24 (season 7)

24 (season 7)

Promotional poster
Starring
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 24
Release
Original network Fox
Original release January 11 (2009-01-11) – May 18, 2009 (2009-05-18)

The seventh season of the American drama television series 24, also known as Day 7, premiered in the United States on Fox on January 11, 2009, and concluded on May 18, 2009. The season was originally scheduled to premiere on January 13, 2008, but was delayed due to the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike.[1] On November 23, 2008, Fox aired 24: Redemption, a two-hour TV movie set between seasons.[2] Unlike all of the other seasons, this season's DVD set was released one day after the season finale. The season's storyline begins and ends at 8:00 a.m.

Season overview

The seventh takes place 46 months after season six. Jack Bauer is on trial for alleged crimes he committed while working for CTU. Senator Blaine Mayer has disbanded CTU and strengthened the policies of Allison Taylor's administration against torture. Bauer is brought into another counter-terrorist operation when FBI agent Renee Walker interrupts the hearing to tell him about an imminent threat.

Day 7 can be divided into four main acts:

  1. Warlord Iké Dubaku breaches a government firewall and attempts to cause massive damage, then tries to manipulate President Taylor by kidnapping her husband.
  2. A unit of soldiers from Sangala invades the White House and takes President Taylor hostage.
  3. Mercenaries from Starkwood acquire a prion weapon and threaten to deploy it on major American cities.
  4. Tony Almeida betrays Jack and the FBI by stealing the last canister of the pathogen and attempting to use it against civilians.

Major subplots

Summary

Day 7 begins in a U.S. Senate hearing during which Jack Bauer defends the necessity of his actions to Senator Blaine Mayer. Agent Renee Walker postpones the proceedings saying that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) urgently needs Jack's help. Even though Jack refuses to believe it at first, she reveals that Tony Almeida is still alive and that he is launching an attack against the government that betrayed him. When a contact agrees to talk to Bauer and Walker and is assassinated, the sniper leads them to Tony's location. Jack captures Tony and brings him to the FBI but learns that he is part of an undercover operation involving Bill Buchanan and Chloe O'Brian that aims to expose corruption in the government.

Jack breaks Tony out of the FBI's headquarters and meets with Bill and Chloe at a hideout that serves as a sort of underground CTU. There, he learns that Benjamin Juma and Iké Dubaku have infiltrated the government in order to stop the U.S. from invading Sangala. Dubaku plans to attack government infrastructure using the "CIP device" and have the Sangalan President, Ule Matobo, kidnapped. Jack and Tony team up with one of Dubaku's contacts, David Emerson and proceed to kidnap Matobo. Along the way, Renee Walker discovers them. Instead of killing her, Jack manages to keep his cover safe by shooting her in the neck, burying her alive and sending her location to Chloe and Bill. After Tony reluctantly kills Emerson, the group hand Matobo over to Dubaku's henchmen and begin an assault once they learn Dubaku's location. During the assault, they rescue Matobo and destroy the CIP device but Dubaku escapes.

Dubaku attempts to manipulate President Taylor by kidnapping Henry Taylor but Jack and Renee find the First Gentleman by interrogating a U.S. Secret Service agent. During the rescue, Henry Taylor suffers a gunshot wound from which he eventually recovers. With Dubaku on the run, Walker and Bauer are able to find him with the help of his girlfriend Marika. Although Dubaku's vehicle crashes in a car chase killing Marika, Dubaku survives with enough strength to provide Bauer with a list of names of his co-conspirators. Buchanan uses this list to begin making arrests. When the arrests are in progress, Tony informs Jack that General Juma is planning an attack and tells him that Senator Mayer's chief of staff Ryan Burnett knows the details. Jack begins to torture Burnett but he is apprehended before he can finish. Juma is able to attack his target—which turns out to be the White House—and Jack, Bill and Taylor find themselves held hostage.

Although Jack plans to save the hostages by sacrificing himself, Bill Buchanan does this instead, saying that a dangerous conspiracy still remains and that Jack is the only person he trusts to unravel it. When Jack tries to get further information out of Burnett, a mercenary arrives who kills Burnett and frames Bauer for the murder. When Jack escapes, he learns that the mercenary, John Quinn, works for Starkwood—a defense contractor with an interest in developing bioweapons—led by a man named Jonas Hodges. After he is framed for the murder of U.S. Senator Mayer, Jack kills Quinn and learns the location of a bioweapon that just arrived from Sangala. He and Tony initiate a raid, which results in Tony's capture by Starkwood. Jack drives the weapon away from the port but is delayed when he stops to seal one of the leaking canisters. This not only exposes him to the pathogen but allows Starkwood to recapture it as well.

Jack learns that he is dying and tries to see the operation through to the end before he dies. He has an emotional meeting with his daughter Kim and tells Kim that he does not want her to try to save him with stem cells. FBI and military forces land in the Starkwood base and meet Tony Almeida but Starkwood forces outnumber them and force them to retreat. Tony sneaks away from the group and is able to remain at the base unseen. Co-ordinating with Jack, he destroys the canisters of the prion which allows the government to move in and arrest Hodges. To everyone's surprise, a Starkwood operative, Robert Galvez is seen with a surviving canister of the pathogen and a helicopter with Tony Almeida and Larry Moss on board gives chase. Tony betrays the FBI by killing Moss and helping Galvez escape the perimeter before escaping himself. Furious, Jack learns from Hodges that Tony has been in league with private military contractors all along and that he is working to have Islamic-Americans carry out a biological attack.

