DAY ONE: 2:00 am to 3:00 am

Original airdate: November 20, 2001.

The following takes place between 2:00 am and 3:00 am, on the day of the California presidential primary.

We open with a helicopter shot (what else) of Jack racing through the streets of LA, rage coarsing through his veins because he was betrayed by Nina. He stops and calls ahead to CTU, sending a print from the gunman's thumb through his mobile scanner. We get a satellite shot, and that may be the last time we see a satellite. I don't remember, but I'm keeping track. 2 times in the series.

At the end of the last episode, Teri and Alan were going out the doors of the furniture store. That was at least two minutes ago, and now they're still coming out. Must be complicated. Anyway, Teri calls Jack, tells him that Kim called. She also tells him that Kim sounded different, and Jack assumes it's because she knows she's in trouble. They have a difference of opinion about how to handle things, and Jack speaks to Alan, convincing him to stay at the store.

2:05:11. At the Gaines compound, Ira is chewing out Mandy because her courier won't deliver the ID. Ira calls the courier an amateur, and Mandy backhands her when she tries to defend herself. The courier wants more money. Ira insists that Mandy take care of the problem. Mandy looks maaaad. I don't think I'd want to cross her. I don't think I'd want to cross Gaines either.

Meanwhile, the faux photographer is preparing his weapons.

At Palmer HQ, everyone is swarming, trying to figure out where Palmer went. Agent Pierce is only there because the threat on Palmer's life is very serious. Keith wants to go look for his father, but Secret Service won't let him. The Palmer suite is 1439. I know it's not important, but you never can tell when these trivia questions will come up.

At the airport, Dan and Rick have Kim and Janet in their van. We get the first confirmation that Gaines is behind Kim's kidnapping. Rick is concerned about Janet, but Dan doesn't care. Meanwhile, Janet is whining about her broken arm and Kim is trying to comfort her. Rick gives Janet some of Dan's illegal drugs to ease the pain, which does not please Dan. Now, I don't really know anything about freebasing, but that took almost no time to prepare the remedy. Doesn't matter. It worked quickly too. 2:10:38, commercial time.

2:14:53. Jack and Palmer are driving, Kim is comforting Janet. Palmer arrives in a parking garage, and we still don't know what's going on. He has a confrontation with a couple of delinquents that are smashing headlights with bats. The black kid tells Palmer he has to pay to park in that lot, and when Palmer does not, the kid takes a swing at Palmer with the bat, which Palmer catches. And you though Dubya had great reflexes. The kids recognize him and ask what he's going to do for them as President. Palmer asks them what they're going to do for themselves. The black kid then smashes Palmer's back window and runs off, laughing. Stopping the bat hurt Palmer's hand, and while I think it's a different hand than the one that gets poisoned in Season Two, that's an interesting parallel. Did I mention that there will be spoilers? There will be spoilers.

2:17:21. Back at CTU (which really does look like a third rate operation from the outside), Jack is sneaking in to avoid being spotted by Nina, so he can lay a trap. He calls her and tells her that he's close and can she put something on his desk. She goes to his office, getting out of the way so he can talk to Jamey. Jack tells her that Walsh is dead, then asks her to get the info off the keycard. Nina sees Jack, and he waves to her. Jack also asks for certain proof that it was Nina's computer that burned the card. As Jack is going to meet Nina, Tony notices Jack's cuts from crawling on glass.

Jack tries to stall with Nina by investigating the passenger list of flight 221. Nina says there was something weird in first class. Nina wants to know why Jack is shutting her out. Jack asks her if she thinks it's possible that someone in the agency is behind the hit on Palmer, but won't tell her anything. Jack stalls further by asking about her and Tony. Finally, Jamey confirms the keycard came from Nina's computer. Jack excuses Nina, then changes his shirt. That's two wardrobe changes for him today. Jack also gets word that the thumbprint doesn't exist in any record. Commercial #2, 2:23:10.

2:27:42. Dan and Rick get high at the airport, Jack ponders his next move, Palmer waits, and Bridgit (Mandy's courier) tries to convince Mandy that her double cross will work out. The logic finally gets through, and Mandy agrees. The two seal it with a kiss. Now, kisses don't count towards the 24 sex curse, not even lesbian kisses, but I should note that half of the people who engage in lesbian kisses on this show die. Did I mention that there will be spoilers? There will be spoilers.

At the airport, Janet's waking up from her drugged stupor. Janet doesn't believe that Dan would do anything to her until Kim points out the broken arm. The two decide to run, and almost get run down by a small prop plane. I can't believe Kim is trying so hard to haul that huge bag with her.

At CTU, Jamey and Jack debate what to do about Nina. I still say shoot her now and be done with it. Through the conversation, Jack admits to seeing Nina while he and Teri were separated. Jack finally decides to shut down Nina's access.

2:32:29. Kim and Janet have made it to an alley, where they hide and run into a gay prostitute. The prostitute covers for them, then robs them. Kim and Janet then make their way into an old warehouse. Commercial #3, 2:34:47.

