Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Unlovely Rita
By M. Giant | Season 6 | Episode 8 | Aired on 02.11.2007
Out in the hallway, Chad Lowe pulls out his cell phone and calls somebody we haven't seen before -- somebody whose office window has a great view of the Capitol dome and whose hair is quite helmet-like. His name's Carson. Now you know as much about him as I do. Chad Lowe tells Carson that Wayne shot down Tom's plan. Carson says this means that they have no choice but to go ahead with "what we all talked about." Happy hour in Georgetown? It is almost quittin' time on the East Coast, after all. Chad Lowe says the problem is that Tom plans to resign immediately: "If he goes, I lose my job and I lose my access." Carson says that won't work, and that Tom might "reconsider if he knew what was coming." Chad Lowe offers to "feel him out," and Carson tells him to do it carefully: "We need to protect ourselves." Chad Lowe hangs up his phone. Super. It just isn't 24 unless someone is planning to overthrow the president in the middle of a national security crisis.
At CTU, Milo is scrolling through about nine million traffic-cam frames, which will probably take hours. That should get us through sweeps quite nicely, don't you think? Buchanan tells him to keep at it. Get comfortable, everyone. He then looks up and sees that Marilyn and Josh are entering, escorted by a white-shirted CTU guard. Buchanan either recognizes them on sight or isn't expecting any other hot thirtysomething brunettes accompanied by blond teenage boys this afternoon, so he crosses the floor to introduce himself. He asks for a moment alone with Marilyn, and both Bauers agree.
At 1:21:14, Buchanan leads Marilyn into a private room to break the news. Upon hearing that Graem is dead, his widow doesn't exactly dissolve into hysterics. She just asks how it happened. Buchanan says that Graem suffered a heart attack. "What did Jack do to him?" Marilyn asks severely, and Buchanan promises an investigation: if Kiefer did anything wrong, he will either be severely punished, disappear underground, or get shipped back to China. Buchanan adds that Dad Bauer is already at CTU, and that they plan to do Graem's autopsy right there. "Unless you have an objection," Buchanan adds. Marilyn tries not to look like she wants to be the one to cut Graem up herself. She goes to the glass wall, looks out at Josh, and says that she has to tell him. Buchanan steps outside and sends Josh back in, and then watches through the glass wall as Marilyn breaks the news. Josh doesn't seem to be taking it well. Fortunately, we watch from a distance so as not to tax Josh's acting abilities too seriously.