24 Episode 8.23-24 2:00 PM-4:00 PM

Season Finale- Part 1

Arlo tells Cole that Jack slaughtered Novakovich and his men, but Chloe still thinks she can talk Jack down. Cole arrives at Ricker's apartment. Ricker's security system alerts him to Cole's arrival and identity, and is waiting with his gun drawn as Cole shoots his way in. However, Cole tells Ricker that Jack will die today if Ricker doesn't help.

At the UN, a field agent questions Chloe about Cole being put back on the duty roster. Chloe defends her choice. Cole calls and says that Jack's targeting Russian President Suvarov; he's the one who gave the order to kill Renee. Jack has a copy of it. Chloe says they'll need it, as she doesn't think Jack has Dana's evidence any more -- Meredith Reed has been arrested. Jack's recording is the last proof of the cover up.

Cole thinks they should warn everybody that Jack's going to assassinate Suvarov, but Chloe says that Pillar will get to him first and kill him. Instead, she orders Suvarov's route changed to buy time.

President Logan calls President Taylor and finally tells her that Jack is seeking retribution and killed Novakovich. Logan also says that Suvarov was involved, which he assures her that Jack can't possibly know about. As a regretful Taylor returns to preparations for the signing ceremony, Pillar gets into his car and calls Eden, who informs him that Jack was badly wounded during his assault on Novakovich. Pillar says they'll find him, hangs up, then hears Jack whisper, "Try looking in the mirror." Jack is in Pillar's back seat. He holds a gun to Pillar's head and orders him to drive to the UN.

At the UN, Dalia privately presents Taylor with a fountain pen in a box that bears the inscription, "All religions, all this singing, one song, peace be with you." It's from Hassan; he had intended to present it to Taylor for signing the peace agreement. Taylor can barely speak, moved and torn up by guilt. As she leaves, Kayla approaches and tells her mother about Meredith Reed's call, and that she said that Hassan's killers were helped by the Russians. Meredith wouldn't have called Dalia over a rumor. Dalia agrees to call her back.

Cole arrives at the CTU mobile unit outside the UN, and Chloe tells him that if they get the recording from Jack, they're going to release it to every media outlet in the world. The President won't be able to suppress it. As Cole is put in charge of Suvarov's security detail, Jack has Pillar park in the Hart Building across the street from the UN, which has already been emptied out by CTU's security teams.

In the empty parking garage, Jack forces Pillar out of the car. Pillar realizes that Jack's planning to shoot Suvarov while he's making his statement, but he won't be on the podium for another hour. Jack won't make it that long, the way he's bleeding. "That's why you're going to stitch me up," says Jack, who forces Pillar to do so at gunpoint. As he operates, Pillar asks Jack why he's doing this. In the past, Jack's always had a reason for going outside the system. Jack says that everyone he's killed today had a hand in Hassan's death, and the peace agreement is an agreement between liars and murderers. Who made Jack judge and jury? President Taylor, answers Jack, when she covered up the truth.

Pillar finishes, and Jack tells him to turn around and get on his knees. Pillar realizes that Jack's going to kill him. He begs for mercy, beginning to cry. He has a wife and children. This makes Jack hesitate. After a moment, he savagely pistol whips Pillar. Then Jack screams with rage and pain at what he's become.

Dalia cannot reach Meredith, so she goes to see President Taylor and tells her that she has heard that the Russians were involved in her husband's murder, and she needs Taylor's help to find Meredith to figure out if the allegations are true. Taylor says she'll do the best she can in the time they have, but Dalia makes herself clear: until she is convinced the allegations are false, she will absolutely not sign the peace agreement. Taylor is forced to confess that she had Meredith arrested, and Dalia realizes that the allegations are indeed true...and that Taylor knew all along.

President Taylor says that this agreement is what Hassan worked so hard for, but Dalia rounds on her, enraged. "How dare you invoke my husband. He never would have stood for this!" She says she plans to demand Meredith's release, and the disclosure of whatever evidence she's hiding. However, Taylor says that Dalia will sign the peace agreement, because if she doesn't, Taylor will order her administration to release evidence that IRK intelligence agents attempted to detonate a nuclear device in New York today. Taylor will use that as justification for all-out war on the IRK. Her country won't recover for decades. Dalia is horrified, but she does not respond to the ultimatum. Without giving an answer, she leaves the President's suite, slamming the door behind her.

Jack breaks into a utility room in the Hart Building with an overlook of the podium and begins assembling his rifle. Meanwhile, Dalia consults with Jamot, who doesn't see a way out of the President's threat. They will have to sign. An aide informs them that Suvarov is about to arrive.

