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Bill Buchanan (24 character)
Encyclopedia
Bill Buchanan is a fictional character
in 24
. Played by James Morrison
, the character is the head of the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) from the fourth season to the sixth season, when he is forced to step down. In between Season 5 and 6, he married Karen Hayes
. He returns in Season 7
, working outside of official agencies to uncover a terrorist plot that goes to the highest levels of government.
describes the balance Buchanan provides: "We feel like we don't want to take his hand off the steering wheel because it's so steady. He's sort of the grown-up in the room, the straight man for other people who certainly make it a more colorful place to watch."
The occasions when Buchanan's temper does flare carry dramatic weight because of their rarity. Dawkins notes a brief outburst when a terrorist escapes during season six, episode four for being "as explosive as anything else that hour". Actor James Morrison describes the importance of such scenes. "If you pick those moments where he does have that quick explosion, then everyone will take notice."
in English
from Brown University
. Prior to becoming the Special Agent in Charge at the LA CTU office, he was the Associate Special Agent in Charge at the Los Angeles Division office. Buchanan started his career as an agent with the New York
Domestic Unit.
Following the destruction of the trackers on Behrooz, Jack informs Buchanan that he was able to short circuit some wires where he had been detained. Jack leads a strike team to the location, storming it, only to have the location destroyed by Marwan.
When Jack Bauer brings in Joe Prado, Buchanan looks to the Department of Justice for permission to torture Prado, however is unable to do so. Buchanan calls President Charles Logan
for authorization, however the President refuses. Seeing no alternative, Bauer resigns and interrogates Prado as a private citizen, and acquires the information. Audrey Raines
and Mike Novick
are angry with Buchanan for allowing it, who suggests to Mike to have President Logan sign off on Prado's torture and then just fabricate the timeline. Mike is unable to do so, but Bill later finds out that President Logan wants Bauer detained.
Buchanan becomes visibly angry when he discovers that a raid had occurred on the Chinese consulate without his knowledge. When Cheng Zhi
comes to CTU for answers, Buchanan aids in the cover up until Howard Bern can escape from CTU.
Buchanan is informed by Michelle Dessler
that a terrorist named Mandy
had been calling her He advises her to act as if she is going to proceed with the plan, in order to capture Mandy, however Mandy stages her own death, supposedly killing Tony Almeida
as well, which leaves Michelle devastated. Buchanan suggests that she go home. Later Jack calls Bill informing him that Tony is alive.
When Buchanan discovers that Bauer is being transferred into Chinese custody, he tells the Secret Service agent that Bauer is a hero. Bauer attempts to escape, and following a firefight, is supposedly shot and killed. Buchanan informs Audrey Raines
what happened, and she breaks down.
At the end of the day, Michelle and Tony retire and Buchanan becomes the Director of CTU.
, the CTU is working to find a connection between the death of David Palmer
and Michelle Dessler
. Buchanan briefs President Logan
on the Palmer investigation, suggesting that he postpone the treaty signing, but Logan refuses. Edgar
shows footage of Jack Bauer as the apparent assassin of Palmer, and Buchanan issues a warrant for Jack's arrest. A hostage situation at the Ontario airport prompts Lynn McGill to be sent to CTU in order to oversee the situation, though criticized for the adherence to protocol.
Buchanan interrogates a suspected mole, Spenser Wolff, and learns he's working for Walt Cummings as part of an internal investigation. Programmer Jacob Rossler, is captured for aiding terrorists, and Buchanan and McGill agree to grant him immunity in exchange for information, but Rossler is killed before he can provide the results.
When Bauer escapes custody with the aid of Buchanan and Audrey, McGill becomes suspicious that he may have had help from CTU, and Buchanan is detained for insubordination, but was later reinstated when McGill was relieved of duty. Homeland Security
is ordered to absorb CTU; and when Raines discredits Buchanan to reinstate O'Brian, Buchanan is relieved of duty.
