Making Sense of Nina Myers
Nick
question appears to have plagued 24 fans since the big revelation at 11:00pm
on Jack's "longest day". Many theories and ideas have been passed around and
so here's mine:
Firstly, I believe that Nina's main motive was the eradication of Senator
Palmer. Throughout the show the clues to her mole-ship have consistently
been related to Palmer. The issue with Jack was purely revenge from the
Drazen family. However, Nina appeared to be helping the Drazens; indeed she
realised that by getting Jack out of the picture she could thus get to
Palmer. The Drazen's family revenge also stretching to Palmer meant that
they were the perfect allies for Nina.
Now, in the early episodes we were given the fact that the key card was
burnt on Nina's computer. However, it appeared she couldn't have done the
burning as it took place whilst she was neatly out the way on a retreat with
Jack; therefore, it is highly possible that her allies, though not the
Drazens, burnt the key card with the information on the Palmer hit (NB:
nothing to do with Jack's assassination).
We know the Drazens hired Gaines to do their dirty work in the morning of
the show; who in turn hired Jamie. There has already been speculation on
Gaines' hiring of Jamie and it does seem most viable to have been done
through Nina. However, due to Gaines' instruction for Jack to shoot Nina it
would appear he doesn't know about her involvement. Furthermore, Nina and
Jamie are often shown to be somewhat at odds with each other, suggesting
this isn't the case. It would therefore be likely for Jamie to be hired by
another mole agent. It has been speculated that Richard Walsh was the other
mole; not only due to the fact he claimed Jamie to be "the only one they
could trust" but because he put the key card into the loop. Or at least if
not Walsh then perhaps the man who gave the keycard to Walsh (he said he'd
"put his wife and children on a plane" which could suggest he knew what
full-scale horrors could befall them all).
Furthermore, I believe Walsh was part of the same organisation as Nina; not
only is there the connection with the key card being burnt on her computer
but also her seeming happiness for the key to be opened by Jamie and Milo.
Thus the key card could have been a fake - in order to waste the time of
CTU - designed by Walsh and Myers and left to be found on purpose. The fact
that it was created whilst Nina, and probably Walsh, had a perfect alibi
points to its lack of importance; she could have given anyone the job to
fake a keycard - perhaps even Walsh gave the job to Jamie; the fact she used
Nina's computer could cause suspicions in Jamie that gave way to the bad
feelings between her and Nina. It also explains Nina's concern when Jack
changed the key card; she could indeed believe that she'd been found out.
When Gaines orders Jack to shoot Nina, however, we come to the probable weak
area of the Nina mole plot. If Nina was working with the Drazens, Walsh and
the other organisation then surely Gaines would have known of Nina's
importance? Well, not necessarily. By forcing Jack to exchange the key card,
which Gaines must believe had true evidence on, we are shown that Gaines is
not in on the larger operation (later he says "the less I know, the better I
do my job). The Drazens and Nina's organisation wanted to keep as low a
profile as possible. They therefore could have used Walsh, and only Walsh,
to help connect Gaines to the CTU - he could have been the used mole who
hired Jamie leaving Nina's participation out of it. She would have known
Gaines was at work but would have tried to act diffident to it all. When she
finally realised that Jamie's knowledge could lead to Palmer's rescue and
her own imprisonment, Nina killed off the evidence; she killed off Jamie.
It was through this low profile action that Nina managed to keep quiet from
the CTU and the audience. There appears to be only four times when Nina had
to actively lie: Firstly about the keycard, secondly about Jamie's murder,
thirdly when she (surely must have) tipped off the Drazens about Kim's
whereabouts when she returning to CTU from the police station, and fourthly
about Kim's death to Jack. Indeed she is full of larger cover-up stories
(especially with the safe house business) but technically she had no cause
to lie. Furthermore, she may have needed only to talk to the Drazens twice;
firstly about Kim and secondly about Palmer (what we were given at 11:00pm).
This appears congruous with the show; Nina wasn't give much time to
communicate. Furthemore, any help that Nina may have been shown to give Jack
can easily be suggested as to help the wider aim; the Drazens gave Nina a
job to do and she did it - because she, herself, wanted Palmer dead. I know
critics state that the Nina plot was weak and wrong and indeed the writers
were running on thin ice but their choice can be justified. Let's hope they
find some sort of justification and a follow up in the second season - it's
a channel that, I believe, could work.
What do you think?
-Nick.
Slartibartfast
<BIG SNIP>
Nick, I think it's impressive that you've been able to give the plot so much
thought and come up with explanations, but surely you are overlooking the
whole point: namely that the writers hadn't decided who the mole was going
to be until they were about half way through, and therefore Nina's actions
may be just as inconsistent as half a dozen other things.
I really don't think 24 should be analysed to such an extent - just treat it
as a groundbreaking thriller, and enjoy!
Nick
Oh, of course I do realise that but I just found it fun to draw out the
theory in my head. In some ways it can be fitted together; it's a stretch
but that's what makes it fun ;-)
-Nick.
Peter Pratten
serve.co.uk> writes
>the Drazens gave Nina a
>job to do and she did it - because she, herself, wanted Palmer dead.
You are forgetting that when captured Nina said "If you kill me you
won't know who I work for. You think I work for the Drazens, I don't".
One extra point I would like to add. I don't think Nina intended to
kill Teri but the woman on the phone said "remove all connection with
Germany". Nina had mentioned Germany in Teri's hearing hence she had to
die.
--
Peter Pratten
Slartibartfast
> <uk.media.tv.twenty-four , Slartibartfast ,
> sla...@celynnen.FJORDSdemon.co.uk>
>
>> I really don't think 24 should be analysed to such an extent - just
>> treat it as a groundbreaking thriller, and enjoy!
>>
>
> have easily just followed the guy from the airport - got the pass -
> them disposed of him .
>
> And , The secret service must have known the guy was on *that* plane -
> yet wasnt surprised when he turned up at the senators press
> conference .
>
> Groundbreaking scriptwriting ..... not! .
But it still had you hooked to the end didn't it! Anyway I was referring
more to the format of a whole series being filmed in "real time"
--
Slartibartfast
To reply by email, remove the FJORDS from my address
Nick
> won't know who I work for. You think I work for the Drazens, I don't".
Indeed, but I didn't mean she was working for the Drazens as such but rather
she was helping them to help her own wider aim - to kill Palmer.
> One extra point I would like to add. I don't think Nina intended to
> kill Teri but the woman on the phone said "remove all connection with
> Germany". Nina had mentioned Germany in Teri's hearing hence she had to
> die.
> --
> Peter Pratten
I agree.
-Nick.
Derek S
distracted by Jamey thinking that there was only one mole. Was her alibi
that she was with Jack at the time just a cover?
"Nick" <ni...@worrall31.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ak88df$6v6$1...@news5.svr.pol.co.uk...
Slartibartfast
> she was revealed as a "dirty agent" in an early ep but we were all
> distracted by Jamey thinking that there was only one mole. Was her
> alibi that she was with Jack at the time just a cover?
>
--
Slartibartfast
To reply by email, remove the FJORDS from my address
I know my memory isn't what it used to be, but I think I'd remember
something as important as this.
Derek S
have told Jack it was Nina to deflect suspicion from herself. Did Nina
always know Jamey was a mole?
"Slartibartfast" <sla...@celynnen.FJORDSdemon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:akopm1$c59$1$830f...@news.demon.co.uk...