Tony and a co-conspirator named Cara Bowden force an innocent Muslim man to frame himself for a subway attack, by making a video and riding the subway, without knowing the details of what he's being framed for. Bowden delivers the canister of pathogenic agent, with a fifteen-minute timer on it, to the subway car the young man is riding, then exits. Jack intercepts the canister just in time but is forced to turn on the FBI and free Tony when he learns that Bowden's operatives are following Kim. Tony convinces Cara and the leader of their group named Alan Wilson to harvest the pathogen from Jack's body. Tony tells Jack in private that his plan is really to bring Alan Wilson into the open so that he can be murdered; Alan Wilson was the man behind Charles Logan, who had Michelle Dessler killed. FBI agents arrive at the compound having learned of Jack's location from a rescued Kim Bauer. A firefight ensues which is ended by Jack and Renee who stop Almeida from killing Wilson. Renee decides to torture Wilson when she learns that he has covered all his tracks. After Jack's doctor induces a coma, Kim arrives and begs her to begin the stem cell procedure that Jack told her not to undergo. The season ends with Kim at her father's side, left with a thread of hope that he may survive.

Plot twists affecting future seasons

Characters

Season 7 main cast: (from left to right) Rhys Coiro, Janeane Garofalo, Jeffrey Nordling, Annie Wersching, Carlos Bernard, Kiefer Sutherland, James Morrison, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Colm Feore, Cherry Jones, and Bob Gunton

