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
Spencer's gone into the server room to answer his page, and you'll never guess who's on the other end of the line: it's Walt. Well, you could knock me over with a Buick. How amazing that not only is the White House mole the only person it could possibly be, but so is the CTU mole. It's like the murder mystery Danny DeVito wrote in Throw Momma from the Train. Remember how it had two characters and one got killed? Same thing here. Walt asks Spencer if Kiefer has arrived at CTU yet. Spencer answers in the negative, so Walt gives him a job: "I need you to clear an entrance into CTU."
At 11:22:06, Audrey's just getting off the phone with someone at the Defense Department when McGill comes up and makes sure that she's up to speed on the nerve gas situation. Although she hasn't been on screen for the first twenty minutes of the episode, she's completely in the loop, and says she just informed the DoD. McGill explains that Diane and Derek have been brought in, and that he wants Audrey to find out what information Diane might have about the nerve gas. Audrey thinks that's as idiotic as I do. She scoffs, "What could she possibly know about that? And could this be a more transparent contrivance to get Kiefer's 'ex' and 'next' alone in a room together?" Or maybe she just says the first part. In reply, McGill says he now agrees that Kiefer was framed for the Palmer assassination. He also thinks that the framer is connected to the nerve gas thief, which means Diane could have had contact with the guilty party without knowing it. I'm thinking that if they build this investigation on everything Diane doesn't know, the bad guys could all be in lockup by the end of the episode. Audrey says she's not a trained interviewer (aw, but she did so well with her brother last season), but McGill insists that since Audrey knows Kiefer better than anyone there, she should be able to build a rapport with Diane. "I realize it's awkward," he says, "but I need you to do it." Audrey needs to say, "Fuck off, Rudy, I don't work for you." But instead she reluctantly agrees to the ridiculous request.
McGill thanks her and tells her that the Huxleys just cleared security. Audrey looks up and sees them wandering in, trailed by a Redshirt. She meets them, introduces herself, and sends Derek off to Medical to be checked out by a doctor. "It's just procedure," she assures Derek. Diane assures Derek it'll be fine. Obviously, Diane doesn't know anything about the CTU clinic. Derek allows himself to be led off by the Redshirt. Audrey stiffly leads Diane across the floor. Diane's amazed at her surroundings: "I had no idea [Kiefer] worked in a place like this," she marvels. "Did you know him before?" "Yes," Audrey says stiffly. "I knew him." Nothing to see here! Just go up the stairs! I'll be right behind you, checking out the ass on the competition! It's 11:24:07.