O'Brian is discovered working with Jack at Bill Buchanan's home by the CTU; but, a tipoff from Karen Hayes enables Chloe to escape, and Buchanan is arrested without incident. Buchanan knows that he'll have protection from Hayes upon arrival at CTU. At CTU, Buchanan and Hayes discuss Jack's current situation. Working together with Chloe, they aid Jack in obtaining the evidence implicating President Logan
, but the evidence is later destroyed. Vladimir Bierko escapes custody, and takes control of a submarine and its missiles. Bill and Karen have fighter planes sent to destroy the sub, and send Jack with a team to resolve the situation. The terrorists are killed, and the their plan is thwarted.
Unknown to Bill and Karen; Jack, Chloe, Mike
, Martha
and Aaron plot to expose President Logan, until Chloe notifies them that she has evidence incriminating the President. The day concludes with Logan being arrested, and a foreshadowing of a relationship between Bill and Karen is revealed.
are married between seasons five and six. The season opens with Bill and Curtis Manning
at Ellis Airfield as a Hercules C-130 military transport lands. Buchanan finalizes the release of Jack Bauer from the Chinese, and are shocked by his condition. Bill brings Jack to the drop-off point and apologetically handcuffs Bauer to a nearby guardrail. Bill returns to CTU to find that Morris O'Brian
and Chloe O'Brian
redirected a personal satellite to view Jack, breaking their promise with Fayed. Chloe informs Bill of satellite footage showing Jack helping Hamri Al-Assad escape before the missiles hit. Bill orders her to monitor communications, and she discovers that Fayed is the terrorist culprit. Bill and Chloe agree to keep the information secret.
A disgraced Charles Logan
is brought into CTU, and Logan persuades Buchanan that his wife may be able to convince Anya Suvarov to help resolve the situation with the Russian Consulate. Buchanan agrees and provides Logan with a chopper to Logan
's residence. When Jack is captured by the Russian Consulate and Markov refuses to divulge information, Buchanan orders an attack on the consulate without Vice President Noah Daniels's approval. Eventually he receives permission from both Daniels and Russian President Yuri Suvarov, and leads a successful attack along with Mike Doyle.
Doyle discovers a mole in the CTU and immediately suspects Nadia Yassir
, creating tension between Milo and Doyle; thus Bill is forced to break up a fight in the situation room. Jack discovers that Bill kept secret the fact that Audrey Raines had died in China. Bill said that he did not tell Jack because Jack was about to sacrifice himself for the country. Nadia Yassir is cleared of charges, and agrees to return upon Buchanan's request. Later when Bill gets a call from his wife Karen Hayes and she says that she is afraid that she is the reason that Vice President Daniels will continue acting as president. Bill comforts her by saying that Daniels does not have a case and that the supreme courts will agree and to let him know when they made a decision. Karen thanks her husband for being there. Bill says, "You don’t have to thank me. It’s my job."
After the capture of lead terrorist Abu Fayed, CTU stages a fake rescue of Fayed hoping that he will lead them to the remaining suitcase nuke
s. It is revealed by the ambassador that his country has captured a general who might have been helping Fayed. Buchanan persuades President Palmer to order the ambassador to have the captured general contact Fayed. Nadia Yassir
warns Buchanan that there might be a distress signal encoded in the phone call. Fayed is later killed by Jack Bauer.
Buchanan briefs the CTU staff on the death of Abu Fayed and the end of the terrorist threat; and thanks all the personnel for their efforts. During the briefing Chloe gets a call from Jack and admits that Jack wanted to trade the Russian bomb's circuit board to the Chinese in exchange for Audrey Raines
. Buchanan orders Mike Doyle to secure Jack; while allowing Jack to contact President Wayne Palmer. Wayne gives CTU the go ahead to make the exchange after Jack assures that he will not allow the board to get into Chinese hands. Karen informs Buchanan that Vice President Daniels is the acting president, and wants Jack Bauer and the whole operation stopped. Buchanan calls Doyle, and tells him that he must disarm Jack and bring him in. Jack forces Doyle out of the car after the phone conversation and goes ahead with the mission. This allows for the rescue of Audrey Raines without Buchanan directly disobeying superior orders. Mike Doyle informs Buchanan that Jack has escaped is attempting to get the circuit board to Cheng. Buchanan announces to the CTU staff that Jack Bauer has gone rogue.
