The BEST episodes written by Joel Surnow

#1 - Breathless

St. Elsewhere - Season 3 - Episode 5

Dr. Caldwell performs plastic surgery on Manny while Jerry fights off cabin fever; Dr. Auschlander hires Joan Halloran as his new assistant; Axelrod becomes a hypochondriac; White reunites with his family; and a disturbed Daniels decides to do something about White.

#2 - Legionnaires (Part 2)

St. Elsewhere - Season 1 - Episode 7

Dr. Westphall risks his job by creating an isolation floor to stem the spread of the suspected Legionnaire's Disease (and the PR fiasco causes administrator Cummings to fall on his sword to save the hospital); Dr. Beale learns that Tweety got pregnant while in the hospital; Fiscus is assaulted in the E.R.; and Dr. Craig decides to sell his car.

#3 - Day 2: 7:00 A.M. - 8:00 A.M.

24 - Season 2 - Episode 24

Jack uses Sherry to lure Kingsley out into the open, but Kingsley suspects a set-up and lays his own trap. Kate and her father have a final, ominous conversation with Marie. Palmer's attorney finds evidence involving Kingsley and convinces Mike to release Palmer from custody. Palmer and his cabinet gather to watch as Sherry meets with Kingsley. Mike orders Chappelle to reinstate Tony and Michelle. Jack sends Sherry in for the meeting with Kingsley, but his mounting heart troubles cause problems for him at the crucial moment.

#4 - Cuban Missiles

The Kennedys - Season 1 - Episode 6

The Cuban missile crisis brings America and Russia to the brink of war; Jackie leaves JFK after one infidelity too many. “The lasting legacy of Jack and Bobby Kennedy was to resolve political crisis with the least amount of bloodshed possible…We never went to war with the Soviet Union. Had that crisis not been handled the way it was, we wouldn’t be here. This planet would be dead. Everything else pales to insignificance compared to that.” - Writer Stephen Kronish

#5 - Danny's Song

Falcon Crest - Season 9 - Episode 21

After Danny learns that Richard is his father, he goes to Sharpe to tell him it doesn't matter, but Sharpe throws him out of his office and tells him that they should go their separate ways. Because Danny has no job and nowhere to live, Lauren invites him to live with her and Richard, but Richard wants nothing to do with Danny. After witnessing this callous side of Richard, Lauren considers calling off their wedding. When Danny threatens suicide, however, Richard and Sharpe agree to help him, which reassures Lauren. With the wedding back on schedule, Angela must find another way to stop it.

#6 - The Return

Falcon Crest - Season 9 - Episode 20

Sharpe reels from the news that his hated rival Richard is Danny's father. Richard's plans to run the winery with Lauren run into a snag when Angela returns after regaining consciousness. When Richard informs Angela that she has no legal claim to the winery, Angela pretends to give in, but she is secretly planning to block Richard's marriage to Lauren with the help of Michael Sharpe.

#7 - Day 3: 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M.

24 - Season 3 - Episode 24

Jack and Chase must make a powerful sacrifice when dealing with the virus. Tony is able to help Jack one last time before he is taken into custody, while an angry victim seeks vengeance on Saunders. Palmer makes a surprising career choice in the wake of Sherry's death.

#8 - 11:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M.

24 - Season 1 - Episode 24

Palmer has had enough of Sherry's power plays and has a final showdown with her in the hotel ballroom. Nina knows that the Drazens have no leverage without Kim, so she calls Jack and tells him that Kim's body was found floating in the harbor. Jack is crushed by grief and then he flies into a rage. He rushes the Drazens and a bloody shoot-out ensues. Nina's cover is blown and she makes a final dash for safety, leaving a bloody trail behind her. Jack is able to apprehend her before she can escape, but he is stunned to learn that he didn't arrive soon enough.

#9 - Day 4: 3:00 A.M. - 4:00 A.M.

24 - Season 4 - Episode 21

CTU scrambles to forge an alibi when a Chinese representative produces evidence of American involvement in the raid on their embassy. Audrey gives Jack the cold shoulder, while Palmer and Logan clash over the consequences of Palmer's decisions. Jack and Curtis close in on Marwan as the countdown for the missile launch moves ahead.

#10 - Calaway

Nowhere Man - Season 1 - Episode 22

Veil's twisted odyssey leads him back to Calaway, the Illinois psychiatric hospital where his ordeal began, and more revelations of what really happened to him while he was held there. Most astonishly, he discovers that former patient Joe "J.C." Carter has joined the medical staff and become one of "them." Veil attempts to convince J.C.—who is conditioned to believe he's Dr. Novik—that he's completely victimized by "them." Veil also witnesses another man, Michael Kramer, undergoing the first phase of conditioning, an ordeal identical to what Veil underwent months ago at the hands of "them."