2:39:00. Teri's at the furniture store, Jack is conflicted, Kim and Janet are on the run. Palmer's contact finally arrives. Carl. I think of him as the narrator's boss in Fight Club. He's not wearing a tie, cornflower blue or otherwise. Anyway, we finally find out what's going on...that Keith is being accused of killing the boy who raped Nicole, a boy who was previously thought to have committed suicide. Interesting Palmer family history lesson. Palmer is convinced that it's a lie, and he won't put Nicole through that scrutiny again. Carl thinks that Hodges planted it, that must be one of Palmer's competitors. We learn more about Carl, that he is Palmer's side man, the one who does the dirty work. No more now...here comes the Secret Service.

Kim and Janet are in the warehouse, trying to find a phone. Kim says "damn it" when she can't get through a door, using Jack's catch phrase before he does! Or maybe he did already, and I missed it. They wind up in the gay prostitute's space, and he throws them out. This is the second social statement we've seen this episode, after the two kids smashing up cars. Everyone thinks they're living the hardest, that they're the only ones at the bottom.

Nina's making coffee when Jack finally decides to confront her. Jack starts his first interrogation, and it's on his former girlfriend. Now, through the course of this show, just about everyone gets interrogated at one time or another, and Nina will be interrogated more than once. But, this is the first, and Jack is significantly less violent than he can be. Probably because Nina's playing the guilt card. "I didn't do it...and I can't believe that you think I did."

Gaines is transferring the money to an account, and Bridgit is going to take him and Mandy only to the place it is hidden. Mandy frisks Gaines, and he tells her that he's going to miss her. There's a lot of menace in that statement, I wonder if Bridgit caught it.

Kim and Janet are still running. This must be a huge warehouse. Anyway, they see Dan's silhouette and hide. Great suspenseful camera work here. Just one tracking shot showing the girls and hearing Dan. He doesn't even look behind crates. What kind of a tracker is he? Ah, Kim and Janet finally found their way out. Oh good, a strange guy in a back alley with a cell phone. With the way our luck has been going, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to let us make a call. Nope, he wants the money up front. Sorry, girls. Oh, and Janet, if some greasy guy is leering at you and asking your name, don't give it to him. He almost offers the phone, then looks like he's about to grab them and do unspeakable things when the girls are rescued by the gay prostitute! He wasn't such a bad guy after all! Kim grabs the phone and they run, then they stop to watch the gay prostitute take a beating. Well, that's always a good plan. Unfortunately, this time, it allowed Rick and Dan to catch up. As the girls continue to run, commercial #4 arrives. 2:48:21.

2:52:34 finds Kim and Janet running (I sense a theme), Teri waiting, and Palmer riding. At CTU, Tony gets the memo that Walsh died. Jamey doesn't seem too surprised, but allows Tony to investigate while Jack hauls Nina upstairs for further interrogation.

Gaines drives Mandy and Bridgit to a site where Bridgit digs up the ID and hands it over. And, in case you don't know how terrorists work, a gunshot blast takes Bridgit's life so she can't enjoy that million extra dollard. Mandy is in the sights when Gaines once again offers her a job in the summer. This time she accepts, and her life is spared. See you in 18 months, Mandy. Did I mention that there will be spoilers? There will be spoilers.

2:56:05. CTU. Jamey proves that the keycard came from Nina's computer, but Nina proves her alibi. The day it was programmed was the day she and Jack were off weekending together. I knew she wasn't really dirty. How could you, Jack? Start focusing on that Tony guy, he's your man. See, even now he's calling Division to have Jack relieved of his command. What a scumbag.

2:57:29. Kim fires off a call to her mother, rather than the cops. She always shows such good judgment. No, she wants mom to come rescue her, tells the truth. Mom calls the cops, Kim and Janet are running for their lives. At least she's abandoned her bag by now. When did she do that? Let me check...oh, she lost it after the robbery. May I say again...I really hate that this DVD does not have chapters. OK, now this part is weird. Kim guides Janet ahead of her, then she turns to breathe heavily and watch Rick and Dan catch up. Meanwhile, Janet continues to run and gets hit by a car. Please note - when trying to escape kidnappers, don't stop to look, but do look both ways when crossing the street. This is basic information, folks. Anyway, Rick and Dan grab Kim and leave Janet for dead in the street.

No big twists in this episode. Palmer's back to base, Nina's mad at Jack, Jack's mad at himself, Alan and Teri are trying to get to North Hollywood to save their daughters, and Kim is in custody.

And there's Janet, dead in the street...NO WAIT! SHE BREATHED! SHE'S ALIVE! ALIIIVE!

2:59:57...2:59:58...2:59:58...3:00:00.

I missed this episode when it first aired as well. I didn't miss another one for the whole first season, though I think I only caught 3/4 of the next episode. This was a good one, and different because of the social implications. You really get the sense of how the other half lives, but we really don't know anything about that world. Even the gay prostitute was able to help, and might have saved Kim and Janet's lives if they weren't such idiots and always had to look. Anyhoo...I am using a lot of sarcasm in these posts because I know where things are going. I'm trying to mimic some of my own feelings about characters, though I didn't even know Nina was accused of being dirty until I saw these episodes I missed later. I didn't ahve time to build up a dislike for Tony, but I can see how I might have. And it took me awhile to really dislike Kim, but dang - the girl is an idiot. I maintain that if she hadn't snuck out that night, none of this ever would have happened.

While there are problems in this first season, I definitely enjoy it, and I can appreciate it now more for what they were trying to accomplish. Though it looks different than what it eventually became, the groundwork is there, and I'm enjoying this repeated viewing process.