Season 2, set 18 months later, begins at 8am. Jack must stop a bomb from detonating in Los Angeles, then help President David Palmer prove who's responsible to avoid an unfounded war between the U.S. and three Middle Eastern countries.

Season 3, set three years later, begins at 1pm. Jack must re-infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel to seize a deadly virus being marketed underground. Meanwhile, President Palmer attempts to stop a political scandal that could cost him his presidency. Later, Jack and President Palmer must cooperate with a criminal who possesses the virus — and stop him from releasing it.

Season 4, set 18 months later, begins at 7am. Jack must save the lives of his new boss, Secretary of Defense James Heller, and Heller's daughter Audrey Raines (with whom Jack is romantically involved) when they are kidnapped. Jack is forced to use unorthodox methods to stop the kidnappers, which results in long-term consequences for both Jack and the United States.

Season 5, set 18 months later, begins at 7am. Jack is believed to be dead by everyone except a few of his closest friends. He is forced to resurface when some of those friends are murdered and he is framed. The real killers attempt to steal nerve gas to protect U.S. oil interests in Asia, and Jack discovers an insidious conspiracy while trying to stop them.

Season 6, set 20 months later, begins at 6am. Jack is released from a Chinese prison where he'd been detained following the events of the previous season. He's then forced to choose between those he loves and national security when the Chinese set their sights on sensitive circuitry that could trigger a war between the U.S. and Russia.

Redemption, set three and a half years later, finds Jack caught up in a military coup in Africa backed by a shadow organization within the U.S. government. Meanwhile, Senator Allison Taylor is sworn into office as president.

Season 7, set 65 days after the end of Redemption, begins at 8am. Jack is assisted by the FBI and covert operatives when the firewall for America's federal computer infrastructure is breached by the same people responsible for a conflict in Africa. Jack must uncover the corruption within President Taylor's administration. Taylor is later captured and blackmailed by a private military contractor in an attempt to release biological weapons on U.S. soil. Jack must thwart these attacks.

Season 8, set 18 months later, begins at 4pm. Jack is brought in by Counter Terrorist Unit to uncover a Russian plot to assassinate an Islamic leader during peace negotiations with President Taylor. Russia's contingency plan is to detonate a dirty bomb if their demands are not met. Jack seeks retribution after Charles Logan convinces President Taylor to cover up these crimes to protect the peace agreement. Jack becomes a fugitive from the Russian and American governments and disappears, until ...