#11 - The Spider Webb

Nowhere Man - Season 1 - Episode 6

While hiding out in a cheesy motel, Veil happens upon The Lenny Little Show, a public access television series in which the main character is un cannily depecting Veil's own frightening life. Struggling to understand, Veil watches as unknown forces pursue Lenny and attempt to erase his every trace. He sees the actors perform the exact same dialogue and reenact experiences he endured as recently as the previous day. Trying to grasp what's happening, Veil angrily pursues an explanation, which leads him to the strange offices of Max Webb Productions—and his tormentors.

#12 - 12:00 Noon - 1:00 P.M.

24: Legacy - Season 1 - Episode 1

When an attempt on U.S. Army Sergeant Eric Carter's life is made after his return home from a mission to kill terrorist leader Bin Khalid, he discovers that he and his fellow Rangers' identities have been compromised. Carter enlists the help of former National Director of CTU, Rebecca Ingram, who quarterbacked the raid that killed Khalid and is one of the few who knew the Rangers' identities. Together they work to uncover a sophisticated terrorist network in a race against the clock to stop a devastating terrorist attack on United States soil.

#13 - Day 3: 10:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.

24 - Season 3 - Episode 10

Claudia manages to free Chase from his captors, but she pays a high price for her efforts. Wayne turns to Julia, while Palmer calls on Sherry for help against Milliken. Jack and Ramon make plans to get to Nina, in the hopes of intercepting the virus. Chloe's work at CTU is disrupted when she is forced to take care of her baby.

#14 - 7:00 A.M. - 8:00 A.M.

24 - Season 1 - Episode 8

Nina and Tony discover the identity of the mole who is working for Gaines. Teri and Kim are finally reunited. Still under Gaines' control, Jack goes to the Palmer breakfast, where he learns what Gaines has planned for him. Jack manages to foil the assassination attempt, but is captured by Secret Service in the process.

#15 - Calderone's Return (1) - The Hit List

Miami Vice - Season 1 - Episode 4

Tubbs works to save Crockett and his family from falling victim to an Argentinean assassin hired by Calderon.

#16 - Bobby's War

The Kennedys - Season 1 - Episode 4

#17 - Day 2: 9:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.

24 - Season 2 - Episode 14

Jack and Kate try to break Marie's resolve so they can learn the location of the bomb. Palmer confronts his ex wife with the information that Stanton gave them. George finally steps down as director of CTU and hands the position over to Tony. Kim discovers her host's deception.

#18 - Day 4: 7:00 A.M. - 8:00 A.M.

24 - Season 4 - Episode 1

Eighteen months have elapsed since the conclusion of Day 3. A commuter train bound for Los Angeles explodes. A man steals a suitcase from a passenger in the wreckage and then kills him. Jack has been dismissed from CTU and now works for Secretary of Defense James Heller. Jack is involved with Heller's daughter, Audrey, and their relationship is growing serious. Jack is in LA for a meeting with CTU Director Erin Driscoll, who fired him a year ago, but he finds himself alienated at CTU by Driscoll and the new staff when reports of a possible terrorist strike come in. A young computer hacker named Andrew Paige sees something that he shouldn't on the Internet. Suddenly, he finds himself running for his life as he is pursued by terrorists. Luckily, he is able to warn Chloe O'Brian before its too late. The Turkish Araz family are not what they seem and it becomes clear that they are heavily involved with the day's events. Meanwhile, Heller has a confrontation with his estranged son. Jack finds that Chloe is his only ally as he tries to prove that the train explosion is merely a diversionary target.

#19 - Day 4: 12:00 A.M. - 1:00 A.M.

24 - Season 4 - Episode 18

Curtis brings in a suspect who has critical information about Marwan's next strike. Michelle orders Curtis to use harsh methods to interrogate the suspect, but things get complicated when Marwan sends a lawyer to defend his rights. Logan's advisors begin to worry as he continues to exhibit fear in the face of the ongoing terrorist threat.

#20 - 2:00 A.M. - 3:00 A.M.

24 - Season 1 - Episode 3

Jack learns the identity of the agent who may be working against him. He acquires Jamie's help to get evidence. Palmer finally learns of the damning story about to hit the press, involving his son and a possible murder several years ago. Kim and Janet manage to escape their captors. Kim is able to get a message to Teri, but an accident results in her recapture. Tony calls for outside help when he decides that Jack should be relieved of his command.

