The Following Took Place Last Season...

Because my new mission in life is to get everyone to watch “24” (since my “O.C.” mission didn’t work), here’s the “Readers’ Digest” version of what you need to know to get caught up…

When last season’s day started, everyone thought that former Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer was dead. Jack was forced to fake his own death after people within the White House ordered him killed. The Chinese Government had discovered that it was Jack who led a mission that resulted in the death of the Chinese consulate (at the hands of his own men). Jack was to be turned over to the Chinese, but people connected to the President felt that Jack was too valuable to the Chinese and needed to die. Former President David Palmer tipped Jack off and Tony, Michelle and Chloe helped him fake his death.

But when President Palmer and Michelle were killed, Tony was critically injured and Chloe was targeted for death, Jack came out of hiding. And when a terrorist threat emerged, Jack was reinstated to CTU by President Logan. However, by the end of the day, Jack was bringing President Logan to justice.

Logan was involved in an elaborate scheme with a mysterious man named Graem and Jack’s mentor, Christopher Henderson. The plan was to sell weaponized nerve gas to Russian separatists. The Russians believed they were sending the gas to Moscow, but the Americans were just using the Russians so they could detonate the gas at a stopover point to destroy terrorist camps. President Palmer discovered the plot, so Henderson ordered him killed. But to eliminate any problems with Jack (who Henderson had discovered was alive) and to distract CTU, Henderson targeted the three other people who had helped Jack fake his death in order to implicate Jack in Palmer’s murder. Meanwhile, the Russians discovered the double cross and ended up using the gas on American soil—including at CTU. By the time the day was over, even more of Jack’s friends were dead, including Tony. Henderson did not survive the day either, as he was executed by Jack.

Jack was able to thwart the Russian plan and bring Logan to justice—with the help of the slightly unbalanced First Lady, Martha Logan. But before Jack could reunite with his love, Audrey, he was kidnapped by the Chinese who were still looking for revenge. When last we saw Jack he was beaten to a pulp, begging for death on a boat headed for China…

As I said, that’s the abbreviated version (I don’t have enough time and space to tell you all of the really cool things that happened.). But if you have questions along the way, I’m here to help you.

“24” premieres Sunday at 8 pm. on FOX…