Day 4: 7:00am-8:00am

Eighteen months have passed since Season 3. A train is bombed near Los Angeles. While at a meeting, ex-CTU agent Jack Bauer discovers the terrorists' plan and their next target is his new boss, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Heller.

Episode guide
The following takes place between 7:00am and 8:00am.

07:00:00


A commuter train moves through the Santa Clarita Valley bound for Los Angeles. A passenger, Brody, is handcuffed to a titanium briefcase, and an armed guard watchfully protects him nearby. Suddenly, the engineer sees a truck full of metal drums on the tracks. He brakes the train, but the drums ignite on impact, resulting in a massive explosion. A helmeted dirt bike rider, Dar, sees the explosion and rides to the crash site. A woman pleads for help, but Dar ignores her and approaches Brody, who is writhing in pain. Dar kills Brody with a sound-suppressed pistol, uses bolt cutters to cut the handcuffs chain from Brody's wrist, takes the briefcase, and drives off into the morning sun.

COUNTER TERRORIST UNIT, LOS ANGELES. Sarah Gavin and Chloe O'Brian find out that Tomas Sherek was spotted on the FBI Watchlist in the city. Erin Driscoll gets word on the train crash. Chloe walks into the director's office and talks about a scheduled attack at 8am but states the train incident happened at 7am. Jack Bauer is coming to a Department of Defense meeting, Driscoll says. Jack hasn't been back since Driscoll fired him 16 months ago.

A weary Jack Bauer dresses in a hotel room with Audrey Raines, his lover. Secretary Heller is Audrey's father and doesn't know about their relationship. Jack thinks it'll be uncomfortable being back at CTU. Both Jack and Audrey work for Heller. They kiss each other passionately.

Agent Curtis Manning briefs Driscoll, Chloe, Sarah, and chief analyst Edgar Stiles about Tomas Sherek. CTU assumes that Sherek would leave L.A. after the train crash. Chloe wonders if the attack at 7am does not correlate with the scheduled attack at 8am. Driscoll orders her to track Sherek's flight out of L.A.

07:10:33

Tomas Sherek walks on the streets of L.A. and calls a Turkish man named Navi Araz at his home. Sherek says Dar has acquired the briefcase. Navi hangs up and talks to his wife, Dina, about their son, Behrooz. Navi thinks his son is still seeing an American girl, Debbie, behind their backs. Dina tells Behrooz to come downstairs. Although Behrooz claims to be talking to his friend Scott, Navi suspects he is actually calling Debbie, and tells him that he forbids him from ever seeing that girl. Navi read Behrooz's e-mails, and Behrooz is infuriated at his dad for looking into his private business. As long as Behrooz lives under Navi's roof, there's no such thing as his "business." On the TV, a KRLH news reporter recounts the story of a train accident ten minutes ago at 7am. Navi reassures Behrooz everything is in place. "What we will accomplish today will change the world. We're fortunate our family has been chosen to do this. We cannot fail." Dina and Navi smile at Behrooz.

07:14:12...07:14:13...07:14:14...

07:20:12
At a graphic designer startup center, Melanie sees that her friend, Andrew Paige has worked through the night. As he is stealing software, he sees there are nodes in place to corrupt the Internet as a dangerous Internet virus is on his screen. He agrees to call the authorities from a payphone so that he won't get caught stealing. 07:22:12

Jack Bauer and Audrey Raines exit the hotel with Secretary of Defense Heller. Heller gets word from a contact named Al that 32 are confirmed dead in the train bombing. He agrees to call someone named Carl but tells Jack first. Heller wants Jack to find out more at CTU. He then asks why Audrey didn't return his phone calls. She had dinner with a friend. Jack will call Heller when he gets to CTU.

Andrew calls Chloe O'Brian at CTU and tells her what he saw on the Internet. Chloe knows Andrew, but reminds him that he's not supposed to call her. He reveals that some of the damaging code is in Arabic or Turkish language.

Sarah digs up information on her computer about Maurice Landstrass who owns a dry cleaning store which is owned by a Turkish holding company. Chloe tells Driscoll about what Andrew told her. Driscoll orders her to pass it on to the FBI and focus on the train bombing.

07:24:59

Jack Bauer walks into CTU and sees some changes. He walks around looking at the new layout. Sarah motions to Jack and asks Chloe if she knows who he is. Chloe tells her that his name is Jack Bauer, and she greets to Jack. Jack tells her that Kim and Chase are living together after he left CTU. Curtis welcomes Jack and introduces Ronnie Lobell, the head of Field Ops, Jack's replacement. Jack senses the urgency in the air as he waits for Driscoll.

Audrey rides with her father in a limousine as they travel to visit her brother, Richard Heller. Audrey is speaking with Max from Vandenberg, and assures him that their meeting with the Secretary will not be postponed. Secretary Heller then brings up that he wishes to convince his son not to take part in a protest that could embarrass the President.

