Ep 14. Day 5: 8:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M

Jack Bauer's day just keeps getting worse. He's barely been able to hold on for the past 14 hours, and it doesn't look like it's going to get any easier. In "Day 5: 8:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.," the 14th episode of season 5 of "24," Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland) faces some of the toughest challenges yet.

When the hour begins, Bauer is handed another tough task. He needs to find a way to stop a terrorist attack that involves a Sentox nerve gas canister that was stolen from one of CTU's safe houses. While that may sound like a tall order, Bauer is already used to doing the impossible. However, it quickly becomes apparent that this is going to test his limits.

Meanwhile, in Washington, President Logan (Gregory Itzin) is dealing with his own set of problems. A senator (Kurtwood Smith) has approached him with evidence that suggests a conspiracy existed to cover up the fact that the nerve gas involved in the terrorist attack was in fact in the hands of the government. This news is a big blow to Logan's credibility, and it threatens to derail his administration. But Logan has a plan: he's going to try and use Bauer to help him save face and turn the situation around.

At CTU, things are no less hectic. Audrey Raines (Kim Raver), Bauer's love interest, is determined to uncover the truth behind what happened to her father, who is in a coma after being exposed to nerve gas. Meanwhile, CTU director Lynn McGill (Sean Astin) is trying to make a name for himself by taking the lead in the investigation into the stolen canister, but his erratic behavior is starting to worry his colleagues.

As the hour progresses, Bauer finds himself increasingly isolated. CTU has made a deal with a corrupt Russian diplomat to help track down the nerve gas, but Bauer isn't sure he wants to trust the man, especially when he discovers that his own brother is working with the Russians. He also has to deal with a rogue agent who is trying to sell the nerve gas to the highest bidder.

Bauer's situation isn't helped by the fact that he's becoming increasingly ill, thanks to the fact that he was exposed to the nerve gas earlier in the day. He tries to keep his condition a secret from his colleagues, but it becomes clear that he's running out of time.

As the hour comes to a close, Bauer finds himself in a high-speed chase through the city, trying to catch the rogue agent and prevent the nerve gas from falling into the wrong hands. The chase is intense, with Bauer's condition worsening by the second. It's a race against time, and it's anyone's guess whether he'll make it out alive.

"Day 5: 8:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M." is classic "24" at its best. The episode is full of intense action, complex political maneuvering, and lots of tough ethical questions. Bauer, as always, is at the center of it all, struggling to do what's right in an impossible situation. With each new episode, it becomes clear that his day may never truly end, and that he may never truly find the peace he's been searching for. For fans of the show, "Day 5: 8:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M." is a must-see.