Chloe tells Cole that Jack's inside the perimeter. He nearly managed to avoid the security cameras, but his reflection was seen in a vending machine. Chloe insists on going alone to talk to him. If she doesn't return in 20 minutes, then Cole should put out an alert.

Back in the utility room, Jack begins recording a final message addressed to his daughter, Kim. "As long as I can remember, every time I've had to talk to you, it seems that for one reason or another I've started out by telling you how sorry I am. I'm not gonna do that to you now. You're going to hear a lot of stories about what I've done today. Some of them may even be true. But no one, and I mean no one, can tell you why I did what I did except for me. A lot of good people died today. Not just President Hassan. Officers from CTU, members of other law enforcement agencies... Renee Walker. Who I was very close to."

Suvarov arrives at the UN. Dalia is stone-faced as Suvarov says how much he admired her husband. They head upstairs to the press conference, where the UN Secretary General, with Taylor, Dalia and Suvarov behind him, talks of ushering in a new era of transparency, honesty and trust.

Cole asks Agent Burke to deploy a ten-man squad outside the Hart. Meanwhile, Chloe, uneasily wielding a gun given to her by Cole, finds the room where Jack is hiding. Jack gets the drop on her and asks who else knows where he is. Just Cole and Arlo, she says. She tells him there has to be another way, and that he's going to be killed. There are standing orders to shoot him on sight. She couldn't let that happen. Jack says she shouldn't have come after him, but she says, "You're my friend. I didn't have a choice." "Neither do I," says a regretful Jack...then strangles Chloe until she passes out and cuffs her to some piping.

Jack then takes Pillar's phone and calls Logan, saying that he has him in his sights in his office in the UN building. Jack plays a bit of the recording for him, to prove that he knows of Suvarov's involvement in Renee's death. He tells Logan to call Suvarov and have him meet him right there in that office as soon as the press conference is over. "What am I supposed to tell him?" asks Logan. "Try the truth, for a change. Tell him you've got credible intelligence about a threat to his life." Jack's mouth twitches into a brief smirk.

Season Finale - Part 2

At the UN press conference, President Suvarov announces that the peace agreement will be President Hassan's living memorial. Dalia excuses herself, and Suvarov realizes that President Taylor told Dalia of his complicity in Hassan's death. He wonders what Taylor has said to keep her from breaking off the peace talks.

Suvarov is interrupted by an urgent call from President Logan, who's still in Jack's sights. Logan tells Suvarov he has information about a leak in Suvarov's camp, so they need to meet alone in his office.

Chloe wakes up, cuffed to the pipes, and tells Jack that they can use the audio file he recorded to expose the cover up. He doesn't need to do this. Chloe's phone rings. It's Cole, and if she doesn't answer, he'll send in a TAC team. Jack doesn't care. He's going to finish what he started. Meanwhile, Cole sends the TAC team to the Hart Building, confirming their orders to shoot to kill Jack.

Jack can see Suvarov arrive at Logan's office. Chloe says that Jack will provoke a war with a nuclear power if he kills Suvarov. Is that really what he wants? Would Renee have wanted it? Chloe's words finally reach Jack. He hesitates, and finally puts the gun down. Jack agrees to do it her way, but makes Chloe promise to do exactly what he says.

Logan, realizing that no gunshot will come, stammers an excuse to an annoyed Suvarov. Jack removes the data card with the recording from the recording device and hands it to Chloe, but she can't get out of the building any more than he can. She only got to him first by bypassing CTU and Pillar. Logan will figure this out soon. The only way to get the audio file back to CTU is to convince Logan she's not working with Jack. Jack uncuffs Chloe and orders her to shoot him. She can't do it. Just as the CTU team is about to burst through the door, Jack shoots himself in the chest and goes down. Chloe tells them Jack drew his gun and she shot him. She stares at Jack's prone body with concern as Agent Burke calls for a medical team.

Chloe catches Cole up on the plan, and she tries to get to CTU mobile command to upload the file. However, she is detained by Agent Burke, who says that Agent Pillar has been found and ordered her held for debriefing. Meanwhile, Pillar speaks to Logan, who orders him to recover the data card. If Logan goes down, so does Pillar; who knows how much Jack recorded?

