A Man for All Seasons is a 1966 film based on Robert Bolt's play A Man for All Seasons about Sir Thomas More. It was released on 12 December 1966. Paul Scofield, who had played More in the West End stage premiere, also took the role in the film. It was directed by Fred Zinnemann, who had previously directed such films as High Noon and From Here to Eternity. The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

Title[link]

The title reflects playwright Bolt’s portrayal of More as the ultimate man of conscience and as remaining true to his principles and religion under all circumstances and at all times. Bolt borrowed the title from Robert Whittington, a contemporary of More, who in 1520 wrote of him:

More is a man of an angel's wit and singular learning. I know not his fellow. For where is the man of that gentleness, lowliness and affability? And, as time requireth, a man of marvelous mirth and pastimes, and sometime of as sad gravity. A man for all seasons.^[2][3]

Premise[link]

Sir Thomas More was the 16th-century Lord Chancellor of England who refused to sign a letter asking Pope Clement VII to annul the King's marriage to Catherine of Aragon and resigned rather than take an Oath of Supremacy declaring the King the Supreme Head of the Church of England. The King is Henry VIII of England and his wife is Catherine of Aragon, the first of Henry's eventual six wives. Both the play and the film portray More as a tragic hero, motivated by his devout Roman Catholic faith and envied by rivals, such as Thomas Cromwell. He is also deeply loved by his family and respected by the common people.

Plot[link]

This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (May 2012)

The film opens with Cardinal Wolsey summoning Sir Thomas More to his palace at Hampton Court. Desiring his support in obtaining a divorce from the Pope so that Henry V can marry Anne Boleyn, Wolsey chastises More for being the only member of the Privy Council to argue against him. When More states that the Pope will never grant a divorce, he is scandalised by Wolsey's suggestion that they apply "pressure" in order to force the issue. More refuses to support continued efforts to secure an annulment for Henry VIII from the Pope as legal and religious options having been exhausted, provide no grounds for the Pope to issue an annulment.

Returning by a River Thames ferry to his estate at Chelsea, More finds Richard Rich, a young acquaintance from Cambridge waiting by the dock for his return. An ambitious young man, who is drawn to the allure of power, Rich pleads with More for a position at Court, but More, citing the various corruptions there, advises him to become a teacher instead.

Entering the house, More finds his daughter Meg with a young Lutheran named William Roper, who announces his desire to marry her. More, a devout Catholic, announces that his answer is "no" as long as Roper remains a heretic.

Wolsey dies banished from Court in disgrace, having failed to coerce a divorce from the Pope. King Henry appoints More as Lord Chancellor of England.

Soon after, the King makes an "impromptu" visit by barge at More's home in Chelsea to inquire about his divorce. Sir Thomas, not wishing to admit that his conscience forbids him to dissolve what he considers a valid marriage, remains unmoved as the King alternates thinly-veiled threats with promises of unbounded Royal favour. When More finally refers to Catherine as "the Queen," the King explodes into a raging tantrum. Storming off in a huff, King Henry returns to his barge and orders the oarsmen to cast off. His courtiers are left to run through the mud and into the river to catch up as the King laughs hysterically at their predicament. At the embankment, Rich is approached by Thomas Cromwell, a member of Henry's court and political adversary of More. Cromwell subtly inquires whether Rich has information that could damage More's reputation, in exchange for a position at Court.

Roper, learning of More's quarrel with the King, reveals that his religious opinions have altered considerably. He declares that by attacking the Catholic Church, the King has become "the Devil's minister." A terrified More begs him to be more guarded as Rich arrives, pleading again for a position at Court. When More again refuses, Rich denounces More's steward as a spy for Cromwell. Now, More and his family, including wife Alice learn the ugly truth: Rich is being manipulated by Cromwell to spy on him.

As a humiliated Rich leaves, More's family pleads with him to have Rich arrested. More refuses, stating that Rich, while dangerous, has broken no law. Still seeking a position at Court, Rich enlists Cromwell's patronage and joins him in attempting to bring down More. Henry, tired of awaiting for an annulment from the Vatican, redefines the Catholic Church in England by declaring himself "Supreme Head of the Church in England." He demands that both the bishops and Parliament renounce all allegiance to the Holy See. More quietly resigns his post as Chancellor rather than accept the new order. As he does so, his close friend, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, attempts to draw his opinions out as part of a friendly chat with no witnesses present. More, however, knows that the time for speaking openly of such matters is over.

The King will not be appeased. He demands that More attend his wedding to Anne Boleyn. More refuses and is summoned again to Hampton Court, now occupied by Cromwell. More is interrogated on his opinions but refuses to answer, citing it as his right under English Law. Cromwell angrily declares that the King now views him as a traitor.

