Episode Report Card M. Giant: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Cry, Wolf
By M. Giant | Season 5 | Episode 5 | Aired on 01.22.2006
Just then, Buchanan rushes in with two Redshirts, who have their guns drawn. Thank God he made it in time, almost! He asks Kiefer if he's all right. "I think he cracked my rib," Kiefer says. Jeez, you whiner, Buchanan was just being polite. Although it will be interesting to see how Kiefer copes with his injury for the next, oh, half-hour of this season. Buchanan asks about the body on the floor. Kiefer doesn't know who he is, "but he's a professional. He killed Dr. Paulson and he tried to kill me." He asks Buchanan how Hank could have gotten in, and Buchanan says they're working on cracking their mole right now. Kiefer orders a fresh doctor brought in to monitor Tony, and then he's off to carve off a chunk of Spencer his own self. As Buchanan follows, he orders the guard to call McGill and have him meet them in holding.
Split screen. Tony is still unconscious. Hey, I bet he never even woke up. Hank's not just a killer; he's insensitive. But it's a good thing Tony's at the CTU clinic instead of a hospital to prevent any further attempts on his life, right? Also: Spencer sits at his suspect's table, not knowing that he's about to be the buffet; Diane and Derek reunite in Audrey's office, with more hugs; Yellow Tie and his driver are still covering ground; Curtis arrives back at CTU at the head of his tactical army; and Audrey wonders whose head is left for her to fuck with.
11:58:44. Kiefer charges into the interrogation area's observation room, and changes the video feed on the nearest monitor to a live shot of sickbay. He has the guards open the door between interrogation and observation, and marches in to see Spencer. "I want to show you something. Get up," he says, hauling Spencer to his feet. The effort drives Kiefer's broken rib into a lung and he dies on the spot. Not really. Spencer allows himself to be led into observation, where he's brought face-to-dead-face with Hank's image on the monitor. Kiefer rages at Spencer, "This man is a professional assassin. He killed Dr. Paulson and he tried to kill me. Did you let him into CTU?" Spencer quavers that he thought Hank was just there to install an eavesdropping device into a server. "I was here as part of an Internal Affairs investigation," he claims. "Are you starting to understand how much trouble you are in?" Kiefer growls at him, and again asks Spencer who told him to let Hank in. "The White House," Spencer says, to Kiefer's shock. McGill has joined them as Spencer goes on to say that Walt recruited him after he started, to make sure that CTU was "operating within the rules." If Spencer knew anything at all about this place, he would have simply sent Walt two letters: N and O. "You have to believe me," Spencer sweats. "I thought I was serving the President." Kiefer looks like he believes the kid, but orders him taken back to holding. The guards comply. Once Kiefer's alone with the bosses, he pronounces, "Walt Cummings killed David Palmer. He tried to have me killed." Buchanan says they have to build a case before they can call the President. Kiefer isn't about calling: "He's here in California. We go see him now." McGill says that Walt is Logan's Chief of Staff, "and his friend." That's odd, because that used to be Novick's job. "Without any hard evidence, CTU can't touch him." Kiefer steps to McGill and growls, "I'm not CTU." Someone had better tell the Redshirts who keep obeying his orders. Kiefer blusters, "I'll go get Walt Cummings myself." The clock ticks over to 12:00:00 as, presumably, McGill has Kiefer put under arrest for sedition, making terrorist threats, and generally being a dumb-ass.