As EMTs work on Jack, Pillar arrives. Burke shows Pillar the empty recording device, and Pillar insists on searching Chloe. He finds nothing. Pillar reluctantly releases Chloe, who was hiding the data card in her phone's battery compartment. As Chloe heads for mobile command, Pillar begins to interrogate Jack. He remains silent. The EMT confirms that Jack is stable enough to be operated on at CTU because the bullet didn't hit any organs or arteries. Pillar, newly suspicious, orders Chloe locked down. Jack whispers something, forcing Pillar to lean in close. Jack savagely bites off part of Pillar's ear.

At mobile command, Chloe, with Cole watching, has begun to upload the file to Arlo at CTU. However, Burke and a team of agents arrive to arrest them. They stop the upload before it's completed and seize the data card. Chloe and Cole are taken into custody.

Logan presents the data card to President Taylor, and tells her that Jack's about to be transported to CTU under heavy guard. Jack will never, ever let this go, and no matter where they imprison him, he will always claw his way back. Yet Logan has a plan. Taylor, pained and sorrowful, stays silent, tacitly approving Logan's idea to assassinate Jack. He leaves, and Taylor begins to view the contents of the data card. There is a message from Jack to his daughter Kim where he explains the real reason behind his actions: he believes that the peace accord won't serve the greater good. "A lasting peace cannot simply be political. It has to be born out of trust and honesty and understanding..." This hits Taylor hard.

Logan and Pillar retire to Logan's office for a celebratory drink as President Taylor heads to the signing of the peace accord. After the Secretary General makes a speech about the agreement that has been negotiated in "good faith," Suvarov is the first to sign. Dalia is next. She hesitates, but ultimately signs her name under his. President Taylor opens the box containing the pen given to her by Dalia on Hassan's behalf. She rests the pen on the paper, but she cannot do it. Taylor slowly and deliberately sheaths the pen, and then turns and presses it into Dalia's palm, saying she cannot accept it. Suvarov urges her to stop what she is about to do, but Taylor is resolute.

President Taylor returns to the podium and announces to the world that grave crimes have been committed in the run-up to this treaty. Taylor confesses to participating in a conspiracy to hide those crimes, and she will give a more complete statement within the hour. For now, she says, the peace process has come to an end. As Taylor leaves the ceremony, she urgently tells Tim Woods to alert CTU that Jack's medical transport is about to be ambushed. Yet she's too late. Logan's men have already ambushed the transport and taken Jack captive.

As the Secretary General tells reporters to direct all questions to the White House, the phone rings in Logan's office. Logan says not to answer because he knows it is Taylor calling about Jack, but Pillar says it's all over. They shouldn't add murder to their list of charges. As Pillar answers, Logan cold-cocks him with a paperweight. "This was my last chance," says Logan, "And Bauer took it away." Logan then shoots Pillar through the head. There is a knock; President Taylor, Tim Woods and a retinue of Secret Service agents are at the door. Logan, trapped, holds the gun up to his chin. From outside, Taylor and the others hear a gunshot. The agents break down the door, and Taylor desperately tells Tim that she needs Logan alive.

Paramedics work on Logan; they think he'll survive, but with severe brain damage. How will they find Jack now? Tim Woods says that CTU's drones can backtrack to the ambush and locate where Jack's been taken. Taylor orders Chloe and Cole released and allowed to locate Jack. Tim's already done so.

Chloe and Cole return to CTU, where Chloe has Eden arrested. Arlo and Chloe quickly find the van, which is pulling into an empty construction yard. Nantz, the leader of Logan's men, pulls Jack from the van and forces him to his knees. He knows who Jack is and promises to make this quick and clean. Jack attempts to escape, but he's too weak and is quickly overpowered. Jack says he's ready, but just as Nantz is about to pull the trigger, he gets a phone call from President Taylor, ordering him to stand down. Taylor then asks to talk to Jack. As Nantz and his men fall back, Taylor, with Chloe, Cole and Arlo listening in, tells Jack that it's over. She'll be facing the consequences of her action...but he'll have to do the same.

Sorrowfully, near tears, President Taylor explains to Jack that she wanted the peace treaty so badly that she was willing to betray every principle she ever stood for. She tells him to leave the country while he still has a chance. The Russians will be coming after him, and so will the U.S. government. They don't have a choice. Before hanging up, President Taylor apologizes.

Jack calls Chloe and makes her promise to keep his family safe and prevent anyone from getting to him through his family. Jack thanks Chloe for all the help she's given him over the years. He hangs up. Chloe, also about to cry, watches Jack on the giant viewscreen as he looks skyward into the satellite camera, seemingly right at her. Jack then begins to run, a fugitive once again.

"What happened here didn't happen, understand?" says Chloe. She then orders the drone shut down. Jack's fleeing figure fuzzes out, then fades to black.