Originally Aired 4.1.03
2.17 - Too Good To Be True

Kate and Jack leaving CTU in a hurry, Jack uses the alarm to find the car. He is hurrying Kate along and finally she stops and demands that she tell him what is going on. Jack just asks “do you trust me? Kate, do you trust me?” Kate answers yes so Jack says that he’ll explain everything in the car but they’ve got to go now.
Keri comes down the stairs and looks the other way until Tony calls out to her from the floor. He’s managed to prop himself up against the wall, she goes right to him. She asks him what’s wrong and he says wincing that it’s his ankle. Keri says she’ll go get the medic as she stands up. Tony tells her to call security first, they need to stop Jack. She leaves as Jack and Michelle approach the gates. The security guard looks at Jack and then opens the gate. As it opens the phone rings, the guard gets the message but it’s too late, Jack just squeaks through the gate with the guard left yelling after him.
In the car Jack apologises if he scared Kate back there. He explains that they are headed towards a full-scale war but Kate doesn’t seem to care, she just wants to know what that has to do with her. Jack says that about 10 minutes ago a man called Jack and told him that the recording that all the decisions are being based on is a fake. He wants Jack to bring Kate to him. Kate asks who the man is but Jack doesn’t know. Kate then asks what he wants with her and again Jack doesn’t know, he won’t know until they get there. Jack gives her an ultimatum, she needs to make a decision. She needs to decide right now if she wants to accept the risk. Kate looks at Jack like she doesn’t get it and then asks if he really thinks they can do this? Jack answers that this is very very dangerous but he doesn’t know what else to do and they’re running out of time.
Keri and the medic show up back downstairs to Tony who still seems to be in quite a bit of pain. Michelle breaks the news to him that they didn’t stop Jack but she called the Police Department and the FBI. The medic asks what the problem is, Tony says it’s his ankle. After a quick looks and some pokes and prods she says that it doesn’t look broken, he may have torn a ligament or just sprained it really bad. Kerri proceeds to inform Tony of what she saw with Michelle and Jack. At first Tony doesn’t buy it but she seems to convince him.
Palmer, Lynn and Mike are getting off Air Force One into a car. Mike tells Palmer that the Vice President is going to want him to authorize the British being included in their plans. Lynn puts her hand over the phone and asks “what’s you position sir?” Palmer says that once they bring the allies in then it makes it much harder to recall the planes. Palmer tells Lynn to put him through so the phone in the console in front of him and Mike rings. Palmer greets the Vice President calling him Jim. He asks if he is free to inform the British Ambassador about their plans but Palmer says no. There is a chance that the Cypress Recording is false. Jim, like everyone else, thought it was authenticated. Palmer says that CTU Los Angeles has reservations but Jim thinks it’s too late for second thoughts, the planes are set to drop their bombs in about 4 hours. Palmer reiterates that he will not start a war on false or incomplete information, do not tell the British. After Palmer hangs up Mike starts to try and convince him. Mike says that he knows Palmer trusts Jack Bauer implicitly but to wait based on one mans reservations makes him very uncomfortable. Lynn pipes up that she is with Mike on this one. Palmer just says “Noted.”
Outside the convenience store the cops are telling Ramon to throw out his weapon and come out. Kim is panicking with the owner, she says she can’t stop the bleeding, he needs a hospital. Ramon begs for her to not let him die, he wines about the bomb and everything that happened today. Kim says she’ll tell the police everything, she’ll back him up while the cop is trying to lure him out. Kim says that they gotta get out of there. The owner grabs Kim and knocks a bunch of cans off the shelf. Kim starts CPR on him wile Ramon begs more for her not to let him die.