07:28:32

President Keeler phones Secretary Heller to consider raising the terror alert level on the bombing. Jack meets with Driscoll about the Department of Defense's budget for CTU. Jack, who is the special advisor to Secretary Heller, thinks that some of Driscoll's proposals for increasing funds are questionable. Driscoll is frustrated, but excuses herself when Curtis calls to notify her that Ronnie has arrived outside the dry cleaning store. She prepares to watch the video feed Ronnie will set up. Outside the store, Ronnie sends his subordinates Aaron and Sean to cover the exits, and goes inside.

Jack and Driscoll watch the surveillance feed. Ronnie fruitlessly asks Landstrass at the counter while Jack thinks the man is hiding something. Driscoll shakes off his belief. Suspiciously, Landstrass keeps looking to the right of the counter. Jack points this out. Driscoll radios Ronnie to warn him. Ronnie asks if he could check behind the shelf to his right. Suddenly, Sherek stands up and runs for the door. Ronnie runs after him as the agents raid and grab Sherek. Driscoll praises the team, while Jack, realizing that his skills are still intact, shakes his head and smiles to himself.

07:33:04...07:33:05...07:33:06...

07:39:03
Secretary Heller walks in alone as his Secret Service guard the house. Jack calls Audrey and explains that CTU has the prime suspect behind the train bombing in custody. As she is about to hang up, Jack tells her to wait. He tells Audrey that he doesn't want to move too fast with their relationship, but goes on to reveal that he hasn't felt this strongly about someone since Teri died. He tells Audrey that he's falling in love with her. Audrey's pleased but Jack has to hang up the phone because Driscoll's coming. He asks Driscoll for information but Driscoll won't divulge anything.

Despite his father's plea, Richard will protest because it's something he believes in. Heller tells him these people could be using him. Richard thinks having 25,000 nuclear warheads is bad enough as America has lost friends from other countries for our "psychotic need" to control the world. The father and son continue arguing and bickering about national security.

07:44:04

Andrew returns to the startup with coffee and hears Melanie crying. He then sees a bald Turkish man interrogating Melanie, whose tied to a chair. Melanie confesses that Andrew saw the damaging code but she doesn't know what it is. The bald man takes out a gun with a silencer and shoots her at point blank range. Andrew is shocked. He attempts to flee, and trips over the dead body of a co-worker shot in the head. Andrew exits and runs for the door. The two Turkish hitmen hear noises and run after Andrew. Outside, Andrew gets his bike and steers in front of a 18-wheeler and disappears on the other side. The shooter and his accomplice come out, seeing that Andrew escaped. They leave.

07:46:55

Driscoll gives Jack an open socket to look up the budget numbers. He then sees Sherek being escorted in by Ronnie and other CTU guards. Surprisingly enough, Jack recognizes Sherek but knows him under the name Jann Bolek. Jack explains that he traced Sherek to bombings back in the 90's, and is adamant that Sherek wouldn't risk coming to L.A. just for a train bombing. Driscoll refuses to heed Jack's warning, and reminds him that Sherek is CTU's problem.

Jack turns to Chloe and ask for any indications that there were more than one attack. Chloe's not comfortable doing this behind Driscoll's back, but Jack pleads. After helping him login the account, she tells him that there was a time discrepancy. The bombing happened at 7am. Logged in Interpol, Jack sees that Sherek didn't come for a train bombing. Something is going to happen at 8:00am.

07:50:15...07:50:16...07:50:17...

07:54:13
Audrey Raines phones her estranged ex-husband Paul about their divorce and she wants to proceed with it. Suddenly, Jack interrupts her with a urgent call. He needs clearance so that he could talk to Heller but he's in Richard's house. Jack tells her about a possible second terrorist strike at 8am. As it's almost 8am Jack emphasizes the urgency. Audrey gets out of the limo and heads into the house. Audrey gives the phone to her father and Richard didn't expect to see her. She tells him to stop trying to hurt our father.

Secretary Heller tells Jack he's hesitant on stepping on Driscoll's toes and let CTU handle it. Secretary Heller hangs up because of a call from President Keeler.

07:56:57

Jack looked at his watch, and sees that the time is 7:57am. He takes matters into his own hands and sneaks into the interrogation room where Ronnie is talking to Sherek ineffectively. Jack quickly neutralizes a guard and goes inside, jamming the controls. Jack takes out a gun and points it at Sherek. Driscoll tells Jack she'll call security if Jack doesn't leave. Jack picks up the metal table and throws it on the ground, screaming at Sherek to divulge his primary objective. When Sherek uses the same silent treatment that worked on Ronnie, Jack shoots him in the knee. Sherek screams as blood squirts out. Jack is about to shoot him in the other leg when Sherek shouts that the primary objective is the Secretary of Defense. Jack demands that Driscoll call the Secret Service immediately.

07:58:14



Audrey and Secretary Heller are discussing their schedule when Jack calls that the train bombing was a diversionary target and tells her that Secretary Heller is the real target. A rocket passes behind Audrey and hits a car, exploding into flames. Secretary Heller gets Audrey on the ground as two vans swerve in and dozens of bandanna-masked terrorists gun down every Secret Service Agent. The terrorists grab Heller and Audrey and force them into a maroon van. Audrey screams and begs to be left alone. On the phone, Jack listens helplessly.

