Martha Logan

Template:24 character Martha Logan is a fictional character played by Jean Smart in the television series, 24. She was married to President Charles Logan and for a time the First Lady of the United States. The character is based upon Martha Beall Mitchell.

Day 5

Martha received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Stanford University. Prior to marrying into politics, she served as a member of the Santa Barbara Museum Board of Trustees. She first met Charles Logan when he was serving in the California State Legislature. She was the most trusted advisor for the indecisive politician. However, at some point she suffered mental illness (portrayed as similar to paranoid schizophrenia) and was committed to a mental institution in Salem, Oregon. Martha was a close personal friend of David Palmer, and was devastated by his death. Prior to his murder, Palmer had discovered a traitorous conspiracy involving Logan's Chief of Staff Walt Cummings and ex-CIA agent James Nathanson, and had planned on alerting the Logan Administration using Martha as a go-between (he asked to meet with her about a "matter of national security"). Martha was convinced that Palmer was killed to prevent this meeting from taking place, but President Logan (not yet revealed as complicit in Palmer's murder) attempted to downplay her hysterics as delusions from a disturbed woman. At one point Logan spoke of having Martha committed. Eventually Martha obtained physical evidence proving Palmer tried to warn her of some national emergency. Logan decided that with Martha getting closer to uncovering a conspiracy, he would be best served to keep her close to him. Martha was eventually vindicated when Cummings was exposed and she seemed willing to forgive her husband for apparently dismissing her as crazy.

Several hours later, Charles Logan was forced by the terrorist Vladimir Bierko to provide them with the Russian president Yuri Suvarov's motorcade in exchange for no further American deaths. Frustrated with Logan's negotiation with the terrorists, Martha impulsively decided to join the motorcade behind his back. The motorcade was ambushed, but Martha, President Suvarov, and his wife survived, thanks to the intervention of Secret Service agent Aaron Pierce. Martha was shocked that her husband was willing to sacrifice her and the Suvarovs. When she learned how Logan agonized over this decision, however, she eventually forgave him; though still upset, she realized that, in the midst of the current crisis, the country needed her husband more than she does. Believing the crisis to be over, she praised her husband for what she believed was his masterful handling of the situation.

Around midnight, Martha learned that Secretary of Defense James Heller had demanded a meeting with Charles. She asked Aaron why, and he said he would meet her later. However, Aaron was nowhere to be found at the meeting place, leaving only his cell phone on the ground. Knowing that his wife was very close to discovering the truth, Logan locked Martha in a library to keep her from finding out. In an attempt to prevent her from talking, he then confessed to her his responsibility in Palmer's death and implored her to remain quiet for the good of the country. Horrified, Martha told Logan that she hated him and could never forgive him, but he did not want the country to suffer the damage caused by the spectacle of a murder trial of the President. Logan later assured a man known as "Graem" that Martha had been dealt with.

Disturbed, Martha begged Cummings' successor Mike Novick to get her medication so she could get some rest. Mike was concerned that she was hiding something from him, but Martha dismissed him. He retrieves the medication later, and she took several pills in front of Mike and quickly fell into a relaxed state. She contemplated suicide, nearly swallowing the bottle of pills before throwing them away in disgust. Later, Logan came to her room to beg her forgiveness for what he had done. Unbeknownst to Martha, Logan himself had intended to commit suicide after a final goodbye because CTU agent Jack Bauer had succeeded in bringing evidence implicating him in Palmer's death to CTU. Rather than accepting his apology, Martha told her husband she was horrified to be married to him.

Later, while smoking, Martha noticed a black car driving on the grounds. She went to investigate, only to find Agent Justin Adams attempting to kill Aaron. When Agent Adams pointed his gun at her, she distracted Justin for a moment while Aaron knocked his gun away. In the ensuing fight, she then reflexively fired a single shot at Adams, killing him in an act of defense. A visibly traumatized Martha dropped the gun and told Aaron that she wouldn't keep quiet for Logan any longer. She told him to be sure to get away safely. Martha and Aaron then disclosed the entire situation to Mike. With Jack on the way to the retreat, Martha agreed to stall Logan before he leaves for a press conference. She was forced to have sex with Logan in order to give Jack the time to sneak onto Logan's helicopter.

Later, during a procession for Palmer, Mike informed her that Jack failed to coerce a confession from Logan. Distressed at the sight of David Palmer's flag-draped casket, she began publicly screaming that Logan was a murderer unfit to be president. He then had her taken into a hangar, where he later confronted her. Hitting her and shaking her violently, Logan threatened to put Martha away in an asylum for good if she had another outburst. During his tirade, Logan acknowledged all of his misdeeds, unaware that Jack had earlier placed a small listening device on his pen. The confession quickly reached the Attorney General, who ordered the U.S. Marshals to arrest Logan. They escort him away after his speech. Having successfully played her part in bringing down Logan, Martha smirked in silence as her disgraced husband was taken into custody. At the conclusion of the episode she asks Novick if it's possible for her to contact Aaron Pierce, who was then in hiding. He slyly acknowledges that it is.

File:MarthaLoganSeason6.jpg

Martha calls Anya Suvarov

Day 6

In 6:00 PM-7:00 PM, it is shown that Martha has been institutionalized at an assisted living/mental health facility. Martha is romantically involved with Secret Service agent Aaron Pierce. At approximately 6:15 PM, Charles Logan calls her in an attempt to persuade her to call Anya Suvarov and get Anya to talk her husband into handing over the Russian Consul in Los Angeles to CTU. Martha refuses to talk to him, but Aaron agrees to let Charles come to her house. When Charles arrives, Aaron persuades Martha to speak with him. Martha agrees to call Anya. While waiting for CTU to contact Anya, Martha openly shows that she still despises Charles and refuses to consider that he had changed. After verbally assaulting Charles, she throws a piece of fruit at him and begins to walk away from him, and, in a momentary fit of rage, stabs him in the shoulder, severely injuring him. Several minutes after she is arrested, Martha talks to Anya. She asks her to ask her husband to cooperate with the United States. What has happened to her ever since this episode is currently unknown.

Trivia

• Martha Logan is the first "proper" First Lady seen on 24. Before her, President John Keeler was widowed, and President David Palmer was divorced (though not free of Sherry Palmer).

• Before her vindication, a quick scale of squeaky notes would accompany the background soundtrack whenever her character appeared, known affectionately among fans as the "cuckoo music" (known distinctively by a "dooolleeeee" sound of a violin). The motif returns towards the end of the season, both when she contemplates suicide and when she makes her public outburst at the press conference; and it also reappears in Season 6 when the character returns.

• Jean Smart and Gregory Itzin had known each other for over twenty years before working together on 24. They had worked together on the play Mrs. California, and Smart brought a cast photo - which featured both herself and Itzin - to the prop department of 24. Cropped and enlarged, the framed photo shows what looks to be a younger version of Charles and Martha Logan. It is visible (briefly) on the sidetable next to Martha in the sequence where Logan enters to ask Martha forgiveness while he prepares to kill himself.

• Jean Smart is the only cast member on 24 besides Kiefer Sutherland to be nominated for more than one Emmy for her performance. She has received two nominations, first for Outstanding Supporting Actress on a Drama and secondly for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama. Sutherland has been nominated six times for Outstanding Actor in a Drama.