Day 6: 5:00am-6:00am

Jack Bauer rescues Josh from the clutches of his father. Meanwhile, Chloe O'Brian recovers from her collapse, and the White House resolves the potential war with Russia. Later, Jack finally seals his relationship with his love, Audrey Raines.

Previously on 24

 * Vice President Noah Daniels tells President Suvarov that he's aware that Suvarov's generals are pushing him towards a military response about the circuit board. Suvarov tells Daniels that unless the component is recovered, he will continue with his present course of action, but Daniels tells Suvarov about an exchange for the component.
 * Karen Hayes tells Vice President Daniels that Phillip Bauer is a sociopath and that the government cannot trust him. She tells her husband, Bill Buchanan to try to do anything to stop the exchange. Later, Buchanan tells Karen that the government will find out how he obtained the information about Jack Bauer's position. Karen says that she will be arrested, and promptly does so.
 * Mike Doyle tells one of Phillip Bauer's men to show the circuit board in exchange for Josh Bauer. Doyle attempts to verify the authenticity of the component, but it explodes in his face.
 * Jack Bauer and Bill Buchanan drive up to the beach where Doyle was injured, noting that it's the location where Josh was. Phillip's men fire upon Jack and Buchanan. Jack tells CTU to get coordinates for all the off-shore oil platforms within a close radius, believing his father might be there.
 * Chloe O'Brian's vision goes blurry in front of her computer screen. Chloe talks to Morris O'Brian about work, but Morris notices her stressed and asks about it. She says that she's fine, but immediately collapses. Morris yells for help.

The following takes place between 5:00am and 6:00am.

05:00:00
Josh is being brought to the oil platform from his boat. Phillip comes to pick him up. Josh says that he does not want to be associated with him. Phillip says that some day, Josh will thank him for what he is doing. Josh will comply for now. Cheng Zhi tells them that their submarine will pick them up in 30 minutes.

At the beach, Mike Doyle is being picked up by medical as Jack watches. At CTU Medical, Chloe is resting after falling as Morris asks the doctor what the problem was. Chloe experienced exhaustion for working for over 24 hours. She tells Morris that he should go back to work. Morris wants to stay. He eventually agrees to go back to work.

Nadia asks how Chloe is doing as she finds an oil platform 6 miles off the beach. The platform is decommissioned. Morris tries a thermal scan to search for bodies. They pick up many. Back-timing the satellite shows Josh arriving. Nadia forwards this to the White House. Morris calls medical and asks for Chloe's tests. The doctor does not have them yet; however, he will not release them to Morris at all. Morris accepts this. At the White House, Tom Lennox gets the call from Nadia about the platform as Vice President Daniels is receiving information about the Russians. Lennox tells him about the platform.

Daniels wants an assault team to take out the platform. One of his advisers tells him that he wants F-18s to take out the platform instead. This way, the sub-circuit board will be destroyed. Lennox tells Daniels that they are putting Josh's life at risk as well. Daniels tells him that if the Russians attack, more innocents would die. He analyzes the aerial plan, and accepts it.

05:07:37

Doyle is loaded on to his van, and apologizes to Jack Bauer. Jack tells him that he'll be all right. Doyle stresses to Jack, "Get the kid." Jack promises he will. Jack gets a call from CTU. They've found his father and Josh. Jack wants to lead the assault, but there is not going to be one. The F-18s will take out the platform. Jack and Bill Buchanan are ordered back to CTU.

Jack contemplates this, and accepts. Bill asks what's wrong. Jack tells him that no one will survive the air assault. Bill tells Jack that he shouldn't risk his life to save Josh. Jack tells him that he's not doing this for Josh, but because the White House believes that his life is now expendable. Bill will fly the helicopter as Jack gets the weapons. Bill feels the same way as Jack. Jack loads his weapons, and gives Bill a bullet-proof vest. They go to the helicopter. Jack kicks the pilot out, and they fly off to the platform.

05:10:22...05:10:23...05:10:24...

05:14:33
The F-18s, already scrambled, are heading towards the platform. At the White House, Daniels is notified of the attack position taken by the Russians. President Yuri Suvarov is contacted. Suvarov is briefed and is asked to order his troops to stand down. Daniels tells him about the air strike. Suvarov believes him about the strike with proof from his own people.

Daniels tells him that this is the only way, and that he can even watch the strike happen. Suvarov asks how long it will be. It is less than twenty minutes. He says that nothing less than the destruction of the platform will back off his troops. He wishes Daniels luck.

At CTU, Morris goes to Nadia, and tells her about the stolen CTU chopper. Nadia contacts the chopper, and tells Jack that she cannot authorize this mission. Bill tells her that this is the right decision. Nadia decides to help them with how many bodies are on the chopper. Bill tells her she did the right thing. Bill puts in a com-unit. Jack tells him how to approach, and cocks his gun. The F-18s lock on their target.