More returns home and is met by his daughter. Meg informs him that a new oath about the marriage is being circulated and that all must take it on pain of high treason. Initially, More says he would be willing to take the oath, provided it does not conflict with his principles. One issue for More is that the King cannot declare himself to be the head of the Catholic Church as the head of the Catholic Church is the Pope. However, an expert in the law, More knows that if he does not state why he is opposed to taking the oath, he cannot be considered a traitor to the King; More refuses to take the oath and is imprisoned in the Tower of London regardless.

In spite of the bullying tactics of Cromwell, the subtle manipulation of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and the pleadings of both Norfolk and his family, More remains steadfast in his refusal to take the oath. When he is finally brought to trial, he remains silent until after being convicted of treason on the perjured testimony of Richard Rich. He is then informed that Rich has been promoted to Attorney General for Wales as a reward.

Now having nothing left to lose, More angrily denounces the illegal nature of the King's actions, citing the Biblical basis for the authority of the Papacy over Christendom. He further declares that the immunity of the Church from State interference is guaranteed both in Magna Carta and in the King's own Coronation Oath. As the spectators scream in protest, More is condemned to death.

A narrator intones the epilogue.

Thomas More's head was stuck on Traitor's Gate for a month. Then his daughter, Margaret, removed it and kept it 'til her death. Cromwell was beheaded for high treason five years after More. The Archbishop was burned at the stake. The Duke of Norfolk should have been executed for high treason but the King died of syphilis the night before. Richard Rich became Chancellor of England and died in his bed.

Adaptation[link]

Robert Bolt adapted the screenplay himself. The running commentary of The Common Man was deleted and the character was divided into the roles of the Thames boatman, More's steward, an innkeeper, the jailer from the Tower, the jury foreman and the executioner. The subplot involving the Spanish ambassador, Eustace Chapuys, was also excised. A few minor scenes were added to the play, for instance Wolsey's death, More's investiture as Chancellor, and the King's wedding to Anne Boleyn, in order to cover narrative gaps left by the exclusion of the Common Man.

For obvious reasons, the Brechtian staging of the final courtroom scene (which depicted the Jury as consisting of the Common Man and several sticks bearing the hats of the various characters he has played) is changed to a more realistic setting. Also, while the Duke of Norfolk was the judge both historically and in the play's depiction of the trial, the character of the Chief Justice (Jack Gwillim) was created for the film. Norfolk is still present, but plays little role in the proceedings.

Zinneman uses light in an interesting way throughout the film. Regardless of the time of day, More’s home is always shown in full daylight, whereas in contrast other places are seen in the dark of night. This contrast of light is often jarring. For example, the film opens with a courier delivering a message to More. The courier travels in darkness up to the wall surrounding More’s estate. Once the courier enters the estate, he finds himself in the full light of day. More travels home in darkness and pre-dawn light, only to find full daylight once he's on his estate. In another scene More and his family members go to bed with daylight streaming in through the bedroom windows. Light is also used to capture moods: the king’s trip to and from More’s estate and the king’s wedding take place on bright sunny days, plotting against More takes place on a cold snowy day, More’s execution takes place on a cloudy overcast day, Wolsey's death is presaged by a foggy day, and the passage of time is shown by the changing seasons.

Cast[link]

• Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas More
• Wendy Hiller as Alice More
• Leo McKern as Thomas Cromwell
• Robert Shaw as Henry VIII
• Orson Welles as Cardinal Wolsey
• Susannah York as Margaret More
• Nigel Davenport as The Duke of Norfolk
• John Hurt as Richard Rich
• Corin Redgrave as William Roper (the Younger)
• Colin Blakely as Matthew
• Cyril Luckham as Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
• Jack Gwillim as Chief Justice
• Vanessa Redgrave as Anne Boleyn

Production[link]

The producers initially feared that Paul Scofield was not a big enough name to draw in audiences, so the producers approached Richard Burton, who turned down the part. Laurence Olivier was also considered, but Fred Zinnemann demanded that Scofield be cast.

Alec Guinness was the studio's first choice to play Cardinal Wolsey, and Peter O'Toole was the first choice to play Henry VIII. Richard Harris was also considered. Bolt wanted film director John Huston to play Norfolk, but he refused. Vanessa Redgrave was originally to have played Margaret, but she had a theatre commitment. She agreed to a cameo as Anne Boleyn on the condition that she not be billed in the part or mentioned in the previews.

To keep the budget at under $2 million, the actors all took salary cuts. Only Scofield, York and Welles were paid salaries exceeding £10,000. For playing Rich, his first major film role, John Hurt was paid £3,000. Vanessa Redgrave appeared simply for the fun of it and refused to accept any money.