Split Screen: Andrew rides on his bike to safety. Dar walks into the Araz family house and embraces Navi with the titanium briefcase in his hand, while Dina watches them.

In the van, the terrorists blindfold Secretary Heller and Audrey, who is crying quietly.

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

Memorable quotes

 * Chloe O'Brian: As usual, Edgar, we can't hear you. Also, where's your laptop in case you need to pull data?
 * Edgar Stiles: I'm sorry, I'll speak up. And, uh, I don't need my laptop, I have everything memorized.


 * Erin Driscoll: I'll talk to Secretary Heller about it myself.
 * Jack Bauer: No, you'll talk to me. We're not doing this twice.


 * Secretary Heller: Spare me your sixth grade Michael Moore logic!


 * Navi Araz: What we accomplish today will change the world. We are fortunate that our family has been chosen to do this. We cannot fail.


 * (After Sherek is brought into CTU)
 * Jack Bauer: Erin, listen to me. This doesn't make sense. I know this guy's file.  He's a major handler. He wouldn't risk exposing himself here in the United States for a train bombing.  It's not big enough.


 * (Reading the information transcript about the train bombing)
 * Jack Bauer: It calls for an eight o'clock strike unless target deviates. That doesn't make sense.  Trains don't deviate; they're on a fixed course and schedule.
 * Chloe O'Brian: Sometimes when INTERPOL's breaking codes in comminques, it won't use the exact wording. What are you thinking, Jack?
 * Jack Bauer: Sherek didn't come here for a train bombing. Something is going to happen at eight o'clock.

Starring

 * Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer
 * Kim Raver as Audrey Raines
 * Alberta Watson as Erin Driscoll
 * and William Devane as James Heller

Guest starring

 * Jonathan Ahdout as Behrooz Araz
 * Roger Cross as Curtis Manning
 * Shawn Doyle as Ronnie Lobell
 * Lukas Haas as Andrew Paige
 * Louis Lombardi as Edgar Stiles
 * Logan Marshall-Green as Richard Heller
 * Lana Parrilla as Sarah Gavin
 * Geoff Pierson as President John Keeler
 * Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O'Brian
 * Nestor Serrano as Navi Araz
 * Faran Tahir as Tomas Sherek
 * Matt Gallini as Abdul Mahnesh
 * Brittany Ishibashi as Melanie
 * and Shohreh Aghdashloo as Dina Araz

Co-starring

 * Michele C. Bonilla as Train Crash Reporter
 * Thomas Tofel as Maurice Landstrass
 * Elyse Marie Mirto as Hurt Woman
 * Jeff Griggs as Brody
 * Will Badgett as Train Engineer

Uncredited

 * James Frain as Paul Raines (audio only)
 * Joseph Hodge as Dar
 * Anil Kumar as Kalil Hasan

Background information and notes

 * On the Season 3 DVD, there is a Season 4 Prequel that bridges the seasons.
 * This episode is the season premiere of 24's fourth season.
 * FOX decided to deviate from the usual airing schedule and delay the premiere until January 2005, giving viewers longer breaks between seasons. This allowed the show to run without repeating episodes for 19 weeks, the entirety of the fourth season. Also, FOX moved 24 from Tuesdays to Mondays, to kick off Season 4 with a special two night "miniseries" on 1/09/05 and 1/10/05.
 * This was the only the second premiere to air with commercial interruptions. Seasons 2 and 3 had commercial-free premieres.
 * For the fourth season, FOX gave its affiliates two public service announcements portraying Muslims in positive light, because of criticism from the Council of American-Islamic Relations.
 * As of this episode, William Devane, Kim Raver, and Alberta Watson join the regular cast. William Devane receives the "and" credit in the main cast.
 * Throughout the season, Shohreh Aghdashloo receives the "and" credit in the guest cast.
 * The exterior shot of the train's wheel screeching to a halt was reused for the subway train explosion in Day 6 7:00am-8:00am.
 * The opening train crash was originally written as two trains colliding. This was deemed too expensive, and was changed to the train crashing into a pickup truck.
 * This is the first episode not to feature David Palmer, the first since Day 1 3:00pm-4:00pm and the second episode not to feature Tony Almeida, and the first since the premiere of Season 2 not to feature Michelle Dessler (although all three actors return in later episodes of the season).
 * This is the first season not to include Elisha Cuthbert or Dennis Haysbert as part of the main cast.
 * This is the first episode to feature future regulars Edgar Stiles, Curtis Manning and Sarah Gavin.
 * Shohreh Aghdashloo and Jonathan Ahdout, who play Dina and Behrooz Araz, also played mother and son in the film House of Sand and Fog. Navi Rawat, who played Melanie in Season 1, also appears in that film, as Aghdashloo's daughter.
 * Kiefer Sutherland is the only main cast member to return from Day 3. Mary Lynn Rajskub and Geoff Pierson also return, but are not main cast members. Dennis Haysbert, Carlos Bernard, and Reiko Aylesworth all became guest stars this season.