Starring

Special guest stars

Special guest appearance by

Guest starring

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
1451"Day 7: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m."Jon CassarHoward Gordon & Joel Surnow & Michael LoceffJanuary 11, 2009 (2009-01-11)7AFF0112.61[3]
Two months after the events of Redemption, CTU is revealed to be disbanded for illegal interrogation methods. In a Senate Hearing presided by Senator Mayer, Bauer is answering for one of his previous torture cases, which Bauer believes to be justifiable. FBI agent Walker interrupts the Hearing and takes Bauer to the Bureau, where she tells him that a technician named Michael Latham was just kidnapped for the purpose of creating an override device called CIP, which can be used for terrorist purposes; and she shows Bauer a camera image of Almeida, who was believed to be dead, proving the latter's involvement. Bauer helps the FBI find an associate and Director Moss tasks Walker to accompany him. The duo arrives at the house of the associate, who is killed by a sniper. Bauer gets a call from Almeida, who warns him not to interfere. Meanwhile, President Allison Taylor is preparing to attack Sangala to overthrow Juma while her husband Henry is investigating the death of his son, Roger, who is believed to have committed suicide. Latham manages to complete the CIP, which Almeida uses to send a warning in the airlines instead of causing two planes to crash.
1462"Day 7: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m."Jon CassarTeleplay by: Joel Surnow & Michael Loceff
Story by: Howard Gordon & Evan Katz		January 11, 2009 (2009-01-11)7AFF0212.61[3]
Bauer tells Walker that there is a mole inside FBI and they must work without reporting for now. Alan Tanner, the sniper, poses as an agent and leaves the perimeter, but is spotted by Bauer, who convinces Walker that they follow Tanner to find Almeida and the CIP. Meanwhile, Almeida intentionally causes a near crash of two planes using the CIP, sending a warning to the government. He gives the CIP to his boss man, who delivers it to Juma's henchman, Iké Dubaku. Moss gets suspicious of Bauer and Walker because she does not report her status properly. The duo arrives at the location after Tanner, who is critically wounded and locked by them outside. They storm in and manage to capture Almeida. Having tracked the location, Moss and other agents arrive. In the meantime, Allison convinces de jure Sangalan Prime Minister Ule Motobo to subject Juma to due process instead of immediate execution after the U.S. military assault. Henry meets Samantha Roth, Roger's former girlfriend, who claims that he did commit suicide.
1473"Day 7: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m."Brad TurnerManny Coto & Brannon BragaJanuary 12, 2009 (2009-01-12)7AFF0312.31[4]
Moss puts Almeida under arrest. Upon arriving at the Bureau, Bauer and Walker reveal their belief about the mole to Moss. Bauer convinces him to let him talk to Almeida first; and Moss warns him not to use extreme methods like he did in the past. Almeida makes Bauer angry during the conversation; and the latter attacks the former, who gives him a secret message. When he is taken outside, Bauer calls a number interpreted by that message; and Buchanan answers. The latter reveals that Almeida is working with him and O'Brian in a covert mission. Bauer manages to break out Almeida; and they escape the Bureau using O'Brian's help and get in Buchanan's car. Meanwhile, Dubaku sends a message to the White House, demanding Allison to abort the attack on Sangala, threatening to use the CIP for mass murder. She refuses to surrender to the demand. Henry gets a call from Roth, who reveals that Roger was actually murdered. They arrange a meeting.
1484"Day 7: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m."Brad TurnerDavid Fury & Alex GansaJanuary 12, 2009 (2009-01-12)7AFF0412.31[4]
Bauer, Almeida and Buchanan arrive at the hideout. They reveal to Bauer that when Almeida's body was moved outside of CTU at Day 5, he was revived by a man named David Emerson, an associate of Henderson. Almeida reveals that he was angry with the government and committed a series of crimes during the past years; but when he found out about the CIP and its capabilities, he contacted Buchanan to help recover it. Bauer and Almeida join Emerson, and convince him to include the former in the plan. Meanwhile, Walker and agent Janis Gold arrive at the hospital Tanner is kept. The former convinces Gold to cover for her so that she can torture Tanner, who reveals that Ule and his wife, Alama, are Emerson's targets. The FBI warns the Motobo's security detail in time and Ule and Alama manage to get into their bunker. Bauer finds it apparently impenetrable. In the meantime, Roth reveals to Henry that Roger was investigating a corruption in Allison's government; and that could be the reason he was killed. she gives him a storage device containing all the clues.
1495"Day 7: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m."Jon CassarHoward Gordon & Evan KatzJanuary 19, 2009 (2009-01-19)7AFF0512.10[5]
Emerson tries to force Ule to open the door by threatening to kill the chief guard, but to no avail. Bauer finds the ventilation pathway of the bunker and manages to prepare a toxic gas, which he pumps into the bunker. Alama is forced to open the door. She and Ule are captured; but as they leave, they spot Walker, who has come alone, and capture her too. In the van, Emerson reveals that Henderson never intended to kill Almeida because he was too valuable. Emerson tasks Bauer to kill Walker to prove his loyalty. He shoots her, making her look dead. He and Almeida start burying her alive. Meanwhile, an agent from DOJ arrives at the FBI to investigate Walker's torture of Tanner. Gedge, Henry's bodyguard, states his intention to help and takes Henry to a house where he collapses as a result of being poisoned. Gedge is revealed to have killed Roger. Vossler, another Secret Service agent, approaches Roth and claims that Henry has ordered him to put her under protective custody. He offers her to take her necessary belongings from her house first.
1506"Day 7: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m."Jon CassarManny Coto & Brannon BragaJanuary 26, 2009 (2009-01-26)7AFF0612.22[6]
O'Brian and Buchanan arrive and revive Walker, explaining the mission to her. Emerson's team arrives at a warehouse, where he and his loyal necessary turn on Bauer and Almeida, who manage to kill them. O'Brian, Buchanan and Walker arrive and they tell the Motobos of the mission, convincing them to cooperate until the CIP is secured. They plant a tracker on Ule. Dubaku's operatives arrive and attempt to kill Almeida; but Bauer warns them by his sniper rifle. The Motobos are taken by Dubaku's men. Meanwhile, Dubaku causes two planes to crash, threatening another attack in an hour. The Secretary of State demands Allison to abort the attack, which she denies and demands his resignation, which he does. Ethan Kanin, the Chief of Staff, believes Henry could dissuade her. Dubaku picks another high casualty target in Ohio. In the meantime, Roth arrives at her house, which is revealed to be where Henry and Gedge are. The latter fatally stabs her and puts the knife in Henry's hand. However, Henry manages to kill Gedge.