Leo McKern had played the Common Man in the original West End production of the show, but had been shifted to Cromwell for the Broadway production. He and Scofield are the only members of the cast to appear in the both the stage and screen versions of the story. Vanessa Redgrave did appear as Alice in a 1988 remake.

Awards and acclaim[link]

The film was a box office success, making $28,350,000 in the US alone,^[4] making it the fifth highest grossing film of 1966. Scofield's performance was particularly acclaimed and he won the Best Actor Oscar. The film also won Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, cinematography, costume design, Best Director, and Best Picture. It was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Shaw and Best Supporting Actress for Hiller. The film also helped launch the career of the then-unknown Hurt. The film's win for Best Picture Oscar defeated another heavy nominee Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? which earned 13 nominations, almost twice the winning picture's total nominations alone.

The film won five BAFTA Awards for Best Film from any Source, Best British Film, Best Photography (Ted Moore), Best Production design (John Box) and Best Actor (Scofield).

The film is number 43 on the British Film Institute's list of the top 100 British films.

See also[link]

• A Man for All Seasons - television film (1988)
• Anne Boleyn in popular culture
• Cultural depictions of Henry VIII of England

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Film Script

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)

• A Man for All Seasons at the Internet Movie Database
• A Man for All Seasons at AllRovi
• A Man for All Seasons at Rotten Tomatoes

Jack Bauer is the protagonist of the American television series 24. His character has worked in various capacities on the show, often as a member of the fictional Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) based in Los Angeles, and working with the FBI in Washington, D.C. during season 7. Within the 24 storyline, Bauer is a key member of CTU and is often portrayed as their most capable agent. Bauer's job usually involves helping prevent major terrorist attacks on the United States, saving both civilian lives and government administrations. On many occasions Jack does so at great personal expense, as those he thwarts subsequently target him and his loved ones. Bauer's frequent use of torture to gather information has generated much controversy and discussion. Entertainment Weekly named Jack Bauer one of The 20 All Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture.^[1]

Actor Kiefer Sutherland portrays Jack Bauer in the television show^[2] and video game. The television series ended on May 24, 2010 after 8 successful seasons. A feature film is now underway. TV Guide ranked him #49 on their list of "TV's Top 50 Heroes" and Sky 1 listed Jack as #1 on their list of "TV's toughest men".

Concept and creation[link]

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."^[3] 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.^[4] 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'."^[5]

Sutherland must produce around 24 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."^[5]

In 2006, Sutherland signed a contract to play the role of Bauer for three seasons following season five. The contract was reported to be worth $40 million.^[3] Sutherland is also an executive producer of 24.^[6]

Characterization[link]

Jack Bauer was born in Santa Monica, California,^[7] on February 18, 1966,^[8] to Phillip Bauer, who placed his livelihood in his company, BXJ Technologies. The name of Jack's mother is unknown. Jack had one brother, Graem Bauer. Philip originally planned to give the company to Jack,^[9] but as Jack said in Day 6, "I just had to go my own way."^[10] Later on after leaving the U.S. Army, he married Teri Bauer, and later on had a child, named Kim Bauer.

Jack has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Science degree in Criminology and Law from the University of California, Berkeley.^[11] He enlisted in the United States Army and later graduated from Officer Candidate School. He was a member of Delta Force and specialized in infantry operations. Among his awards and decorations are the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, and the Legion of Merit. He received Airborne, Air Assault, Ranger training. He left the Army in the rank of Captain after fifteen years of service. Following his military career, Jack worked for both the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Weapons and Tactics unit and for the Central Intelligence Agency as a case officer in the clandestine service. He was recruited into the Counter Terrorist Unit by Christopher Henderson.^[12]

He has demonstrated a high proficiency with firearms (typically the SIG P229 or USP Compact), explosives, electronic devices, resistance to torture (after being kidnapped by Chinese agents, and tortured for almost two years, it is revealed he hasn't spoken a single word for the whole time). He is fluent in German (Season 8) and has demonstrated some ability to either speak or understand Spanish (Seasons 1 & 3), Russian (Season 6), Arabic (Season 8), and Serbian (Season 1). He is also shown to be capable of flying planes (Season 2) and helicopters (Seasons 3, 5 & 8).

Jack's final dialogue with Renee Walker in Season 7^[13] offers insight into his perspective on torture and its ramifications:

Appearances[link]

As the protagonist and central figure of 24, Jack Bauer is the only character to have appeared in all episodes of the series.

