Day 1: 7:00am-8:00am

Nina and Tony realize that Jamey is working for Gaines and lock her up in the Internal Technical Support room. Using instructions and equipment from Gaines, Jack gets in to see Senator Palmer's appearance at the San Clarita power plant, but is taken into custody by the Secret Service. Gaines begins Plan B.

Episode guide
''Right now, terrorists are plotting to assassinate a presidential candidate. My teenage daughter is missing, and people that I work with may be involved in both. I’m federal agent Jack Bauer. Today is going to be the longest day of my life.''

Previously on 24

 * Senator David Palmer says that his son was involved in another man's death, after Mike Novick has told him to come out with the story himself. He tells Keith that he will tell their side of the story before Maureen Kingsley can spin it the wrong way.
 * Kim Bauer asks Rick to help her break out of the compound. He says it is like a prison, and she replies that people break out of prison all the time.
 * Ira Gaines leaves a message for Kevin Carroll, telling him that Teri Bauer knows he is not Alan York. Kevin is untied, and Teri is captured. She is brought to the compound where Kim sees her. Kim says she can't leave her mother, and chooses not to escape through the fence.
 * Gaines tells Jack Bauer to replace the keycard that CTU is working on. Nina Myers asks him where the card is, and Gaines tells him to take care of her. He tells Jack that Kim will die if he doesn't shoot her, and Jack fires 4 bullets into Nina. Tony, watching the surveillance, wonders why Jack gave her a flak jacket. Nina wakes up, and sees bullets lodged in the jacket's armor.

The following takes place between 7:00am and 8:00am, on the day of the California Presidential Primary.

07:01:50
Nina Myers hikes back towards Los Angeles. News teams await Senator Palmer's arrival as the polls open. Jonathan Matijevich makes his way to the plant when Ira Gaines calls to say Jack Bauer is on his way.

Senator Palmer stands on the balcony of his suite as his wife, Sherry Palmer asks if he's decided. He tells her that he will tell the truth about Keith: that the death was accidental. David urges that they get through the situation. Keith enters the suite saying his sister, Nicole will not be at the breakfast. He asks for his father's plan. David responds that he's taking care of it. Keith believes the jury will think he killed the white kid who raped his sister. He storms out.



Jonathan enters, as Jessica Abrams meets up with him, thinking he's Martin Belkin. Jonathan goes to Aaron Pierce and shows him the I.D. He is able to get past security.

Teri Bauer is blindfolded and led down to Gaines, in his building. They remove the blindfold. Ira continues to instruct Jack Bauer. He has him pull over and make a pickup from a man. Jack won't leave until he speaks to his wife or daughter. Gaines lets Teri speak, but only for a few seconds. He gives Jack the final location. Teri is led out to meet with Kim.

07:08:35

Ira connects to Jamey Farrell at CTU. She picks up a PDA and goes towards the bathroom. She runs into Milo Pressman who asks what he should be doing since the keycard is gone. She enters the bathroom. Gaines asks a few questions about the keycard. Then he tells Jamey that Nina Myers is dead and to make up a story. Jamey seems disturbed.

Teri is reunited with Kim. They embrace.

07:11:19...07:11:20...07:11:21...



07:15:42
Teri asks if Kim is alright. Kim asks about her father, but Teri has few answers. Teri asks about the boys she meet up with. She tells her mother about Rick Allen and Dan Mounts.

07:17:17



Nina sprints and finds a building. The door is locked and she kicks the door in. She gets a phone and calls CTU. Tony Almeida sees Jamey's phone ring but ignores it. She calls Tony's phone this time. He picks up and she tells him not to tell anyone she alive. Nina asks to speak with Jamey. While Tony is bringing the phone over, he overhears Jamey tell Milo that Nina won't be back for a few hours. When Tony questions, she says that she just spoke with Nina and she's at Division. Tony walks away and tells Nina about the Jamey. Nina says they can't trust Jamey and to send a car for Nina.

Palmer arrives at the power plant. Jack Bauer works his way through the crowd with the briefcase Gaines' man gave to him. He's instructed to get through security. He meets with Aaron Pierce, who instructs him to open the case. It contains a laptop. He's instructed to turn it on, and Ira tells him how. He is cleared through security.

While Jack is moving through the crowd, Jessica Abrams stops him. She asks how he's doing. Ira tells him to get moving. Ira instructs him to wait by the buffet table.

David Palmer arrives on the floor. Jack is only a few feet from Palmer. Palmer seems to make eye contact with Bauer, and they exchange a look. Palmer is introduced to Jonathan, believing it is Martin Belkin.

07:25:13...07:25:14...07:25:15...



07:29:24
Teri looks over Kim as she falls asleep. She moves to a door and a window, but they are barred. Rick enters and leaves them some food in a bag. When Teri finds out it's Rick, she goes after him. Then Eli Stram enters and asks what he's doing. As they are leaving, he says it's better to not make friends since they won't be around much longer.

He meets up with Jessica Abrams again. They make conversation when Jack pulls out a notepad. He writes the note "GET PALMER OUT", before Jared, one of Gaines' men, pushes her out of the way.

Jack is lead to an area where he meets with a Secret Service Agent Alan Hayes. He shows him his CTU I.D. and gets by. He is lead to an empty medical station and is told to wait.



Tony walks to a secure door and lets Nina in. He tells Nina that Jack's wife and daughter have been kidnapped. Tony asks about Jamey and opens an empty I.T.S. room. Nina watches Jamey on CTU's cameras. Tony calls Secret Service to warn them about Jack.

