Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT OMFGOTUS
By M. Giant | Season 7 | Episode 8 | Aired on 02.09.2009
And right there is the problem with this show, isn't it? The debate is always framed as a choice between adopting, endorsing, and now even assisting Kiefer's morally repugnant methods; and sitting back and letting terrible things happen. Kiefer thinks his way is the only way. But how about this: Vossler isn't some jihadist fanatic willing to die for his cause; he's a career officer who went rogue for money, which once he knows he's busted, he'll never get to spend. Give him the choice between being provably complicit in the death of the First Gentleman and cutting a deal in exchange for enabling his rescue, and I bet I could predict which way he'd go. There's more than one way to threaten him with never seeing his son again, is what I'm saying. Hell, they can bring him along when they go get Taylor. They could use the extra gun, plus Vossler could get them into the hideout without raising the alarm. And things might turn out better than you already know they do if you're reading this. Better outcome, not morally repugnant. Win-win.
But of course nobody can think of this when Kiefer's screaming at them about their moral weakness, so Walker's and Moss's only answer is a long silence. I so want one of them to at least call his bluff and call and ask the president if it's okay with her if saving her husband involves threatening a baby, but instead, Walker caves. As she goes back to the car and drives off, Kiefer demands Moss's vehicle from him. Walking away, he tells Moss to use the Secret Service deployment grid to track Vossler using his cell phone. "Look at yourself," Moss says to Kiefer. "You have lost everyone and everything you ever had by doing what you think is necessary. I won't let you do it to her, Bauer. Renee will not end up like you." No, not unless she keeps doing exactly what she's been doing all day. Kiefer just grits, "Are you gonna give me your keys or not?" Well, since he asked nicely. Moss throws them at him, and as Kiefer walks away again, Moss lamely calls after him, "The rules are what make us better." Kiefer has a thoughtful, cogent response: "Not today." Oh, okay. When, then? He stalks away, and I can't help hoping that Moss parked in the opposite direction. Left alone, Moss leaves the Reflecting Pool at 3:26:22. It's going to be a long, lonely walk back to work.
In Dubaku's basement hideout, he and a minion discuss what to do about Henry's bleeding. Dubaku tells him to cauterize the wound with a blowtorch. "Just put something in his mouth. I don't want him biting his tongue over the pain." Yes, we'd hate for Henry to get hurt. In literally the same breath, he answers his cell phone and pleasantly asks his girlfriend Marika, "Hey, what are you doing home?" The girlfriend says that her sister called her at work with one of her "episodes." She's calling to confirm Dubaku (or Samuel, as she knows him) for dinner tonight, but he begs off, pleading work. She's disappointed, but he promises to make it up to her. I'm still just curious about whether Dubaku has some nefarious purpose for dating her or if he's just using his job in the U.S. as an excuse to get some regular American poontang.