Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
Eighteen months after Jack Bauer vanished, he is living under the name Frank Flynn and working at an oil refinery. The day begins with the assassination of former President David Palmer, the bombing that kills Michelle Dessler, and an explosion that leaves Tony Almeida critically injured. Jack is framed for the attacks and resurfaces to protect Chloe O’Brian, then follows a trail to an airport siege by Russian separatists. The hostage crisis masks the theft of Sentox nerve gas, which the terrorists plan to use in a wider campaign.
Jack’s investigation exposes a partnership between the separatists and senior American officials. White House Chief of Staff Walt Cummings and former colleague Christopher Henderson are helping President Charles Logan stage a nerve-gas attack on Russia, giving Logan a pretext to secure oil interests in Central Asia; Palmer was killed because he was nearing the truth. The gas is released at a mall and later inside CTU, where Edgar Stiles and many staff members die. Jack stops a further release at a gas company, but the plot continues as he and Wayne Palmer seek evidence against Logan.
A recording of Logan’s conspiracy is repeatedly at risk: Henderson takes it after using Audrey as leverage, and Jack retrieves it from a diplomatic plane, only for Logan’s aide to destroy it. Bierko escapes and takes control of a Russian submarine; Jack and Henderson stop the missile attack, and Jack kills Henderson after he tries to shoot him. Jack later hijacks Marine One to force a confession from Logan, but Logan refuses. Instead, Martha draws out Logan’s admission at a memorial for Palmer; Jack’s listening device captures it, and the Attorney General orders Logan’s arrest. Jack reunites with Audrey, then Chinese agents led by Cheng seize him and carry him toward China.