LuluBates gave this episode a grade of
B+
100 users have given this episode an average grade of
B+
Original Cindy is in the kitchen having a facial. A Japanese facial. Okay, no, no, she's a lesbian; it's just a regular facial. Max walks in and freaks out. I guess she's never seen anyone green in the face. Which means she's never been to my house when I'm watching this show. OC explains the ins and outs of female beauty rites and rituals. And not that I miss her, but where the hell did Kendra go? Were Max and OC so grossed out by her affinity for Walter the Skeevy Cop that they wouldn't talk to her anymore? And wouldn't Max have been introduced to just a few of these feminine routines while living with the uber-femme Kendra? Kendra never got manicures? Or facials? Or a shampoo? 'Cause Max obviously learned nothing about stuff as mundane and universal as hair-washing. Anyway, OC starts telling Max that her complexion is dull, blotchy, and drab. Which sounds like a critique of her acting, if you ask me. She starts to whip up a milk, egg, and Vitamin A facial for Max, but Max picks up the milk carton, drops her jaw, and runs out the door. Proving once again that the girl has no manners.
A young father is getting his son ready for school. He puts on the little boy's shoes and packs his lunchbox, and then the phone rings. It's Max. Seems that the missing girl on the back of the milk carton is Tinga, Max's Manticore campmate. Max tells Tinga's husband that he has to call off the search for his wife because she's not missing, she's in hiding, and his milk-carton campaign is leading "bad men" right to him. It is quickly apparent that Tinga's husband has no idea about her past. In fact, he has no idea that her name is Tinga; he knows her as Penny. Max tries to boss him around, telling him to take his kid and leave town. He gets annoyed at the anonymous harangue and hangs up on Max. As he heads back to get his son ready for school, he notices that his son has put together a jigsaw puzzle. Which in the rapid-fire jumping-to-conclusions vernacular of television dramas means that the child is a genius. A conclusion proven when the child, Casey, is taken out of his class to have some one-on-one talented-and-gifted tutoring. And the tutor? It's Lydecker, of course, and he's wearing his glasses so he looks smart, and he's carrying lollipops so he looks like a pervert.
Captain EO, a.k.a. Logan Cale, is working with Sebastian to repair Photographer Man's electric leg. That's a weird little sentence, eh? As Sebastian talks him through it, the leg shorts out. Sebastian suggests that he either requisition a new part from the Department of Defense (geek humor) or improvise with a part from a robotic arm. The Captain doesn't like the price, which is a surprise to Sebastian. The Captain brushes off the financial question, but decides the leg's probably not worth it anyway. Sebastian points out that if he has a chance to walk again, it IS worth it. I mean, really, Logan -- pick your audience. You'd think a paraplegic would be a little sensitive to the plight of a quadriplegic. But of course this is Logan, Captain Narcissist. I am so over my crush. As Max barrels into the room, the Captain hangs up on Sebastian and quickly covers the electric leg. Max informs him that she's an aunt. That Tinga has a family down in Portland and she has to go help them. The Captain makes a half-assed attempt to dissuade her from the adventure, since Lydecker would obviously be all over this lead like butter on toast. She ignores his advice and heads down to P-town.
It's funny how Portland looks so much like Seattle, which looks so much like Vancouver.
Max is on a roof in the faux Portland, scoping out the scene. She cat-eyes a few men staking out Tinga's husband's apartment. I wish they would say what Tinga's husband's name is, because I am really sick of typing out "Tinga's husband" over and over again. As she makes a plan, she spots a shadow and heads over to investigate. She gets jumped by a soldier with a knife and, after some actiony action, it turns out, of course, to be Tinga. They hug. They chirp. They're happy to see each other. They work together to get Tinga's husband and kid out. Tinga pulls out a big old gun and shoots Max. A look. She shoots Max a look when she says she doesn't carry a gun. Max points out that it would be easier if they had a third person. Tinga says that she ditched Zack up in Canada after he told her she was crazy to go back. Which in the rapid-fire jumping-to-conclusions vernacular of television dramas means that Zack is sure to be in this episode.
Lydecker is working in his government office when Nana Visitor stops in to get the scoop on the latest lead on X5 756 (read: Tinga). She's heard there's a husband and a child, and she wants to know whether the child is of interest to them. Lydecker says that the child is a genius. So am I, but he forgot to mention it. We recappers get no respect. Nana Visitor tells Lydecker to keep her updated, and to get her that child. You know, Nana Visitor has managed to acquire the nefarious laugh, pernicious mindset, and downright mean-spiritedness of a financial-aid officer. She's evil.
Back in "Portland," Max and Tinga continue to stake out her husband and son in order to grab them and run. They decide that there are too many undercover operatives and not enough cover to grab them now. They are making plans to do it that evening when they spot Lydecker talking to Casey and Charlie. Charlie! That's the husband's name! Fucking finally. Casey is introducing his new teacher, Donald, to his dad. Tinga damn near has a heart attack at the sight of it. Can't really blame her, though, can you?
Inside the school, Donald is proving that the kid's a candidate for Camp Manticore. He memorizes numbers, he recognizes geometric shapes, he rides a motorcycle really fast. Lydecker gives him a lollipop and tells him that he can play with his monkey bar . Uh, what? Oh, he can play on the monkey bars . And if he comes with him to his house, he and his mommy can play on the monkey bars for eternity. Does that mean he's going to kill him? Oh, probably not.