Episode Report Card Gustave: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Mike Novick is back. Hide your heart.
By Gustave | Season 2 | Episode 7 | Aired on 12.09.2002
The time is 02:17:12 PM. Klockwise from the top left, Mason's on the phone, Kiefer and Nina fly the friendly skies, and Lady Mac schemes some more. Lest we assume that the writers have all but forgotten about the bomb that just went off in CTU, Mason makes a remark to an agent on the other line that CTU isn't "exactly the Ritz Carlton," but invites him to drop by anyway. Bitchelle is on the other line. She tells him that Kiefer is about to land in Visalia. Mason tells her to "stay on it" and takes a rolling paper out of his jacket pocket. Oh, yeah. Mason's gonna smoke out in his office since he only has a few hours left to live. Hell, he totally qualifies for medical marijuana at this point. He's just going to kick back, set up iTunes to play his special Pink Floyd compilation, light some Jasmine incense, and spark that doobie. Oh, wait. It's not rolling papers. It's a slip of paper with a number on it. He dials the number.
The phone rings at a seaside burger stand. The counter person, a twenty-something "surfer dude," is waiting on a customer. When he finishes, he runs a hand through his blond-streaked mop, pushing the bangs out of his eyes, and answers the phone. Oh, no -- please don't let this be Mason's long-lost son! I don't think I can deal with the maudlin possibilities. Maybe this guy is his boyfriend. You know, it's never really been established that Mason is straight. Think about it. And we haven't had a gay couple on the show since Mandy's girlfriend got killed.
Anyway, Mason is all, "I know it's been a while." "Yeah," says the surfer dude, whose name is John, but I'm going to call him Sandy. "Two years." Mason apologizes for being a stranger, and tells Sandy that he's got to see him today. Sandy is too busy…and too bitter. Oh, and he refers to Mason as "Dad," so unless they're having one of those gay relationships, it looks like he's indeed Mason's son. Mason insists that it's important he come down to CTU as soon as possible. Um, Mason? Not only is CTU not a hospital or maximum-security prison or even a freestanding structure, it is also not a good place to reunite with your estranged son. Sandy insists that he's too busy and hangs up on him.
Flight 69 lands in Visalia. Kiefer whips out his shades and escorts Nina out of the cabin. She is now dressed like, well, Spawn's boyfriend in vintage hipster-wear. Her hair has been given a little something too. Hey, which agent blow-dried Nina's hair? Was it Kiefer? Can't you just see it? "Nina, so help me God, if you don't tell us Faheen's exact location, I'm going to give you Nancy McKeon's haircut from the final season of The Facts of Life. You know firsthand what I can do with a crimping iron!" Mason is watching on closed-circuit television. "Okay, that's the third can of Aqua Net he's used on her. We're going in. Get those thinning shears away from him!" A vast team of agents are waiting at the Visalia airport to meet Nina and Jack, who walk off the plane arm-in-arm like it's their honeymoon. The head agent who greets Jack asks for Faheen's location. Nina refuses to say. Jack tugs on her arm and jerks her around. That gets it out of Nina. Faheen is hiding out in a thrift store called Crescent Collectibles. No wonder she doesn't want anyone to know. It's probably one of those nasty overpriced craft stores that feature the decorative works of "local artists" and driftwood earrings. The Visalia lead agent knows exactly where Crescent Collectibles is. Maybe he did Nina's hair too. Kiefer gets into a van. PoorMan'sSeanAstin wants to keep Nina at the base where a team of agents can guard her. Kiefer insists that she be brought along. "I want to use her," says Kiefer. "Use her how?" asks PMSA. "You'll see," says Kiefer. No comment.