Episode Report Card Gustave: C+ | 293 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT Conspiracy? What conspiracy?
By Gustave | Season 2 | Episode 24 | Aired on 2003.05.20
Cut to Marie in a Plexiglas and aluminum holding cell, lit seemingly from within like a De La Tour Madonna. Hey, it's a Barneys window that Simon Doonan forgot to design. "You lied to me," says Papa Crew from in front of the Plexiglas. "You killed Reza, you tried to kill your own sister and you were willing to set off a nuclear bomb in a city with ten million people." You're grounded, Marie! But seriously, once we're talking about setting off a nuclear bomb, lying and attempted murder sort of take a major backseat. It's like complaining to the captain of the U.S.S. Valdez that right before he hit that iceberg, he left the toilet seat up or something. Anyway, Papa Crew wants to know why Marie did what she did. "Tell me that they forced you to do it -- that they brainwashed you…" Marie says nothing and continues to stare imperiously past Papa Crew as if he doesn't exist. "There is no reason, Dad," says Cate, entering the room. "I can't accept that," says Papa Crew, talking about Marie as if she's an exhibit at the Museum of Unnatural History (tm rljenk). "I couldn't either," says Cate. "Until I looked into her eyes and she pointed a gun at me and started to pull the trigger." Um, retcon, anyone? Didn't Cate specifically say back then that she didn't think Marie was capable of shooting her, and didn't Kiefer say that he'd looked into the eyes of suicidal terrorists and that Marie wasn't one of those people, and wasn't the reason that Marie caved in the first place that in fact, ultimately, she wasn't all that committed to the Second Wave? Cate concludes that they will never understand what made Marie do what she did. Papa Crew studies Marie behind the glass some more while Cate tries to comfort him by caressing his shoulder. Finally they decide to get out of there. As they leave, NewlyEvilMarie speaks. "Cate," she says, standing up and approaching the glass amidst the rattle of chains. "You think you'll be safe out there? You won't be." Cate makes another turd face and exits.
On the road to the Coliseum, Kiefer gets a phone call. It's Soul Patch, informing Kiefer that Spawn is at CTU and she's safe. Kiefer gives a huge sigh of relief. I guess he too has forgotten how "safe" his own wife was at CTU last season. Soul Patch then hands him over to Chappelle, who needs to talk to him. "Ryan, you son of a bitch," says Kiefer. "You stopped that chopper from picking up me and Hightops. Now Hightops is dead and I'm holding you personally responsible." Chappelle brushes this last piece of information aside and informs Kiefer that he's got the full support of CTU now. Kiefer tells Chappelle of his plan to meet EvilChrisElliott at the Coliseum and get him to admit on tape that he was behind the Cyprus recordings and the B-O-M-B. Chappelle tells Kiefer to hold off until CTU can send back-up. Kiefer counters that they don't have enough time. Instead, he asks for voiceprints of EvilChrisElliott for verification purposes, and a live feed of Lady Mac's wire sent directly to the White House. Uh oh. "Live feed" broadcasts are like graduation speeches, in that when they appear at the conclusion of a movie or a TV season it's a symptom of some writer not being able to wrap things up. Think Minority Report. Chappelle complies and sends a SWAT team over to the Coliseum.