Jonathan enters the room with Jack. He opens a hidden compartment showing pieces of a gun. He tells Jack to assemble it, and he does. He loads it with one bullet. Jack tells him that no one will believe he shot Palmer. As Jonathan is leaving, Jack pulls a gun, but does nothing.

07:37:08...07:37:09...07:37:10...



07:41:19
Tony approaches Milo telling him about the forgery of the keycard saying he will have it back in a few minutes. He gets a call from Aaron Pierce. Tony tells him that the new intel showing Jack Bauer may be a threat. Nina watches Jamey get up and make her way to the bathroom. The cameras are on a 20 second loop. Jamey starts to make contact with Gaines. Tony enters and gets her out of the bathroom, just before the cameras return.

07:44:08

Palmer is talking with some of the employees. Agent Pierce instructs Palmer that they need to evacuate. Palmer tells Pierce to find the agent quietly and that he will not leave. He has something very important to say. Palmer believes in the agents ability to keep Palmer safe.

Pierce tells the other agents about Bauer. Hayes says he has a location on Bauer. Pierce tells him to hold.



Jamey is pushed into the I.T.S. room where she is shocked to see Nina. Jamey refuses to say anything at first. She won't say names. She was supposed to just get into the surveillance. Nina asks again who had her do this. Jamey won't say anything until she gets a lawyer. Tony handcuffs her to the table.

Mayor Nelson of Los Angeles introduces David Palmer as Jack searches the room he's in. He stops once he hears Palmer introduced.

07:48:20...07:48:21...07:48:22...



07:52:06
Teri tells Kim that she loves her. Kim picks up some fear in Teri's voice and asks what wrong. Kim feels that her mom knows something bad will happen. Teri denies it. Teri sees a person with a gun in the window.

Palmer is standing at the podium as Jonathan walks off. Gaines asks Jack to step out. Jack meets up with Jonathan. Gaines tells him that Jonathan will shoot Palmer, then hand Jack the gun. Jack is in disbelief. Jonathan takes aim. While Jack walks towards Jonathan, Agent Hayes sees Bauer. He stops him and asks him to come with him. Jack reaches for the agent's gun, and Palmer is rushed from the building before Jonathan can shoot. While being held down, Jack pleads for his family's life saying he had nothing to do with Palmer's evacuation. Gaines is furious. He tells Eli to kill Teri and Kim.



Eli enters with Neill Choi. They lead the women out. Gaines receives a message and calls Jamey. Tony forces Jamey to tell Gaines that Division picked up Jack. Teri and Kim fight for their lives as they are led to a shallow grave. They are put on their knees. Teri and Kim hold hands as they put the guns to their heads. Before Eli shoots, Gaines tells him he needs them both alive. They are brought back to the room.

Split screen: Rick watches as Teri and Kim are taken away. Gaines puts his radio away. Nina and Tony wait for Gaines to call Jamey.

Jack is led out in cuffs by Secret Service.

07:59:57...07:59:58...07:59:59...08:00:00

Starring

 * Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer
 * Leslie Hope as Teri Bauer
 * Sarah Clarke as Nina Myers
 * Elisha Cuthbert as Kim Bauer
 * and Dennis Haysbert as Senator David Palmer

Guest starring

 * Michael Massee as Ira Gaines
 * Daniel Bess as Rick Allen
 * Vicellous Shannon as Keith Palmer
 * Karina Arroyave as Jamey Farrell
 * Rudolf Martin as Jonathan Matijevich
 * Silas Weir Mitchell as Eli Stram
 * Eric Balfour as Milo Pressman
 * Jackie Debatin as Jessica Abrams
 * Glenn Morshower as Aaron Pierce
 * Jesse D. Goins as Alan Hayes

Special guest stars

 * Penny Johnson Jerald as Sherry Palmer
 * Carlos Bernard as Tony Almeida

Co-starring

 * Rick Garcia as Rick Garcia (as "Fox Anchor")
 * Mark Clayman as Man at Bus Stop
 * Ron Rogge as Jared

Uncredited

 * Greg Hartigan as Agent Berkin
 * Michael Jacey as Agent John
 * Al Leong as Neill Choi

Background information and notes

 * This is the first episode on the DVDs to begin with an opening narration by Jack.
 * A shot of Ira Gaines shouting "Shoot her, Jack!" can be seen in the "Previously on 24" segment, however in the previous episode his voice was heard but his face was not shown during that line.
 * With only 7.4 million viewers tuning in, this episode garnered the lowest ratings of an original airing of an episode on its normally scheduled night through 24's first six seasons.
 * At about 00:13:20 on the DVD a camerateam can be seen running into the picture on the right side.
 * When Ira Gaines tells Eli Stram to "kill the wife and kid" we see Eli leaving the room where Ira is and in the very next shot he is where Teri Bauer and Kim Bauer are being held yet in later episodes it is clear that the room where Ira is working from and the barn that Teri and Kim are being held at are some distance apart.
 * When Aaron Pierce is speaking to all the agents on the floor, he refers to David as "Palmer". In the real world, the Secret Service never uses the protected's real name, instead they use a codename.
 * When Nina tries to reach Jamey, a film crew member can be clearly seen on the right of the scene.
 * Sean Callery was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for this episode.
 * This episode features the first of three attempts to assassinate David Palmer in the 7:00am-8:00am hour. The other two are at the end of Day 2: 7:00am-8:00am and near the beginning of Day 5: 7:00am-8:00am.