05:19:45

On the platform, Josh, Cheng, and Phillip are awaiting their sub. Josh begs to be let go. Phillip refuses. He loads a gun. Cheng receives notice that the chopper is on its way. They need to escape. Cheng goes to prepare the new boat. Phillip leads Josh out.

05:20:49

The helicopter is now approaching the platform. Jack tells him that they have to move hard and fast. Cheng is running. They move the helicopter above the platform. Jack kills two hostiles, and Bill lands. Jack blows up a tank on the platform, killing two more hostiles. The flames surround the helicopter as it lands. Cheng is incapacitated. Bill leaves the helicopter as well. Jack shoots at Cheng, and demands Josh. Cheng tells him that he's too late. Bill takes Cheng, and tells Jack that they only have ten minutes before the platform is destroyed.

05:22:06...05:22:07...05:22:08...

05:26:33
Still on the platform, Josh and Phillip are walking. Josh is trying to break away. Phillip uses force to control him to stop. Jack runs through the platform, killing as needed. The F-18s are still on target to their goal. Josh and Phillip head down the stairs to the boat. Josh hits Phillip with a wrench.

05:28:14

Josh is holding Phillip at gunpoint. Phillip demands the gun. Josh will not give it to him, and will not listen to him. He says that Phillip only cares about himself. As Phillip tries to tell Josh why he's doing this, Josh shoots him in the chest. Jack tells him to lower his weapon. Josh refuses. Jack consoles him by telling him that Jack has been in this situation before, and also tells him about the F-18s. Jack takes the gun, and pushes Josh to the chopper. Jack tells Phillip to get up. Jack will hold Phillip to everything he did. Phillip thinks otherwise, since Jack will have to carry him out for that to happen, and there won't be anytime to escape if he does. He will stay on the platform. Jack realizes that he will take the easy way out. Jack leaves him as the F-18s are approaching. They are 90 seconds away. Bill is waiting for Josh and Jack, with Cheng in the copter. The White House gets a confirmation to engage the attack. The helicopter takes off, but doesn't leave the platform. Jack looks for it, and looks to jump.



The F-18s fire an air-to-surface missile. Jack jumps toward the ladder of the helicopter as the platform is destroyed. CTU is waiting for confirmation that Bill and Jack escaped. They give them the confirmation that they are going back to CTU. Jack is still holding on to the ladder. At the White House, they get confirmation that the target is destroyed. Daniels tells Suvarov the target is destroyed. Suvarov is satisfied that the component is destroyed, and withdraws his troops. Daniels waits until all of the troops are gone before releasing his forces. Suvarov apologizes for his rash behavior, but Daniels understands. Suvarov also gives his condolences for President Wayne Palmer, and says goodbye.



Jack, still holding on to the copter, deliberately falls into the water. Bill and Josh see him fall, and goes back for him. Jack is alive, and swimming in the water. He lands on the beach. He gives Bill a signal that he's okay, and not to pick him up. Bill understands, and heads to CTU. Josh is adamant that they pick up Jack, but Bill tells him that Jack is not ready yet.

05:36:22...05:36:23...05:36:24...

05:40:45
Daniels gets word that the Chinese have recalled their submarine. However, he still wants to monitor their activity. He is congratulated on his achievement. Tom Lennox tells him that they have to take action for what the Chinese have done, but Daniels wants to leave that for another day. Lennox wants to talk about the Hayes & Buchanan situation. He wants to let them resign due to the heaviness of the day. Daniels agrees, and asks him to do it. Lennox gives him the recording that implicates him. Daniels smiles to himself, knowing that he made the right choice.

At CTU, Morris goes back to see Chloe. He tells her what happened, including Jack, his father, and the Russians. Morris also tells her that Dr. Hastings is not telling him anything. He asks if it's serious. Chloe says yes. Morris wants to help her through it. Chloe says no, because they aren't together. Morris realized how much he still felt for her after she collapsed. He tells her that he loves her. Chloe says that she is pregnant. Morris asks her if it's with a child. Chloe says, "That's usually how it works," and doesn't want him to ruin the moment by saying anything else. She just wants to get back to work. They agree.



Karen Hayes is waiting. Lennox goes to see her. He tells her that she is free to go. Bill is being pardoned as well, all they have to do is resign. Lennox tells her good luck, and Hayes thanks him for helping her in this situation. Lennox says that he will miss her, and will decide after she's gone. Hayes walks out of her cell.

05:46:13

At CTU, Josh Bauer, Bill Buchanan, and Cheng Zhi walk in. Cheng's face is badly bruised.Josh goes to comfort his mother. Bill tells Cheng that he will be transported to a detention facility. Cheng adds that his people will not abandon him, like Jack. Bill goes to see Nadia, who is happy to see him. He tells her she did good work. Nadia asks for Jack. Bill tells her what happened, and that Jack didn't want to come. Nadia says that they need to find him, but Bill simply says, "Let him go."