Kate continues to question Jack, she wants to know why they wouldn’t help him at CTU. Jack responds that Tony Almieda is in charge and he thinks the recording is false, he is just doing what he thinks is right. Jack looks in the rear-view mirror and realizes they are being followed. Kate asks him who he thinks it is but Jack doesn’t know. He pulls the SUV into a driveway under a building. The car follows him and before it can turn the corner, Jack comes running out and Kate pulls the SUV in behind so the car can’t get back out. Jack orders the driver to turn the car off and put his hands on the wheel. Jack approaches the car with his gun drawn; it’s Yusuf Auda. Jack, pointing the gun at him, asks if Auda is alone. He says yes so Jack asks what he’s doing here. Auda says that he doesn’t know who he can trust. He saw Jack take out Tony, he knows Jack is working to stop the counterattack, he’s working to protect Auda’s country. Jack corrects Auda, he is working to make sure the president of the United States makes his decisions based on fact. Auda tells Jack that his country isn’t responsible for the attack, Jack reminds him that Syed Ali is a citizen of Auda’s country. Auda tells Jack that he is an outlaw at home as well as in the US. Why would his country help Ali with the bomb, why would they provoke an attack that would decimate them. Jack seems to believe him and asks what he wants. Auda says that when Jack broke out of CTU he isolated himself, Auda wants to help.
Tony is on crutches now and makes his way across CTU. Michelle asks what the doctor said and Tony brushes it off, she thinks he tore a ligament or something. Tony sits in his chair in his office and asks Michelle if she talked to Jack, Keri says she did. Michelle admits to it and asks if that is a problem? Tony says it depends on what they were talking about, did she help Jack take Kate Warner out of CTU? Michelle accuses Tony of interrogating her and then asks if that is what Keri told her, that she was working with Jack. Tony says yes and this angers Michelle. She says that Michelle doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Tony says that it doesn’t matter if she thinks Jack is right, Tony is the one that’s in charge. Did she intentionally draw Agent Baker away? Michelle says no but Tony isn’t buying it, why would Keri tell him that she did? Michelle says it’s because she’d like to see Michelle out of here. Tony asks why, it’s because Michelle doesn’t like her and she knows it. Tony says if she’s got a problem that’s interfering with her work, but he is cut off, it’s not. Tony says okay and lets her go.
12:11
Ramon Garcia, the man who is in the store with Kim, is being contacted by phone. He whines that he is going to prison but Kim assures him that he doesn’t know that. He reminds her that he killed a man and she says it was an accident. The phone rings and he answers, it is Deputy Raines from outside, he wants to know who is in there with Ramon. He says he has a girl but she isn’t hurt, it’s the owner. The cop suggests that they go in and get him, Ramon says it’s too late. He tells them that he’s just trying to get his wife out of the city, there was a bomb. He wants to talk to her on the phone. She is upset and he admits to her that he killed a man but it was an accident. He says that her and the baby need to get out of there, the cops need to take them where they can be safe. He says he loves her and the phone is handed back over to the cop. He says that Ramon has to come out and he says fine, he will, but in order for him to come out they have to take his wife to Monterey, she’ll be safe there. After that he’ll let “the girl” go and then come out.
Jack parks the SUV and opens the back of the truck, leaving Kate in the car. He stashes a rather large gun and 2 clips of ammo before Kate asks him what he wants her to do. Jack tells her just to stay here, he’s going in. She just needs to stay here, if she needs him press 1, it’s on speed dial. He reminds her that “I will do everything I can to protect you, okay?” Kate nods and he tells her to just stay put.