#21 - Day 3: 1:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M.

24 - Season 3 - Episode 1

Three years have passed since the events of Day Two. A van deposits a dead body outside the LA Health Unit. The body is infected with a deadly virus. Tony, now in charge of CTU, learns that this is a blackmail tactic to get the US government to release a drug lord, Ramon Salazar, whom Jack has just brought down, before Salazar's brother releases the virus into LA. Jack and his new partner, Chase Edmunds, prepare to sign a deal with Salazar at the prison. Salazar delivers a mysterious warning to Jack before killing his lawyer. Palmer is alive and well, and has returned to LA for the first time since the attack three years ago. He is running for re-election and is preparing for an important debate with a rival senator. He is accompanied by his brother, who happens to be his chief of staff and his doctor, who also happens to be his girlfriend. A young boy, Kyle Singer, is seen examining a large, mysterious bag of white powder. He plans to deliver it to some dealers later that day, but he is being watched by Salazar's men. Kim now works at CTU and has been dating Chase for three months. Kim wants to tell her father, but Jack has a mysterious health problem that may make things more complicated.

#22 - Day 2: 1:00 A.M. - 2:00 A.M.

24 - Season 2 - Episode 18

Jack, Kate and Wallace fight to escape from a deadly band of commandos. Palmer decides to take a stronger stance against the civil unrest resulting from the bomb explosion. Tony's trust in Michelle is broken when he suspects her of betraying him. Kim's worries seem to be over when she learns the charges against her have been dropped.

#23 - Day 5: 4:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.

24 - Season 5 - Episode 10

Logan wrestles with his conscience when he learns that Martha is riding in the motorcade with the Suvarovs. Audrey convinces Curtis to take action as Lynn continues to abuse his authority. Jack learns that an ex CTU agent, Christopher Henderson, works for a company which is connected with the nerve gas.

#24 - The Children's Song

The Equalizer - Season 1 - Episode 7

Father and son protect a girl from would-be rapists intent on killing the only witness to a murder.

#25 - 6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.

24 - Season 1 - Episode 19

Jack and Mason investigate the area where the power was to be turned off. Nina tries to warn Jack about his family's disappearance, but Mason hampers her efforts. Teri explores her home in hopes of regaining her memory as Drazen's man closes in for the kill. Kim finds herself in the middle of a botched drug deal, while Palmer breaks the story about Keith to the press.

#26 - 1:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M.

24 - Season 1 - Episode 14

Jack is forced to leave his family when Green places him under arrest and holds him at CTU. Once there, Jack must explain his actions to District Director Ryan Chappelle. Nina accompanies Teri and Kim to a clinic, where they are given a medical examination. Nina becomes suspicious of a phony FBI agent and decides to move the women to a safehouse. Palmer goes to CTU and demands a meeting with Jack.

#27 - 9:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.

24 - Season 1 - Episode 22

The Drazens contact Mason and offer to trade Jack for Alexis. Mason is reluctant, but Palmer pressures him to go ahead with the deal. Nina and Tony try to distract Teri when they learn of Kim's abduction. Palmer is tempted by a member of his staff.

#28 - Day 3: 11:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M.

24 - Season 3 - Episode 11

Jack forces Nina to work with him in order to get the virus from Amador. Palmer meets with Sherry and convinces her to help him deal with Milliken. Chase remains in Mexico to help with the capture of the virus. Ramon and Hector quarrel when Hector wants to pull out of the deal.

#29 - Day 3: 1:00 A.M. - 2:00 A.M.

24 - Season 3 - Episode 13

Jack and Chase interrogate Nina, but the worm turns when she causes havoc with the CTU computer systems. Chappelle puts Chloe under guard when she refuses to answer questions about the baby, but is forced to release her when she is the only one who can deal with the crisis. Sherry takes her battle directly to Alan, forcing Julia to act as her accomplice.

#30 - Day 5: 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.

24 - Season 5 - Episode 4

Jack is captured by the terrorists, who use Derek as leverage to force him to compromise CTU's assault operation. Logan refuses to give into the terrorist demands as the time of the co-signing of the treaty draws near. Martha tries to tell her husband of the evidence she uncovered about her phone call with Palmer, but Walt interferes with her efforts. A new representative from District arrives at CTU and begins to undermine Buchanan's authority.

#31 - Day 5: 11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

24 - Season 5 - Episode 5

Jack returns to CTU and has an emotional reunion with Audrey, while Curtis tracks the Russians and the stolen nerve gas. Walt sends in a hit man to silence Jack. Chloe discovers that Spencer has his own agenda at CTU. Walt convinces Logan to have Martha institutionalized when she tells them of the attack on her.

