Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT How To Disarm A Terrorist
By M. Giant | Season 6 | Episode 16 | Aired on 04.01.2007
Wayne is currently getting a second adrenalin shot, despite Dr. Welton's increasingly dire warnings about what a bad idea that is. The problem is that we all know Wayne never met a bad idea he didn't like, so he's all, "Let me get back to my job, or I'll find someone else who will." Instead of wishing Wayne good luck with that when he's unconscious, the doctor gives him the shot. Buchanan's call rings in as the doctor leaves. Buchanan tells Wayne that Fayed's in custody, but that they haven't yet confirmed that the bombs are anywhere nearby. Buchanan says that Kiefer's going to interrogate Fayed, although he admits that there's no way of knowing how long it'll take or whether it will work. "All right, Bill; that's what I wanted to know," Wayne says ominously, and rings off.
As he shrinks into a splitscreen window, Wayne gets back into his suit jacket, although he's in no condition for a proper presidential coat-flip. Trying it would probably kill him. Nadia, Milo, and Tom each get his or her own splitscreen window, but Lisa and the Veep have to share. And then Gredenko's in the bottom half of the screen, limping along beneath the pier. When the full screen returns with him in it, he's lurching weakly from piling to piling. Finally, he collapses into the surf. I really don't get why he turned on the one guy who could have gotten him out of there. Also, that saltwater's got to sting.
Back at the Bunker, Tom is on the phone in his office, leaning on some poor Supreme Court clerk (who, again, is already working after midnight) to seal and return the Wayne vs. Veep documents to him. As he hangs up, Karen enters and asks Tom for a truce. Tom agrees, and they shake hands. Then Karen asks Tom if he knows why the Veep backed down. Tom shakes his head and lies that he has no idea. Karen says that one of her aides saw Tom with the Veep before the announcement. Tom plays dumb, but Karen smiles that she'd like to hear the truth someday. Tom distractedly agrees as he answers his cell phone. No! Dude, never answer your cell phone at two minutes before the hour. That's just asking for trouble. And judging from Tom's reaction, this is no exception. He hangs up and rushes out, telling Karen that Wayne is about to go ahead with the nuclear strike on Mideastia. Karen's face and the musical score both go, "WTF?"
Tom runs down the hallway and into the battle bridge, where Wayne is sitting with the Joint Chiefs and looking pretty scowly. The Chairman is on the phone and looking at his watch, which can't be good. Tom rushes to Wayne's side and asks what the hell he's doing, urgently adding, "It's what you risked your life to stop!" Wayne says that he risked his life to reassert his authority. "I've got Vice President Daniels calling me weak," he whines. "Even you thought the same thing." Tom warns Wayne not to confuse recklessness with strength. Wayne says that he's done talking. And even if he wasn't, the Chairman's announcement -- "We have a successful launch" -- kind of makes further discussion moot. Tom and the camera focus in on the radar screen, which shows a red radar blip leaving the USS Vickery. Well, I guess Wayne showed us. It's 10:00:00.