24 premiered in 2001 with the conceit that each season was presented in real time, each episode depicting one hour in a 24-hour period in the life of Jack Bauer, an agent with the U.S. Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU). Many shows fell victim to the writers' strike of the 2007-2008 season, but none were hit harder than 24, as the show sat the season out.
When we last saw Jack Bauer at the end of the sixth season, he was contemplating his next move. In 24: Redemption, we find Jack years later in Africa doing missionary work in Sangala. Jack never gets a break, and the film opens with him being subpoenaed to return to the U.S. in order to testify before Congress about illegal methods CTU has used in the past and his own participation in the torturing of CTU suspects.
Things get worse as a warlord starts kidnapping the boys Jack’s been helping into his army. Back in the U.S. its inauguration day for new president Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) who must also decide her stance on the upcoming African coup. Not only that but her son’s friend gets caught up in the paperwork for the deal that's providing resources to the Sangalese general and is eliminated by unsavory characters. By the end of the film Jack’s only way to help the boys is to bring them to the U.S., but only if he comes home which he reluctantly does.
Now Redemption isn’t meant to wrap things up, but rather bridge the gap between season six and the upcoming seventh season premiering in January. The producers used the film as an opportunity to show things (like the transition of presidents) that they normally couldn’t show during the course of the season. It’s a good movie; it gets Jack back into action and I can’t wait for the seventh season to air so I can watch another day in the life of Jack Bauer.
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