Buchanan calls Karen and she informs him that she is being forced to fire him from CTU to protect herself and the President. The Department of Justice wanted a fall guy for the Fayed escape, before he was a known threat. Buchanan contacts division and informs Nadia Yassir
that he is stepping down and that she will be temporarily in charge of CTU until division sends a replacement.
During a 4:00am search of his home, Buchanan declines a call, and Karen leaves a message on his answering machine. She informs him that Vice President Daniels is about to go through with an exchange between Josh Bauer and the sub-circuitboard. She believes that it is a bad idea and begs Bill to intervene. Soon after, Buchanan crashes his truck with the CTU SUV that was transporting Jack back to CTU causing them to go off the road. When Buchanan is talking to the agents Jack comes behind Agent Turner and causes him to drop his weapon. After handcuffing the two agents to their car, Jack and Bill drive away towards the beach. When riding Buchanan gets a call from Karen, who tells him that Secret Service found out about her and that they will be arresting her any time. She thanked him and told him she loved him.
After summoning medical attention for the injured Mike Doyle, Jack and Buchanan commandeer a CTU helicopter to rescue Josh against the orders of White House and CTU. Buchanan asks Nadia for the thermal-Intel of the oil rig so they would know the location of hostiles. Buchanan escorts Cheng back to the chopper and waits for Jack. Josh comes running and tells him that Jack is still with his father. When Buchanan communicates with Jack through comm., Jack tells him to fly along the side of the rig so that Jack can be picked up. Jack jumps on the ladder seconds before the missiles hit the rig.
Buchanan flies Josh and Cheng back to CTU where he congratulates Nadia Yassir
on her good work. At the conclusion of the day, Buchanan resigns in exchange for a pardon.
. Neither Bill nor Chloe appear in the first or second episodes of the seventh season, but appear starting in the third episode, working on their own, outside of official agencies, to reveal a conspiracy at the highest levels of the current administration. The seriousness of this threat has led him to be willing to let his men die in order to achieve their objectives.
After Dubaku is apprehended and a large number of US-based conspirators revealed, he asks the President to speak to Senator Mayer about the Senate hearings where Jack Bauer is accused of acts of torture, reminding her of the contribution Jack has made in stopping Dubaku. Later on when General Juma attacks the White House, Bill and Jack realize that Juma is using the President's tracker bracelet to locate her. Bill removes the tracker and uses it to lead Juma's men away from the President, acting as a decoy to buy Jack time to get the President to the lock-down room. He succeeds but is captured by Juma's men and taken hostage. In Hour 13, 8:00 - 9:00 PM, after Jack and President Taylor are forced out of the lockdown room, Jack informs Bill that before he opened the door he managed to release a significant amount of natural gas inside the lockdown room, and that a single gunshot would set off an explosion. Bill tells Jack that he saw Juma on a satellite phone to a co-conspirator and wants Jack to find out who it was through Burnett, another US-based conspirator who was in custody. Bill then charges at one of Juma's guards by the lockdown room, knocking him down and securing the guard's gun and manages to fire off a shot, thus setting off the explosion. This kills a considerable number of Juma's troops as well as Buchanan himself; in the aftermath, Jack is shown visibly mourning over Bill's body, as he had intended to be the one to set off the explosion and sacrifice his own life. Bill's sacrifice is honored with a silent clock at 8:11:52 P.M.
in Delta Force
and was torture
d and killed in Afghanistan
by a Russia
n agent named Malenov (who is in turn killed years later by Bauer). In the novel Operation Hell Gate
, Buchanan makes a brief appearance on a conference call
with Nina Myers
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
. Played by James Morrison
James Morrison (actor)
James Paige Morrison is an American actor. He was born in Bountiful, Utah, the son of an office manager, and was raised in Anchorage, Alaska.-Biography:...
, the character is the head of the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) from the fourth season to the sixth season, when he is forced to step down. In between Season 5 and 6, he married Karen Hayes
Karen Hayes
Karen Hayes is a fictional character on the television program 24 portrayed by actress Jayne Atkinson. She appeared as a recurring character in twelve episodes of the fifth season and was a main cast member in eighteen episodes of the sixth season....
