Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Small Consulation
By M. Giant | Season 6 | Episode 12 | Aired on 03.04.2007
5:16:25. It's dark in D.C. (where it is, of course, 9:16:25 PM), and Air Force Two is parked on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force base. The Veep is met at the top of the exit stairs by his own Chief of Staff, Lisa, who has a few flashes for him. Interagency news flashes, that is; there are some limits to the perks of office. The Veep says that he's already up to speed on everything from reading on the plane, but wants to follow up on the bulletin from CTU. Lisa starts dialing her phone as they descend the stairs together. We can see that the Veep's fighter escort is parked right in front of the 747. Uh, guys? He's on the ground. I think you can stand down now.
Moments later, the Veep is on the phone with Buchanan. He's clearly not impressed that Logan's been furloughed, and asks what's up with that. Buchanan seizes this chance to bring new and forgetful viewers up to speed as he explains that Logan's claiming to have a line on Gredenko via the Russian Consul, Anatoly Markov, which is why Wayne allowed Logan his little outing. The Veep grumps at Buchanan to keep him posted, and to get Logan back under house arrest as soon as he's finished not finding anything out from Markov.
That's going to be sooner than we thought, because Logan and Kiefer have already arrived at the Consulate and are getting out of the car. That's amazing; I could have sworn Kiefer said it was gong to be a forty-five-minute drive. On their way into the building, Logan says that he'll need to talk to Markov alone. Kiefer refuses to let Logan out of his sight, even when Logan warns him that Markov will clam up if Kiefer's in the room: "What do you think I'm going to do in there, Jack? Request asylum?" Actually, I hadn't thought of that, but now that he mentions it, that would probably be more effective than simply attempting to hide in Markov's liquor cabinet. Logan doesn't think the Russians would take him anyway, so Kiefer agrees, warning him that he'll know if Logan strays more than twenty feet. I assume they've got some kind of lojack arrangement in place, but the prop department was a little swamped this week, so we don't get to see it. They resume their walk to the entrance as Logan promises to prove Kiefer wrong, whining, "I'm only trying to help." Oh, Logan, give it up. Kiefer only ever gets proven wrong a couple of times a season, and you're arriving on the scene a little late to be one of them.
Inside the Consulate's front lobby, it's 5:18:46 as Logan is greeted by Consulate staff and led into the Consul's office, which is right across the fancy hallway from the front door. I've seen McDonald's drive-thrus with better security. Kiefer lurks at the opposite end of the hallway, as though he's already testing the range on Logan's distance alarm.