Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | 291 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT Small Consulation
By M. Giant | Season 6 | Episode 12 | Aired on 2007.03.05
...where Carson is currently giving Tom a punishing dose of exposition. He says that Tom knew what needed to be done (i.e. turn the U.S. into a brown-person-free zone), but that the President was in the way; he boasts, "We did what was necessary." Chad Lowe enters and gives Carson the news that Wayne isn't dead, but out of commission. This seems to satisfy Carson. Chad Lowe reports that the Secret Service is looking for Tom, so Carson wants to kill Tom before they find him. Chad Lowe protests that they're not murderers; there's a difference between removing a dangerous president and killing someone to cover their own tracks. As for the people they killed in the course of removing the president, I'm not sure where they fit into Chad Lowe's morality. Carson disagrees, in any case: "Getting caught? Never part of the plan." Doesn't sound like a very realistic plan, then. My question is, what was Carson's plan for leaving the Bunker after the explosion, when the security logs show him arriving less than an hour before? Did he expect the guard at the useless security checkpoint to wave and wish him a nice day? Still, Chad Lowe puts his foot down; if Carson wants to kill Tom, he'll have to kill both Tom and Chad Lowe. So then Chad Lowe goes over to Tom and peels the tape off his mouth. Karen Hayes would see that duct tape and think, "Dammit, why didn't I think of that?" Chad Lowe reminds Tom about his own earlier words that some people would have to be sacrificed for the greater good. Tom angrily protests that he wasn't talking about the President of the United States. Hair-splitter. Chad Lowe says that the Veep is in charge now, and will be only too happy to put Tom's insane security plan in motion, but only if Tom keeps quiet; otherwise, Tom will get dragged into this as a suspect, and nobody will ever believe that Tom tried to stop the assassination attempt. Chad Lowe repeats that Tom's plan is the only way to stop the nukes. "And all I have to do is do nothing," Tom murmurs thoughtfully. Chad Lowe says that Carson's bomb was designed to be similar to the ones once used by Assad's people (only leakier), and that nobody will need to know the truth. "I'll know," says Tom, and Chad Lowe tells him that the guilty conscience is worth national security. "They're coming," Carson warns. Tom finally nods his agreement with Chad Lowe, and Chad Lowe cuts him loose. The three of them leave the steam pipe trunk distribution venue and head down the hallway together. They're quickly spotted by a few Secret Service agents, one of whom asks Tom if he's all right and says that SecDef has been looking for him. Tom takes a long moment to straighten his tie, stretching out the suspense for no good reason. Finally, he steps between two of the agents to totally narc on Chad Lowe and Carson. He says he's surrendering himself into custody until he can talk to the Attorney General. Chad Lowe and Carson are quickly cuffed. "So there," Tom's look says. It's 5:12:03.