#32 - Day 5: 7:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.

24 - Season 5 - Episode 13

Jack and Lynn must take action when they discover that the nerve gas is breaking through the protective seals that are keeping the CTU survivors alive. Chloe wrestles with her grief over Edgar's death, while Tony contemplates revenge against Henderson. Martha bolster's Logan's spirit as he wavers under more political pressure from Gardner.

#33 - Day 4: 1:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M.

24 - Season 4 - Episode 7

Jack takes Audrey to ID the man she recognized at the compound, but the terrorists get there soon after and pin them down. Jack must call on an old friend to help him escape. Heller puts Edgar in charge of dealing with the nuclear override, while Driscoll's daughter takes a turn for the worse. Dina is wounded when she helps Behrooz flee from Navi. Navi's boss orders him to kill his wife and son before the day is over.

#34 - Day 3: 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.

24 - Season 3 - Episode 21

Tony works to free Jane from CTU before Saunders can harm Michelle, but Chloe and Jack become suspicious of his activities. Sherry meets with Palmer's political rival and proposes a deal to blackmail him.

#35 - Day 4: 5:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.

24 - Season 4 - Episode 11

Jack and Curtis finally learn the location of the override device. They try to trap the architect of the terrorist strike before the remaining nuclear plants go critical. Tony pushes Dina to reveal more of her knowledge of Marwan, while Driscoll faces another personal crisis with her daughter.

#36 - Day 2: 3:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.

24 - Season 2 - Episode 8

Kim and Miguel are arrested and the police plan to take them back to LA. Tony questions Bob Warner at CTU and learns more about his government connections. Palmer discovers a traitor in his ranks when the journalist whom he was holding is set free. Nina pulls a deadly countermove, setting herself up as the main player in the search to locate the bomb.

#37 - Day 3: 2:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.

24 - Season 3 - Episode 2

Jack and Chase quarrel over Chase's relationship with Kim. Meanwhile, they learn of a lead to the possible whereabouts of the virus after rading a crackhouse. Linda breaks up with Kyle when she learns that he is planning to make a drug delivery. Wayne approaches Palmer with information about his girlfriend that could damage his chances for reelection, while a CTU employee is not what he seems.

#38 - Day 5: 2:00 A.M. - 3:00 A.M.

24 - Season 5 - Episode 20

After stowing away aboard the flight containing Henderson's contact and the incriminating recording, Jack finds himself having to deal with a pilot who refuses to cooperate. Martha begins to break down, and Mike becomes suspicious of what she is hiding from him, while Logan tries to calm his financial backers.

#39 - 1:00 A.M. - 2:00 A.M.

24 - Season 1 - Episode 2

Jack's plans to find Kim are sidetracked when he gets a call from Walsh, who is being stalked by assassins connected with the Palmer hit. Jack comes to Walsh's rescue and Walsh gives him a key card containing valuable information. Palmer learns of the possible threat against his life, but slips away from his security in order to learn more about a damaging story that is about to hit the press. Dan and Rick start to become violent when Kim refuses to make a phone call for them. Mandy meets with the man behind the Palmer hit, but her partner holds things up when she demands more money for the ID.

#40 - Calderone's Return (2) - Calderone's Demise

Miami Vice - Season 1 - Episode 5

While on the trail of Calderone in Bimini, Tubbs falls in love with a woman who forces him to consider his loyalties.

#41 - 8:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.

24 - Season 1 - Episode 21

Palmer is relieved when it seems that he has dominated in the California polls in spite of his crisis. Jack becomes locked in a stalemate with the Drazens. They manage to turn the tables and take Jack as a hostage as they escape. Kim is finally released from jail, but her freedom is all too brief when she is again abducted by terrorists.

#42 - Day 6: 4:00 A.M. - 5:00 A.M.

24 - Season 6 - Episode 23

Doyle takes Josh to meet Phillip in the hopes of retrieving the circuit board, but his conscience bothers him over the exchange.Karen puts her career on the line when she uses Bill to help break Jack from custody. Jack and Bill track Phillip, but not before he pulls a fast move that reaps serious injury to Doyle.Nadia has a conversation with Milo's brother, while Chloe suffers from a mysterious medical problem that strikes her at the wrong moment.