. He returns in Season 7
24 (season 7)
Season Seven, also known as Day 7 of the American serial television series 24, was to premiere on January 13, 2008, but was delayed for one year due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. On November 23, 2008, Fox aired 24: Redemption, a two-hour TV movie set between seasons. Season...
, working outside of official agencies to uncover a terrorist plot that goes to the highest levels of government.
Concept and creation
According to a New York Times review by Walter Dawkins, Bill Buchanan functions as a stoic center figure for the show's Counter Terrorist Unit. Executive producer Howard GordonHoward Gordon
Howard Gordon is an American screenwriter and producer.-Life and career:Gordon was born in Queens, New York, New York. After graduating from Princeton in 1984, Gordon came to Los Angeles with fellow filmmaker Alex Gansa to pursue a career in writing for television. Both broke into the industry...
describes the balance Buchanan provides: "We feel like we don't want to take his hand off the steering wheel because it's so steady. He's sort of the grown-up in the room, the straight man for other people who certainly make it a more colorful place to watch."
The occasions when Buchanan's temper does flare carry dramatic weight because of their rarity. Dawkins notes a brief outburst when a terrorist escapes during season six, episode four for being "as explosive as anything else that hour". Actor James Morrison describes the importance of such scenes. "If you pick those moments where he does have that quick explosion, then everyone will take notice."
Characterization
Buchanan has a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. Prior to becoming the Special Agent in Charge at the LA CTU office, he was the Associate Special Agent in Charge at the Los Angeles Division office. Buchanan started his career as an agent with the New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Domestic Unit.
24: Season 4
Bill Buchanan is sent to CTU help oversee operations during Day 4, particularly the Jack Bauer-Behrooz Araz trade off, an idea that Buchanan had initially disagreed with. When he realizes that there are no viable alternatives, Buchanan decides to proceed with the exchange.Following the destruction of the trackers on Behrooz, Jack informs Buchanan that he was able to short circuit some wires where he had been detained. Jack leads a strike team to the location, storming it, only to have the location destroyed by Marwan.
When Jack Bauer brings in Joe Prado, Buchanan looks to the Department of Justice for permission to torture Prado, however is unable to do so. Buchanan calls President Charles Logan
Charles Logan (24 character)
Charles Logan is a fictional character played by Gregory Itzin in the television series 24. During the show's fourth season, Logan is the Vice President of the United States who is sworn into office as President of the United States when former President John Keeler is critically injured in a...
for authorization, however the President refuses. Seeing no alternative, Bauer resigns and interrogates Prado as a private citizen, and acquires the information. Audrey Raines
Audrey Raines
Audrey Louise Raines is a fictional character played by actress Kim Raver on the television show 24.-Characterization:Audrey was born in either Albany, New York or Providence, Rhode Island . Her mother died when she was nine...
and Mike Novick
Mike Novick
Mike Novick is a fictional character played by Jude Ciccolella as part of the television series, 24. He has appeared more than any other recurring character, having appeared in 58 episodes over 4 seasons, and has been given a promotional photo with the same background as the starring cast members,...
are angry with Buchanan for allowing it, who suggests to Mike to have President Logan sign off on Prado's torture and then just fabricate the timeline. Mike is unable to do so, but Bill later finds out that President Logan wants Bauer detained.
Buchanan becomes visibly angry when he discovers that a raid had occurred on the Chinese consulate without his knowledge. When Cheng Zhi
Cheng Zhi
Cheng Zhi is a fictional character played by Tzi Ma on the television series 24. He is a Chinese official and an enemy of Jack Bauer. At the end of Day 6, Bauer badly scars Cheng during an assault and captures him.-24: Season 4:...
comes to CTU for answers, Buchanan aids in the cover up until Howard Bern can escape from CTU.
