Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Putting The "Curt" In "Curtis"
By M. Giant | Season 6 | Episode 3 | Aired on 01.14.2007
Inside the facility's makeshift booking room, Walid is sent along to another room while Sandra is uncuffed. The blond agent from before hands Sandra an open cell phone and tells her, "For you." She puts it to her ear and hears, "Please hold for the President." This should be a fun conversation, at least for those people who don't have to sit through it.
Wayne gives Sandra an earful about her actions, saying that he doesn't have time for this crap today and that he's given instructions for her to be freed and taken home. Why home? I guess she could go back to work, but why bother after she got the boss arrested and all the computers confiscated? Hey, maybe that was her plan all along: using rampant paranoia and xenophobia to engineer a day off for herself. Sandra harangues Wayne about civil liberties, and says that if they're going to release anyone, it should be Walid. Wayne refuses, saying, "Walid is the head of the organization under investigation!" Weak. Sandra insists that Walid is innocent. "Then Walid has nothing to worry about," Wayne hilariously assures her, and tells her to go home. After Wayne's hung up on her, Sandra stomps over to the blond agent and says she needs to talk to Walid before she leaves. He refuses, even when she invokes her status as Walid's attorney, and says he has rights. "Limited rights, Ms. Palmer," the agent corrects. "He's being held under the Revised Enemy Combatant Statute." What a chilling phrase. Sandra bitches that the law is being thrown out the window, and the agent condescends, "When you're through with the lectures, I have orders to drive you home." What, Sandra can't lecture him in the car? The blond agent really needs to learn how to multitask if he wants to get all the Muslims locked up any time soon.
Meanwhile, Walid is being processed with a couple dozen other suspects. The solider in charge tells the group, "Once inside the secure zone, you will disrobe. After a cavity search, you will be given back your clothing." See, Walid? Nothing to worry about. The soldier starts hassling a balding guy who's just standing there, refusing to move with the line and insisting, "I'm innocent." Things get physical pretty quickly, and Walid calls out for the man to be left alone, stepping out of line about three inches. That's enough for the soldier to come after Walid, who pushes him away. And then Walid gets clubbed in the ribs and dragged off to interrogation. The guy who started all this watches Walid go, not realizing that Walid has nothing to worry about. Could it be that this storyline is going to be a cautionary tale about indiscriminately arresting people? It's 8:37:12.