After Jack exits he gradually moves around the corner and finds the place that he is supposed to meet. He slowly enters with his gun drawn and checks the area. Jack hears a noise and sees a man. Demanding that he put his weapon down Jack enters the room completely. The man says and shows Jack that his weapon is down on the table. Jack then says for him to put his hands on is had and interlock his fingers, “you know the drill.” The man does this and Jack approaches with a metal detector, running it over the man. He says “that’s a Dunlop, it’ll pick up the piece of shrapnel that’s still in my ribcage,” and after it beeps around his ribs he asks “see?” Jack tells him to take a seat, he still has his hands up and Jack asks who he is? He tells Jack that his name is Jonathan Wallace and he gives his rank and position. This means something to Jack who tells him to raise his right arm and show the inside of his forearm to him. As he does we see a tattoo of a snake, Jack concludes that he is a Coral Snake. Wallace says that’s right so Jack goes on. He accuses him of taking out his entire team and asks why? Wallace says that he had 2 objectives, one to make sure the bomb went off and two to plant the Cypress Recording. Jack asks why? The war was always the objective, the people he work for own the oil that is not in the countries implicated, the value would go up immensely. Jack concludes, at the cost of detonating a nuclear devise in Los Angeles? Wallace says yes. Jack then asks what he wants with Kate Warner? Wallace says the people that he was working for wanted him killed, they tried to have him killed about an hour ago, unsuccessfully. Warner has DOD variance. Jack clarifies: Kate for proof that the Cypress Recording is fake. Wallace says that’s the deal, as he speaks Wallace taps his foot on a button. Outside we see the sign on the building blinking and a man watching. Them and turns and goes to the SUV that Kate is in. With his gun drawn he taps on the window and tells Kate to ‘keep her mouth shut and get out of the car.’ She is instructed to unlock the door, now. As Kate gets out Yusuf Auda hits the man with the gun from behind. Once he goes down he asks Kate if she is okay.
Back inside Wallace asks where the Warner girl is? Jack doesn’t answer, he asks how the evidence proves the recording was forged? Wallace says he has the source recordings that it was taken from. Jack’s phone beeps and it’s Auda, he is told that there was another guy so Jack hands the phone over to Wallace, “it’s for you.” When Wallace takes the phone Auda tells him that they man he sent to pick up Kate Warner is out. Wallace accuse him of lying and Auda gives a description, 6’2”, nasty scar on his face…Wallace hangs up and says that it’s fine, he’s still got what Jack needs and he won’t get it until he gets Kate Warner. Jack suggests that him and Wallace go on the plane but Wallace tells Jack that Kate can’t authorize a flight unless another company member is on the plane, since they have Bob Warner in custody she has to come with Wallace. Jack asks what he plans to do with her once they reach the destination, Wallace answers “I’ll have to dispose of her, you know that.” Jack says that he can’t let that happen. Wallace doesn’t hear of it, saying that they’re done here, he packs up and leaves. As he gets to the door Jack finally says “wait”. Wallace turns back and Jack gets back on the phone, “Yusuf, do you copy?” He says yeah, they’re here Jack, what does he want them to do? Jack tells him to “Bring her in.” and he looks at the floor.
12:31
At district Palmer, Mike and Lynn are there. Mike stops Lynn, he wants to get a hold of Jack Bauer. Lynn says the last thing she heard Jack was at CTU. Mike says the president is waiting based on a conversation he had with Jack Bauer, he wants to talk to Jack himself. Lynn warns that without the President knowing it would be dangerous. Mike argues that if he can get more information from Bauer then he’ll be able to back the President more effectively. Lynn wants to know what happens if there is no more information? Mike says that her objection is ‘duly noted’, with nothing left to argue she gives Mike the number for CTU. Tony is in his office and a secretary or operator puts Mike thorough after Tony is told who it is. Tony picks up the phone and Mike greets him, “Hi Tony,” he needs to reach Jack Bauer. Tony informs Mike that they are trying to do the same thing. Mike asks why, Tony says that he grabbed a material witness assaulted CTU personnel and took off. He’s working on a hunch that the Cypress Recording is a fake. Mike says that this is what he wanted to talk to Jack about. What about the witness? Tony says that her sister was in on the bomb but they’re not too sure why Jack wants her. Mike takes this well and asks Tony to put him through the second he talks to Jack, they’re at district. After hanging up, Tony calls Keri and asks for a word. She heads up to Tony’s office with Michelle watching. When she enters he asks where they are with finding Jack. His exit wasn’t picked up on satellite so Jack asks about Kate Warner? Keri sates that the house and the company are being watched in case they turn up there. Keri asks Tony if he talked to Michelle, this makes Tony look a bit awkward, he says he wanted to talk to her about that. He comes right out and asks if she has a problem working in the same office as Michelle. Keri, reads him right, and asks if he thinks she’s making up stories about Michelle because she has a problem working wither her? She was talking to Jack and they weren’t trading recopies. Tony finally agrees and asks her to put a filter on all her communications and to let him know when Jack tries to contact her.
