Episode Report Card Gustave: A- | 276 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT Survivor: The Family Edition
By Gustave | Season 2 | Episode 12 | Aired on 2003.02.11
Back at the mosque, Kiefer gets the results from Panama Hack. He bursts into Syed's interrogation room and demands to know the significance of "N34." "Either tell me now or I make you suffer!" growls Kiefer. Syed insists again that he's not afraid to die. Kiefer promises that the only way that Syed is going to die today is by Kiefer's hand, because they are going to stop the bomb, come what may. HAFA enters and tells Kiefer that they "have a live feed." Kiefer tells him to patch it through and then turns on a bank of video monitors. Hey, whaddya know? Somehow, in the last few minutes, they managed to find Syed Ali's family in Fauxraqistan, tie them up in their home, set up video cameras to record the whole thing, and link it to Kiefer and Syed via satellite. All I can think about right now is how, if I were the CTU agent in charge of rounding up Syed Ali's family, I'd probably go to the wrong house. So when they turned on the monitors, Syed Ali would be all, "Uh, that's not my family, I've never seen these people before in my life." I'd never live it down. For the rest of my CIA career, it would be, "Hey Ehrlich, remember '03 when you captured the wrong family? We can laugh about that now but sheesh!" And I'd be all, "Hey, give me a break! Do you have any idea how many 'Ali families' there are in Fauxraquistan? I might as well be looking for the Smiths in Minnesota." Judging by Syed Ali's reaction, though, they do have the right family. "For the last time," says Kiefer. "Where is the B-O-M-B?" Syed grunts and struggles. The time is 07:34:44 PM.
The time is 07:38:59 PM. Klockwise from the top left, Palmer does something presidential, Syed watches his family on television, and Syed Jr. struggles with his restraints. At NSA, PMHC catches up to Palmer in the hall and informs Palmer that Kiefer has kaptured Syed Ali's family and is threatening their lives. Palmer is shocked. PMHC goes on to explain that they've had Syed Ali's family in custody for quite some time, which -- thankfully -- explains how they got them tied up so fast, and that Kiefer plans to kill each family member one by one until Syed discloses the location of the B-O-M-B. "Can we let this happen?" asks Palmer. "Condone the murder of innocent children?" PMHC tries to argue that it's a necessary evil of war -- like bombing a chemical factory that happens to be located near a hospital. "A few people may have to die to save millions," says PMHC. "How could it have come to this?" asks Palmer, aghast. Hey, Palmer? Could you sit down? You're blocking our view of that former employee of yours being TORTURED. Thanks. ["And can I just ask what kinds of decisions he thought he'd be making as the president? I know that the show has to have someone on-screen express moral outrage at this turn of events, but Palmer's naïveté in that regard is ridiculous. As usual." -- Sars]