[edit] 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 single-handedly kills Drazen and his associates in a fit of rage. As Bauer is returning to CTU, Nina Myers, whom he knows to be a traitor, kills Teri. Teri had overheard Nina's phone conversation about her escape plans, and Nina decided to kill Teri to make sure there aren't any witnesses. Jack cries with Teri in his arms to end the first season.

[edit] 24 Season 2

18 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 (the head of CTU at the time) 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 disowns him, refuses as he holds CTU responsible for what happened to Teri. However, at the request of now-President Palmer (Jack's close friend), he goes to CTU, where he learns that there are terrorists in Los Angeles who plan to detonate a nuclear bomb in the city sometime within the course of that day. Thanks to Jack's work, the bomb is detonated in the Mojave Desert with only the life of George Mason, who is currently dying of radiation poisoning, ended. Jack then spends the remainder of the day working with CTU to find out who was really behind the nuclear bomb in order to prevent war in the Middle East.

[edit] 24 Season 3

Three years later, Jack returns from an undercover sting operation of Ramon Salazar, a Mexican drug lord. While the operation is a success and results in the arrest of Salazar, it comes at a heavy price. Bauer ends up with a heroin addiction in order to maintain his cover with the Salazars, and attempts to fight it by going "cold turkey". 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. Nina won the virus and Jack has to prove to her that he hates CTU. Nina even makes Jack kiss her. 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. Kim was about to shoot Nina when Jack shoots her instead. He then learns that the man behind the distribution of the virus and the attacks is Stephen Saunders, one of Jack's former team members presumed dead from Operation: Nightfall in Kosovo. At one point Saunders threatens to use the virus if the President doesn't have CTU Regional Director, Ryan Chappelle killed. Chappelle is getting close to discovering Saunders has a daughter. The President reluctantly puts this on Jack. Jack utters the words "God forgive me" and carries out the execution per the President's orders. 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 Chase's hand using an axe to gain access to the final vial; 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 and cries over all the events he's had to endure, such as killing Chappelle.

[edit] 24 Season 4

Eighteen months later, Jack is fired by Erin Driscoll due to his heroin addiction acquired prior to Season 3. He finds employment with the Department of Defense and becomes involved in a relationship with Audrey Raines, the daughter of Secretary of Defense James Heller. Eighteen months after Day 3 Jack is called back in CTU to help them stop a terrorist mastermind named Habib Marwan. Audrey witnesses Jack interrogate her estranged husband Paul Raines, which makes her question whether or not she can be in a relationship with him. Jack is unable to stop Air Force One from being shot out of the sky with a stolen Stealth Fighter jet, leading Vice President Charles Logan to assume office. Later in the day, Jack is told by former President David Palmer, whom Logan brought in as an advisor, to invade the Chinese consulate and extract a man named Lee Jong who has key information. However, the Chinese consul was accidentally killed by the Chinese guards shooting at Bauer. Lee Jong was also injured during the raid, leading Jack to force doctors at CTU who had been operating on Paul Raines to sacrifice him in order to save Lee, much to Audrey's dismay. Jack and CTU are soon able to beat the clock and intercept the nuclear warhead that Marwan had targeted Los Angeles with. But 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.^[14]

[edit] 24 Season 5

After Michelle Dessler and David Palmer are killed, and Tony Almeida is presumed dead by assassins, Jack is forced out of hiding. He discovers that the assassin's plot was to frame him for the murders. 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. Terrorists take over an airport terminal, but CTU learns that the hostage situation was a decoy to obtain military-grade Sentox nerve gas. Jack follows a series of leads which takes him to Christopher Henderson, a man Jack used to work under at CTU. 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 and CTU then are able to thwart the terrorists next attack by blowing up a natural gas facility the terrorists had used to circulate the nerve gas throughout the city. Jack eventually learns that it is President Charles Logan who is behind the day's events. Jack works and goes to great lengths to recover a recording implicating the President, going as far as to hijack an airplane that was carrying the person whom the recording had been passed off to. Eventually, Jack is able to directly confront the President. Though he is unable to get Logan to confess to his crimes, he places a micro transmitter in the President's pen, which leads to his downfall. At the end of the season Jack is captured and imprisoned by the Chinese for his actions from Day 4. It is speculated that the Chinese learned that Jack was still alive by President Logan, looking to cover his tracks and trying to prevent Jack from exposing him.