Ramon’s wife is getting a police escort away as he watches out the window. Kim asks what’s going on and he says they are taking his wife where she’ll be safe. Kim wisely asks, and then what? He’s going to let her go right? He becomes angry and tells Kim not to push him, she got him into this situation in the first place, she pointed the gun at him. What is she doing with a gun anyway? He advances on her with the gun drawn and asks if she was gonna rip the place off? Kim says no and apologises, she shouldn’t have taken the gun out, she was afraid. He asks her what she has to be afraid of, Kim doesn’t answer and he yells, still brandishing the gun, ‘answer me!’ Finally she says that “my dad, he died tonight. The bomb that went off, he was there.” This makes him back off and put the gun down as the phone rings. When he answers it, it is the cop from outside to tell Ramon that his wife is on the way to Monterey. Ramon says that he doesn’t need to be calling every 5 minutes with an update. The cop is trying to convince Ramon to let Kim go, he’s going to be in custody soon and letting her go would help his case. He says that he isn’t stupid, the only reason that they haven’t come busting in there is Kim. He continues that if he sees them coming he’ll kill her. At this Kim decides that she can get out, she takes off to the back of the store, towards the bathroom. Ramon follows her after he hangs up the phone. Upon arriving in the bathroom Kim finds the backdoor has 2 locks on it. She yells for the cops that she is at the back door as Ramon tries to get in. Kim gets the first lock open and the chain allows the door to open a bit. Ramon is starting to shoot from the outside and Kim manages to squeeze through the door just in time. Ramon gets in the room and sees that she’s gone, he heads back out to the front.
Yusuf wakes up the man he had knocked out, he is bound now with his hands above his head. He asks him if there is anyone else with him but there is no answer. Auda tells Kate to look away as he draws his gun. This makes him talk, he says he is alone. Auda knocks him unconscious with his gun, gets up and leads Kate. She says “isn’t the warehouse that way?” as he gets on the phone to Jack and says that they are going to approach in a sweep pattern, they’ll be a few minutes. Jack hangs up and lets Wallace know that they’re going to be about 5 minutes. Wallace responds “and here we are without a deck of cards. I was down at Benning when Samuels tried to recruit you…he was real disappointed you turned him down…said you were a born killer…is that true?” Jack doesn’t respond and looks at the floor, he’s not too happy about this.
12:44
Keri is on her computer working and so is Michelle. An error message appears on Michelle so she tries again and the same thing happens. She calls Keri about it and asks if she has an error too. Keri says no, she must be on her side, and she offers to check it out. Michelle says no, she needs clearance to do that, she’ll get Alex to do it. Keri says she forgot. After they hang up Keri goes and gives a folder to another worker and asks that he deliver it. After he leaves she enters his control panel and changes a bunch of settings, I can only assume that she is giving herself clearance.
At division, Mike goes to Palmer and says that Jack took a witness out of CTU and assaulted an agnate. He sympathises that he knows how much this country owes him but it seems that he’s suffered some kind of emotional collapse. Mike thinks it would be understandable given his circumstances. Palmer is quick to defend Jack, saying Mike doesn’t know that. Mike argues that the country needs Palmers energy concentrated on what is going to happen after the planes drop their bombs. Palmer still is with Jack, if he turns out to be right they will have made a mistake of historic proportions. Mike tries to argue but he’s cut off by Palmer saying ‘that’s all Mike, find Jack Bauer.’