James Heller is on the phone, telling the person on the other line that he's grateful for Audrey being alive. He hangs up, and sighs. He hears a door rattling in his house and becomes alert.

05:48:06



Heller reaches for his phone, but Jack walks into the room and demands that he put the phone down. He asks if Jack is there to kill him, and Jack responds that it depends on if he gets to see Audrey. Heller tells Jack that he won't allow him near his daughter; but Jack cuts him off, shouting, "You do not tell me what to do any more!", pointing his weapon to Heller's head. "I just watched my father die, and I felt nothing," Jack says, "because that man was dead to me years ago."

Jack tells Heller that he looked up to him like a father, but felt insulted when Heller told him that everything he touched ended up dead shortly before 2:00am, even though the only thing that Jack ever did was listen to people like Heller. He then accuses Heller of being angry because Audrey defied her father in going to find Jack in China. Heller understands that the country owes Jack a lot, but Jack simply "wants his life back," and that Audrey is everything he has.

Heller then says that getting his life back won't change who he is, "and [Jack] can't walk away from it [...] Sooner or later you're going to get back into the game, and my daughter is going to pay the price, like your wife did." Jack is infuriated, but Heller makes him consider that he won't be able to take care of her like he used to. Jack demands to have Heller take him to Audrey. He does so.



Heller opens the door to Audrey's room, and Jack enters. Audrey is sleeping. Jack grabs her hand, and professes that he won't be able to uphold his promise to take care of her. He says the best way to do this, though, is to let her go. Jack tells the sleeping Audrey that he hopes she can one day understand and forgive him. He tells her that he loves her, and kisses her on the forehead. "And I always will," he says after kissing, then swallows some tears. Jack leaves Audrey's room, takes one last look at Heller, and leaves the house. He walks towards the cliffs outside Heller's home, still holding his weapon. He looks down the cliff face at the waves crashing below. As the sky starts to lighten, Jack looks out toward the horizon, lost in thought.

(Silent clock) 05:59:57...05:59:58...05:59:59...06:00:00

Starring

 * Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer
 * Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O'Brian
 * James Morrison as Bill Buchanan
 * Peter MacNicol as Tom Lennox
 * Jayne Atkinson as Karen Hayes
 * Carlo Rota as Morris O'Brian
 * Marisol Nichols as Nadia Yassir

Special guest stars

 * Powers Boothe as Noah Daniels
 * William Devane as James Heller
 * with Kim Raver as Audrey Raines
 * and James Cromwell as Phillip Bauer

Guest starring

 * Evan Ellingson as Josh Bauer
 * Bob Gunton as Ethan Kanin
 * Nick Jameson as Yuri Suvarov
 * Tzi Ma as Cheng Zhi
 * Rena Sofer as Marilyn Bauer
 * Tom Everett as Dr. Hastings
 * and Ricky Schroder as Mike Doyle

Co-starring

 * Kenneth Choi as Cheng's Operative

Uncredited

 * Richie Metcalfe as Stan Shavers

Background information and notes

 * This episode is the season finale of 24's sixth season.
 * This episode features the highest number of on-screen kills by Jack Bauer in a single episode (13).
 * Chloe's line, "That's usually how it works," concerning her pregnancy, is reminiscent of Teri Bauer telling her husband Jack that she was pregnant towards the end of Day 1.
 * Neither this episode nor the previous one featured a split screen at the final minutes of the episode.
 * The final segment of this episode is unique because it runs longer than normal, clocking in at just over 20 minutes. The only other instances of a segment running long are the first segment of Day 1 12:00am-1:00am and the first segment of Day 5 5:00am-6:00am.
 * This episode ends with the sounds of the ocean crashing on the shore as the clock ticks away to 6:00am. This is one of the now six Silent clock episodes, which feature a "clock" that wasn't accompanied by the ticking sound effect.  This is also the third time a silent clock has been used for a season finale, the first being Day 1 11:00pm-12:00am and the second being Day 2 7:00am-8:00am. See also: Silent clock.
 * This episode and Day 1 11:00pm-12:00am also are the only two episodes which fade to black before the final clock, rather than a direct cut.
 * Nadia Yassir joins Chase Edmunds and Teri Bauer in appearing in every episode of their only season.
 * The series regulars that appear in all 24 episodes in the season are Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Peter MacNicol, Marisol Nichols, and Carlo Rota.
 * This is the second time that executive producer Jon Cassar didn't direct the final two episodes of the season.
 * This episode's Previously on 24 segment features a different background theme from the familiar music heard throughout Season 6 and much of Season 5.
 * An alternative ending, in which Jack field strips his pistol and throws it into the sea, can be seen on the Season 6 DVD.
 * Series regulars DB Woodside, Regina King and Eric Balfour don't appear in the season finale.
 * Kenneth Choi is credited despite his character being killed off in a previous episode.