Episode Report Card M. Giant: A- | 303 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT Women's Work, Part II
By M. Giant | Season 8 | Episode 17 | Aired on 2010.04.12
At McGuire AFB, Taylor and Tiny Tim from Homeland Security are on their way to the room where the delegates are waiting -- and a TV monitor is showing news footage from the previous evening's triumphant press conference over the twin subtitles "IRK PRESIDENT HASSAN REPORTED DEAD" and something about "DISABLED LIST WITH PULLED HAMSTRING," which I gather refers to some famous professional athlete and not the peace process itself, although with Fox News it's a tossup. One of those delegates, the very same Jamot from the IRK who Hassan had arrested for no reason hours ago, gets off his cell phone and hurries out toward the door. On his way, Jamot is stopped by the Russian Foreign Minister we met last hour, the one who looks like Jesse Ventura (who I may or may not have voted for). Novakovich extends his sympathies. "Though, on a personal level, I imagine you have mixed feelings right now," he remarks. He's referring to Hassan's earlier behavior towards Jamot. "I would think you would have little love for the man," he fishes. Jamot makes Hassan's excuses for him and says, "I never stopped believing in what he stood for." The Russian says he meant no offense, and Jamot lets it drop. After all, he's got a U.S. president to intercept.
And in the hallway right outside the room, that's just what he does. Taylor offers to talk to him after her announcement to the others. "But there may be a way to prevent that from happening," he says. "Before you do anything, I need you to hear what I have to say." Taylor tells Tim to keep the delegates waiting for another minute and leads Jamot over to a vacant room.
At 8:07:12, the Russian delegate gets a call on his own cell phone. The caller is the EMT assassin from before, who, in a slow, mournful Russian accent, reports that all of Samir's men were dead, and he took care of Samir himself. How stunned are you that the effort to derail the peace agreement was underwritten by a high-ranking Russian diplomat? Having withdrawn to a more private spot, Novakovich thinks this means there's no connection to them. "Maybe not," the assassin says sadly, but he thinks Walker might have recognized him. He remembers her from "six years ago, when we were using that mobster, Vladimir Laitanan." The assassin adds that he's now following the cab she's riding in with Kiefer. He doesn't think they're going to CTU, which Novakovich takes as a sign that she didn't recognize him. But the assassin thinks it's too risky not to kill them both. Novakovich points out that CTU thinks everyone behind the plan has already been killed or busted, so if Walker dies now, it'll point to a larger conspiracy. "How long before they discover it was us?" "It will take even less time if this woman remembers me," the assassin points out in his funereal voice. Novakovich tells him to continue following, "And I'll get back to you." It's 8:08:52. Short act, but the show must have known it couldn't waste any time getting new plotlines into motion.