Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Duress Code: Casual
By M. Giant | Season 5 | Episode 4 | Aired on 01.15.2006
It's 10:34:25 as Kiefer watches one of the minions run in from the back and whisper to Beresch. He can't hear the conversation, but we can -- it appears that the body of Chevensky was found, as was a key card that Chevensky had apparently stashed somewhere for the terrorists. The minion hands said card over to Beresch. Beresch stalks the floor, giving orders to his men. "Assume CTU is in body armor, so go for the head shot." It's about time somebody figured that out on this show. He wades through the huddle of hostages, ostensibly to intimidate them some more. But, soft -- it's really so he can slip that key card to that guy in the yellow tie, the one he didn't want to kill earlier. Hmmmm. The transaction doesn't go unnoticed by Kiefer, or by the musical score. Kiefer suddenly realizes that Yellow Tie is the only hostage who doesn't look scared. Besides Kiefer, that is. Which, come on, Kiefer, start looking scared. It won't kill you. I don't think. It's 10:35:16.
10:39:42. The ceremony at Not Camp David continues, Curtis's men continue to get organized, and McGill continues to search his computer screen for another excuse to fuck shit up. At the airport, Kiefer's phone is ringing in a terrorist's hand. Beresch gets set up to listen in while his minion answers the phone and presses it to Kiefer's ear. Curtis confirms to Kiefer that he's ready, and Kiefer "reminds" him that he's in a "FLANK TWO POSITION." Again, Beresch doesn't react, and Curtis doesn't sound like he's picking up what Kiefer's putting down. Probably because anvils are heavy. As a result, Kiefer for the first time looks like he's having doubts that he's made himself clear, and he hesitates. But at this point he doesn't have much choice but to tell Curtis to go ahead. Curtis begins the sixty-second countdown on the detonator wired to the wall charges. "Jack, we'll see you inside," he says, and hangs up. It's 10:43:34. "Everyone, sixty seconds!" Beresch calls to his men. They all run down the hallway to get into position, waiting to blow away Curtis's team when they come through.
As the digital timer on Curtis's wall-bomb counts down, McGill scampers down from his stolen office and into the CTU Situation Room. "Stop the assault!" McGill orders. Buchanan orders Curtis put on the phone as McGill opens his laptop to show Buchanan a transcript of Kiefer's calls, pointing out the phrase "flank two position." See? SEE? Thank God for the new guy, hey? McGill says that's an old "duress code" from back when Kiefer was still active at CTU. But now the code is inactive, which is why Buchanan and Curtis didn't pick up on it before. Their profound deafness may have also been a factor. Chloe is looking at the Hobbit with newfound respect as Buchanan tells her to pull up the old duress codes to confirm McGill's assertion. While she's doing that, McGill calmly but quickly explains that Kiefer's been nabbed and is being forced to send bad info. "If Curtis Manning's teams go in now, they'll be ambushed," he sums up. "He's right!" Chloe wails in horror. With only four seconds left (even though it's been seventy-five seconds since Curtis started the sixty-second countdown), Buchanan orders Curtis to abort the countdown. Curtis stops the clock with only two seconds to spare and tells all his men to stand down. He asks Buchanan what's wrong. Buchanan explains about the duress code they missed, and tells Curtis to return to the original assault plan and not contact Kiefer. "If Jack contacts you, buy time," he adds. McGill doubtfully asks, "You're going to outflank the terrorists?" Buchanan's answer speaks volumes: on the one hand, he's so, so tired of McGill already, and he's embarrassed that McGill just saved everyone's ass for him, but he still hasn't had enough time to completely change his attitude toward the guy, and if McGill starts in again he's going to fucking lose it. This is all communicated by Buchanan's simple "Yes." "That should work," McGill nods. Heh.
Curtis gives the order to his men to redeploy. Outside, at the command post, Diane hears one of Curtis's men responding over his radio, and asks him what's going on. The CTU guy shuts her right down. He's my favorite.