Buchanan is informed by Michelle Dessler
Michelle Dessler
Michelle Dessler is a fictional character played by Reiko Aylesworth on the television series, 24. She was one of Jack's closest and most trusted female allies at CTU as well as one of his closest friends outside of work. The character first appeared in the second season of 24 as an Internet...
that a terrorist named Mandy
Mandy (24 character)
Mandy is a fictional character, played by Mia Kirshner, on the television series 24. She is a terrorist and a professional assassin, and is notable for being the only longtime antagonist of the series to remain alive, as of the end of Season 4 .-24: Season 1:Mandy appears in the first three...
had been calling her He advises her to act as if she is going to proceed with the plan, in order to capture Mandy, however Mandy stages her own death, supposedly killing Tony Almeida
Tony Almeida
Anthony "Tony" Almeida is a fictional character played by Carlos Bernard on the television series 24. Almeida appeared in a total of 115 episodes, the third highest number of episodes of any character in the series behind Chloe O'Brian and main character Jack Bauer , portrayed by Mary Lynn Rajskub...
as well, which leaves Michelle devastated. Buchanan suggests that she go home. Later Jack calls Bill informing him that Tony is alive.
When Buchanan discovers that Bauer is being transferred into Chinese custody, he tells the Secret Service agent that Bauer is a hero. Bauer attempts to escape, and following a firefight, is supposedly shot and killed. Buchanan informs Audrey Raines
Audrey Raines
Audrey Louise Raines is a fictional character played by actress Kim Raver on the television show 24.-Characterization:Audrey was born in either Albany, New York or Providence, Rhode Island . Her mother died when she was nine...
what happened, and she breaks down.
At the end of the day, Michelle and Tony retire and Buchanan becomes the Director of CTU.
24: Season 5
At the start of the day24 (season 5)
Season Five, also known as Day 5 of the television series 24 premiered on January 15, 2006 and aired its season finale on May 22, 2006.The Season Five storyline starts and ends at 7:00 a.m. It is the same time frame as the previous season....
, the CTU is working to find a connection between the death of David Palmer
David Palmer (24 character)
David Palmer, J.D. is a fictional President of the United States played by Dennis Haysbert as part of the television series 24. Palmer served as the show's second-most prominent protagonist, after Jack Bauer. Throughout the series, Palmer's ex-wife Sherry and brother Wayne are both key figures in...
and Michelle Dessler
Michelle Dessler
Michelle Dessler is a fictional character played by Reiko Aylesworth on the television series, 24. She was one of Jack's closest and most trusted female allies at CTU as well as one of his closest friends outside of work. The character first appeared in the second season of 24 as an Internet...
. Buchanan briefs President Logan
Charles Logan (24 character)
Charles Logan is a fictional character played by Gregory Itzin in the television series 24. During the show's fourth season, Logan is the Vice President of the United States who is sworn into office as President of the United States when former President John Keeler is critically injured in a...
on the Palmer investigation, suggesting that he postpone the treaty signing, but Logan refuses. Edgar
Edgar Stiles
Edgar Stiles was a fictional character played by Louis Lombardi in the American television series 24.-Characteristics:Edgar had experience as an Intelligence Analyst at CTU as well as being a protocol manager...
shows footage of Jack Bauer as the apparent assassin of Palmer, and Buchanan issues a warrant for Jack's arrest. A hostage situation at the Ontario airport prompts Lynn McGill to be sent to CTU in order to oversee the situation, though criticized for the adherence to protocol.
Buchanan interrogates a suspected mole, Spenser Wolff, and learns he's working for Walt Cummings as part of an internal investigation. Programmer Jacob Rossler, is captured for aiding terrorists, and Buchanan and McGill agree to grant him immunity in exchange for information, but Rossler is killed before he can provide the results.
When Bauer escapes custody with the aid of Buchanan and Audrey, McGill becomes suspicious that he may have had help from CTU, and Buchanan is detained for insubordination, but was later reinstated when McGill was relieved of duty. Homeland Security
Homeland security
Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
is ordered to absorb CTU; and when Raines discredits Buchanan to reinstate O'Brian, Buchanan is relieved of duty.
O'Brian is discovered working with Jack at Bill Buchanan's home by the CTU; but, a tipoff from Karen Hayes enables Chloe to escape, and Buchanan is arrested without incident. Buchanan knows that he'll have protection from Hayes upon arrival at CTU. At CTU, Buchanan and Hayes discuss Jack's current situation. Working together with Chloe, they aid Jack in obtaining the evidence implicating President Logan
Charles Logan (24 character)
Charles Logan is a fictional character played by Gregory Itzin in the television series 24. During the show's fourth season, Logan is the Vice President of the United States who is sworn into office as President of the United States when former President John Keeler is critically injured in a...
