Plot

Jack Bauer is called to his office because there's a threat on the life of a US Senator who's running for President; Jack also discovers that his daughter has skipped out her bedroom window.

On the day of the California Presidential Primary, between midnight and 1:00 AM, the spy Victor Rovner sends a message from Kuala Lumpur to USA. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the Federal Agent Jack Bauer has returned to his family and is having trouble at home with his teenage daughter Kimberly, who blames her mother Teri for putting Jack out of the house. Teri and Jack decide to have a serious conversation with Kim, and they discover that the girl has run away from home. While trying to solve his domestic problem, Jack is called to his Counter Terrorist Unit by his colleague Nina Myers for a meeting with their chief Richard Walsh, who discloses a menace against the life of Senator David Palmer, who is running for president, and they need to find the shooter. Later, Walsh has a private conversation with Jack and tells that there is a conspiracy in the agency against David Palmer, and assigns Jack to find the conspirators. When an airplane explodes over the Mojave Desert, Jack has one additional issue to worry about.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In the premier opener, we are introduced to Jack Bauer, a family man who has just moved back in with his estranged wife Teri. His daughter Kimberly despises her mother because she was the one who threw Jack out of the house in the first place. Jack tries to patch things up with his family when he gets a call from CTU to come in. Along with fellow CTU agents Tony Almeida, Nina Meyers, and Jamey Farell. They are briefed by Richard Walsh that Senator David Palmer, the first African American with a real chance at the White House, will be assassinated before the day is through. Jack thinks David is a likely target because of his skin color, and the race is on to prevent the assassination before it happens. The series follows the lives of both CTU field agents and Palmer's candidacy, as the Palmers' face accusations of a rape/murder incident that took place seven years ago.—cgw@mac.com

12:00 A.M. Victor Rovner transmits from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that a shooter is coming into town to target Senator Palmer. Agent Richard Walsh, a high ranking Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) officer, is alerted.

12:01 A.M. Senator David Palmer, an African-American running for President, writes his speech for the next day's California primary election.

12:03 A.M. Jack Bauer plays chess with his daughter Kimberly in their home. Before going to bed, she tells him that she's glad he moved back in. Jack and his wife Teri go to her room to find she has snuck out the window. Nina Myers, Jack's chief-of-staff at CTU, calls him into the office because Richard Walsh is in town. Jack phones Kimberly's ex-boyfriend Vincent, but he doesn't know where she is.

12:06 A.M. Kimberly and her friend Janet York are on their way to meet up with some guys named Dan and Rick.

12:09 A.M. Jack arrives at CTU headquarters and calls his wife to alleviate her fears. Turning back to work, Jack gathers his team and suggests that perhaps Senator Palmer is the reason they have been called in. He asks them to start pulling together information on the candidate. Along with Nina are CTU employees Jamey Farrell and Tony Almeida. Meanwhile, Kimberly and Janet arrive at a furniture store where they meet the guys.

12:14 A.M. Jack asks a friend at the LAPD to keep a lookout for his daughter. Walsh arrives and briefs Jack's team about an expected attempt on Palmer's life. Walsh privately tells Jack that there may be a leak within CTU involved in the hit.

12:22 A.M. Martin Belkin, a foreign photographer, calls Palmer campaign manager Patty Brooks from an airplane bound for Los Angeles. He is scheduled to meet Palmer for breakfast the next morning. Mandy, the woman in the seat next to him, overhears his conversation and asks about Palmer.

12:24 A.M. Nina confronts Jack about not being included in a meeting with District Director George Mason. Jack does not tell her what the secrecy is about. Teri calls to tell Jack that she found joints in Kimberly's desk. Jack apologizes for not being there to help. In a heart-to-heart talk with Rick, Kimberly lies and says that her father is dead.

12:28 A.M. Mason does not reveal to Jack what his source is for the information on the Palmer case. Jack is suspicious, and shoots Mason with a tranquilizer gun to knock him out. Jack orders Nina to look up the assets of convicted heroin dealer Phillipe Darcet because he has always suspected that Mason skimmed money from the bust. Jack hopes to use that information to blackmail the District Director.

12:36 A.M. Teri receives a call from Alan York, the father of Kimberly's friend Janet. He too is looking for his daughter.

12:40 A.M. Jack requests that Nina get Tony to access the Darcet files. Tony is suspect that Nina is doing this because she is still sleeping with Jack. She doesn't give a straight answer, but convinces the reluctant Tony to get her the information. Jack asks Jamey to trace the passwords for the email accounts on his home phone line. He informs Teri that Kimberly's password is LIFESUCKS.

12:43 A.M. On the plane, Mandy continues to grill Martin flirtatiously. There is growing attraction between them.

12:45 A.M. Senator Palmer gets a phone call from Maureen Kingsley at the network. He gets angry at her allegation, and avoids telling his wife Sherry what was discussed.

12:49 A.M. Nina grows worried about Jack's erratic behavior, and she voices her concern that he is breaking the law by tapping into private files. He says that he will not compromise himself. Meanwhile, Teri and Alan York decide to try to find the girls at an address found in Kimberly's email account. Seeing her mother's repeated calls on her cell phone, Kimberly asks the guys to drive her home.

12:52 A.M. Martin and Mandy make love in the airplane bathroom. She asks if they can get together in Los Angeles, but he replies that he will be "pretty busy." At CTU, Tony sends to Jack the accessed wire transfers on the Darcet account, and Jack wakes Mason. He once again asks the District Director who his source is, but this time shows the incriminating Darcet transfers. Mason relents. In the air, Mandy goes to the back of the plane and knocks a flight attendant unconscious. She takes out Martin's stolen identification and she puts on a protective jumpsuit. She removes a bomb from the plane's fire extinguisher and detonates it. Mandy ejects herself from the cabin within seconds of the plane's explosion, parachuting to safety.

12:57 A.M. Teri speaks to Jack while driving with Alan York to the Valley. When he loses contact with his wife, Jack sets out to find her. Tony stops him with news that a plane has blown up over the Mojave Desert. Preliminary reports indicate that it was bombed. While Dan drives the van with the girls inside, he ignores Kimberly's directions to her house. For the first time she is afraid, and she realizes that she may not be in control of the situation.