Well, last night's episode both slowed down a bit and took a wild swing into hilarious incredulity. No small feat. Let's begin.
We start with a news report, where the plight of flight 514 is blamed on Brazilian terrorists and a nerve toxin. Everyone's pronounced OK, except for Michael Buchanan, the hero pilot, who died of injuries after the emergency landing. It's all lies, because Martinez is interrogating Michael at that very moment. Michael tells the prez that the attack almost didn't happen; his captors revealed a phone call minutes before takeoff that ok'ed the attack. Meanwhile, Vice President Jarvis looks all sorts of jumpy and nervous. Hmm...wonder where that call came from? Martinez smells a rat.
And of course, Jarvis is the smelly rat, who calls Dempsey, the Roger Ebert-looking mastermind of the conspiracy. Dempsey tells him to calm the eff down, which naturally invokes a flashback to how Jarvis, a republican, got coerced into being Martinez's running mate by Dempsey, creating a bipartisan superteam. Yeah, this'll end well. At the same time, we move on over to Sean and Leila, who did a crappy job of escaping last week's attack, because in a moment of I LOVE YOU SO MUCH in the streets, Sean gets all kinds of shot in the shoulder. They sneak off into the alley and pretty much frying pan their attacker in the face, before Sean starts to complain of blood loss. Tough it out. Jeez. Anyway, they can't go to a hospital, so Leila kidnaps a doctor, instead. I swear, some of these choices make Jack Bauer look sensible and restrained.
Martinez and Sterling realize Jarvis made the call by process of elimination, and Martinez OH HELL NO's and expects Jarvis to be brought to him immediately. Jarvis, however, gives 'em the slip, and has a shady meeting with Dempsey. Post-meeting, Dempsey calls on our favorite mommy-sociopath, Vicky, and takes her to task for letting Sean and Leila escape. He's willing to give her a second chance...if she pops Jarvis! Ruh-Roh.
Leila and Doctor Abductee go to a scuzzy and poorly-lit Rite-Aid, which apparently has all of the supplies necessary to patch up a gunshot wound. Patching up happens. Hey, remember on 24 when Kim got menaced by a cougar for like 11 episodes because they didn't know what to do with her? This brings back memories.
Back to Jarvis...Vicky intercepts him, and he's shuffled off into a dark basement with his aide, and begs for his life. Vicky decides to be an insubordinate shmoo YET AGAIN, and shoots the aide. This is totally coming up at your performance review, V. She tells the Veep that she wants out, and fades into the shadows. Jarvis has a change of heart and calls the prez, and makes a full confession...but before he can peg Dempsey, a van explodes, apparently killing him. Although, let's be fair, in the wacky world of this show it might just give him a suntan. So, whatever.
The episode ends on a touch of the ooky, with Dempsey taking a shady fountain-of-youth formula...which may or may not be made from newly-wrinkled-hobbit-little-girls, as seen last episode.
So, lots to chew on--see you next week, friends!
