Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Swap Meet
By M. Giant | Season 6 | Episode 19 | Aired on 04.22.2007
Doyle is on the phone with Nadia from his stolen car, bitching about how long it's taking to decrypt Kiefer's call to Cheng. He also tells her that he's gotten off the freeway and is checking surface streets. I can't think of a joke to add to this paragraph, so I'll just insert, apropos of nothing, the shortest one I know: "Pretentious? Moi?"
At 12:42:52, Kiefer's still waiting for Cheng. Suddenly, something occurs to him, and he steps away from the window to dial his cell phone. Moments later, he's on the line with -- a taxi dispatcher. Even then he has to play his federal agent emergency card. Like that's going to get him better service.
Wouldn't you know it, the moment Kiefer's away from the window just happens to be the very same moment Doyle's driving past outside. Doyle's getting pretty frustrated with the search, until he happens to spot Kiefer's black pickup in the dead of night parked next to the hotel. He pulls over to check it out, saying that he'll get back to Nadia and pulling out his borrowed earpiece. Like its owner is going to want it back now.
Carrying his briefcase, Buchanan appears on the floor and pulls Nadia into the Situation Room for a quick meeting. She's shocked and confused to hear that Buchanan is stepping down, and asks why he would quit today. He says he was fired. It doesn't matter by whom; all that matters is that Nadia's acting director now. Just then, a couple of uniformed CTU guards open the door and tell Buchanan that they have orders to escort him out. Wow, Karen didn't waste any time making things official, did she? Good to see her guilt wasn't too crippling. At 12:44:32, Buchanan asks for another minute to finish briefing Nadia. "One," agrees the guard, who clearly isn't a Buchanan fan, but he leaves them alone. I'll bet Buchanan is wishing he'd bothered to learn a couple of the guards' names right about now.
Nadia is still in denial about Buchanan's departure, calling Buchanan "the most ethical, dedicated person I've ever known" and saying that he couldn't have done anything to deserve this. "It's just politics" is Buchanan's non-explanation, and he says that Nadia can handle things until an interim director arrives from Division in the next few hours. Whoever it is had better hurry. Nadia reminds him of the security measures she's facing as a result of Working Counterterrorism While Being Muslim, and Buchanan says that he's lifted them and she's all set to go. He tells Nadia to inform everyone before they find out on the CTU intranet or whatever. The guards open the door again; Buchanan's minute is up. He shakes Nadia's hand and tells her that what she said means a lot. He walks out of the room, the guards following. At least they're nice enough not to tip the contents of his briefcase onto the floor.