Jack Bauer
Within the 24 storyline, he is a key member of the latter and is often noted as the best agent CTU has. Jack's job usually involves him helping prevent major terrorist attacks on the United States, saving both civilians and governments.
On many occasions Jack does so at great personal expense, as those he thwarts subsequently target him and his loved ones. Actor Kiefer Sutherland portrays Jack Bauer in the television show and video game, and in 2006 signed on for at least three further seasons.
Concept and creation
24 co-creator Joel Surnow commented that they did not have any actors in mind for the part; "We didn't really know who it was.
We were casting a lot of people and then we heard Kiefer Sutherland's name and thought, that's Jack Bauer." In 2000, Sutherland was contacted by his friend, director Stephen Hopkins, who was working on the pilot for the experimental real-time TV show and offered him the lead. Initially Sutherland had reservations about playing Bauer, stating, "I thought, 'This is really clever and different, so there's no way they're going to pick it up. But I could use the money, and no one will ever see it'."
Sutherland must produce around 18 hours of film each season, "which is like making 12 movies, so there are going to be mistakes along the way, but I am incredibly surprised by how many things work well as a result of working at that pace."
Sutherland signed a contract to play the role of Bauer for three more seasons for $40 million. Sutherland is also an executive producer of 24.
Characterization
Jack Bauer was born in Santa Monica, California, on February 18, 1966, to Phillip Bauer, who placed his livelihood in his company, BXJ Technologies.
Philip originally planned to give the company to Jack , but as Jack said in Day 6, "I just had to go my own way."
Jack has a Bachelor's Degree in English from the University of California at Los Angeles and a Master's Degree in Criminology and Law from the University of California at Berkeley. He entered the U.S. Army and eventually joined the elite Delta Force (Among his honors are the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, and the Legion of Merit).
He left the Army with the rank of Captain, according to his service record. He is recruited into the Counter-Terrorist Unit (CTU) by Christopher Henderson.
He has demonstrated proficiency with weapons, resistance to interrogation, and the ability to understand Spanish, Russian, and Serbian.
Appearances
24: Season 1
During season 1, Bauer's wife Teri and his daughter Kim are kidnapped by Victor Drazen, a man Bauer believes he killed in a covert mission called Operation Nightfall in Kosovo two years earlier.
Jack must try to rescue them, while simultaneously preventing an assassination attempt on presidential-candidate Senator David Palmer. Erroneously believing that Kim is murdered by Drazen, Jack kills Drazen and his associates.
As Bauer is returning to CTU, Nina Myers, whom he knows to be a traitor, kills Teri to facilitate her escape. Jack cries with Teri in his arms to end the first season.
24: Season 2
Eighteen months after the events of Day 1 and the loss of his wife Teri, Jack is asked to be brought back into action by George Mason and CTU at the request of the NSA.
Jack, who is still seemingly overwhelmed by his wife's death and the fact that his daughter Kim wants nothing to do with him, refuses as he holds CTU responsible for what happened to Teri. However, at the request of now-President Palmer, he goes to CTU, where he learns that there are terrorists in Los Angeles who plan to blow up a nuclear bomb in the city sometime within the course of that day.
24: Season 3
Three years later, Jack returns from an undercover sting operation of Ramon Salazar, a Mexican drug lord.
Ramon's brother, Hector, insists that Bauer be kept alive to buy the Cordilla virus and resell them to underground organizations worldwide for a one billion dollar profit. Eventually Bauer wins the trust of Ramon Salazar but learns that another buyer is in play, headed by Nina Myers.
The sale of the virus goes bad, but Nina Myers is taken into custody and is eventually executed by Bauer after he deems her useless. Eventually Jack and Chase Edmunds capture Saunders and retrieve the vials of virus.
On their last retrieval, Jack is forced to make a decision to cut off the hand of Chase using an axe to gain the final virus device; Chase had fastened the device to his hand with a titanium clamp to prevent the escape of the suspect carrying it. After leaving the hospital following Chase's decision, Jack takes a moment in his parked SUV.
For the last remaining minutes in the 24 hours since the day began, Jack sits alone in his car, crying.
24: Season 4
Three months later, Jack is fired by Erin Driscoll due to his heroin addiction acquired prior to Season 3. Later in the day, Jack is told by former President David Palmer, whom Charles Logan brought in as an advisor, to invade the Chinese consulate and extract a man named Lee Jong who has key information.
The Chinese soon learn that Jack was behind the attack, forcing Jack to fake his own death and go into hiding in order to avoid being taken into Chinese custody, and also as protection from being killed by U.S. Chloe O'Brian is saved by Jack as assassins attempt to kill her as well.
Jack interrogates the assassin and retrieves information that they were setting him up. Jack goes undercover when the terrorists try to release a canister at the Sunrise Hills shopping mall, and he stops the attempt against the orders of the President.
Jack attempts to quit from CTU, but a nuclear bomb explodes, decimating Valencia, California. Jack interrogates Graem for information, but before he can get a lead Phillip Bauer sees his son as too much of a risk to reveal his involvement and kills Graem himself (under the impression Graem had a heart attack from the drugs).
Phillip leaves before shooting Jack, who eventually manages to thwart Fayed's nuclear plans, killing him before any more bombs could detonate.
Jack is told that Audrey Raines died looking for him in China, but later discovers that she has actually been kidnapped by the Chinese. CTU will not play a role on the show for the first time ever, although both Chloe O'Brian and Bill Buchanan will make appearances in Jack's aid.
Other appearances
As the principal character in 24, Jack plays a prominent role in the television series as well as the video game.
Jack is the main protagonist of the 24 series and the books, and has appeared in every episode to date.
24 mobisodes
24: Day 6 Debrief takes place 35 hours after the nuclear device exploded in Valencia, California. A CTU Team triggers an alarm causing Jack and his team to storm the ship.
Jack and his team finds the whole ship's crew dead in a cargo hold. It is unclear what the story is between them, but it is stated that he framed Jack's family for a vile crime, this is hinted with Jack saying to him: "Eight years ago, my family was not involved".
Written by Beau Smith and Steve Bryant
The Simpsons
In the episode 24 Minutes (it's a title parody of 24), Jack Bauer and Chloe O'Brian appear in an interference of Bart Simpson's cellphone.
Law and politics
American politicians and lawyers have taken to using Jack Bauer and his actions as a way of framing the debate on American interrogation techniques.
In a legal conference in Ottawa, Canada, for example, US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia took offense at a Canadian judge's remark that his nation did not consider what Jack Bauer would do when setting policy.