Jack and Wallace are waiting for Auda and Kate. Wallace says he will take Kate with him to the airport of his choice. Once they are in the air Wallace will call Jack and tell him where the recording is. Jack asks what assurances he has that Wallace will call? Wallace says none, he’ll just have to trust him. Jack doesn’t trust Wallace but he assures Jack that “you’re the last person I want tracking me down.” The door opens and they both draw their guns and point them at the door. It is only Kate and Auda, they simultaneously lower their weapons. Before anything is said Kate asks Jack what is going on? Wallace answers that ‘you and I are going on a little trip’. Kate, looking for a response from Jack who has his back to them says “Jack?” Jack says that she has to go with him, she asks what about him? Finally he looks at her and Wallace answers that Jack isn’t coming. Kate, upset by this (I think) reminds Jack that he gave her his word. Jack says he’s sorry that it has to be done like this. Wallace grabs her and says let’s go. Kate demands that he get his hands off of her, Wallace tells Jack to talk to her or he’ll have to do this another way. Jack says “Kate, remember everything I said in the car, just do what he says and you won’t get hurt, okay?” Kate seems to realize what’s going on and says “you’re giving me up, aren’t you”
12:53
Michelle’s phone rings and she picks it up. The man on the other end says “it’s me, Danny.” Michelle asks what he is doing up and he asks if she’s sure its safe here? Michelle says as far as she knows. Danny asks what that’s supposed to mean, Michelle says that he knows what her situation is, and he thinks her situation sucks. He wants to know it’s safe, what about the kids? Doesn’t she care about them? Michelle tells him that if there was anything to know she would have told him, he says just like the bomb, or did that slip her mind? She tells him that she already told him about that. He threatens to phone Keri, she’d tell him. Michelle doesn’t like this, she says she thought they weren’t speaking. Danny replies “we’re not, she’s a bitch.” He hangs up the phone. Keri, who is listening in, deletes the call on her computer.
Inside the convenience store Ramon is begging them not to shoot him, he’s sorry. The cop, sounding really bored, tells him to throw the weapon out the front door. He says Ramon needs to come out, he’s got no one left in there. The cop has heard enough, he says they have been getting a new call every 10 minutes since the bomb went off, they’ve gotta be done here now. Kim asks for them to give him more time but the cop sends the team in. After some gunfire the radio says that they can send the medical team in.
Lynn and Mike are on a video conference call with the Vice President. Palmer couldn’t make it, he’s getting briefed by Chapelle. The British Prime Minister was frustrated that they are not cooperating. They have planes in the air, either they’re committed or not. Mike lets him know that the Cypress Recording may have been falsified, Palmer wants to be able to call the planes back if need be. The Vice President makes it sound like Palmer is chickening out, he asks Mike directly if he believes that the president is capable of doing the hard thing, the right thing? Mike says yes, he does. The president just wants to make sure all the bases are covered. The president will contact him in a while. After they disconnect Mike looks stressed. He takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. Lynn concludes that he thinks the Vice President is right, doesn’t he? Mike answers that if the President turns those planes around based on the speculation of a single CTU agent, it will be a disaster. Lynn asks what they should do about it, Mike doesn’t know.
As they exit the warehouse Kate is asking Wallace where he is taking her. He just opens the trunk and tells her to get in. She says that she’s not going to try and escape, Wallace just looks at her. Jack encourages her to get in, it’s for her own safety. She looks back and Jack and carefully gets in. Wallace closes the trunk and puts his bag on top. Jack, still in the doorway, watches intently with Auda behind him.
The screen splits and we see all the major characters including Ramón being wheeled out of the store on a stretcher bleeding.
Auda whispers to Jack that the tracker is in place and has been activated. Jack has little reaction, Wallace tells Jack that it’s been a real pleasure, he’ll be in touch. He walks around the car and opens the door. As he bends over to put his bag in, a gunshot shatters the window on the drivers side door. Jack immediately jumps out of the doorframe to beside the car, squatting down he shoots back at the gunfire that is coming from the roof.

Miscellaneous Thoughts:
-what a bad time for Kate to throw another fit, you know, they’re kinda in a hurry right now…can’t it wait?
-Was that gate damaged in the explosion or was it always that slow? With all the high tech equipment at CTU you think they’d be able to afford a better gate.
-I’m pretty sure Jack took off a mirror at least when he zipped through it.
