Episode Report Card Kim: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Taken
By Kim | Season 3 | Episode 16 | Aired on 03.20.2004
Cut to Dixon at the Oops Center, explaining the call to the team. Dixon says they wanted him to watch his children die so he would know how it feels, so the Covenant set up the whole Nogales warehouse thing. Dixon adds that the Covenant is now demanding the immediate release of ten prisoners, and if he tries to "outmaneuver them," he'll never see his daughter again. Dixon swallows hard, and everyone around the table looks down to avoid seeing the raw emotion on his face. Dixon continues that he's unable to process that his daughter is in increased danger because of "a failed rescue mission [he] sanctioned." Even Lauren looks a little misty. Dixon concludes that he is temporarily stepping down, and that he wants Jack to take over the task force. Jack nods, and Dixon walks out. Syd looks horrified.
Senator Reed follows Jack out of the conference room and says that he's pulling what strings he can to meet the Covenant's demands. Jack says he appreciates it, and that he thinks there's something behind the boldness of the Covenant's demands. Senator Reed is clueless, and Jack says he hasn't quite figured it out yet, so they should still pursue that government negotiation thing.
Sydney arrives at the hospital, where she finds Dixon sitting in a chair looking at his son, who is lying in a bed. Actually, it might just be a hospital room in the Oops Center. It's also the biggest hospital room ever. Syd knocks on the door and asks how Stephen is doing. Dixon motions Syd into the room and says quietly that Stephen is dehydrated, but he thinks "the damage is more emotional than physical." Syd asks what she can do. Dixon confesses that Stephen came back with a message very different from the one he just delivered to the task force. The Covenant actually wants a Rambaldi artifact known as Lot 45, which is kept at Project Black Hole in Nevada. Dixon says he doesn't know what Lot 45 is. Syd asks why the Covenant made false demands, and Dixon says that they wanted to keep the CIA occupied. The Covenant also knows that Dixon has personal access codes to enter the Nevada facility. Syd points out that those access codes can be traced back to Dixon, who doesn't care, because it might save his daughter's life. Dixon says he can't do this alone, much as he would like to, and Syd responds simply, "Whatever you need." It's good to see a reminder that these two were partners for many years, and trust each other completely. Especially since it probably took Dixon a while to get that trust back after the takedown of SD-6.
Nevada. A dune buggy races through the desert with Syd at the wheel. Everything is very orange in a Traffic kind of way. Syd is stopped by a military guy in a Jeep who tells her that it's a restricted area. Syd, looking hot in a do-rag, shades, and leather jacket, unzips the jacket to reveal her see-through white tank top with bikini top underneath. Syd lies that she got separated from her friends. The military guy isn't having it. Syd plays ditzy and asks the guy to check out her map. She bends over, and I can tell you right now that the guy is checking out something, but it's not her map. As the guy leans in, Syd tasers him. She radios Dixon to say that she's in position. Dixon says he's just arriving at the facility for Project Black Hole.