Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Things Fall Apart
By M. Giant | Season 4 | Episode 23 | Aired on 05.22.2005
"…"
"…be very, very bad for both of us." Seriously, that's how she said it. I even had time to wonder who the hell Atwood is and what his connection is to all this is. But anyway, now that Mandy's all up to speed on how Season Three ended, she makes sure we are too by saying to her hostage, "Two years ago, you put Bitchelle Dessler's life ahead of national security. You let a suspect escape and you committed treason. Is she? Gonna do the same for you." Okay, Mandy's hot, but I'm not sure she's hot enough to get away with line readings that are that off-kilter.
DoDder has indeed called back PMHC as promised, and she doesn't have good news; the second satellite scan for the missile came up empty. Palmer and the Veep are also on the room as DoDder delivers the news over speakerphone. Palmer repeats PMHC's question about the likelihood of more passes finding the missile. DoDder explains that the more data they have, the more likely they are to find it. But the problem with that is that a more detailed scan would take longer than they have before the missile goes off. At which time, scanning for it by satellite probably won't be necessary any more. Palmer asks DoDder to have the FBI hook up with local emergency channels. DoDder's on it. Palmer says, "I also want you to compile disaster scenarios for the urban centers within range of the missile." DoDder's like, dude, that's pretty much all of them. Palmer knows. "I want death rates, fallout patterns, emergency response predictions laid out for all of them." DoDder says she'll take care of it, but she's wondering (a) how she got roped into being the entire country's disaster management coordinator, and (b) why she's following orders from the guy her DaD's boss beat in the first place.
Speaking of orders, Bitchelle is up on the upper level giving some to Lispy Skip at 5:07:03. What it boils down to is that she tells him, "We proceed as if there is no hostage. There is only one operational objective and that is to capture this woman." Her businesslike demeanor has Skip looking mildly amazed. Or perhaps mildly horrified. Or possibly mildly impressed. Okay, mainly he just looks mild. But he says he understands. Bitchelle ducks into her office just as the cell phone on her desk is ringing. She left it in her office? That's unlike her. She answers it. It's Naked Mandy, who apparently knows which news sites include the phone numbers of the principal figures in all of the articles. It's not like Soul Patch would have told Mandy how to reach his ex-wife, right? Bitchelle asks who's calling. In answer, Mandy snaps a camera-phone picture of Soul Patch and sends it to Bitchelle's phone. "Now do you know who this is?" Mandy digs. Even as Bitchelle is reaching for her keyboard, Mandy tells her not to bother triangulating the call, what with it being scrambled and all. Bitchelle begs Mandy not to hurt her husband. Mandy says, "He's okay, but he won't be unless you do everything that I say, Bitchelle…I need your help getting out of here." Bitchelle stutteringly asks how. "You're hesitating," Mandy says flatly. Bitchelle insists she's not; she just wants to know what Mandy needs. Mandy says, "Your men are between me and my exit." She demands search patterns and the number of CTU personnel working the Naked Arms. Bitchelle tries to stall, but Mandy sees through it and gets Bitchelle to say there are "upwards of thirty," plus LAPD and reinforcements on the way. Mandy: "You'll need to remove your men. From the north. East. Driveway of the complex." She wants it done by the time she calls back, or she'll kill Soul Patch. "When are you calling back?" Bitchelle asks. "Soon," is all Mandy will say. "Get moving, Bitchelle." After hanging up, she tells Soul Patch, "Well, she still loves you." And with a companionable smack on his bare shoulder as she walks by him, she adds, "The question is, how much?" Probably enough to take that hand right off your arm for that, Missy. Lucky for Mandy she nabbed Soul Patch and not Castle, or indeed any of the dozens of other agents in the complex whose spouses don't run CTU.