead and discovers that Mandy (Mia Kirshner), a villain and mercenary from Day 1 and 2, is working with Marwan. Mandy ambushes Castle and Tony, killing Castle and takes Tony hostage.
9523"Day 4: 5:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m."Jon CassarSam MontgomeryMay 23, 2005 (2005-05-23)4AFF2312.23[22]
After Cheng Zhi (Tzi Ma) brings evidence to CTU of their involvement in the raid on the Chinese consulate, Agent Howard Bern (Robert Cicchini) flies to San Diego to establish an alibi, but on arrival is kidnapped by Cheng. After being threatened with life imprisonment at a labor camp on the Chinese-Siberia border he soon names Jack Bauer as the leader of the raid. Mandy attempts to escape by faking her and Tony's death in a car bomb. In the aftermath Jack refuses to pull his team out to refocus on the search for the missile and soon finds discrepancies in the recording of Mandy's last phone call before the explosion. As Mandy attempts to escape she is cornered by Jack and Curtis in the parking lot and apprehended by Jack. In exchange for Marwan's location she is given immunity.
9624"Day 4: 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m."Jon CassarRobert Cochran & Howard GordonMay 23, 2005 (2005-05-23)4AFF2412.23[22]
Jack and Curtis converge on Marwan's location at the Global Center by helicopter, chasing him into the car park. Curtis is shot and wounded, as is Marwan. Marwan, rather than be captured, commits suicide by throwing himself off the building despite Jack's efforts. However CTU is soon able to determine from Marwan's PDA that the location for the missile is Los Angeles, and it is shot down as it approaches. The Chinese demand that Logan have Jack handed over to them to avoid an international incident. Logan's security chief Walt Cummings (John Allen Nelson) has plans to have Jack killed so that he won't divulge security information to the Chinese while in captivity. Although Logan shoots this idea down publicly, Mike overhears a telephone call conversation between Cummings and his Secret Service henchman arranging this regardless and Palmer manages to warn Jack. With help from Palmer, Tony, Michelle, and Chloe, Jack fakes his own death after a brief gun battle with the Secret Service agent, assumes a new identity, and leaves to begin a new life.

Production

Season 4 was the first of three 24 seasons to be promoted with a prequel. The 10-minute prequel to the season was available with the third season DVD. It shows Jack being fired from his previous position at CTU and the beginnings of his relationship with Audrey Raines. It was broadcast on Sky One in the UK before the showing of the fourth season in that country. It was also available in the UK release of the fourth season DVD.

Additionally, "24: Conspiracy," 12 one-minute-long Mobisodes (mobile phone episodes), were created in 2005 as a promotion for Season Four. The episodes were originally seen by cell phone users in Europe and later in the United States as part of a Fox promotion for the show. The storyline continues to follow the Los Angeles branch of CTU.

Trailer

FOX's trailer for the fourth season of 24 begins with Jack telling Audrey that he is glad he no longer works for CTU. This discussion is interspersed with flashbacks to action sequences from previous seasons, implying that such experiences are a part of Jack that will never go away. The end of the trailer touches on differences between season 4 and previous seasons - e.g. "the enemy is more unpredictable". This echoes comments that Kiefer Sutherland made before the season 3 finale. He said "For three years, we've done the same scenario: A specific issue generates a 24-hour response. Next season will be dramatically different."[23]

Continuous airing

The Fox Network decided to implement a year-round schedule because episodes of the show would be broadcast irregularly due to the fact that Fox had recently obtained the rights to air the World Series for several years. Thus, FOX chose to air all 24 episodes, without any hiatuses, over 19 weeks beginning mid-season—with back-to-back episodes airing twice in the first week, and again at the season finale.[24] Utilizing the extra time this opportunity afforded the writers, Season Four's later premiere date allowed the creators to go back to previous episodes and fill in continuity errors and plot holes, making the episode transitions more fluid and realistic.

