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
At 12:15:12, Walker seems to have turned her siren on just long enough for the splitscreen. Or else the people who cut the splitscreen together don't know that Walker's supposed to be running without her siren. I could go either way, as long as it's the second one.
Inside the safe room, the Matobos can hear Kiefer banging around in the overhead air duct. Tony passes a bowl of cloudy liquid up to him, which Kiefer places inside the duct. Tony then hands him a spray bottle and a wet towel to breathe through. Kiefer squirts some stuff into the bowl, which immediately starts bubbling and emitting clouds of thick gas, which stream along the duct. Kiefer replaces the duct panel he opened and waits for the magic to happen. Emerson returns to the intercom camera and tells the Matobos what's going on, explaining about "ammonium distroit gas," whatever that is. I don't know why they didn't just have Kiefer mix bleach and ammonia; whether it's because chlorine gas isn't as telegenic, or because they're worried about copycat situations where viewers will attempt to smoke each other out of shoddily designed panic rooms with it. Seems to me like warning people about the dangers of mixing household cleaners would be a net benefit, but then I'm not the broadcast network. Emerson asks Matobo, "I believe that you are willing to sacrifice your life. But are you also willing to sentence your wife to death?" Indeed, both Matobos can now see the thick gas pouring down from the ceiling vent. Mrs. M. is pretty nervous, but her husband is standing firm. "Our cause is more important than we are," he insists. And they both start coughing and choking. If they make it through this, they have so much couples counseling ahead of them.
At FBI-DC, Janis (now back from the hospital) is flagged down by a suited (of course) guy who introduces himself as Raymond Howell from the Attorney General's office. He wants to talk to her about the accusations that Walker tortured a suspect at the hospital. Word travels fast, but officials from the Justice Department travel almost as quickly, it seems. Why don't they just put this whole discussion off until Walker returns Kiefer to the Senate subcommittee tomorrow morning, and Senator Mayer can start in on her while she's there? For now, Janis disavows any involvement, but Howell reminds her that she stalled Tanner's attorneys for Walker, so she's in on whatever Walker did with the time Janis bought her. Fortunately for Janis, Moss comes up to draft her for some task, and pulls her aside. He explains that Walker's incommunicado, and thus can't be warned that the bad guys are already at Matobo's place. Apparently Janis needs to coordinate remotely with the SWAT teams, whatever that means. Sean is just supposed to keep trying to reach Walker. Janis is so lucky that there's only one other office functionary around here who actually knows how to do...things.