1517"Day 7: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m."Milan CheylovTeleplay by: Manny Coto & Brannon Braga
Story by: Michael Loceff		February 2, 2009 (2009-02-02)7AFF0711.34[7]
The Motobos are brought to Dubaku, who plans to send them back to Sangala, where he will be forced to reveal intel by using her. Buchanan's team has already followed Dubaku's men to his location. O'Brian provides support while the others infiltrate the compound and secure the CIP during the shootout. Dubaku manages to escape by the help of Latham, who dies by a bomb planted on him. Ule calls Allison and arranges a meeting at the White House. Dubaku hides in his safe house, and is revealed to be involved with an American waitress named Marika Donoso. Meanwhile, Henry tries to leave the house before being captured by Vossler, whom Dubaku orders to deliver Henry to him alive. The situation at Dubaku's next target, which is a chemical plant, starts getting critical; but the lead technician manages to contain it using Gold's help, but at the cost of sacrificing his own life.
1528"Day 7: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m."Milan CheylovTeleplay by: Robert Cochran & Evan Katz
Story by: David Fury		February 9, 2009 (2009-02-09)7AFF0810.61[8]
Motobo brings Buchanan, Bauer and Walker to the White House with him. They inform Allison of the corruption in the government and offer to help uncover the accomplices. Dubaku calls Allison and informs her about Henry, demanding the abort of the invasion. She decides not to surrender. Bauer offers help finding Henry, which she approves. Bauer and Walker find out about Vossler's involvement. Bauer goes after him while Walker goes to his house. Bauer overpowers Vossler in a duel and calls Walker, who threatens to kill Vossler's child, forcing him to reveal Henry's location. Vossler attacks Bauer and is killed. Bauer and Walker arrive at the location and kill Dubaku's men, but find Henry critically shot. Meanwhile, Dubaku demands Ule be delivered to him in exchange for Henry. A double is taken to the location, where he is killed by Dubaku's men. Marika's sister, Rosa, blames her for the relationship with Dubaku, who has introduced himself as Samuel. Rosa calls him and reveals her knowledge of his illegal immigration. She demands him to leave Marika alone.
1539"Day 7: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m."Milan CheylovDavid FuryFebruary 16, 2009 (2009-02-16)7AFF0911.22[9]
Henry is taken to a hospital. Buchanan takes command of Allison's security detail and takes her to the hospital protectedly. Bauer finds Marika's phone number. Dubaku convinces her to pack up so that they can leave the country together. In a meeting with Ryan Burnett, an associate, Dubaku reveals to have a list of all his associates and threatening to disclose it if anything happens to him. As Marika tries to leave home, Bauer and Walker storm in and reveal Dubaku's identity and actions to the sisters. Marika agrees to help them capture Dubaku. O'Brian arrives at the FBI to assist Moss in the covert operation, since there is still a mole. Gold gets suspicious of the activities and forces agent Sean Hillinger to give her access so that she can find the truth. As Bauer and Walker are following Dubaku and Marika, the former duo is stopped by the police, who have been alerted by Hillinger, who is revealed to be the mole. Burnett informs Dubaku about Marika. Meanwhile, Aaron Pierce arrives and informs Olivia, Allison's daughter, about Henry and starts transporting her to the hospital.
15410"Day 7: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m."Milan CheylovManny Coto & Brannon BragaFebruary 23, 2009 (2009-02-23)7AFF1011.68[10]
Marika reluctantly agrees to leave the country with Dubaku. The FBI manages to track them on their car; and Bauer and Walker intercept them, causing a car crash that kills Marika and critically wounds Dubaku. Bauer extracts a chip planted in Dubaku's body, deducing it contains the list. Bauer sends it to O'Brian. Hillinger kills his fellow agent, also his girlfriend, and makes Moss believe that she was the mole, temporarily diverting attention from himself. He tries to escape the Bureau; but O'Brian has already opened the list; and he gets arrested. Walker is confronted by Rosa for Marika's death; and the former confronts Bauer for what he forced her to do during the day. Almeida informs Bauer that there will be another attack on a high-value target. The former states that Burnett, who is also Mayer's chief of staff, has the information they need. Burnett receives a message from his associate that the operation is ready to be executed. Mayer prepares to go to the White House with Burnett on Allison's request to discuss about Bauer. Meanwhile, Allison does not allow Olivia to leave the White House for the hospital.
15511"Day 7: 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m."Brad TurnerAlex GansaMarch 2, 2009 (2009-03-02)7AFF1111.14[11]
Bauer secretly convinces O'Brian to delete Burnett's name from the list so that the former can question the latter personally. Mayer and Burnett arrive at the White House; and Allison tries to convince Mayer to cancel Bauer's hearings in gratitude of his actions during the day, threatening to negate all of Mayer's efforts by pardoning Bauer. The FBI finds out about O'Brian and arrests her. Bauer starts torturing Burnett; but the agents storm in and arrest the former. Meanwhile, Juma is revealed to be in Washington. He sends an operative to kill Iké in the hospital, which he does, but is spotted by Walker and followed to the boat where Juma and his men are planning. They leave for their mission while Laurent, Iké's son, stays behind to protect the boat. Walker infiltrates and finds out that the White House is the target. She narrowly escapes Laurent and rushes to contact and alert the government while he gives chase. Juma and his operatives starts infiltrating.
15612"Day 7: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m."Brad TurnerTeleplay by: Evan Katz
Story by: Manny Coto & Brannon Braga		March 2, 2009 (2009-03-02)7AFF1211.14[11]
Walker continues running before she engages Laurent, who overpowers her before being killed by Moss. Buchanan is alerted and orders Secret Service to be ready, freeing Bauer for help. Having already infiltrated the White House, Juma and his men start engaging Secret Service. Buchanan removes Allison's tracker and starts carrying it in order to lure the assailants away from her. Bauer manages to enter the bunker with her and lock the door while Pierce and Olivia hide. Juma tells Secret Service that he has taken Allison captive, forcing them to exit the White House. Vice President Hayworth refuses to authorize a rescue attempt until he is sure that Allison is safe. Juma's men take everyone hostage and find the bunker impenetrable. He calls his associate Hodges and demands his help, threatening to cancel a specific shipment, which is heard by Buchanan. Hodges informs Juma of Olivia's presence. Pierce and Olivia try to give a signal to agents outside; but Juma's operatives manage to capture them. Juma threatens to lynch Olivia, forcing Allison to open the door and surrender. Juma's plan is to force her to give a statement on a live broadcast before killing her.