Depiction of torture

In the wake of the real-life Abu Ghraib scandal and similar allegations at other U.S. military facilities housing suspected terrorists, commentators accused the show of legitimizing the use of torture in the war on terror.[25] Unlike other 24 seasons which featured them incidentally, torture scenes were crucial to the theme of Season 4 which examined the consequences of Jack Bauer's belief that the end justifies the means. Despite preventing a nuclear attack, there are several consequence to his actions: Dina Araz is killed in a risky sting operation, Paul Raines dies when Jack forces the only available surgeon to save a suspect, Jack loses the love of Audrey Raines and ultimately has to fake his own death and start a new life. In an interview with Charlie Rose, Kiefer Sutherland commented on the show's use of torture and how it relates to the recent controversies over government-sanctioned torture. "Do I personally believe that the police or any of these other legal agencies that are working for this government should be entitled to interrogate people and do the things that I do on the show? No, I do not."[26]

Reception

The fourth season of 24 received critical acclaim with a Metacritic score of 79 out of 100.[27] Kiefer Sutherland won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series, two years after his previous win. 24 also won a Satellite Award in 2005 for Outstanding DVD Release of a Television Show. A trailer released for the fourth season premiere summarized some of the critical praise for the season. The Houston Chronicle said "it grabs you and never lets go", The New York Times gave it four stars and Vogue said "the series that reinvented suspense has become an addiction".[28]

Award nominations

Organization Category Nominee(s) Result
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Drama Series Jon Cassar, Robert Cochran, Howard Gordon, Brian Grazer, Tim Iacofano, Evan Katz, Stephen Kronish, Peter M. Lenkov, Michael Loceff, Joel Surnow, Kiefer Sutherland Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Kiefer Sutherland Nominated
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Series David Latham Nominated
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Series Scott Powell Nominated
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Series Chris Willingham Nominated
Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing for a Series William Gocke, Mike Olman, Ken Kobett Won
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series William Dotson, Cathie Speakman, Pembrooke Andrews, Jeffrey Whitcher, Shawn Kennelly, Jeff Charbonneau, Laura Macias, Vince Nicastro Won
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series, Dramatic Underscore Sean Callery Nominated
Outstanding Stunt Coordination Matthew Taylor Won
Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Debi Manwiller, Peggy Kennedy, Richard Pagano Nominated
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Rodney Charters Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Drama Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Kiefer Sutherland Won
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Drama Nominated
Individual Achievement in Drama Kiefer Sutherland Nominated

Home media releases

The fourth season was released on DVD in region 1 on December 6, 2005[29] and in region 2 on August 8, 2005.[30]

References

  1. ↑ This was somewhat accidental; Marwan was originally intended to only appear in six episodes, but the producers were so impressed by Arnold Vosloo's performance that Marwan became the season's main villain.
  2. 1 2 "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. January 11, 2005. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. January 19, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. January 25, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. February 1, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. February 8, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. February 15, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. February 23, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. March 1, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. March 8, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. March 15, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. March 22, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. March 29, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. April 5, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. April 12, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. April 19, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. April 26, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  18. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 3, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 10, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 17, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 24, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  22. 1 2 "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. June 1, 2005. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  23. ↑ Bianco, Robert (May 24, 2004). "'24' fans can count on a better finale". USA Today. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  24. ↑ "New Season of '24' Kicks Off with Special Two-Hour Premiere Sunday, Jan. 9 on FOX" (Press release). Fox. October 4, 2004.
  25. ↑ Adam Green (May 22, 2005). "Normalizing Torture on '24' - New York Times". New York Times.
  26. ↑ Cusac, Anne-Marie (August 2005). "Watching Torture in Prime Time". The Progressive. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  27. ↑ "24: Season 4". Metacritic. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  28. ↑ "24 Season 4 Trailer: Critical Praise". Fox. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  29. ↑ "24 – Season 4". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
  30. ↑ "24: Complete Season 4". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved January 2, 2009.

External links

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