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
Chloe flags down a new character -- an attractive, pantsuited brunette named Nadia -- and asks her for clearance to open the channel Homeland Security wants opened. Nadia gives it, but this doesn't satisfy Chloe, even when Nadia says they have a lead on Assad's location and are preparing a helicopter assault. Chloe's confused, so Nadia non-explains, "Jack Bauer." Nadia clarifies that Wayne negotiated Kiefer's release from China two days ago. Chloe starts peppering Nadia with questions, but Nadia can't talk about it. "Can Bill Buchanan talk about it?" Chloe asks. Nadia informs her that Buchanan's meeting Kiefer at Point Mugu Naval Air Station as we speak.
It's 6:07:53 as an American military transport plane taxis to a stop on the tarmac in front of a waiting Buchanan and Curtis, the latter of whom comments to his boss that Wayne must have given up a lot to secure Kiefer's release. I know we're supposed to be really really curious about that, and if I thought the writers themselves knew yet, maybe I would be. Buchanan tells Curtis, "We don't know what his state of mind will be. If he doesn't co-operate, we'll need to be prepared." I guess that would explain all the armed soldiers also standing around, assault weapons at the ready. Like that's going to stop Kiefer if he wants to start some shit, whatever his condition. Curtis and Buchanan approach the plane's open tail section, and a number of suited Chinese guys -- including Consulate Cop, who perhaps now can go back to his actual fucking job -- disembark. From inside the symbolically red-lit hold, Kiefer himself is led off the plane, looking completely shell-shocked, with long, greasy hair and an unkempt, pointy beard. His hands are cuffed in front of him and he's wearing a set of rough, grubby blue pajamas. He blinks, his eyes pointed at the pavement. Consulate Cop is all formal, asking for Buchanan's signature on a form, but Buchanan, shocked at Kiefer's appearance, first orders Kiefer's cuffs removed. Consulate Cop gives an order, and the guards comply. We get a nice close-up on the gnarly-ass scar tissue on the back of Kiefer's hand when the cuffs come off. Curtis is the first to address Kiefer directly, telling him, "It's okay. Come with me." Without a word, and with a long look at Consulate Cop, Kiefer follows Curtis to a nearby hangar. Consulate Cop tells Buchanan, "He hasn't spoken a word in nearly two years." He also comments that Wayne paid a high price for Kiefer's release. Still not that curious. Buchanan walks off without bothering to respond. Nice try, but not speaking for two minutes is really not as impressive, dude.