15713"Day 7: 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m."Brad TurnerManny Coto & Brannon BragaMarch 9, 2009 (2009-03-09)7AFF1311.37[12]
Bauer secretly reveals to Buchanan that he has filled the bunker space with explosive gas. Buchanan convinces Bauer to let him do the sacrifice, also revealing about the shipment he heard, proving that there are other people involved. As Allison begins stating the forced confession, Buchanan performs the plan, killing himself. The explosion prompts Moss to order an assault, against Hayworth's orders. In the shootout, Juma is killed along with his operatives. Bauer tells Moss about the shipment, which the latter ignores. Walker informs Kanin, who orders Moss to agree with Burnett's interrogation by Bauer. However, Moss decides to suspend Walker. Having anticipated the interrogation, Hodges' assistant sends the assassin Quinn to kill Burnett. As Bauer starts intimidating Burnett, Quinn disables the camera, temporarily paralyzes Bauer and kills Burnett with a knife containing Bauer's fingerprint. He escapes before Bauer regains his motor ability and gives chase. Moss believes that Bauer committed the murder. Meanwhile, Allison decides to appoint Olivia as her special advisor. Kanin disagrees because of Olivia's reckless previous actions, but to no avail.
15814"Day 7: 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m."Brad TurnerEvan Katz & Juan Carlos CotoMarch 16, 2009 (2009-03-16)7AFF1411.36[13]
Bauer sends Quinn's image to Walker for identification. She informs Bauer that Quinn is affiliated with Starkwood, a military company that is run by Hodges. She also reveals that Mayer is currently investigating Starkwood's activities. Bauer heads to Mayer's. Moss finds out that Walker is aiding Bauer and has Gold check her computer. She finds an encrypted file that needs a skilled technician. Morris arrives and agrees to decrypt the file in exchange for Chloe's release. Bauer and Mayer start working on the latter's computer for clues. Quinn arrives and kills Mayer before Bauer escapes to a construction site, where he manages to kill Quinn. Bauer checks Quinn's cell phone and finds the location, calling Almeida and telling him to meet him there with the necessary tools. Meanwhile, Ken Dellao, a reporter, asks Kanin about his authorization of the interrogation that caused the death of Burnett. Kanin confronts Olivia for leaking the information, which he denies and persuades Allison that she was not involved.
15915"Day 7: 10:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m."Jon CassarTeleplay by: Alex Gansa
Story by: David Fury		March 23, 2009 (2009-03-23)7AFF1510.37[14]
Bauer and Almeida head to the location, where they intercept a security guard who confesses his involvement with Starkwood mercenaries. Moss tells Kanin about his belief that Bauer has killed Mayer, which prompts Kanin to resign. The guard opens the door to the mercenaries on Bauer's order. As they start unloading the shipment, a mercenary takes the guard away to kill him. Almeida tries to dissuade Bauer from saving the guard in order to proceed with the mission, but to no avail. A shootout starts and Almeida is captured while a mercenary starts driving the truck carrying the shipment. Bauer intercepts it and takes the wheel before finding the shipment damaged. When he enters to check it, he finds a biological weapon that exposes him. The mercenaries arrive and reclaim the weapon. Bauer calls and informs Moss, who has found evidence proving Bauer's innocence, and tells him to send a Hazmat team to evaluate him for the biological agent. Olivia is revealed to have actually leaked the information to Dellao.
16016"Day 7: 11:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m."Jon CassarManny Coto & Brannon BragaMarch 30, 2009 (2009-03-30)7AFF1611.27[15]
The Hazmat technicians start examining Bauer. Almeida is brought to Starkwood, where Hodges orders his men to torture the former for information. Bauer is revealed to have been exposed to a non-infectious pathogen that causes mutation and eventually death. The FBI obtains evidence that Starkwood was using Sangalan population to test the pathogen as the result of a deal made with Juma. Moss reinstates Walker now that she is revealed to have been right to aid Bauer. Greg Seaton, Hodges' assistant, frees Almeida, claiming an intention to stop Hodges in exchange for immunity, which Allison signs. Seaton takes Almeida and FBI agents led by Moss, who has omitted Bauer because of his condition, to a compound, which they find empty. Starkwood mercenaries surround the FBI and demand them to leave. Seaton is revealed to be still loyal to Hodges and freeing Almeida. Meanwhile, Allison appoints Olivia as the Chief of Staff. The latter convinces Pierce, who has been retired, to stay with her until the crisis is over.
16117"Day 7: 12:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m."Brad TurnerChip JohannessenApril 6, 2009 (2009-04-06)7AFF1710.96[16]
FBI agents leave Starkwood; but Almeida secretly separates from them to continue searching. Allison orders the Air Force to prepare for an air strike. The FBI finds out that Doug Knowles, the Starkwood chairman, was secretly assisting Mayer with his investigation. They contact Knowles and instruct him to help Almeida, who manages to enter a locked door by his help; but Knowles gets captured and brought to Hodges, who kills him. Almeida locates the canisters and informs the FBI, which gives it to the Air Force. Hodges informs Allison that he has armed missiles with the pathogen ready for launch to populated regions, demanding her to abort the air strike, which she does. Meanwhile, Jack starts showing symptoms of the exposure. The physician informs him of an experimental therapy that requires the genes of family member, suggesting Kim, which Jack denies. Meanwhile, Dellao forces Olivia to meet him in his hotel room, disclose the situation and have sex with him, which she secretly films and later plays it to him, threatening to disclose it if he does not leave her alone.
16218"Day 7: 1:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m."Brad TurnerTeleplay by: Manny Coto & Brannon Braga
Story by: Howard Gordon		April 13, 2009 (2009-04-13)7AFF1810.86[17]
Hodges arranges a meeting with Allison at the White House. Jack offers her a covert mission by Almeida to destroy the missiles. She approves it by saying nothing. Almeida manages to find the missiles and captures the chief operative, forcing him to open the hatch to the chamber. Almeida plants explosives and detonates them. Hodges is arrested, but reveals that he is part of a bigger secret society. The FBI starts arresting Starkwood operatives and securing the premises. An operative named Robert Galvez is revealed to be carrying a canister of the pathogen. He kills some agents and engages Moss and his team, with only Moss remaining. Almeida arrives and kills Moss, instructing Galvez to leave. Meanwhile, Walker informs Jack that Kim has arrived, angering him for involving Kim. He visits her; and she tells him that she is ready to try the therapy; but Jack convinces her to let him die; and she leaves. Almeida finds out about Kim's presence.
16319"Day 7: 2:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m."Michael KlickDavid FuryApril 20, 2009 (2009-04-20)7AFF1910.34[18]
