In the last two episodes of the first season of the TV series 24, it is shown that Nina Myers is a mole. However, from the very first episode and onwards she's very helpful to Jack Bauer.
Why did Nina help him if she was a mole? Is this purely an inconsistency, or is there some other reason for it?
I came away from the first season thinking that Nina was "a" mole, but working for someone other than the main antagonist for that season, essentially keeping track of both CTU and the would-be presidential assassins. I thought the people who had kidnapped Jack's family were not associated with Nina because they ordered him to kill her at one point.
I see from this document from Fox that Nina was working for the main antagonists. It explains some of the seeming plot holes as different operatives not knowing of each other's existence, and having no responsibility for the other operative's success or failure.
- Richard Walsh warns Jack, "Don't trust anybody, not even your own people, Jack."
Early in the series, Richard Walsh gives Jack a keycard and tells him that whoever's electronic signature is on the card is the dirty agent. Nina's signature is on the card.
When Jack confronts Nina about the keycard, she deflects his suspicion by pointing out that she was with him in Santa Barbara (during their affair) the day it was last used at CTU headquarters -- and therefore someone else must have used it that day to set her up.
In fact, she altered the date on the keycard to cover her tracks.
- The dead shooter's thumb (cut off by Jack in an early episode) yields no I.D. CTU speculates the only explanation is that "either this guy doesn't exist or else he has some friends in very high places."
Nina erased the records from the database.
- Nina calls Teri in the car and tells her that the dead body Jack found was Alan York's, thus alerting Teri that the man she is riding with in the car is not Alan York.
Nina was not aware of Gaines or the details of his plan, and thus did not know the significance of the name Alan York, or that telling Teri would tip her off that she was riding with the man assigned to kidnap her.
- Jack shoots Nina, per Gaines.
Nina and Gaines did not know of each other's existence. So, when Gaines ordered Jack to shoot Nina, he didn't know she was on his side.
- Nina helps catch Jamey.
Nina wanted to deflect her own involvement by fingering Jamey.
Nina purposefully brings Kim and Teri to the safe house, essentially setting a trap for them to be recaptured. She then leads Teri to realize that she and Jack were lovers, turning Teri against her and giving her an excuse to leave.
Once Alexis is stabbed and taken into custody, Nina doesn't tell the Drazens.
Telling the Drazens about Alexis does not further her objective, which is to ensure that Palmer is assassinated by the end of the day.
- The Drazens capture Kim as she is being returned to the detention facility.
Nina told the Drazens where to find Kim, to provide them with leverage to force Jack to kill Palmer.
- The Drazens want Jack and his family dead. Why doesn't Nina just kill Kim and Teri when she has the chance?
Nina's objective is Palmer's assassination and not the deaths of Jack's family members.
- Nina helps Jack loyally throughout the season.
Nina knows that she is more powerful with Jack's confidence than without.
WHY?!?
Well, she had to make it convincing. She had to seem, to appear ESPECIALLY loyal.
It's why she was not only so close to Jack and Tony; she went to bed with them. She was a right-hand lady, she had to be (The Least Likely Suspect).
"I never would've guessed that... She seemed so..."
But a lot of people did. Why? She was the MOST Likely Suspect because, she was the LEAST Likely Suspect. Everyone else seemed to have a real motive and vendetta, except for her!
Even with that red-herring at the beginning, when they find the access card.
Why?
So the viewers wouldn't see it coming--and neither would her trusting co-workers.
Huh! Go figure.
It's a common tactic a mole to associate with someone and help them. When the reality TV series The Mole happened I saw this tactic many times. The mole, Nina, wants to use Jack Bauer in any way that suits her; she could blame him for something that she did or get credit for his actions if he did something good.