[edit] 24 Season 6

Over the last 11 weeks, the United States has been a target of non-stop terrorist attacks and bombings, in public buildings and transportation. Jack is released from China 20 months after his capture at the end of Day 5. It is revealed that he is being released only to be handed over to Abu Fayed who wants revenge on Jack who had killed his brother years earlier.^[15] However, Jack manages to escape by biting out a man's jugular vein and tries to warn President Wayne Palmer of Hamri Al-Assad's innocence, a man whom Fayed convinced the US was behind the attacks. Jack saves Assad from an air strike, and the two are able to thwart a bombing attempt on a subway and rescue a civilian family held hostage. As the events unfold, painful memories of his murdered U.S. Army Green Berets team leads Curtis Manning to attempt to kill Assad, leaving Jack no choice but to shoot Curtis in order to get more of the information they need from Assad, sending Jack into an emotional state of overwhelming grief. Jack attempts to quit from CTU, but a nuclear bomb explodes, destroying Valencia, California. He realizes he cannot stop what he's doing until he stops Fayed once and for all. New leads point to an involvement with a company run by his father Phillip Bauer and brother Graem. 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 (giving the impression Graem had a heart attack from the drugs). Jack discovers his father's involvement and trails him to a hotel, where he is holding his grandson (Jack's nephew) Josh Bauer hostage. Phillip agrees to trade Josh's life for Jack's. As Phillip is about to execute his son, Jack makes a last sentiment, claiming that he became what he did for his own reasons, and not to spite his father. Phillip leaves before shooting Jack, and leaves him a PDA with instructions to call a phone number belonging to Charles Logan. It is eventually revealed that a Russian general is involved with Fayed's plot, and Jack takes a Russian official hostage inside the Russian consulate, risking imprisonment for the same action he committed at the Chinese consulate years earlier. The official is found out to be in league with the terrorists, and Jack is not penalized for his actions by Russia. Eventually Jack 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. He completes an exchange with the Chinese and manages to save Audrey, as well as his nephew who gets mixed up in the events when Phillip Bauer returns. Audrey has lost her memory and does not remember Jack. Jack tearfully bids goodbye to Audrey after being told by her father, James Heller, that he cannot give her good enough care. The season ends with Jack staring out into the horizon, uncertain of his future.^[16]

[edit] 24: Redemption

Looking for a place where he can 'be at peace', Jack finds himself traveling the world and eventually winds up in the fictional African nation of Sangala. Here, he stays with his old friend and former special forces colleague Carl Benton, who runs a school for rescued war orphans. During his stay in Sangala, Bauer is found and subsequently subpoenaed by a state department official to appear before a senate hearing to answer questions concerning his activities with CTU, for which he has been trying to avoid for more than a year.

When a sudden military coup takes place in the country, Jack helps Benton bring the orphans to the U.S. embassy so that they can leave the country and escape rebels who plan to turn them into child soldiers. After Benton is killed, Jack turns himself in to a subpoena executed by U.S. Marines and allows himself to be arrested at the embassy in order to let the children be removed from the war zone.

[edit] 24 Season 7

At 8 AM, Jack begins his day at a Senate Subcommittee hearing; Senator Blaine Meyer is conducting an investigation into the actions of CTU, and it is clear that he intends to make an example of Jack. Bauer is rescued by FBI agent Renee Walker, who needs his assistance to prevent a developing terrorist threat: an extremist group is attempting to take over American infrastructure, including power, water and air traffic control. Jack is needed because Tony Almeida (believed dead since season 5) is in fact alive and is assisting this group. Jack and Renee succeed in apprehending Tony, who reveals that he is helping Bill Buchanan and Chloe O'Brian to reveal a conspiracy embedded deep within the American government. This conspiracy is controlled by the dictator of Sangala, Gen. Benjamin Juma, who first sends a subordinate, Col. Ike Dubaku, to capture former Sengalan Prime Minister Ule Matobo, whom Juma deposed, and then stages an attack on the White House in the hopes of humiliating and eliminating President of the United States Allison Taylor. Jack, Tony, Bill and Renee, with support from Chloe and FBI agents Larry Moss and Janis Gold, are able to foil these efforts.

However, it becomes clear that Juma was not working alone: he had support from within America, in the form of a private military company called Starkwood. Juma and Starkwood CEO Jonas Hodges had collaborated to develop a bioweapon, a fast-acting strain of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, which Hodges attempts to use to force President Taylor to include him and Starkwood in the highest circles of American government. Fortunately, the bioagent is destroyed before deployment via Tony's efforts, with only one known victim: Jack himself, who was exposed to the prion while attempting to escape with it. FBI physicians predict death within two days; while an experimental treatment involving the stem cells of a family member does exist, it has a low probability of success. As Hodges is arrested, it becomes clear that he is but one link in a larger chain: the leaders of many American PMCs have been assisting his efforts, and had planned to use his bioweapon for similar purposes. Tony is revealed to be an agent of this inner circle when he escapes with the only remaining canister of bioweapon. Though his attempts to deploy it are foiled, he manages to escape custody when his allies capture Kim Bauer, who had flown to DC to watch the Senate hearings, and threaten her with death unless Jack breaks Tony out of FBI custody. Tony thereafter reveals that his actions ever since resurrection have revolved around Alan Wilson, leader of the PMC conspirators and the man who ordered the assassinations (as seen in the opening moments of season 5) of former president David Palmer, Chloe O'Brian, Tony himself and his wife Michelle Dessler, who, Tony reveals, was carrying their unborn child. Tony and Wilson are both remanded to federal custody, while Jack makes peace with his impending death, unaware that Kim has volunteered to provide stem cells for the experimental treatment.

