Episode Report Card M. Giant: A | 215 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT A Terrorist Walks into a Bar[ometric Pressure Chamber]
By M. Giant | Season 8 | Episode 10 | Aired on 2010.03.01
Meanwhile, back at the place where they used to work, Hastings is on the phone to President Taylor and Rob Weiss at the U.N. He explains how he's heard from Farhad Hassan, warning him that the terrorists want to use the rods to construct a dirty bomb. Taylor asks why they'd want to do that. "Between Hassan's crackdowns and CTU, we've backed them into a corner," Hastings analyzes. "This is their response." That'll learn them to try to stop terrorists. He explains where Farhad is, and that he's sent Kiefer to pick him up. He does not mention that he did so because his head of field ops has gone off the grid. He adds that the men after Farhad are "covert assets for the IRK," as Farhad mentioned in his original call. Hastings thinks that if CTU can get a hold of IRK intelligence files, Farhad will be able to help with identifying the bad guys. Rob doesn't think President Hassan will go for that, "especially in his current frame of mind. Hell, the man's gone off the deep end." True that, but Taylor hopes this will pull him out of it. She tells Rob to notify Hassan of the Farhad situation and tell him she needs to talk to him right away. And also to call Tim Woods at Homeland Security to prep for a potential attack. "Thank you, Mr. Hastings," she yells at the speakerphone on her way back to the Council Chamber. Rob is just about to end the call when Hastings pipes up again to ask if they're alone. Learning that they are, he declares he won't be charging Walker with anything. "We have a lot more to worry about than blaming Renee Walker," Hastings says, reasonably enough. In fact he just gets calmer the angrier Rob gets, as he explains that they're following a new lead now. But he may be overplaying it a little when he adds, "You want to replace me as head of CTU, be my guest. But until you do, stay the hell out of my way." Could Rob's enraged reaction when Hastings hangs up be driven by more than insubordination? Fortunately, there's enough other stuff going on this hour that we won't have much time to worry about that.
At 1:07:07, a convoy of CTUmobiles is en route. In the back of one of the SWAT vans, Kiefer sits next to the young, nervous-looking agent we've seen glimpses of over the past couple of hours, Agent Owen. Kiefer briefs the men, and tells the agent with the laptop that they'll need to be ready with the files CTU is going to be sending them ASAP. Just then Farhad himself calls, having been patched through by CTU. Kiefer has Owen put him on speaker, as Farhad asks how close they are. Kiefer says it'll be ten minutes, and asks if he's okay. Farhad says they're close, and begs him to hurry. Chill out, Farhad -- they aren't any closer than they were at the end of the last hour.