Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | 14 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT Das Brute
By M. Giant | Season 5 | Episode 22 | Aired on 2006.05.15
Back in the Situation Room, Chloe is profusely apologizing to Kiefer and saying she still doesn't know how Slime pulled it off. I don't either. I've never actually seen one of those little digital recording devices in person, let alone a separate device that can wipe one clean from an inch away. And yet Slime just happened to have one on him. I'd be more inclined to believe he did it with an extra-strength refrigerator magnet, but then those rarely blink. Whatever, I'm clearly out of my technical depth here. Again. Hayes comes back in, and Kiefer starts talking about getting Audrey to sign an affidavit swearing to the recording's contents. But Hayes cuts him off and sends Chloe off to Processing to see if there's anything on the recording that can be salvaged. And then the President calls. Well, this could get awkward.
Logan asks Hayes what's up with the conference call with the Attorney General that he just now heard about. Hayes says the call's been canceled, which Logan says he's glad to hear. He says that he's really calling about Kiefer. "What about Jack Bauer?" Hayes asks at 4:06:14, for the benefit of the other person in the room. Logan says that the evidence that led him to order Kiefer's arrest seems to be falling apart, so he's canceling the order. Hayes basically repeats that back, and Kiefer looks intrigued as she protests down the line that Logan's had every government agency, from the Marines to OSHA, looking for Kiefer for the past several hours. Hayes now asks the Prez if she should release Kiefer, and Logan says, "I'll leave that up to your discretion. Thank you, Karen. Good work." And they hang up. Logan's entire manner throughout that call was totally smug: I know you know, and I know that you know I know you know. And do I care? No. As Kiefer points out to Hayes, "He's letting me go because he knows he's won...I'll be on my own. Alone, unprotected. A perfect target." Except he growls it, so as not to sound all whiny. Aside from that, I think it's pretty clear that it would be tough to round up volunteers for a protection detail for Kiefer. Just think of all the things that would happen to any guards or Marshals who dared take on that assignment. They'd end up getting punched, kicked, tasered, stabbed, shot...not to mention the things that could be done to them by people who came after Kiefer. But before this can be explored further, Buchanan comes in with word that Bierko escaped ten minutes ago, during his transfer. For some reason, both Kiefer and Hayes are shocked at this news. I would try to be shocked as well, but that would involve doing something that would pop a circuit breaker and then I'd miss part of the show. An hour after we all predicted this development, Buchanan explains that the convoy moving Bierko was ambushed, and the only surviving agent is currently calling in on line three. Handy, that. Hayes activates the speakerphone.