Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Fed Sematary
By M. Giant | Season 7 | Episode 6 | Aired on 01.26.2009
At Dubaku's command center, Nichols reports to Dubaku that he's off to pick up the Matobos. I don't know why there's a separate spot for the handoff. It can't be for security reasons; Emerson has already been to this command center once this very morning, so it's not like he doesn't know where it is. I guess it's just another one of those things that have to happen a certain way for plot purposes. Oh, and maybe this: "Once you have Matobo, you know what to do," Dubaku tells Nichols. "Emerson's team is now a loose end. Tie it up." Nichols balks, but smoothly. "We may need their services again," he warns. "I would rather keep my diamonds," Dubaku insists. "And Almeida has proved to be a liability." Plus there's the thing about how one of Emerson's team killed Dubaku's brother, but maybe that's just water under the bridge. Dubaku changes the subject to what they've heard from the White House, and Nichols says there's been no sign of the troop withdrawal Dubaku has demanded. Dubaku's getting frustrated with President Taylor's stubbornness: "She will only respond when there are dead Americanns." Nichols just wants out of this conversation, so he takes his leave, giving Dubaku the comm. A guy with a headset asks Dubaku in a businesslike tone where he wants to target, sounding for all the world like a phone sales rep but without an Indian accent. "Washington, D.C," Dubaku says. The digital map zooms in on the familiar gnawed-diamond shape. It's 1:13:54. You think Dubaku will remember in time that he's in Washington, D.C.?
At 1:18:04, Ethan enters the Oval Office to find President Taylor on the phone. She tells him that another firewall breach has been detected by the NSA, which probably means that there's about to be another attack, and she adds that this time people are going to die. She says she wants to talk to all the first responders across the country, personally. Is this really a good time for a speaking tour, Madam Prez? Fortunately, Ethan kind of shoots that idea down: "Instead of preparing for it, maybe we should be trying to preempt this attack." He suggests an immediate pullback, as per Dubaku's demands, but Taylor is still standing fast. He reminds her that there can't be an invasion of Sangala without Matobo anyway. "Why are we risking American lives?" He says they're out of options. Taylor insists that they're not; she's still holding out hope that the NSA will be able to localize the threat, or that the FBI will be able to find Matobo. Hey, let's not write off the USDA, or the MPAA, or OAR, for that matter. Ethan has no choice but to let it go for now.