Jack's emotional state is more central to the story than it has been in previous seasons. Though he and Senator Mayer begin the day with attitudes of mutual antagonism, Jack later visits him at his home for information on Starkwood (Mayer had been investigating Starkwood as well as CTU), and the two come to an understanding: both of them want to live in a world where Jack's methods are unnecessary, even though they have somewhat different means of bringing that world to fruition. He wins the respect of a Muslim imam, Muhtadi Gohar, while attempting to apprehend a terror suspect (whom Tony had framed), and in fact turns to Gohar for spiritual guidance at the end of his life. He is able to make peace with Kim, despite the many years and pains between them. However, his most notable emotional relationship is with Renee Walker, who quickly establishes her willingness to abide by the law when she allows Jack to torture a suspect who may be protecting Almeida. Renee is possessed of the same hatred of injustice as Jack, but is very hesitant to employ the methods he uses; the two characters personify the debate that has raged on the show (and about it) for many years: whether the ends justify the means. The final important revelation offered this season was that Jack by no means believes the law to be unnecessary or weak, stating that he "know[s] that these laws have to be more important" than the often few people he is trying to save (one must assume that 24 only reveals rare exceptions, and that in the "regular/workday" life of CTU, the targets are much smaller); however, despite this belief, he contends that his "heart couldn't live with" sacrificing innocent persons, however few (the example he cites is "fifteen people on a bus"), for the sake of maintaining some abstract law or legal fiction.

[edit] 24 Season 8

As season 8 started Jack Bauer was sitting with his granddaughter and watching TV. His daughter Kim asked if he wanted to come back to Los Angeles with her, he said yes.

On learning of an assassination attempt on Kamistani President Omar Hassan prior to peace talks with Russia, Jack contacts Chloe O'Brian at CTU. They learn that someone very close to Hassan is the suspected assassin. When Chloe asks for Jack's help, he says that he is done, but his daughter persuades him to help CTU foil the assassination attempt. The bomber is identified as one of the security personnel and Jack saves Hassan by killing the bomber.

Farhad Hassan (brother and Chief of Staff to Omar Hassan) is closely involved in the assassination as well as with smuggling nuclear fuel rods. This latter subplot involves Jack and Renee Walker going undercover to try and identify the location of the rods. Samir Mehran has the rods and wants to use them as leverage (as dirty bombs) to capture President Hassan. President Taylor asked Jack to protect President Hassan, but Hassan surrenders himself to Mehran to protect innocent lives being lost. Hassan is executed leaving Jack to apologise to President Taylor for his failure.

Jack and Walker return to his apartment and after a passionate moment together finds the two looking to their future, she is shot by a sniper (hired by the Russian foreign minister, Mikhail Novakovich). Renee dies shortly after in the hospital with a distraught Jack looking on. With revenge his only concern, Bauer attempts to interrogate Dana Walsh (a CTU mole), but President Taylor intercedes and orders that Jack be transferred to McGuire Air Force Base. In transit, he hijacks a helicopter and immediately tracks down an old friend, Jim Ricker, to supply him with weapons.

As he tracks Walsh, Jack is crossed by Chloe, nevertheless he finds Walsh and discovers the Russian involvement in the conspiracy behind President Hassan's death. Jack kills Walsh in cold blood after her failed attempt to escape with the information. This also leads him to Pavel Tokarev, the sniper who killed Renee. After brutally torturing Tokarev, Jack realises that the information he needs to discover the full extent of the conspiracy is on a phone SIM card, swallowed by Tokarev. Tokarev dies as Jack evicerates him and retrieves the card from his stomach. Tokarev's last contact was with former President Charles Logan. Jack captures Logan who leads him to Novakovitch, but unknown to Logan, Jack had placed a bug on him. After tracking down and eliminating Novakovich and his bodyguards, Jack then, via the bug, discovers that Logan is conspiring directly with Russian President Yuri Suvarov.