, but the evidence is later destroyed. Vladimir Bierko escapes custody, and takes control of a submarine and its missiles. Bill and Karen have fighter planes sent to destroy the sub, and send Jack with a team to resolve the situation. The terrorists are killed, and the their plan is thwarted.
Unknown to Bill and Karen; Jack, Chloe, Mike
Mike Novick
Mike Novick is a fictional character played by Jude Ciccolella as part of the television series, 24. He has appeared more than any other recurring character, having appeared in 58 episodes over 4 seasons, and has been given a promotional photo with the same background as the starring cast members,...
, Martha
Martha Logan
Martha Logan is a fictional character played by Jean Smart in the television series, 24. As the first lady of the United States within the 24 universe, she is the capable but unpredictable and unstable wife of President Charles Logan...
and Aaron plot to expose President Logan, until Chloe notifies them that she has evidence incriminating the President. The day concludes with Logan being arrested, and a foreshadowing of a relationship between Bill and Karen is revealed.
24: Season 6
Characters Bill Buchanan and Karen HayesKaren Hayes
Karen Hayes is a fictional character on the television program 24 portrayed by actress Jayne Atkinson. She appeared as a recurring character in twelve episodes of the fifth season and was a main cast member in eighteen episodes of the sixth season....
are married between seasons five and six. The season opens with Bill and Curtis Manning
Curtis Manning
Curtis Manning is a fictional character on the television series 24 portrayed by Roger Cross.-Characterization:Before joining CTU, he was a member of the Boston Police Department's SWAT unit and had...
at Ellis Airfield as a Hercules C-130 military transport lands. Buchanan finalizes the release of Jack Bauer from the Chinese, and are shocked by his condition. Bill brings Jack to the drop-off point and apologetically handcuffs Bauer to a nearby guardrail. Bill returns to CTU to find that Morris O'Brian
Morris O'Brian
Morris O'Brian is a fictional character from the TV series 24. He is portrayed by actor Carlo Rota. As shown in Day 6 , Morris can speak and understand at least some of the Russian language.-Characterization:...
and Chloe O'Brian
Chloe O'Brian
Chloe O'Brian is a fictional character played by actress Mary Lynn Rajskub on the US television series 24. An analyst at CTU Los Angeles , she is Jack Bauer's most trusted colleague, often doing unconventional and unauthorized favors for him, even at personal risk to herself...
redirected a personal satellite to view Jack, breaking their promise with Fayed. Chloe informs Bill of satellite footage showing Jack helping Hamri Al-Assad escape before the missiles hit. Bill orders her to monitor communications, and she discovers that Fayed is the terrorist culprit. Bill and Chloe agree to keep the information secret.
A disgraced Charles Logan
Charles Logan (24 character)
Charles Logan is a fictional character played by Gregory Itzin in the television series 24. During the show's fourth season, Logan is the Vice President of the United States who is sworn into office as President of the United States when former President John Keeler is critically injured in a...
is brought into CTU, and Logan persuades Buchanan that his wife may be able to convince Anya Suvarov to help resolve the situation with the Russian Consulate. Buchanan agrees and provides Logan with a chopper to Logan
Martha Logan
Martha Logan is a fictional character played by Jean Smart in the television series, 24. As the first lady of the United States within the 24 universe, she is the capable but unpredictable and unstable wife of President Charles Logan...
's residence. When Jack is captured by the Russian Consulate and Markov refuses to divulge information, Buchanan orders an attack on the consulate without Vice President Noah Daniels's approval. Eventually he receives permission from both Daniels and Russian President Yuri Suvarov, and leads a successful attack along with Mike Doyle.
Doyle discovers a mole in the CTU and immediately suspects Nadia Yassir
Nadia Yassir
Nadia Yassir is a fictional character from the TV series 24 played by Marisol Nichols. Introduced in Season 6, she works for the Counter Terrorist Unit at Los Angeles, a fictional domestic branch of the Central Intelligence Agency...
