The third season of the American drama television series 24, also known as Day 3, premiered in the United States on Fox on October 28, 2003, and aired its season finale on May 25, 2004. The storyline starts and ends at 1:00 pm. The season premiere originally aired without commercial interruption, and has an extended running time of approximately 51 minutes, as opposed to the standard 43 minutes. Season overview The third season is set 3 years after season two. It takes place primarily in Los Angeles but also in northern Mexico when Jack Bauer meets a family of drug dealers. Throughout the day, Jack Bauer and President David Palmer attempt to stop the release of a deadly virus by Stephen Saunders – a former government agent. Like the previous two seasons, there are two main acts in the plot: The first act deals with the response to an imminent biological threat which is expected to be carried out unless a highly valued prisoner is released, which reveals that the entire terrorist threat was a plot to access the real virus being auctioned in Mexico. In the second act, Jack and the other CTU agents race against time to recover the virus from a radicalized agent who is using it to kill civilians and manipulate foreign policy. Major subplots Jack Bauer fights against the heroin addiction that he incurred to maintain his cover. President Palmer faces scandal during his re-election campaign involving his girlfriend, whom he met through her job as his personal physician. Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler struggle to prioritize national security over their love for each other. Jack disapproves of the relationship that is unfolding between Kim Bauer and Chase Edmunds. CTU staff members clash with Chloe O'Brian's personality. Palmer is forced to cover up a murder when his ex-wife Sherry Palmer greatly oversteps her bounds. Kim Bauer tries to prove herself fully competent even though Jack gave her the CTU job to keep an eye on her. Jack Bauer finally kills Nina Myers to get revenge for Teri's death. Stephen Saunders controls the actions of President Palmer under the threat of releasing the virus if his demands aren't met. One of the demands is the murder of Ryan Chappelle. CTU staff members, including Chase Edmunds and Adam Kaufman, deal with personal problems that cause some to question their fitness for the job. Summary Day 3 sees