Jack and Walker arrive at the scene; and he begins to suspect that something is wrong. Galvez is tracked to a building; and the FBI surrounds it. Galvez lures the agents inside and causes an explosion that inflicts massive casualty. He poses as an agent and Almeida helps him leave the scene in an ambulance without attracting attention. Jack realizes that Almeida has been lying about his adventures and confronts him before collapsing as a result of his condition. Almeida takes his medications and leaves him. The agents arrive to check him while Galvez takes control of the ambulance. Meanwhile, a woman named Cara Bowden disguises as Hodges' lawyer and visits him in detention, revealed to be working for his associates, and gives him a pill to commit suicide, threatening his family if he does not comply. During transfer, Hodges takes the pill; and the guards call for medical care. Kim calls her husband, Stephen, with whom she has a daughter named Teri, and informs him of her flight back to them in Los Angeles.
16420"Day 7: 3:00 a.m. – 4:00 a.m."Michael KlickTeleplay by: Alex Gansa & Chip Johannessen
Story by: Juan Carlos Coto		April 27, 2009 (2009-04-27)7AFF2010.43[19]
Almeida kills Galvez and claims the canister. Jack tells the FBI about Almeida. Bowden visits Almeida and the two are revealed to be romantically involved. She starts a secret internet conference between the members of the secret society. Almeida suggests to use the remaining pathogen for one final attack to cripple the government, instead of replicating it. In a private chat with Alan Wilson, a member, Bowden convinces him to support Almeida's proposal. Thus, the members vote in favor of Almeida, who leads a team and captures two Middle-Eastern brothers named Jibraan and Hamid Al-Zarian. Meanwhile, Hodges is revealed to have survived his attempt and taken to a hidden location, where he reveals that the secret society consists of military company owners who planned the day's attacks in order to paralyze the government, inducing the need to enlist the help of private sector. Jack deduces that Almeida is planning another attack while diverting attention from the companies. The former enlists the help of Chloe. Hodges is granted witness protection, which makes Olivia angry, concerning Pierce. She calls a man named Martin Collier and arranges a meeting.
16521"Day 7: 4:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m."Brad TurnerManny Coto & Brannon BragaMay 4, 2009 (2009-05-04)7AFF2110.11[20]
Almeida threatens Jibraan to kill Hamid if Jibraan does not follow the former's instructions. Jibraan announces responsibility for the upcoming attack and promises more in front of the camera. Then he is forced to tell Hamid that he is actually working with Almeida's team to attack the U.S. Almeida's team and Jibraan leave while one operative stays to watch Hamid. Chloe finds out about Jibraan by his internet activity, which is faked by Almeida, and Jack and Walker head to the neighborhood mosque and question the cleric, who agrees to take them to the Al-Zarians'. The FBI storms in and Hamid critically wounds the operative. Almeida's target is revealed to be a subway station. Meanwhile, Olivia is payed a visit by Collier in her office; and she says that she is determined to have Hodges killed. He leaves to arrange for the plan. A mercenary calls Olivia and tells her to transfer the money to his account for the job. She finally changes her mind and does not transfer it. However, Hodges is killed. She calls Collier, who arranges another meeting outside.
16622"Day 7: 5:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m."Brad TurnerEvan KatzMay 11, 2009 (2009-05-11)7AFF229.79[21]
Jack tortures the operative, who reveals to have a phone number of Almeida, which he calls; and the FBI tracks the location. Jibraan is given an ear piece and instructed to enter the station, where he tries to alert the cops; but a corrupt officer demands him to follow the instructions. He enters a train, where Bowden leaves the canister for him. Jack's team captures Almeida and contacts Jibraan, who manages to find the canister and get it to Jack, who puts it in a chamber for safe detonation, causing no casualties. Jack starts torturing Almeida, who does not talk. At the airport, a man, who along with his female partner has befriended Kim, kills an FBI agent assigned to ensure Kim's safety. The pair secretly records a live footage of Kim. Bowden calls Jack and shows him the footage, demanding him to free Almeida. Meanwhile, Collier convinces Olivia to transfer the money. Pierce gets suspicious of her activities and asks Kanin how to access her phone conversation logs, which Kanin states that only he can. Kanin arranges a meeting with Pierce at the White House.
16723"Day 7: 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m."Jon CassarDavid Fury & Alex GansaMay 18, 2009 (2009-05-18)7AFF239.65[22]
Jack tells Walker about Kim, freeing Almeida by force. Almeida decides to take Jack with him, telling Bowden that they can extract the pathogen from Jack and replicate it. Jack is taken to a warehouse, where technicians start experiments on him. Bowden arranges a meeting between Wilson and Almeida now that the latter has proven his capability and apparent loyalty. Jack manages to free himself and escape, with Almeida and Bowdwn giving chase. Meanwhile, Walker alerts Kim of Bowden's operatives. They start a shootout and the woman is killed while the man tries to escape. Kim follows him to his car, which burns with him inside; but she manages to extract his laptop, which can be used to trace Almeida and Bowden. In the meantime, Kanin arrives and Pierce explains his belief about Olivia's involvement in Hodges' death. Kanin accesses the logs and takes a memory card. Olivia detains him, destroys the card he is carrying and frees him. Having anticipated that, Kanin is revealed to had given the real card to Pierce, who returns it. Kanin listens to the recording.
16824"Day 7: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m."Jon CassarTeleplay by: Howard Gordon
Story by: Manny Coto & Brannon Braga		May 18, 2009 (2009-05-18)7AFF249.65[22]
Jack is captured by Almeida, who reveals that Wilson was one of the masterminds of the events of Day 5, and thus, Dessler's death. Almeida reveals that his real plan is to kill Wilson, while he has tried to save the country as his secondary objective during the day. Almeida puts a bomb on Jack, intending to kill Wilson and Jack with it. Wilson and his operatives arrive. The FBI attacks and a shootout starts. Wilson and Bowden run together. Jack manages to remove the bomb and chases Almeida, who kills Bowden and tries to kill Wilson, but is stopped by Jack and arrested. Wilson denies any involvement in the day's events. Jack is taken back to the FBI and advises Walker to make choices that she can live with, not those aligning with the law. As he chooses to accept his apparent fate, Kim convinces the physician to prepare for the treatment mentioned. Walker enters Wilson's detention room and decides to torture him for information. Meanwhile, Kanin plays the tape to Allison and entrusts it to her. Henry tries to convince her to destroy it; but she decides to inform the Justice Department.

