The fifth season of the American drama television series 24, also known as Day 5, premiered on January 15, 2006, on Fox and aired its season finale on May 22, 2006. The season five storyline starts and ends at 7:00 a.m. – the same time frame as the previous season.
The season received overwhelming critical acclaim and is widely regarded as the show's best season. It received twelve Primetime Emmy Award nominations with five wins, including Outstanding Drama Series.
Season overview
The fifth season is set 18 months after season four. Former Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer begins the season, working as a day-to-day laborer at an oil refinery under the alias "Frank Flynn" in Mojave, California. On a monumental day in Charles Logan's presidency, an anti-terrorism treaty with Russian President Yuri Suvarov is about to be signed when events take a tragic turn.
Season 5 is one of the 24 seasons that can be divided into three main acts: In the first act, two murders force Jack to reveal himself. He attempts to save innocent people from a plot involving Russian separatists that is rapidly unfolding. In the second act, the terrorists gain control of nerve gas canisters with help from corrupt officials. In the final act, Jack discovers how deep the conspiracy goes and fights against numerous threats to get hold of a recording that implicates President Logan.
Major subplots
Jack is distraught by the loss of David Palmer and Michelle Dessler. This motivates his crusade throughout the day, with him stating "this is personal" several times. Jack comes into contact with people who thought he was dead, including his daughter Kim Bauer and his former girlfriend Audrey Raines. The First Lady attempts to correct the President's perceived mistakes. The Vice President convinces the President to impose martial law in Los Angeles without approval from the U.S. Congress. Chloe loses two men in her life when one of them dies and the other is apprehended for his involvement in a murder. Bill Buchanan's authority at CTU is undermined first by Lynn McGill and then by Karen Hayes, though both eventually come around to his way of thinking.
Summary
Former U.S. President David Palmer is assassinated in Los Angeles, California and Jack Bauer is framed for his murder. The assassins also plan to frame Jack for the murders of Tony Almeida, Michelle Dessler and Chloe O'Brian, all of whom helped Jack fake his death. Michelle is killed when her car explodes and Tony is critically injured in a secondary explosion but Jack manages to save Chloe. After investigating David Palmer's death, Jack goes looking for further information at LA/Ontario International Airport, which is subsequently attacked by terrorists.
The terrorists are Russian separatists being coordinated by a former CIA officer named James Nathanson. They take 40 people hostage in an attempt to dissuade President Logan from signing a landmark anti-terrorism treaty with Russian President Yuri Suvarov. Terrorists, led by Vladimir Bierko, use the plot as a diversion to steal 20 canisters of VX nerve gas. While searching for the nerve gas, Jack discovers the involvement of James Nathanson and White House Chief of Staff Walt Cummings. They plan to release nerve gas on Russian soil and use that as an excuse for invoking the military clauses of the treaty, allowing Logan to secure American petroleum interests in Central Asia. David Palmer was killed because he was beginning to find out about their plan. The terrorists weren't aware of this plot, believing they were being assisted by the American conspirators to smuggle the gas to Moscow, through their base in Asia and use it to attack Moscow in retaliation for Russia not giving the country the terrorists come from their independence and freedom from Russian rule.
The nerve gas is deployed at Sunrise Hills Shopping Mall (resulting in 10–20 fatalities out of eight-nine hundred shoppers) and Tyler Memorial Hospital (unsuccessfully due to the actions of CTU and Curtis Manning). Jack questions a former co-worker of his, Christopher Henderson, who he believes is willing to help. Instead, Henderson locks Jack in a room with a bomb, nearly killing him. Jack has Henderson brought to CTU and tortured; however, he refuses to reveal additional knowledge about the conspiracy. When terrorists break into CTU and release nerve gas there, Christopher Henderson, Tony Almeida, Jack Bauer, Kim Bauer, Chloe O'Brian, Audrey Raines and others are spared in sealed safe-rooms. About 40% of the personnel – including Edgar Stiles and Lynn McGill – are killed. When CTU is decontaminated, Jack rushes to the medical room and sees that Henderson apparently killed Tony and escaped.