Episode Report Card M. Giant: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Unresolved
By M. Giant | Season 6 | Episode 24 | Aired on 05.20.2007
Kiefer's still working his way down through the structure, shooting bad guys as he goes. And the F-18s are still on their way, projecting four minutes and thirty seconds to firing range. Josh and Dad reach the boat jetty. While Dad is busy with the winch that lowers the boat into the water, Josh picks up a heavy wrench and clubs Dad from behind. Then he grabs Dad's gun and points it at him. Way to control your emotions, Josh. While Dad staggers around in a rather satisfying manner at 5:28:13, Josh backs up to what he thinks is a safe distance and holds the gun on his grandfather. He says -- in case Dad hasn't gotten the memo -- that he's not going. Dad recovers enough to reach out one freakishly long arm for the gun, but Josh isn't handing it over. "As long as you're alive, me and my mom will never be safe," Josh sobs. Dad claims he loves Josh and is doing this for him, but he's getting too close, so Josh shoots him. Go, Josh! Dad goes down with a bullet in the right side of his chest. Okay, Josh, points for effort, but the heart's on the other side. I know, it's a small target. Josh keeps pointing the gun as Dad gasps for breath, leaning against the railing.
Kiefer suddenly arrives at the top of the stairs with his own gun, telling Josh to lower the weapon. Josh doesn't move. Kiefer says he knows how Josh feels right now, but warns him, "You do not want to live with the pain of taking another person's life, even if they deserve it." Yeah, take it from Kiefer, who has to live with that pain multiplied by several hundred. Two just in the last three minutes. Oh, and by the way, he adds, an air strike is coming in two minutes, so they should probably be going. Kiefer gets Josh to lower the gun, then sends him running up the stairs toward the helipad. Better hope he doesn't get lost. ["The part I don't get is how Kiefer delivers the 'don't do anything you might feel bad about later' speech after the kid already shot his grandfather in the chest. Like, I'm thinking therapy is already kind of a foregone conclusion." -- Miss Alli]
Now that it's just father and Kiefer, Kiefer orders his dad at gunpoint to get up. Dad refuses, saying he's all done. "You are going to be held responsible for what you did today!" Kiefer insists. Dad doesn't think so. As he correctly points out, Kiefer doesn't have time to carry him to the helicopter, and Kiefer doesn't want to die. Care to qualify that, Dad? "Not here," Dad says. "Not with me." Okay, that part I agree with. And besides, who wants to ride in a helicopter with their former torturer, their whiny "nephew," and an eight-foot sociopath? I don't care how much yoga James Morrison knows, that's going to be crowded. "You're gonna get off easy," Kiefer says, and heads up the stairs. Shouldn't he cover his bases and get the component first? Never mind; no time.