The Sentinel (2006) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Garrison fails the polygraph because he lies about his secret affair with First Lady Sarah Ballentine. During the routine polygraph examination conducted as part of the investigation into the assassination plot, Garrison denies the affair, and his physiological responses indicate deception. This makes him the prime suspect in the leak case, even though he is actually innocent of being the mole.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes establish Garrison's complicated personal situation with the First Lady, making his polygraph failure inevitable when questioned.

• polygraph test
• secret service
• framed
• first lady affair
• garrison

The real mole is Senior Agent William Montrose, not Pete Garrison. Montrose is a senior Secret Service agent who has been covertly working with the assassins. He manages to pass his polygraph examination despite being the traitor, because he is psychologically able to deceive the test while under coercion from the Handler.

Foreshadowing: The investigation notes that the mole somehow evaded detection during polygraph testing, hinting at a more sophisticated operator.

• mole
• traitor
• william montrose
• secret service
• assassination plot

Montrose is coerced into working with the assassins when the Handler threatens his family. The assassins kidnap Montrose's loved ones and use them as leverage to force him to compromise the President's security from within the Secret Service. Montrose has no choice but to comply to protect his family, though his involvement ultimately leads to tragedy.

• william montrose
• coerced
• handler
• family threat
• betrayal

Garrison proves his innocence by conducting his own independent investigation. He tracks down the assassins' location in Toronto, discovers their plan to attack the President at the G8 summit, and works with rookie agent Jill Marin. After the First Lady confesses the affair to Breckinridge, his former friend believes him. Together, Garrison and Breckinridge identify William Montrose as the real mole and work to stop the assassination attempt.

Foreshadowing: Garrison's independent investigation follows multiple dead ends until he locates the assassins' Toronto hideout.

• prove innocence
• investigation
• toronto
• g8 summit
• david breckinridge

At the end of The Sentinel, Garrison successfully prevents the assassination of the President and neutralizes the Handler, but he is forced into early retirement from the Secret Service due to the public scandal surrounding his affair with the First Lady. He leaves the White House with a bittersweet farewell from Sarah Ballentine, who watches him depart from her window with sadness.

• ending
• retirement
• first lady
• farewell
• resignation

Montrose sacrifices himself because he chooses to turn against the assassins after being forced to help them. Under threat to his family, he initially cooperates with the assassination plot, but during the G8 summit attack, he ultimately changes course and attempts to protect the President. In the confrontation, Montrose is killed while trying to make amends for his coerced betrayal.

• montrose death
• sacrifice
• g8 summit
• redemption
• final act

Garrison is framed because the real mole, William Montrose, knows about his affair with the First Lady and uses this information to redirect suspicion away from himself. The mole orchestrates events to make Garrison appear guilty, attempting to blackmail him at the coffee shop and ensuring his polygraph failure due to the affair would cast immediate doubt on his loyalty.

• framed
• set up
• mole
• conspiracy
• blamed

The assassins plan to attack President during the G8 summit in Toronto. Led by the Handler, they disguise themselves as law enforcement officers to get close to the President. William Montrose, coerced by the assassins, provides inside security information to help them execute the attack. Garrison discovers this plan when he locates the assassins' apartment and learns they are heading to Toronto.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Garrison discovering the assassins' Toronto location before the attack unfolds.

• g8 summit
• toronto
• assassination attempt
• handler
• disguised assassins

No, Pete Garrison does not die in The Sentinel. He survives the entire ordeal and manages to kill the Handler in the climactic confrontation. While several characters die, including Montrose and many of the assassins, Garrison lives to see the President saved and is only forced into retirement due to the scandal surrounding his affair.

• character fate
• survival
• death scene
• handler fight

After the G8 summit, Sarah Ballentine remains as First Lady but her relationship with Pete Garrison ends permanently due to the public scandal. In the final scene, she watches sadly from a White House window as Garrison leaves for the last time, indicating their affair is over and they must part ways despite their feelings for each other.

• sarah ballentine
• first lady
• parting
• relationship ending
• final scene