In the final hour of the series, Jack sets up an operation to take down Suvarov by having Logan ask Suvarov to come to his residence. Jack sits across in the next building with a sniper rifle aimed straight at Logan's room. However, before he has a chance to pull the trigger, Chloe intervenes, saying that they can use the recording Jack made of Logan and Suvarov's conversation as evidence. Jack agrees and gives her the recording. He then forces her to shoot him to avoid suspicion. As Jack is being transported to CTU, Logan (under the indirect authorization of President Taylor) arranges for his ambulance to be ambushed. In the final scene of the show, Jack is taken to a construction site to be killed. However, the agent charged with killing Jack receives a phone call from President Taylor, who had found them through a CTU drone via Chloe, Arlo, and Cole's help. Taylor orders the agents to stand down and release Jack.

In the final moments, Jack contacts Chloe at CTU. Still watching him on the drone, Chloe tells Jack that she and Taylor are buying time for him to flee the country, as he will now be pursued by both Russian and American agents for the events of the past hours and the revelation of the Russian conspiracy. Jack looks towards Chloe (at the drone), and tells her to protect Kim and her family because anyone that comes after him will try to use her to lure him out of hiding. Chloe promises to keep them safe and before running off, Jack tells Chloe that when she first came to CTU, he never once thought it was going to be her who had his back all these years. He thanks her and then begins running away (which leaves the story open for the feature film), as Chloe tells Arlo to shut down the drone. The camera focuses and fades out on Jack's face one last time before the final clock, the only clock in all 8 seasons to count down from 3 seconds to 0.

Other appearances[link]

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. Kiefer Sutherland has portrayed Jack Bauer in these episodes, including the prequels and the webisodes. Additionally, he voiced the same character in 24: The Game, 24: Day Zero and 24: DVD Board Game.

24 Prequels[link]

Jack Bauer is also featured in all four prequels, that can be found on the 24 DVD releases and various websites. These prequels are designed to bridge the gap between seasons. They provide backstory into story arcs for upcoming seasons, namely insight into what Jack's actions have been leading up to the next season. Prequels have been made for Seasons 4, 5, 6, and 7.

24 Webisodes[link]

24: Day 6 Debrief takes place 35 hours after the nuclear device exploded in Valencia, California. The series consists of 5 segments, no longer than three minutes in length each. Two agents, Agent Ramirez and Agent Moss, track Jack down to a hotel room and ask him to come to District for debriefing about the recovery of the tactical nukes. The Debrief consists of Agent Ramirez and other agents attempting to discover more about the supposed-death of an undercover agent, Marcus Holt, who disappeared shortly after Jack's imprisonment in China at the hands of Cheng Zhi. Since Holt was involved with the Chinese government, it is believed that Jack leaked information that led to his identity being discovered and execution. At the end of the series, the agents announce that they have no conclusive evidence about his involvement, but Ramirez promises to keep a close eye on him until he is certain. Jack tells Ramirez that if he ever sees him again, he better say "The Lord's Prayer", because it will mean he's come to kill him.

With that, Bauer is released from custody and the interrogation ends.

24: The Game[link]

24: The Game takes place between Day 2 and 3. Jack begins waiting outside a ship where terrorists are going to release a ricin bomb in the water supply. 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. He runs into Peter Madsen, an enemy from his past. 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". Madsen also states that he no longer takes orders from Jack. It's hinted that Madsen was under Jack's command either in the army or in a SWAT team, and Madsen betrayed Jack. Madsen kidnaps Jack's daughter Kim, and later Kate Warner. Jack finally kills Madsen near the end of the game when he tries to escape by shooting up his speedboat with a Zastava M80 assault rifle, causing it to explode. He also kills Max, who was holding Kate hostage, saving her life. However Max managed to shoot Jack once before dying, the second of two times he was shot in the final hour of the game, the first time by Madsen. As a result, Chase Edmunds takes Jack to the hospital via helicopter.

24 Toys[link]

Diamond Select Toys released 1/6 scale figures based on Jack Bauer:

• 2008- Jack Bauer 8:00 AM
• 2009- Jack Bauer 3:00 PM Season 1
• 2009- Jack Bauer 9:00 PM Season 1

Diamond Select Toys released 1/24 scale Minimates based on 24:

• 2007- Season 1 Box Set (Jack Bauer, Nina Myers, David Palmer, Kim Bauer)
• 2007- End of Day 1 Two-Pack, PX Exclusive (Jack Bauer, Andre Drazen)
• 2007- Season 2 Box Set (Season 2 Jack Bauer, Tony Almeda, Michelle Dessler, George Mason)
• 2007- End of Day 2 Two-Pack, Suncoast/FYE Exclusive (Stretcher Jack Bauer, Prisoner Nina Myers)
• Canceled- Season 3 Box Set (Undercover Jack Bauer, Sherry Palmer, Chloe O'Brien, Chase Edmunds)
• Canceled- End of Day 3 Two-Pack (Jack Bauer, Stephen Saunders)

