Episode Report Card M. Giant: D+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT I Got the Digits
By M. Giant | Season 4 | Episode 18 | Aired on 04.17.2005
In the observation room, Kiefer tells Buchanan, "ImhoTerror called Amnesty Global. This is his play." Buchanan realizes that that means Prado definitely has damaging information, but they still can't get around the court order. Call the judge again, maybe? See if this new information will change his mind? Oh, I forgot, judges are evil. "We need to call the president now," Kiefer says, and both men head out to the floor to try to implement a plan to destroy the democratic principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, and an independent judiciary.
Speaking of the Veep, it's 12:46:12 as he's addressing his staffers in the outer lobby, saying there can't be any leaks about the missing warhead. PMHC outlines the containment efforts that are going on. "The good news is, this is happening in the middle of the night," he adds. "Most of the country is still asleep." That's funny, he said just the opposite last week. Of course, that was before the Veep's television address. Just then a voice on the intercom announces that there's an urgent call from CTU. The Veep dismisses everyone but PMHC and Bewigged Victor Garber, then takes the call.
From the CTU conference room, Buchanan introduces himself and Kiefer and explains that they have a suspect in custody upon whose behalf Amnesty Global has interceded. "On what grounds?" the Veep asks. Buchanan says Prado's a U.S. citizen with no previous record. Annoyed, the Veep asks why Prado's a suspect anyway. Buchanan explains the connection to ImhoTerror. The Veep doesn't understand why it's illegal to question a suspect. Oh, poor, dumb Veep. No one let you in on this week's theme, did they? PMHC introduces himself to Kiefer, who says hi and calls him by his first name. PMHC asks, "Am I correct in assuming that this suspect is unlikely to respond to the kind of Q&A his lawyer would permit?" Kiefer confirms it. "You're talking about torturing this man?" the Veep asks shrilly. Kiefer's "talking about doing what is necessary to stop this warhead from being used against us." This is what's insidious about torture, you see: we have all these brave, bold, morally courageous people prepared to "do whatever it takes," but not one of them can even bring himself to agree to the use of the word "torture," let alone utter it themselves. Quite a pointed commentary there.
The Veep asks for a moment, and Bewigged Victor Garber puts CTU on hold. The Veep asks PMHC what he thinks. "I think we need to do whatever it takes to find ImhoTerror," PMHC grits, just like any determined bad-ass who doesn't have to get his own hands dirty. The Veep then asks Bewigged Victor Garber to weigh in. "This makes me nervous," says BVG. "Should this man be innocent, as he claims he is, and your first act as President is to sanction his torture, that'll forever haunt your presidency." The dude's already spent eighty percent of his presidency hiding underground. I don't know how much more haunting it needs. ["Plus his presidency is over the minute Keeler's out of hospital anyway. A little less worrying about haunting, a little more trying to outlast McKinley, methinks." -- Sars] The Veep thinks about this while PHMC watches him nervously. Then he gets back on the line with CTU, agreeing to a special session with members of the Justice Department. "I'll have an answer for you in twenty minutes." Kiefer tells him this could be over in twenty minutes. Well, the episode will be, that's for sure. "With all due respect, sir," Kiefer says, "please let us do our jobs." The Veep thinks a long moment, says he'll get back to them, and hangs up before Kiefer can respond. And that's the moment where I think the episode really sells its anti-torture message. We've seen over and over that the Veep is terrified, concerned only for his own safety, and even in his craven cowardice, he retains the ethical fiber to call a halt to torture that's designed to help keep him secure. He may turn out to be a decent President yet.