Episode Report Card M. Giant: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT There's No "I" in Kiefer -- Oh, Wait.
By M. Giant | Season 5 | Episode 2 | Aired on 01.14.2006
Back in the van, Derek is still getting used to hearing the guy he knows as Frank being called Jack. He asks Chloe who Kiefer really is. Chloe mutes her earpiece and explains that Kiefer used to work for the government. She doesn't want to answer any more questions, but Derek's got one more: Why did Kiefer hide his identity? Chloe explains, "Certain people thought the best way to cover up their mistakes was to get rid of Jack." On the bright side, one of those "certain people" is lying dead up in the penthouse right now. Chloe adds that Kiefer had to give up everything and everyone he knew, including his daughter. Derek is amazed that Kiefer has a daughter. Before he can ask if she's hot, Chloe says she's already said too much, and takes Kiefer off of mute. Just in time, because Kiefer tells her he's found one encrypted file on the computer, which is of course the one he wants to look at. He gives Chloe the computer's IP address so she can upload a decryption program. No sooner has he done that than the doorknob rattles. "Someone's at the door," Kiefer says urgently. Chloe says the deployment grid doesn't show any agents there. And yet we can clearly see an unidentified figure walking into the room. From behind, Kiefer grabs him and pushes him against the wall, his gun in the man's face. Naturally, it's Wayne Palmer, who has changed out of his bloody shirt since last we saw him (sorry ladies; he's wearing a new one).
"Do not raise your voice," Kiefer hisses. "You son of a bitch, you killed my brother," Wayne accuses. But he wisely does it without raising his voice. Kiefer says Wayne knows that isn't true. "I would have gladly given my life for his," Kiefer insists. "He was my friend." He says he's only there to try to figure out why Palmer got assassinated. With tears in his eyes, Wayne sarcastically suggests that Kiefer go into the next room and ask the Secret Service for help. Kiefer reminds us that whoever did the shooting is also planting evidence against Kiefer, and doing a bang-up job of it; "it would be useless to try to convince the authorities" of his innocence. Wayne wonders why he's supposed to be convinced, then, and Kiefer points out that he didn't kill Wayne when he came in the room. Well, he doesn't have a silencer, for one thing, and there are 25 real agents in the apartment with them. Before Wayne can point that out, Kiefer asks for Wayne's help. "How do you expect me to believe you under these circumstances?" Wayne asks. I assume he's referring to the gun barrel down which he's still staring. Kiefer comes to the same conclusion, and hands the gun to Wayne. Wayne takes it and levels it at Kiefer's face. Kiefer just stares back at him calmly, until he gets bored with the little scene and goes to sit at the computer. Wayne lowers the gun and slumps against the wall, crying. Brave move on Kiefer's part. Let's see, Sherry Palmer, Julia Milliken, and Palmer were all killed in Wayne's presence. I'm thinking he's a pretty dangerous guy to be around even when he isn't upset and holding a gun.