Episode Report Card M. Giant: A- | 305 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT Women's Work, Part II
By M. Giant | Season 8 | Episode 17 | Aired on 2010.04.12
Ethan is already being wheeled out of the infirmary as the doctor says they cleared a blockage, and the damage turns out to not be as bad as they thought. It must not have been, if he's already out of there. "In other words, I'm a tough son of a bitch," Ethan says. Especially after a fistful of Tums. He wants to get right back to work, and is glad to not hear a flat no. It probably helps that unlike everyone else on this show, he had a good night's sleep. Taylor comes up and asks for a minute at 8:30:54. She wheels him off to one side so she can sit down with him, and in addition to being fully functional, he's already up to speed on what's been going on. Someone must have been briefing him during his surgery. He calls the idea of putting Dalia in charge "inspired," although since the other options were Jamot, Nabeel and Kayla, I wouldn't go that far. Taylor says the Russians disagree, and are using this as an excuse to pull out, which will effectively kill the agreement as dead as Hassan. And since Ethan got Russia there to start with, she needs his help getting them back. Ethan says he knows someone who could help them, "but you're not going to like it." Who is? Of course, Ethan's referring to Charles Logan, the former president. After a little expository dialogue referring to how Logan was pardoned by Taylor's immediate predecessor, Noah Daniels (all of this talk of ex-POTUSes is just making Suvarov seem more and more like a one-man dynasty), Ethan says that Logan has been leaving him messages offering to help. "Despite his political downfall, he's managed to maintain a uniquely close relationship with Moscow." No shit, if he already knows what's up. And why did Ethan bother asking permission to get back to work when clearly he was listening to voice mails as well as briefings when the doctors were working on him? As for Logan, he's claiming to have "information" that could keep the Russians on board, although he wouldn't say more. So, blackmail, then? Ethan calls Taylor by her first name and says he doesn't trust Logan ether, but thinks she should hear him out. After all, it's the final season, and there's only so much time to start shipping in the few surviving former cast members. Speaking of which, where the hell is Aaron?