#43 - The Price of Freedom

Falcon Crest - Season 9 - Episode 1

As Angela prepares to travel to Greece, she leaves her grandson Lance in charge, though under the strict supervision of her reliable foreman, Frank Agretti. Since Daniel, an unsuccessful author, has turned to gambling, drinking and brutality, Emma has become a battered wife. To escape her troubles, Emma turns to another man, Charley, for much-needed affection. In an effort to get out of prison, Richard decides to testify against his co-conspirator, Michael Sharpe. Richard evades an attempt on his life meant to stop his testimony. Accidentally getting her finger stuck in a pool drain, Maggie drowns. Angela hires a private investigator to tail Pilar.

#44 - 12:00 A.M. - 1:00 A.M.

24 - Season 1 - Episode 1

It is California Presidential Primary Day in Los Angeles and the longest day of Federal Agent Jack Bauer's life is about to begin. Jack has just patched his family back together after a trying separation. Midnight finds Jack playing chess with his teenage daughter Kim. As she goes to bed, Jack gets a call from Nina Myers, his coworker at the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit, telling him to come in for an emergency meeting. Jack has no choice but to report in, but he and his wife Teri learn that Kim has snuck out before he leaves. Kim and her friend Janet York drive to an empty furniture store where they party with a couple of college guys whom they recently met. Kim enjoys herself at first, but starts to become suspicious of the two men when they won't take her home. At CTU, Jack learns that an assassination attempt is being planned against Senator David Palmer; the first African-American presidential candidate with a serious shot at the White House. Jack's boss and friend, Richard Walsh, warns him that people in their own agency may be working with those who plan to kill Palmer. Senator David Palmer is making his plans for Primary Day when he receives a strange phone call that puts him in a bad mood. Jack shows how far he's willing to go to do his job when he blackmails District Director George Mason in the hopes of learning information about the Palmer hit. Teri receives a call from Janet's father, Alan York, and the two decide to go out looking for the girls. A European photographer makes pleasant conversation with a beautiful woman on a plane bound for LA. The two end up in a lustful encounter, but more sinister plans come to light that involve a stolen wallet and the destruction of the airplane.

#45 - Day 4: 9:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.

24 - Season 4 - Episode 15

Marwan decides to trade Jack for Behrooz in hopes of distracting CTU from his real objective. Tony and Michelle weigh the consequences of the trade, while Curtis reluctantly interrogates Behrooz in order to learn more about Marwan.

#46 - Bump and Run

The Equalizer - Season 1 - Episode 10

Muggers seek revenge on a student who injured one of them while escaping, and a vigilante killer pins McCall's ad to his victims.

#47 - Day 7: 8:00 A.M. - 9:00 A.M.

24 - Season 7 - Episode 1

Since Jack Bauer has been pulled from his senate sub-committee hearing to assist with the deadly domestic threat and the investigation of former colleague Tony Almeida, his new undefined role is to help secure the nation. Meanwhile, President Allison Taylor presides over the escalating time-sensitive dilemmas linked to the unrest in Sangala. Chloe O’Brian and Bill Buchanan are on hand this season as well as FBI Agents Renee Walker, Larry Moss, Janis Gold and Sean Hillinger to cope with the unthinkable events

#48 - Day 2: 8:00 A.M. - 9:00 A.M.

24 - Season 2 - Episode 1

Over a year has passed since the events of Day One. President David Palmer is fishing with his son in Oregon when he learns of an emergency. He is taken to his underground bunker, where he learns that a Middle Eastern terrorist group known as Second Wave is planning to set off a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles sometime that day. At CTU, George Mason is ordered to contact Jack Bauer, who may be able to provide a lead to the terrorists. Jack has been out of commission since the death of his wife. He is also estranged from his daughter Kim, who is now working as an au pair. He isn't interested in returning to work, but changes his mind when Palmer personally requests his help. Kim overhears her boss abusing his wife, so she locks herself and their little girl in the bedroom. Gary forces his way in and attacks Megan. A young girl named Marie is marrying a man who may have connections to the leader of the terrorist group. At CTU, Jack learns that the key to finding the bomb rests with a group of American terrorists whom he infiltrated once before.

#49 - Bay of Pigs

The Kennedys - Season 1 - Episode 3

When the Bay of Pigs invasion proves disastrous, JFK makes a difficult decision he must later atone for. “John F. Kennedy changed the image of the United States when he was president. People around the world remember that time and remember the days when America was the leading shining light for freedom and democracy, which was represented so well by Kennedy at the time.” - Executive Producer Michael Prupas

#50 - Cool Runnin'

Miami Vice - Season 1 - Episode 3

Crockett and Tubbs must enlist the help of an unreliable petty thief to bust a drug operation run by a trio of homicidal Jamaicans.