Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Down with the Sickness
By M. Giant | Season 7 | Episode 17 | Aired on 04.06.2009
Hodges is smooth and confident as he tells Taylor, "Let me begin by saying that I'm truly sorry it's come to this, but I have to insist that you turn your planes around immediately." Taylor totally opens herself up by saying that he's not in a position to issue ultimatums. Hodges begs to differ, and says that he kept a few souvenirs from Starkwood's deployment to Pakistan: Python 5 missiles, specifically, three of which are now loaded with the pathogen and aimed at three cities on the eastern seaboard. Taylor says he's bluffing, so Hodges flips on his product-placed cameraphone and points it at the cartoon missiles sitting in the bay. "See that, Madam President? Hmm?" he smarms. Actually, she does, on the computer monitor in front of her. How proprietary is this line, anyway? "You are waging war on your own country, Jonas!" Taylor says. "Well, of course I wouldn't see it that way," Hodges says pleasantly, and points the phone at his own face so he can smirk at her about what he wants, which is a talk, with her, at the White House, within the hour. "But in the meantime, I think it is to both of our advantage that the American people do not know the exact circumstance of this standoff, so you will keep this conversation to yourself and turn the planes around. And if you do not comply, madam president, I will have no choice but to launch those missiles...You have thirty seconds." He disconnects, leaving her to helplessly repeat his name into the phone and use the first few of those thirty seconds to stare around the tiny room. Meanwhile, in other splitscreen windows, Kiefer paces the floor at FBI-DC, Tony sees a rack of cylinders being lowered through the stairwell he's climbing for some reason. Aaron drives Olivia back to the White House, and Kiefer gives himself another injection. Hey, make those last, dude. If Dr. Macer can't get you any more, those are going to have to get you through the rest of your life.
Finally, Taylor rushes back into the Sit Room and orders, "Abort the air strike, Admiral Smith!" He protests twice, but she insists, loudly, watching the planes enter the target circle on the digital map. Smith makes the call, and the planes divert. He hangs up the phone and says the planes are standing down, scowling at her over what must be a severe case of bombing blue balls. Man, Hodges cut that close. Taylor turns away from the screen to see everyone in the room staring at her, waiting for an explanation. Instead of offering one, she leaves the room. I guess that's one good thing about being president on this show: the only time you need to explain yourself is when the audience needs to understand what's going on. It's 1:00:00.