Richard Walsh

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Richard Walsh is a fictional character in the first season TV series 24.

24 character
Richard Walsh
Gender:	Male
Jobs held:	Administrative Director to CTU
Affiliation:	CTU
Family:	NA
Spouse:	NA
Current status:	Deceased
Portrayed by:	Michael O'Neill
Seasons:	1

[edit] Day 1

In the first few minutes of Day 1, Agent Richard Walsh gets a call from associate Scott Baylor telling him that an attack is confirmed and the target is Senator David Palmer. Walsh then calls all staff into CTU to brief them. At 12:12 Walsh arrieves at CTU and heads into a room with CTU analysts Jamey Farrell, Nina Myers and Tony Almeida as well as Agent Jack Bauer. Walsh explains that there will be an attack on senator and presidential candidate David Palmer at some point that day, and that the shooter will most likely be coming from overseas, because there is less chance of being traced in that situation (Jack eventually learns more information about the shooter from George Mason). Walsh then tells them to cross-reference the shooter with anyone in Palmer's administration, but also wants to talk to Jack alone.

Walsh asks about how things are at Jack's home and if his wife Teri Bauer and him are okay. Then Walsh says ,"Whatever I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room". He continues that he believes that there is a mole inside CTU who is part of the terrorist attack on Senator David Palmer. Walsh then tells Jack that over the next 24 hours he wants him to be on the lookout for the person who could be the mole. Upon being informed of this, Jack tells Walsh, "I busted three CTU agents for taking bribes, and if there is a conspiracy within the agency, I will never come near it." Walsh bluntly responds, "Well you'll have to, Jack, because you are the only guy that I can trust". He continues, "If Palmer gets hit, the first African-American with the first shot at the white house will tear this country apart". Finally Jack tells Walsh that he'll do the best he can. Before Walsh leaves he tells Jack that George Mason who works for Division will be coming to brief Jack more on Senator Palmer. Jack says "You think I can trust George Mason?" and Walsh responds "Until you get a better grip on things, don't trust anybody, not even your own people because we have to find the shooter Jack, whatever it takes". Walsh then leaves the conference room.

Within the next hour, Richard Walsh meets up with Scott Baylor in downtown Los Angeles. Baylor gives Walsh a Key Card; one confiscated during a Systems checkup. This specific key card was found to have extensive detail on Palmer's campaign administration on its tiny magnetic strip, the perfect place to hide sensitive material in a federal agency. Baylor concludes that whoever created the key card is the one working secretly against them . Before anything else is mentioned, Baylor is shot and killed, and Walsh is gravely injured to the point that he calls Jack for help.

Jack sneaks out of CTU just in time to talk to Walsh about what was spoken, including the identities of three hopeful assassins. Just as they were making their way out of the building, Walsh was shot once again, and Jack is pinned down. Walsh gives himself up to the terrorists to ensure Jack gets the Key Card, along with the information, "Give the card to Jamey (Farrell). Scott said we can trust her." Walsh dies immediately afterward.

In all irony, Jamey was discovered to be a mole working for Ira Gaines, an ammoral mercenary who was in turn hired by terrorist leader Andre Drazen. However, the key card was discovered to belong to Nina Myers, though she claimed otherwise and is cleared of suspicion; however, later she is revealed to be the second mole in CTU when she tries to set Jack up to be killed by the Drazen family, and is then caught on tape murdering Jamey with a broken coffee cup. Thus, the only two people that Walsh and Bauer trusted (Jamey and Nina) were in fact the only two moles in the whole facility.

[edit] Trivia

• Richard Walsh recruited Jamey Farrell, an analyst in Day 1, to CTU.

• The Character Richard Walsh plays recurring cameos in the comic, 24: One Shot and in the 24: Declassified Series.

• Walsh's storyline created one recurring theme in 24 - that of the key card. Key cards have becomes major subplots in both Day 1 and Day 5.

• Walsh's initial discussion with Jack at CTU also created a Chekhov's Gun for Days 1 and 5. Two of the three men Jack busted for taking bribes would later on be revealed as Field Agent Teddy Hanlin's partner, Seth Campbell, and former Director of Field Operations Christopher Henderson.
  • Campbell was fired, while Henderson quit due to the allegations. The third agent remains a mystery.
  • Campbell's wife killed herself just before the first season, which led to Hanlin to cause grief to Jack midday on Day 1.
  • Henderson would come back to haunt Jack in Day 5, being the one who ordered the assassination of former President David Palmer.