Production

Producers were determined to reinvent the series after receiving criticism over the sixth season.[23] They initially devised a storyline which would have Jack Bauer traveling to Sangala trying to find himself, and becoming caught up in a coup with Black Hawk Down-style results.[24]

“ "The fact is, it was a mutual issue," explains Gordon. "We struggled to do something new this year. We sent Jack Bauer, to Africa and I wrote a script that honestly did not work. Before the network even saw it at the studio level, we were getting kick-back from the idea, especially once we budgeted what Africa would cost. It was a combination of the studio was not enthusiastic to shoot there for budgetary purposes and creatively, it didn't feel like it warranted pushing our case. One day, at the IHOP, I sat across Joel and Bob and we all agreed this story wasn't working and retooled it two weeks ago."[24] ”

The decision to scrap the storyline and start over delayed production from July to late August.[25][26] Filming was delayed a second time (from August 27 to September 10) in order for writers to complete additional scripts.[27]

The crew was scheduled to film scenes with Kiefer Sutherland at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro on Monday October 22, 2007; however, filming was canceled for health reasons due to raging wildfires in the area. Cast and crew had blurry vision and difficulty breathing from the smoke.[28] United States Navy SEALs helped battle fictional terrorists at Camarillo Airport during filming of an episode on August 12–13, 2008.[29]

After completion of the 18th episode, production was temporarily shut down on September 15, 2008, for two weeks in order to perform script rewrites for the final six episodes. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Howard Gordon responded "We just couldn't get this direction to work, and we found another one that we liked better, so we wound up retooling it."[30]

Executive producer and 24 co-creator Joel Surnow left the series on February 12, 2008. His contract with 20th Century Fox was due to expire on April 30 but he requested an early release.[31] "I did some soul-searching. I took [the strike] as an opportunity to write on my own and do other things. After doing 24, I don't know if I want to do a mainstream show again. I like what's going on in cable; there is an opportunity to stretch dramatically there, which is something I'm trying to do."[32] Series co-creator and executive producer Robert Cochran also left the show after the twelfth episode. The position held by Surnow was filled by showrunner Howard Gordon.

Season 7 was dedicated to the memory of Larry Davenport, who was the assistant editor and editor since the first season. He died January 19, 2009.

Tony Almeida was seeming killed in Season 5, but was revealed to be alive in this seventh season. Show runner Howard Gordon mentioned in an interview that they purposely filmed Tony's death in a way that would allow his eventual return.[33]

Trailer

Jack Bauer testifying.

The debut trailer aired on October 25, 2007.[34] In the trailer, Jack is seen testifying before Congress concerning his past extralegal activities, including the torture of terrorist Ibrahim Haddad. The international version of the trailer is largely identical but features an additional line where Bauer implies personal enjoyment from torturing a suspect. This line is cut from the US version.

A second trailer emphasized the plot concerning the United States losing control of its power lines, water supplies and air traffic control. Jon Cassar confirmed on the Fox message board that the 24: Redemption DVD would have a new alternate trailer for the season as an extra feature and that it contains scenes from the first fourteen episodes.

Writers Guild of America strike

On October 25, 2007, Fox premiered the first trailer and announced the return date for season 7 as January 13, 2008.[34] Just eleven days later, on November 5, 2007, the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike began. Rather than airing the eight completed episodes, Fox executives immediately postponed the season to ensure that it "can air uninterrupted, in its entirety."[1] Fox scheduling chief, Preston Blackman, admitted "It's not a decision we wanted to make, but it's one based on how we feel the viewers expect us to schedule the show."[35]

Following the conclusion of the writers strike, production resumed on April 22, 2008.[36]

Kiefer Sutherland claims the strike was beneficial to the show: "The time allowed us to do something that has never been done before — create a map of the entire season before we started shooting. So I can tell you without hesitation, I know for a fact, that season 7 is going to be the best season yet."[37] Sutherland reiterated this in an interview with TV Guide on August 18, 2008.

24: Redemption

Main article: 24: Redemption

To make up for the lack of any 24 episodes in 2008, Fox aired a two-hour TV movie on Sunday, November 23, 2008, that bridges the gap between seasons 6 and 7.[2]

The storyline takes place during Inauguration Day for the next U.S. President, Allison Taylor, and is shot partially in South Africa.[2][38] "[Jack] is a soul in turmoil and has been moving from place to place trying to find somewhere he can be at peace," says co-executive producer, Manny Coto. "But he winds up in Sangala, an imaginary country in Africa in the middle of a military coup." While at Sangala, Bauer is subpoenaed to appear before the Senate hearing, but he doesn't want to go.[36] Redemption takes place approximately 42 months after Day 6 and Day 7 takes place 65 days after Redemption.

Energy reduction

Howard Gordon said that 24 cares about the issue of global warming and takes fighting climate change seriously. Measures were taken during the filming of season 7 to make the show carbon neutral. These measures include increased energy efficiency (hybrid vehicles), burning of cleaner fuels (natural gas, biodiesel), and purchase of renewable energy. Through these efforts, the crew was able to reduce the carbon emissions of the show's production by 43%. The remaining emissions will be eliminated with the purchase of carbon offsets.[39] In addition, a series of PSAs with Kiefer Sutherland and other main cast members were produced to educate the public on what they can do to help with the issue.[40]

Reception

Cherry Jones, who played President Allison Taylor, won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, becoming the second Emmy Award winning performer of the show, after Kiefer Sutherland in 2006. IGN's review of Season 7 praises Jon Voight's performance as Jonas Hodges saying "Hodges ends up being more of a Bond villain than a 24 villain – over the top at times, but creative and willing to stop at nothing to execute his plan." The same review disapproves of the season's focus on the politics of torture saying "it was a bit much, putting too much real world politics into what in the past has been great escapist entertainment."[41] On the review aggregator website Metacritic, the seventh season scored 72 out of 100, based on 21 reviews, indicating "Generally favorable reviews".[42]

