24 (TV Series) Day 3: 8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. (2003) User Reviews

Now We Start All Over

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 16 May 2007]

This episode gave me the feeling of almost starting an entirely new story. The surprise greeting from Hector Salazar to Jack Bauer in Mexico, coupled with Tony's revelation about Gael sets up this episode and lends itself to a whole new set of circumstances.

We get another huge revelation as Tony Almeida, director of the C.T.U., tells the President of the United States to look at something on the computer. The President's brother and adviser, Wayne, logs it in and we see a message from Bauer, saying "If you are looking at this, I have already infiltrated the Salazars and...."

In a nutshell, all of this virus stuff with the kid and the breakout of Ramon Salazar from jail has been "part of an elaborate sting planned and executed by Jack Bauer." We learn that the Ukrainians do indeed have a very deadly virus and Jack has worked to set up a buyer in the Salazars. Jack's plan is to make sure that virus doesn't go anywhere.

The President is not happy he has been deceived through all of this, that only Jack and Tony were in on this, although he certainly can't argue with the ends justifying the means here.

The main thing in this episode is the tension at the Salazar's Mexican home and whether Jack can stay alive with Ramon still (justifiably!) not trusting him and quite happy to blow him away any time.

There are other things in here, too, some dramatic involving Anne, but they are personal sidebars stories and there is no reason to go into everything that is happening in the episode.

Suffice to say it's another tense and entertaining one. I just have complaint, if anyone is reading this: why do some of these characters, beginning with Keifer Sutherland whisper their sentences so often? People don't do that in real life. Is it for dramatic purposes?

Brilliant

[MaxBorg89 · 9/10 · 18 August 2008]

The previous episode ended with a revelation that changed everything that had occurred up to that point during Day 3. This eighth hour expands on that revelation, and in a certain way the real story of the third season starts here.

President Palmer receives a phone call from Tony Almeida after the latter saved Gael from torture by revealing his treason was part of a bigger plan. The plan is revealed to everyone (including the viewer) through a recorded message Jack left behind: the virus threat at the beginning of the season, Kyle Singer and the escape of Ramon Salazar were just the starting points in a more complex operation whose goal consists of Jack infiltrating the Salazar family again. He's doing this because there is a lethal virus that's being sold on the black market by a Ukrainian organization, and by pretending to help the Salazars acquire it he hopes to destroy it before it causes any real damage. First, though, he will have to convince Ramon, who is still aching to blow his head off. Chase being captured by the Salazars' men doesn't really help in that sense.

With the real truth out of the bag, the proper premise of Day 3 is laid out for us to understand and cherish: such narrative cleverness was unexpected even by 24's standards, and it is more than appropriate that the Writer's Guild of America took note of the of the script's intelligence. Most of all, the episode shows Jack going to some really dark places, not just because he went behind Palmer's back (and the latter's reaction is another example of Dennis Haysbert's talent): in the second season he killed a man to keep his cover; this time he's an addict and has to make his adversaries believe he's after money. This day will most definitely take its toll on his health, both mentally and physically.

Will Ramon trust Jack?

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 27 October 2012]

Jack and Ramon have got to Mexico safely without killing each other and Ramon has learnt of his brother's plan to do business with Jack again; he doesn't like it though and continues to distrust Jack even when he learns that Jack is apparently motivated by a fifteen million dollar pay out and the he and his brother stand to make a billion. Jack has been in contact with the scientists who created the virus and arranged a deal; he needs the Salazars as they are seen as plausible buyers. Meanwhile, north of the border, Tony is explaining to the president and the people in CTU (as well as the viewers) what has really been going on in the previous episodes. The plan sounds as if it might succeed but there is one problem Jack doesn't know about; his partner Chase is heading to Mexico to rescue Jack but has no idea that everything that has happened is actually part of Jack's plan. Away from the main mystery Anne meets her ex to get the papers that will prove her innocence; she gets the papers but the meeting doesn't go as expected.

After the big twist at the end of the previous episode we learn why Jack wants to get back in with the Salazars; this was nicely handled and I particularly liked Joaquim de Almeida's performance as the untrusting Ramon. There might not have been a huge amount of action but there was a lot of tension; while I never though Jack was going to get killed, he is the protagonist after all, there was a moment where I thought Chase might die. Anne's side story is still a bit of a distraction despite it containing a bit of a shock; I was a little disappointed that this didn't cause more trouble that it did. Still it was another good episode that kept my interest in the story going.

In the Arms of the Enemy

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 18 January 2019]

This episode focuses in on Jack and the Salazars. Once again the virus is in question. The man who was found was the only one infected. A foreign power has produced this toxin and wants to sell it to the Salazars for 100 million dollars. Jack is the connection and he needs to gain the trust of the bad guys to put a stope to both empires. In other news, Palmer's doctor and lover goes to her ex-husband's place with shocking results. Chase has gone dark and is impeding Jack's big plan.

I remember this being a lot better

[nerrdrage · 6/10 · 30 September 2023]

I'm watching this in 2023, 20 years after the original airing because I recalled season 3 as being one of the most fun, and sure it's wild twisty ride but I guess back then I wasn't inclined to pick apart a show for logic flaws but this is a doozy.

Since when has Jack Bauer been elected President, to decide matters like this on his own? A President isn't a hothouse flower. He's elected to make the hard choices. Jack is flat out undermining democracy.

And if Jack decided that he's "allowed" to make these decisions on his own recognizance, why did he choose such a convoluted plot, when he could do this a lot more simply?

When he's still with the Salazars, he makes his pitch to Ramon and Hector so he can use their terrorist connections: hey I heard about this billion-dollar virus. Let's go after it!

Or, if he only learned of the virus after putting Ramon behind bars (argh what timing huh?) then let some other mole in the Salazar company arrange the virus transaction. The Salazars obviously trusted Gael. Let him do it.

There was no need for any dramatics with the virus-infected corpse and speaking of that, how did Jack (or the Salazars?) get their hands on the virus in order to do that? Was Jack part of that, I guess he must have been, since the virus thing was never the Salazars' idea, but he was on the outs with the Salazars so how did that all happen?

And what about the other 20 people whose corpses were buried in a pit on Hector's ranch? Was Jack also responsible for their deaths like he was responsible for the guard's death in the Russian Roulette game and for terrorizing the Singer family and nearly causing Kyle to commit suicide?

Jack's got a lot of blood on his hands and for no damn good reason either.