Episode Report Card M. Giant: A- | 0 USERS: N/A YOU GRADE IT Manning Down
By M. Giant | Season 6 | Episode 4 | Aired on 2007.01.15
Reliable old Ahmed is still bleeding in one of the Wallaces' easy chairs, downing the last of the prescription painkillers. I can't help thinking he'll be a less-effective hostage taker when a narcotic overdose has him twitching and foaming at the mouth within the hour. Mom is killing some time by trying to talk him down. Amazingly, it doesn't work. Maybe she should wait until the pills hit his system before trying to put him to sleep. The phone rings again. It's Dad, calling from a pay phone to report that he has the Item. Ahmed starts to tell him to deliver it to Fayed, but Dad says he's not doing anything else until Ahmed lets his family go. Ahmed threatens to kill the wife and kid, and Dad threatens right back to destroy the component, insisting, "I just killed a man for this package and Iâm not going to deliver it anywhere until I know my family is safe." Ahmed strikes a compromise, telling Dad to decide which one of the two hostages he wants Ahmed to release. Dad agonizes for a brief moment, and then tells Ahmed to release his son. "I will release your wife," Ahmed says, turning the gun to cover Scott. Dad says that's not what he said. "You just told me who you value most," Ahmed says. I briefly wonder why Ahmed's wasting his time trying to sow familial discord here, but since nothing comes of it later, I decide that's just an added perk. He says that Mom will call Dad when she's clear of the house, and then Scott will be released after Dad makes the delivery. Scott's and Mom's eyes widen as they hear only Ahmed's side of the conversation. Dad agrees, and hangs up. Ahmed tells Mom to go, and shows her the caller ID on the cordless so that she knows what number to use to call Dad back. He tells her to have Dad call him back afterward, and warns that he'll shoot Scott if any cops show up. Mom weepily hugs Scott goodbye, much too long for Ahmed's liking (or mine, for that matter), and then rushes out to the car in the driveway and gets in.
At 9:11:54, Dad's still pacing by the same pay phone. It rings, and his wife is on the other end, already driving down the street and telling him she's fine and that Scott's still with Ahmed. They have a tense discussion as to what to do next. They worry that Ahmed will still kill Scott even if they do what Ahmed says, and wonder if they shouldn't call the police after all. Dad says that it's too risky and that he's going to continue following instructions. Before hanging up to call Ahmed back, Dad tells Mom, "Do not call the police." The safety of her child is at stake. Therefore, I predict that she will do the opposite.