Summary:The third season opens three years after President Palmers palm peril, with Jack Bauer back onboard at CTU for the latest L.A. crisis - a lethal virus. While taut situations define the series, what stands out in this commercial-free opener are the telltale tensions among the personalities. The presidents impatient brother is his new chief of staff; a more mature Kim Bauer is a new CTU techie who has a strangely testy co-worker; and lone ranger Jack is now paired with an edgy new partner, Chase.

Summary:Jack and Chase visit the last address of the infected body; Palmer suggests cancelling the debate, but Wayne disagrees, hinting at a vulnerability in their opponent; Hectors location is narrowed down.

Summary:Jack and Nicole Duncan invade the Singers home, and soon realize that the virus is out. They quarantine the place, but the powder turns out to be uncontaminated, and Jack pieces together that Kyle is infected with the virus. Chase is still angry that Jack sidelined him because of his relationship with Kim.

Summary:Kyle escapes the sting at the mall while Tony is critically wounded; Kyle and his girlfriend are later captured by Salazars men. Palmer must refuse to negotiate so Jack turns "rogue" to break Salazar out of prison so the virus isn released, but Chase gets in the way. And despite the advice of his brother, Palmer eventually decides not to pay off Annes ex-husband.

Summary:Jacks "rescue" of Salazar goes awry when they get caught in the eye of the prison riot; Chloe unwittingly discovers Jacks heroin addiction; during the debate, Palmer is grilled by his opponent; Kyle tries to hang himself, only to have him and his girlfriend rescued. CTU finds Kyle Singer. Jack and Salazar get in a chopper and leave. Just as they e taking off Chase gets a call that Singer has been taken into custody, but he can get a hold of Jack.

Summary:Jacks chopper is forced to land in Downtown LA. He and Salazar steal a car and make for the airport to get Salazar out of the country. Kyle Singer is brought into the LA Health Unit; several tests reveal that he is, in fact, not infected. Tony gets out of surgery, and will make a full recovery. Kim learns that Gael is a Mole when she finds his laptop containing surveilance data on Jack and Kyle and is held captive.

Summary:Aboard Salazars plane, his men have a hard time restraining him from killing Jack, now their hostage; Bauer manages to turn the tables on his captors and hold Ramon at gunpoint until the plane lands.

Summary:Anne meets with her ex-husband to pick up letters that will prove her innocence, but things get out of hand; Hector fills Ramon in the reasons for their new alliance with Jack Bauer and assures him that once they buy the virus, they will kill him; Claudia reveals her true nature when she tells Jack how angry she is with him for leaving her behind when his operation ended; Chase arrives in Mexico, and compromises Jacks cover.

Summary:The President briefs the nation on why he ended the debate early. He tells a reporter that Anne is innocent, and that they have proof. A high ranking campaign donor insists that Palmer fire Wayne over an affair he had with his wife; Jack makes contact again with Claudia and tells her the plan. He asks for her help in keeping Chase alive and in helping them to escape once the deal is done. The deal goes sour when Nina Myers shows up to buy the virus, outbidding the Salazars. Jack, Hecter and Ramon plot to steal the virus back from her. What is initially percieved as Tony having memory problems is starting to look like its Kim who is making mistakes.

Summary:With Jack still undercover, the Salazars torture Chase looking for information about CTUs plans to seize the virus. Meanwhile, Palmers presidency is being sabotaged by a onetime supporter who wants Wayne fired. To combat this, Palmer turns to a surprising source of help.

Summary:Jack forces Nina to work with him in order to get the virus from Amador. Palmer meets with Sherry and convinces her to help him deal with Milliken. Chase remains in Mexico to help with the capture of the virus. Ramon and Hector quarrel when Hector wants to pull out of the deal.

Summary:Tensions escalate at CTU with the arrival of a cocky systems analyst and a question about Chloes baby; Sherry gets the goods on Milliken, but Palmer balks at the price.

Summary:Sherry goes to drastic measures to keep Milliken quiet for good. Nina still needs to complete her objective and she uses new tactics in order to try and secure the virus. A friend of Nina Myers enters the plot. At CTU problems arise and Chloes skills are needed but she and Angela have left, Chloe comes back to CTU and will soon use her skills to ensure the safety of Los Angeles.

Summary:After confronting Jack about his drug use, Chappelle considers pulling him from active duty. Meanwhile, Chase faces a secret hes been keeping from CTU; and Sherry creates a dangerous lie to cover her connection to Alan Milliken.

Summary:Chappelle threatens to pull Jack from the investigation for killing a material witness, but Jack persuades him to hold off when they find a fresh lead on Amadors whereabouts. Amador and Alvers meet with the man who is planning to unleash the virus in LA within the hour. Michelle and Gael locate the target area, but things really hit the fan when they attempt to capture Alvers in the process of releasing the virus. Wayne argues with Sherry over the consequences of Millikens death as the police turn up the heat on Julia.

Summary:Jack and Chase track Amador in the hopes that he can lead them to the man behind the virus attack. Michelle faces a mob riot when the hotel is quarantined. Sherry extorts Palmer, forcing him to manufacture her alibi for the police.

Summary:Saunders begins making demands on the President. He forces Palmer to hold a strange press conference and then orders the death of the CTU agent who can trace him. Jack learns of a woman who can lead him to Saunders, but a surprise attack shifts the balance of power. As Gaels symptoms get worse, Michelle devises a way to relieve the suffering of the victims at the hotel.

Summary:Jack and Chase race against time to capture Saunders before the deadline, while Chappelle plans an escape. Michelle begins a frantic search when she learns that an infected hotel guest may have slipped through her fingers.

Summary:Jack urges caution with a new lead and it comes back to bite him; Cole seeks help for his nose; Palmer convenes the cabinet before hearing Saunders next demand, and ultimate goal.

Summary:The President is ordered to leave L.A., and asks the press to help maximize public safety; Jack gives Jane a crash course on her father; the virus affects another CTU operative.

Summary:Jane and Kim head back to Los Angeles in the CTU motorcade. President Palmer must make a decision regarding Saunders newest demand. Sherry approaches Palmers political opponent with a unique offer. CTU gets intel on Saunders location but soon realize he has a new asset.

Summary:Jack is about 100 miles outside of Los Angeles. He makes his way to the coast of the city of Santa Barbara. He gets a lead on the bio-terrorists and goes to Cal State Santa Barbara University. He engages in a fierce chase and firefight and recovering Kim from the hands of the terrorists is his primary objective. Jacks secondary objective is the remaining vials.

Summary:In the city of Santa Barbera Jack will interview a gunshot victim at Marriot City Park. The victim is a white male about 63. Jack asks him some questions as he is going into an ambulance. Jack calls someone on his cell and relays some intel. Jack sees Kim sitting down on a bench near the command post and he walks over to her and they talk, at the end of the conversation Jack kisses Kim on the forehead. A black CTU SWAT team van will be there and two local Santa Barbera cops will arrive in patrol cars. Jane Saunders gets taken out of the CTU field operations command post. Kim, a black CTU agent and a white CTU agent take Jane into a awaiting car. Jane is asked a few questions by another unknown female agent then Kim and Jane leave in the beige CTU car.

Summary:Palmers White House woes escalate when Saunders demands that he dissolve the U.S. military. Jack finds a chink in The Evil British Guys armor. Gun-toting Kim stays busy in the field. Tony could face the death penalty for failing to maintain national security. Says co-executive producer Evan Katz: "We e ending the story with a bunch of big events that are extremely surprising."