, creating tension between Milo and Doyle; thus Bill is forced to break up a fight in the situation room. Jack discovers that Bill kept secret the fact that Audrey Raines had died in China. Bill said that he did not tell Jack because Jack was about to sacrifice himself for the country. Nadia Yassir is cleared of charges, and agrees to return upon Buchanan's request. Later when Bill gets a call from his wife Karen Hayes and she says that she is afraid that she is the reason that Vice President Daniels will continue acting as president. Bill comforts her by saying that Daniels does not have a case and that the supreme courts will agree and to let him know when they made a decision. Karen thanks her husband for being there. Bill says, "You don’t have to thank me. It’s my job."
After the capture of lead terrorist Abu Fayed, CTU stages a fake rescue of Fayed hoping that he will lead them to the remaining suitcase nuke
Suitcase nuke
A suitcase nuke is a tactical nuclear weapon which uses, or is portable enough that it could use, a suitcase as its delivery method. Synonyms include suitcase bomb, backpack nuke, mini-nuke, pocket nuke and snuke....
s. It is revealed by the ambassador that his country has captured a general who might have been helping Fayed. Buchanan persuades President Palmer to order the ambassador to have the captured general contact Fayed. Nadia Yassir
Nadia Yassir
Nadia Yassir is a fictional character from the TV series 24 played by Marisol Nichols. Introduced in Season 6, she works for the Counter Terrorist Unit at Los Angeles, a fictional domestic branch of the Central Intelligence Agency...
warns Buchanan that there might be a distress signal encoded in the phone call. Fayed is later killed by Jack Bauer.
Buchanan briefs the CTU staff on the death of Abu Fayed and the end of the terrorist threat; and thanks all the personnel for their efforts. During the briefing Chloe gets a call from Jack and admits that Jack wanted to trade the Russian bomb's circuit board to the Chinese in exchange for Audrey Raines
Audrey Raines
Audrey Louise Raines is a fictional character played by actress Kim Raver on the television show 24.-Characterization:Audrey was born in either Albany, New York or Providence, Rhode Island . Her mother died when she was nine...
. Buchanan orders Mike Doyle to secure Jack; while allowing Jack to contact President Wayne Palmer. Wayne gives CTU the go ahead to make the exchange after Jack assures that he will not allow the board to get into Chinese hands. Karen informs Buchanan that Vice President Daniels is the acting president, and wants Jack Bauer and the whole operation stopped. Buchanan calls Doyle, and tells him that he must disarm Jack and bring him in. Jack forces Doyle out of the car after the phone conversation and goes ahead with the mission. This allows for the rescue of Audrey Raines without Buchanan directly disobeying superior orders. Mike Doyle informs Buchanan that Jack has escaped is attempting to get the circuit board to Cheng. Buchanan announces to the CTU staff that Jack Bauer has gone rogue.
Buchanan calls Karen and she informs him that she is being forced to fire him from CTU to protect herself and the President. The Department of Justice wanted a fall guy for the Fayed escape, before he was a known threat. Buchanan contacts division and informs Nadia Yassir
Nadia Yassir
Nadia Yassir is a fictional character from the TV series 24 played by Marisol Nichols. Introduced in Season 6, she works for the Counter Terrorist Unit at Los Angeles, a fictional domestic branch of the Central Intelligence Agency...
that he is stepping down and that she will be temporarily in charge of CTU until division sends a replacement.
During a 4:00am search of his home, Buchanan declines a call, and Karen leaves a message on his answering machine. She informs him that Vice President Daniels is about to go through with an exchange between Josh Bauer and the sub-circuitboard. She believes that it is a bad idea and begs Bill to intervene. Soon after, Buchanan crashes his truck with the CTU SUV that was transporting Jack back to CTU causing them to go off the road. When Buchanan is talking to the agents Jack comes behind Agent Turner and causes him to drop his weapon. After handcuffing the two agents to their car, Jack and Bill drive away towards the beach. When riding Buchanan gets a call from Karen, who tells him that Secret Service found out about her and that they will be arresting her any time. She thanked him and told him she loved him.
After summoning medical attention for the injured Mike Doyle, Jack and Buchanan commandeer a CTU helicopter to rescue Josh against the orders of White House and CTU. Buchanan asks Nadia for the thermal-Intel of the oil rig so they would know the location of hostiles. Buchanan escorts Cheng back to the chopper and waits for Jack. Josh comes running and tells him that Jack is still with his father. When Buchanan communicates with Jack through comm., Jack tells him to fly along the side of the rig so that Jack can be picked up. Jack jumps on the ladder seconds before the missiles hit the rig.
