Episode Report Card M. Giant: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Gray Widow
By M. Giant | Season 4 | Episode 20 | Aired on 05.01.2005
It's 2:48:24 as Buchanan accosts Soul Patch in a CTU hallway, saying he just heard that a perforated Lee is on his way. So supposedly Buchanan told Palmer, but who told Buchanan? Somebody must be keeping on top of things at the Exposition Call Center in Bangalore. Soul Patch explains about the Lee-grabbing mission, and Buchanan wants to know upon whose authority Kiefer went into the Consulate. "The White House," Soul Patch says. Buchanan's pretty pissed that this is the first he's heard of it, and Soul Patch explains how it was supposed to be kept off the record. "But you knew about it," Buchanan protests. And now Buchanan does, too. Soul Patch isn't doing too good a job of keeping this quiet, is he? He admits that he ran tactical. Buchanan yells that his being out of the loop is unacceptable. Soul Patch provokes, "That's the way Kiefer wanted to play it." Buchanan hollers, "You don't work for Kiefer! You work for me!" And on that topic, Buchanan shares that he thought reinstating Soul Patch was a mistake in the first place. Soul Patch coolly says, "I think this is about something else." Buchanan is nearly weeping with rage as he tells Soul Patch he's wrong, and "WAY out of line!" He stomps off to have himself a good pout. Leaving aside the fact that Buchanan totally volunteered information that would facilitate Soul Patch's eventual reconciliation with Bitchelle hours ago, I don't know why he doesn't fire Soul Patch right there, or even have him arrested. Sure, reinstating him was DaD's idea, but what's DaD going to do about it? Come back?
In the van, Kiefer gets off his phone and tells Lee (through Raab) that medical assistance and his guarantee are waiting at CTU, and they're almost there. Lee tries to respond, but his voice is faint and Raab can't understand what he's saying, except that he's cold. Uh-oh, that sounds bad. Kiefer realizes that Lee must have severe internal bleeding. A quick listen to his chest further tells Kiefer that Lee's lungs are filling with fluid. Kiefer makes one more desperate bid to get the info, but Lee's eyes are rolling back in his head. Looks like he's checking out. Kiefer rips Lee's shirt open and begins TV chest compressions. You know, the kind without any force behind them that don't hurt the actor undergoing them, and wouldn't do a lick of good in actual CPR. Jeez, 24, buy a dummy or something. Curtis is already on the phone with CTU, saying, "Stand by with a gurney. We're coming in hot." "I'll say," agree the world's Kiefer and Curtis fans. Lee is of course not getting any mouth-to-mouth, because Lee? Not hot. It's 2:50:46.
2:55:12. Palmer realizes that as far as screwing things up on an historic level goes, this is a speed record even for him. Remember when I said he was ten times the president the Veep ever was? What's ten times zero? In other splitscreen windows, Grayadder is still under the knife in the soon-to-be-very-crowded CTU surgery, and DoDder watches from outside the OR. Her pensive moment is rudely interrupted when Kiefer, Curtis, and the other agents slam into the hallway behind her, rolling Lee on a gurney. Kiefer's still giving his TV chest compressions as he runs along, ignoring DoDder's demands to know what's going on. They crash into the OR with Lee, and Dr. Besson isn't happy to see them. "This man is dying!" Besson says. Kiefer: "So is he!" The doctor tries to get Kiefer to clear out, and Kiefer says that Lee is "our only connection to a stolen nucular warhead. You've got to save him now." The doc says he will when he's done. Kiefer's insistent. "I already have a patient," the doctor yells without looking up from his work. Kiefer has Curtis take over Lee's chest compressions. He draws his gun, puts it in the doctor's face, and says, "You have a new one." I like how his voice is kind of shaky and not all Dirty Kiefer there. "Are you crazy?" Besson hollers down the barrel through his surgical mask. Get in line, Doc. Kiefer spells it out: "If you don't save [Lee], millions of people will die. Do you understand that? Millions of people! Start working on him now!" DoDder comes into the room, asking what Kiefer's doing. Everyone ignores her. The doc says, "If I walk away from Grayadder now, he will die." I think this is the first time Kiefer realizes who's on the table. It's certainly the first time he shows any signs of caring. But he suppresses his personal feelings, and the gun doesn't waver as he orders Besson to get to work on Lee. "Do it. NOW!"