Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | 291 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT Small Consulation
By M. Giant | Season 6 | Episode 12 | Aired on 2007.03.05
At 5:35:42, Kiefer hops over the wall surrounding the Consulate grounds. He pulls out his borrowed Secret Service earpiece and ditches it, I suppose just in case he feels the urge to call for help. Making his way toward the main building, Kiefer's stopped by a guard, who comes out of a French door one level above and asks in subtitled Russian, "Why are you here?" In equally fluent and subtitled Russian, Kiefer responds, "I was told to guard the back of the building." This seems to satisfy the guard, who continues on his way. After all, what American intruder would bother to learn Russian? Although I do wonder how a building that appears to consist of two rooms and a hallway could have a large enough security force that they don't all know each other by sight. Kiefer answers his vibrating cell phone to find Chloe on the other end with the news that she's ready to create Kiefer's localized blackout. She says that he'll have sixty seconds before the building's own power kicks in. Again, nice security. Or maybe when they built the place, the city just refused to give Russia a permit for an emergency generator. "Sorry, Russia, it's against code. Say, do you need to renew your driver's license while you're here? Hey, Maxine, take good care of Russia here for me, would you?" Kiefer positions himself by a back door, under and out of view of a security camera that's probably just an empty shell anyway. He tells Chloe to go ahead, and she does. He opens the back door and walks right in. Lucky for him there wasn't any kind of mechanical lock, or one that automatically engages if the power goes out. Poor Russia. Ever since they lost the Cold War, they never get to have anything nice.
Inside the building, the Consulate's other three security guys quickly grok that something's up, and split up to check things out. Meanwhile, Kiefer draws his weapon and enters Markov's office. The Consul was apparently just sitting back in his chair in the semi-dark, doing nothing but staring into the gloom and waiting to stand up in alarm. He does so now as Kiefer comes at him with his gun leveled, demanding to know where Gredenko is. Markov is still denying any knowledge. The fact that we already know Markov's lying sucks a lot of the suspense out of this scene. Kiefer is distracted when the lights suddenly come back on, and Markov takes advantage of the moment to hit the panic button on his desk, triggering a klaxon throughout the building. Wait until the three security guys hear that. Kiefer locks the office door as Markov bellows at him that he's breaking international law and violating the sovereignty of the consulate. Kiefer's like, been there, done that, got the pajamas. Putting the muzzle of his gun against Markov's forehead, he says he doesn't have time to ask nicely where Gredenko is. Not that asking nicely worked earlier for Logan anyway. Markov is still claiming not to know from Gredenko.