-Does Kate have a cheat sheet with a list of the stupidest questions known to man? Every time she’s in a conversation she’s throwing a barrage of useless questions at Jack “who is it? What are we doing? What does he want? Why are we here? Isn’t the warehouse that way?” Why is the sky blue? What’s war? And ON and ON and ON!
-Funniest line of the episode, possibly the series: Kate to Jack: “Do you really think we can do this?” WE? WE?!?!?! Oh, I see, you mean Jack, ‘cause all you’ll do is stand there with that one expression and get in the way.
-I really don’t think Tony’s ankle is only sprained. From the noise that came from it there is no way. I’m no doctor but I have played enough basketball and turned enough ankles and knees to know that that sound is not indicative of just a sprain.
-It seems that Tony has found his level head again, he didn’t just jump to the conclusion that Michelle was with Jack, he at least tried to reason it out. Either that or it’s just ‘cause he has a thing for her.
-I’m guessing that Ramon is less than pro-active. He whines to Kim that he wants her to “not let him die” but at the same time he isn’t doing anything to help it, you know, like let them out?!?!
-When they all got out of Air Force One, that was about the worst background ever. It didn’t look anywhere close to real
-So, Lynn couldn’t just hand her cell to the president, she had to have the Vice President patched through to the console phone.
-Hallelujah there is a Vice President!
-Ramon is a whiny jerk, he almost as bad as Kate!
-When did Kim get all these skills? CPR, what to do with a gunshot wound, shooting a gun…She’s been busy for the last 18 months.
-Auda has a really good point, why would his country help Ali?
-Do they have crutches laying around CTU?
-Tony gets around pretty good on those crutches for a rookie.
-when did Jack have time to program his cell number into speed dial?
-“I’ll do everything I can to protect you” i.e. You are a chicken and are not willing to sacrifice your own pathetic life to save possibly millions of innocents. <<shudder>> I hate her…
-Why does everyone keep asking Kate if she’s okay? She looks fine to me, she’s not the one that just got hit in the head by Auda.
-Wallace is wonderfully sinister…I like it
-Did anyone else think it was kind of funny when Mike called Tony and called him Tony? In a place where everyone seems to call everyone else by something way less casual (Mr. President, Bauer, Dessler etc) Mike just calls up Tony and speaks like they’ve known each other for years. It was just kinda weird
-I love the tone of voice when Tony tells Mike that they don’t have Jack, he’s off working the Cypress Recoding, Mike says that ‘that’s exactly what he wanted to talk to him about’ He sounds like Christmas has been cancelled.
-“Assaulted CTU Personnel” is code for “Mooommmmmyyy, he hit ME!”
-I’d almost forgotten that Kim still thinks her dad is dead. Hopefully she finds out soon that he’s okay.
-It’s a really interesting observation from Wallace about Jack being a ‘born killer’. I wonder what context this is going to be used in for the future. I can’t see a significant comment like that just going along the wayside. It gives a little more character depth to Jack, I guess.
-Likewise when Wallace says that Jack is the last person he wants tracking him down the only thing that came through my mind was Jack and Nina. That might fit with the Nina plot possibly next season.
-With all the animosity between Keri and Michelle, why would she call Keri of all people when she has a computer problem?
-So, another clue to the Michelle/Keri situation that just brings up more questions. This Danny character is really interesting. He seems really strung out, possibly on drugs?? Whose kids are they? Michelle’s profile on the Fox website (http://www.fox..com/24) says that she is single and there are no kids listed.
-The call time that Keri deletes is 12:43, not 12:53, the time that the shows clock says it is.
-I love the idea of a gunfight around a car that contains Kate trapped in the trunk. Beautiful. I know it’s too good to be true but as far as I’m concerned, Kate’s dead in the trunk until I see her next week <<shudder>>
-Finally, I really like Auda. Having him be bad is just too predictable. I see some of Jack in him, especially getting information out of someone and then knocking the out with the butt of his gun…Anyone remember Kevin Caroll?