Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | 0 USERS: N/A YOU GRADE IT Crushed Velvet
By M. Giant | Season 6 | Episode 1 | Aired on January 13, 2007
From across the floor, Morris notices that something's up with his once and future, and blows off further blustering from Milo to go visit her at her desk. Chloe says that Kiefer's back in town. Morris is confused as to why she's not happier about it, but we cut away before Chloe can tell him (and us, for the third time).
Kiefer's self-grooming skills haven't deteriorated at all since Season 2; he's not only shaved, shorn and clad in a blue dress shirt buttoned to the collar; he's also been in the car for a while. In fact, it's full daylight. The sun sure comes up quick in California, doesn't it? He stares blankly out the backseat window at the scenery going by. Up in the shotgun seat, Buchanan's phone rings. It's Wayne, and he wants to talk to Kiefer. Buchanan turns to get Kiefer's attention, but he's unresponsive -- at least until Buchanan reaches back to touch Kiefer's shoulder, and nearly loses a hand when Kiefer jerks violently. Buchanan hands him the phone, which Kiefer puts to his ear. "Mr. President?" Kiefer croaks into it, with an admirably straight face.
From the Oval Office, Wayne starts into a characteristically Palmer-esque speech about how much he already owes Kiefer: "This is a desperate measure, Jack, but it's also a measure of our desperation." We see that Tom's in the room with Wayne, but he's got his back to the President so that his boss can't see his pained "Jesus, just get on with it already" expression. Kiefer apparently feels the same way, quietly telling Wayne that he already knows the score, and he's cool with it. Wayne promises Kiefer that his sacrifice won't be in vain. Kiefer thanks him and hangs up. If it were me, I would at least ask why Wayne waited until somebody wanted him dead to negotiate his release, if he could have done it all along. But then we're supposed to be kept wondering about that, and I refuse to get any more curious about it right now.