Episode Report Card M. Giant: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT I Won't Be Your Father Figure
By M. Giant | Season 5 | Episode 10 | Aired on 02.26.2006
At 4:34:22, Audrey catches up with Curtis in yet another back hallway, and obviouses, "We've got a problem with Lynn." This isn't exactly news to Curtis, but he doesn't see what they can do about it. Audrey takes a breath and blurts, "Section 112." Curtis is confused as to how that applies (and I'm confused as to what it is), so Audrey explains, "Lynn is mentally incapable of running CTU." Curtis thinks that's kind of a stretch, but Audrey disagrees. She tells Curtis that he's the ranking agent on site, and, as such, the only person who can invoke it. Curtis seems to think it's a really bad idea, since they can't back it up with any documentation, but Audrey makes a forceful case. "Think about it," she says, and Curtis agrees to do so, probably just so he can get off the hook. She did catch him on his way into the men's room, after all.
The Suvarovs and FLOTUS are still riding in the back of the limo, now sitting in dead silence. It was nice of FLOTUS to come along to "talk," but it's kind of embarrassing that they only had enough conversation for five or ten minutes of a one-hour-plus ride.
Logan's sitting alone and staring at photographs of himself and his wife; Novick comes in to say the motorcade's only fifteen minutes from the airport. Logan knows, and he whines that his father always told him that every problem has a solution. "You tell me where the solution is on this one," he tells Novick. Novick wearily sits down and says he doesn't know. "But if you want the Suvarov motorcade to turn back, I need to do it now." Logan's got tears in his eyes as he lays it out: "We know the terrorists are willing to kill civilians. And the low end of the casualty range on this one is...a hundred thousand lives?" Novick nods. Logan says that he decided not to risk those lives to save the Russian president, and he can't risk them now to save his own wife. His voice breaks as he complains, "Damn you, Martha, putting me in this position. You brought it on yourself." Me, me, me. Your fault, your fault, your fault. How does a guy like that get to be President? Wait, never mind. Novick looks almost terrified as Logan slides out of his chair and onto his knees on the floor. "Pray with me, Mike," Logan begs. Mortified, Novick tries to demur, but Logan insists. Novick finally kneels slightly in front of and to the right of Logan, who puts a grateful hand on Novick's shoulder from behind. The shot just shows their two suited backs, looking small and vulnerable. Thank God this country is in the capable hands of such confident men of action.
It's 4:38:42 as Audrey, Edgar and Chloe whisper urgently at each other across the floor over their conferenced phone lines. Chloe is, as always, acting like a big stress-monkey and Edgar's trying to chill her out, but before Audrey can tell the kids to play nice, Chloe's screen goes black, signifying that they're busted. Edgar asks what to do, and Chloe answers, "I think it's too late to do anything."