Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Can You Dig It
By M. Giant | Season 7 | Episode 5 | Aired on 01.19.2009
Over at Sean's desk, he's on the phone with his wife, who's not only already on the ground, but actually off the plane, waiting at baggage claim, and telling him that she heard from the flight attendant about their priority clearance. She wonders, not ungratefully, if he had anything to do with it, and he denies it, before telling her he'll be home late tonight. In fact, Christina, don't expect Sean home tonight until some time after 8:00 tomorrow. She mildly protests that she hasn't seen him in a week, suggesting "dinner, and, maybe, you know." Oooh, listen to that married-people dirty-talk. Red hott. Instead of joining in with a steamy come-on like "whatever" or "something," Sean blows her off so he can get back to work. His first project? Moss tells him to call back Matobo's security guy. Good luck with that, Sean.
Inside the panic room, Matobo is still having no success getting anything other than static on the video monitor or over the phone. Mrs. Matobo asks if the people outside are working for Dubaku. Matobo thinks so, "But if they wanted me dead, I would be dead." That's reassuring. He figures Dubaku will want Matobo to provide him with the names of Matobo's allies inside Sangala. And he waited until today of all days to decide to get them. Since both Matobos know that he would rather die than give anyone up, she figures out that they'll use her as leverage against Matobo. He tells her to be cool until the FBI gets there, which shouldn't be long. Yeah, you'd think. But then it's just going to turn out to be the Matobos' shitty luck to be in this situation during an episode when it actually takes time to drive from one place to another.
Suddenly the video monitor comes to life, and Emerson is there, threatening to kill Matobo's security chief if they don't come out in one minute (which will be at 12:08:47, if you don't mind doing a little math here). Tony and now Litvak stand there watching the standoff, while Kiefer is presumably still trying to shoehorn his way into the panic room from inside the storage space. The security guy says he's ready to die for Matobo and for Sangala. Matobo's wife tells her husband to go ahead and let him, only not quite so coldly: "Without you, Sangala has no leader. The people need you." Matobo does a nice job of making his nod look reluctant. Emerson says there are thirty seconds left. Matobo hits the intercom button and says, "[His] courage is stronger than your threats. He's willing to die. And for that sacrifice, he has my eternal gratitude and the gratitude of the people of Sangala." That and a bullet in his head in about ten seconds. Emerson finally says that time's up. But then a cell phone rings. Emerson grabs the phone out of the security guy's pocket and reads the display, which simply reads, "F.B.I." Which I'm sure is what people's cell phones say when the FBI calls them (At the Field Office, Sean shrugs at Moss, who says, "I just got through to him fifteen minutes ago."). "Does the FBI know we're here?" Emerson asks the security guy. Well, they do now, Sunshine. When no answer is forthcoming, Emerson again clubs him unconscious. He figures Tanner must have talked. Litvak wants to bail on the mission right now, but Tony and Kiefer argue for staying long enough to get the Matobos out, for reasons of their own. "We can gas 'em out," Kiefer suggests. He's found a way into the ventilation system that provides air to the safe room, apparently. Not so safe after all, is it? He argues that the FBI has to be at least fifteen minutes away. Emerson shuts up his nervous underling and cuts Kiefer loose to make the gas from "basic household products." Should be easy; all you really need is some vinegar, furniture polish, and a canister of VX nerve gas. Kiefer and Tony head for the kitchen, where Tony warns they could "kill them as easily as flush them out." Kiefer says they'll have to take the chance. "Delivering Matobo is our only chance to get to Dubaku and the CIP device." And if they asphyxiate a poor man's Nelson Mandela, they'll worry about it when the time comes. He gets a couple of jugs from under the kitchen sink. "Grab those bowls," he tells Tony, which has to be the least dramatic act-out line ever. It's 12:10:45.