Buchanan flies Josh and Cheng back to CTU where he congratulates Nadia Yassir
Nadia Yassir
Nadia Yassir is a fictional character from the TV series 24 played by Marisol Nichols. Introduced in Season 6, she works for the Counter Terrorist Unit at Los Angeles, a fictional domestic branch of the Central Intelligence Agency...
on her good work. At the conclusion of the day, Buchanan resigns in exchange for a pardon.
24: Season 7
Although the actor originally wrote on his official website that he would not be returning to the series for its seventh season, he said in August 2008 that he will be returning to the show after all. Bill is briefly shown in the first official 24 season 7 trailer with white hair, appearing to be working alongside Chloe O'BrianChloe O'Brian
Chloe O'Brian is a fictional character played by actress Mary Lynn Rajskub on the US television series 24. An analyst at CTU Los Angeles , she is Jack Bauer's most trusted colleague, often doing unconventional and unauthorized favors for him, even at personal risk to herself...
. Neither Bill nor Chloe appear in the first or second episodes of the seventh season, but appear starting in the third episode, working on their own, outside of official agencies, to reveal a conspiracy at the highest levels of the current administration. The seriousness of this threat has led him to be willing to let his men die in order to achieve their objectives.
After Dubaku is apprehended and a large number of US-based conspirators revealed, he asks the President to speak to Senator Mayer about the Senate hearings where Jack Bauer is accused of acts of torture, reminding her of the contribution Jack has made in stopping Dubaku. Later on when General Juma attacks the White House, Bill and Jack realize that Juma is using the President's tracker bracelet to locate her. Bill removes the tracker and uses it to lead Juma's men away from the President, acting as a decoy to buy Jack time to get the President to the lock-down room. He succeeds but is captured by Juma's men and taken hostage. In Hour 13, 8:00 - 9:00 PM, after Jack and President Taylor are forced out of the lockdown room, Jack informs Bill that before he opened the door he managed to release a significant amount of natural gas inside the lockdown room, and that a single gunshot would set off an explosion. Bill tells Jack that he saw Juma on a satellite phone to a co-conspirator and wants Jack to find out who it was through Burnett, another US-based conspirator who was in custody. Bill then charges at one of Juma's guards by the lockdown room, knocking him down and securing the guard's gun and manages to fire off a shot, thus setting off the explosion. This kills a considerable number of Juma's troops as well as Buchanan himself; in the aftermath, Jack is shown visibly mourning over Bill's body, as he had intended to be the one to set off the explosion and sacrifice his own life. Bill's sacrifice is honored with a silent clock at 8:11:52 P.M.
In other media
In the comic book 24: Cold Warriors, it is revealed that Buchanan had a relative, probably a brother, who served with Jack BauerJack Bauer
Jack Bauer is the main protagonist of the American television series 24. His character has worked in various capacities on the show, often as a member of the fictional Counter Terrorist Unit based in Los Angeles, and working with the FBI in Washington, D.C...
in Delta Force
Delta Force
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units. Commonly known as Delta Force, Delta, or The Unit, it was formed under the designation 1st SFOD-D, and is officially referred to by the Department of Defense...
and was torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d and killed in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
by a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n agent named Malenov (who is in turn killed years later by Bauer). In the novel Operation Hell Gate
Operation Hell Gate
Operation Hell Gate by Marc Cerasini is the first of the 24: Declassified novels based on the FOX television series 24. It takes place before season 1, and Jack Bauer's story is set in New York City. Co-authors for the novel are Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran.- Plot summary :Jack Bauer has a bit...
, Buchanan makes a brief appearance on a conference call
Conference call
A conference call is a telephone call in which the calling party wishes to have more than one called party listen in to the audio portion of the call. The conference calls may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party...
with Nina Myers
Nina Myers
Nina Myers is a fictional character on the television series, 24, played by Sarah Clarke. Nina was second-in-command of the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit during the first season of the show.-Characterization:...
.