Jack Bauer: Not Your Ordinary Father
by Maggie Van Ostrand
Each year at this time, people extol the virtues of their dads. Now it's time to reward one famous father with adoring recognition and public acknowledgement. In short, this is the time to give an award to our very own favorite fictitious father, Jack Bauer.
Jack Bauer goes beyond the norm when challenged with yet another lifesaving, sometimes death-defying deed relating to his daughter, Kim. Not only must he keep terrorists and other slimy characters away, he's got her boyfriends to hold off as well, not to mention randy young CTU agents and the occasional wild cougar.
When she was only 17, Kim got herself in a lot of trouble by sneaking out of her house to meet Dan and Rick, who were actually kidnappers, not potential boyfriends as she had been led to believe.
Kim escaped, then was recaptured, only to be captured again and held captive by Ira Gaines, who wanted her as a means of manipulating Jack Bauer. Gaines also managed to capture her mom, Teri Bauer, who was out looking for Kim. Luckily, kidnapper Rick changed his mind and assisted Jack in rescuing both women. They were safe, for awhile.
Both Teri and Kim, in what was supposed to be a safe house, were 'napped by the goons of villainous Victor Drazen, but they both escaped. Kim went to Rick's house where she was accosted by kidnapper Dan's brother, a drug dealer who was to meet other dealers who turned out to be undercover cops. All were arrested, including Kim, who protested that she was the daughter of CTU agent Jack Bauer, and was eventually released when her story checked out.
Of all things, as Kim was driving to CTU to meet Jack, Drazen's men attacked the car she was in and killed everyone except her. Jack came to the rescue and exchanged himself for Kim, who later escaped, returning to CTU and gratefully embraced her father who had performed another 24 miracle and was back at work. Later that same day, mom, Teri, was shot and killed by vampy vixen, Nina.
Second day (season 2), a depressed Kim dropped out of Santa Monica High School and took a job as a nanny. Simultaneously, Jack discovered a nuclear threat afoot and had to get Kim out of Los Angeles. Kim would not leave because the child she was nannying was suffering abuse which led to serious medical problems. Kim, who now is hanging with a guy named Miguel, are trying to get out of town after taking the child from a hospital, but they were stopped for speeding. The cop sees blood dripping from the trunk and inside, they find the child's murdered mom, which leads to Kim and Miguel's arrest for murder. It's clear to all but the cops that the killer was really the kid's dad.
Enroute to the station, an accident occurs, leaving Miguel injured and Kim running in the wilderness (narrowly escaping a threatening cougar) and ending up in the fallout shelter of a conservationist who turns out to be a big liar. On a borrowed cellphone, Kim calls CTU and speaks to Jack who tells her he's about to detonate a nuclear bomb out in the desert. This news freaks out Kim who tearfully apologizes for ever doubting him and Jack tells her he loves her and that nothing was her fault.
During this same day, Jack, who didn't have to detonate the bomb after all, advises Kim to shoot the child's father who's about to attack her. When she shoots and kills, Kim finally understands what her father's job is like, and ends the day safely in his arms.
On the third day (season 3), although Kim dropped out of high school, Jack managed to get her in at Santa Monica College anyway, and she actually earned an Associate's Degree in Computer Programming. She was then able to gain employment at her dad's place of business: the Counter Terrorist Unit, based in Los Angeles.
Kim falls in love with Jack's partner, Chase, who sacrifices his forearm (Jack has to cut it off because a deadly virus container is locked onto it, rather than let a terrorist escape with the virus). Kim and Chase leave CTU after deciding to dedicate themselves to raising Chase's daughter.
On the fifth day (season 5) Kim is reunited at CTU with Jack after having believed his faked death from day 4 was real. By this time, Chase has left Kim who now is involved with a clinical psychologist. Everyone at CTU is subjected to a Sentox nerve gas attack, but a few, including Kim, are temporarily safe within the protected confines of the situation room. After Jack saves the survivors including Kim from total annihilation, Kim leaves CTU on less than good terms with her dad because everyone close to him sooner or later gets killed.
Kim is not in the sixth day (Season 6), but it was known that she and the psychologist were living in Valencia, where a suitcase nuclear bomb was detonated. It is not known whether she survived.
Jack has rescued daughter Kim so many times, it has even been said that when Kim Bauer lost her virginity, Jack found it and put it back.
Jack Bauer's award for Father of the Century will be presented by Kiefer Sutherland on primetime Fox TV.
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