Award nominations

Organization Category Nominee(s) Result
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Cherry Jones Won
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series, Dramatic Underscore Sean Callery Nominated
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series, One Hour William Gocke, Mike Olman, Ken Kobett Nominated
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series William Dotson, Cathie Speakman, Pembrooke Andrews, Jeffrey Whitcher, Shawn Kennelly, Melissa Kennelly, Daryl Fontenault, Jeff Charbonneau, Laura Macias, Vince Nicastro Nominated
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Scott Powell Nominated
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series Jeff Cadiente Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series Jeff Cadiente, Brian Hite, Norman Howell, Christopher Leps, Dustin Meier, John Meier, Gary Price, Jimmy Sharp, Jr., Erik Stabenau, Justin Sundquist Won
Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actress Cherry Jones Nominated

Home media releases

The seventh season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on May 19, 2009[43] and in region 2 on October 19, 2009.[44]

References

  1. 1 2 "Fox: '24' on shelf until next January". CNN. February 14, 2008. Archived from the original on March 14, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "Emmy and Golden Globe Winner 24 Gets a Jumpstart on the Clock with Special Two-Hour Prequel 24: Redemption Sunday, November 23, on Fox". May 15, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
  3. 1 2 Seidman, Robert (January 13, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, January 5–11". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  4. 1 2 Seidman, Robert (January 21, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, January 12–18". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  5. ↑ Seidman, Robert (January 27, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, January 19–25". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  6. ↑ Seidman, Robert (February 3, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, January 26-February 1". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  7. ↑ Seidman, Robert (February 10, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, February 2–8". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  8. ↑ Seidman, Robert (February 18, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, February 9–15". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  9. ↑ Seidman, Robert (February 24, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, February 16–22". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  10. ↑ Seidman, Robert (March 3, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, February 23-March 1". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  11. 1 2 Seidman, Robert (March 10, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, March 2–9". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  12. ↑ Seidman, Robert (March 17, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, March 9–15". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  13. ↑ Seidman, Robert (March 24, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, March 16–22". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  14. ↑ Seidman, Robert (March 31, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, March 23–29". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  15. ↑ Seidman, Robert (April 7, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, March 30-April 5". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  16. ↑ Seidman, Robert (April 14, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, April 6–12". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  17. ↑ Seidman, Robert (April 21, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, April 13–19". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  18. ↑ Seidman, Robert (April 28, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, April 20–26". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  19. ↑ Seidman, Robert (May 6, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, April 27-May 3". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  20. ↑ Seidman, Robert (May 12, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, May 4–10". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  21. ↑ Seidman, Robert (May 19, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, May 11–17". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  22. 1 2 Seidman, Robert (May 27, 2009). "Top Fox Primetime Shows, May 18–24". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  23. ↑ Hal Boedeker (May 17, 2007). "Fox honcho "not satisfied" with "24" this year". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  24. 1 2 Anthony C. Ferrante (July 24, 2007). "Exclusive Interview: Howard Gordon Gives the Early Scoop on '24' - Season 7: Version 3.0". iFMagazine.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2007. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
  25. ↑ Rebecca Dana (February 2, 2008). "Reinventing '24' - WSJ.com". Wall Street Journal.
  26. ↑ Michael Ausiello (July 9, 2007). "Exclusive:24 Plot Tossed, Production Delayed". TV Guide.
  27. ↑ "Production Delays Plague '24'". Zap2It.com. August 16, 2007. Archived from the original on August 19, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2007.
  28. ↑ "Californian fires affect TV shows". BBC News. October 24, 2007. Archived from the original on October 25, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
  29. ↑ Mass Comm. Spc. 2nd Class Dominique Lasco (August 20, 2008). "Navy SEALs Help Jack Bauer in '24'". military.com. Retrieved August 27, 2008.
  30. ↑ Dan Snierson (September 6, 2008). "Exclusive: '24' to shut down production for rewrites". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  31. ↑ Matt Webb Mitovich (February 12, 2008). "24 creator Joel Surnow leaves show mid-season". TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 17, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2008.
  32. ↑ Michael Schneider (February 12, 2008). "Time's up for '24's' Joel Surnow". Variety. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  33. ↑ Fernandez, Maria (September 19, 2007). "Tony comes back to "24" despite being dead". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  34. 1 2 "24's Season Seven Clock Starts With Worldwide Sneak Peek at 24Trailer.com and Live from Times Square Thursday, October 25". Fox Broadcasting Company. October 18, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
  35. ↑ Joanna Mazewski (November 8, 2007). "Filming Of 24 Delayed Due To Writer's Strike". All Headline News (AHN). Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  36. 1 2 "'Rookie' Webisodes provide fix for '24' fans". CNN. April 29, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2008.
  37. ↑ "Kiefer: You Can Count On 24's "Best Season Yet"". TV Guide. May 16, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  38. ↑ Gary Levin (May 14, 2008). "Fox's fall schedule sets up for '24' and 'Idol'". USA Today. Retrieved May 7, 2008.
  39. ↑ "24 Becomes First-Ever Carbon Neutral Television Production".
  40. ↑ "Emmy-Winning Drama "24" Makes Landmark Commitment To Fighting Climate Change" (Press release). Fox. July 22, 2007.
  41. ↑ Zoromski, Brian (May 26, 2009). "24: Season 7 Review". IGN. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  42. ↑ "Critic Reviews for 24 Season 7". Metacritic. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  43. ↑ Lambert, David (April 9, 2009). "24 - Official Fox Press Release for the 7th Season on DVD & Blu-ray". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  44. ↑ "24 - Season 7 [Blu-ray]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved March 27, 2010.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/29/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.