Enterbay released 1/6 scale figures based on 24:

• 2009- Jack Bauer
• 2009- President David Palmer

McFarlane Toys released 1/12 scale figures based on Jack Bauer:

• 2007- Jack Bauer Boxed Set 1
• 2007- Jack Bauer Boxed Set 2

Medicom Toy (Japan) released 1/6 scale figures based on Jack Bauer in their Real Action Heroes line:

• 2005- Jack Bauer (Suit) Season 4 7:00 am – 8:00 am
• 2005- Jack Bauer (Tac) Season 4 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• 2007- Jack Bauer Season 5

24 comic books[link]

IDW has released a series of comic books based on the adventures of Jack Bauer and other members of the 24 Cast. 24's Comic License is published by IDW Publishing

• 24: Nightfall — A tale shedding more light on the background and characters of Day 1, including Victor Drazen. Written by J. C. Vaughn and Mark L. Haynes
• 24: Cold Warriors — An original tale of intrigue featuring Jack Bauer and Chloe O'Brian, set in Alaska. Written by Beau Smith and Steve Bryant

[edit] The Simpsons

Jack Bauer appeared in the season 18 episode 24 Minutes of The Simpsons. In the episode, he is accidentally called by Bart in the middle of a shooting, who then plays a prank call on him. Enraged, he reappears at the end of the episode, having called all agents of his organization and abandoning his mission to hunt Bart down and arrest him. A nuclear bomb then goes off in the distance, but everyone sighs with relief after Bauer reassures them that the nuclear bomb went off in Shelbyville.

Critical reception[link]

Having won an Emmy Award (with 5 other nominations), a Golden Globe (with 4 other nominations), two SAG Awards (with 3 other nominations) and two Satellite Awards, Kiefer Sutherland's performance as Jack Bauer became (award-wise) the second most acclaimed Male Lead Dramatic TV performance of the 2000s behind only James Gandolfini (with 3 Emmys, 1 Golden Globe and 3 SAG Awards). He is also the only Male Lead Drama TV Actor ever to have won all 4 awards.

Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "When Kiefer Sutherland's 24 superagent barks "Dammit, Chloe—we're running out of time!" America's ass is about to be saved in some new, heart-stopping way."^[17]

American politicians and lawyers have taken to using Jack Bauer and his actions to frame the debate on American interrogation techniques (in this case, "torture"), which have become an object of intense controversy.^[18][19]

For example, at a legal conference in Ottawa, Canada, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia took offense at a Canadian judge's remark that Canada did not consider what Jack Bauer would do when setting policy. Scalia shot back: "Jack Bauer saved Los Angeles.... He saved hundreds of thousands of lives... Are you going to convict Jack Bauer? Say that criminal law is against him? 'You have the right to a jury trial?' Is any jury going to convict Jack Bauer? I don't think so."^[20]

References[link]

External links[link]

• "Jack Bauer's Official Character Profile". Archived from the original on 2008-04-04. http://web.archive.org/web/20080404011647/www.fox.com/24/profiles/jb.htm. 
• Classic Jack Bauer Pictures and Quotes

v t e Days Day 1 Day 2 The Game Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Redemption Day 7 Day 8 Episode list Merchandise Conspiracy The Rookie The Game The Soundtrack Government agents Jack Bauer Kim Bauer Nina Myers Aaron Pierce Tony Almeida George Mason Milo Pressman Ryan Chappelle Michelle Dessler Chase Edmunds Chloe O'Brian Curtis Manning Edgar Stiles Bill Buchanan Morris O'Brian Nadia Yassir Renee Walker Arlo Glass Cole Ortiz Dana Walsh Minor agents Antagonists Victor Drazen Nina Myers Stephen Saunders Habib Marwan Vladimir Bierko Christopher Henderson Charles Logan Graem Bauer Abu Fayed Phillip Bauer Cheng Zhi Jonas Hodges Alan Wilson Ike Dubaku Benjamin Juma Dana Walsh Yuri Suvarov Minor antagonists Presidents David Palmer Jim Prescott John Keeler Charles Logan Hal Gardner Wayne Palmer Noah Daniels Allison Taylor Omar Hassan Government officials Mike Novick James Heller Audrey Raines Karen Hayes Tom Lennox Ethan Kanin Olivia Taylor Minor government characters Supporting characters Teri Bauer Sherry Palmer Kate Warner Martha Logan Minor characters List of 24 characters Other Cast members Critical reaction Media