Warning: Spoiler Alert
A church group and their adult guides, seem to be lost. Deeply lost in the a forest. Not to put that aside, but Happy and Toby stand on a rooftop arguing about the validity of Toby’s sailor talk when a bet is proposed. Happy wins, he does her laundry for a month. Toby wins, they go on a dinner date. Happy intends on flying a paper plane safely across the street and into a window. Just as it appears headed to safety, a big rig runs right through its path.
Toby: I’m thinking…Greek? Or maybe TexMex.
Happy: The bet is null and void on account of that truck.
Toby: You said you’d get it in the window and it ain’t in the window. I’m the gambling expert. We be datin’.
Back at HQ, Toby asks for a minute of Walter’s time (once Paige has left the building). In another room, Toby lifts a sheet off of a dry erase board. On said board is sloppily written but scientific and mathematical approach at proving, not theorizing, that Walter indeed has feelings for Paige. Walter is skeptical, but Toby appeals to his scientific mind. Walter resists all of it, except the admission that Toby doesn’t like Drew.
Cabe calls with the debrief of the mission at hand. Very straight forward, except before Cabe can suggest the idea, Walter is already reaching for the Baghdad tracking software. For those just joining us, that particular tracking software is what created the rift of distrust between Walter and Cabe years ago.
Scorpion does what they do and begin to deduce the details of the situation with nothing more than their own knowledge and a tweeted picture from before the group got lost. The Baghdad software camera unit is mounted on the helicopter. Sylvester, apparently, is petrified of helicopters, but like B.A. Barracus, they always find a way to get him on.
Mike Birbiglia, a standup comic once said, “the worst thing you can do to a hypochondriac is to tell them they have something.” If this chopper goes down Sylvester will spend the rest of this season saying NOPE.
With the helicopter 40 feet off the ground in a tree, Sylvester is doing surprisingly well. A plan and some math later they devise a plan to exit in a particular order as to not allow the chopper to fall and for everyone to find safe footing. All while the pilot has a big piece of metal through his thigh. Side note, adding another factoid that supports Toby’s theory on Walter’s affection for Paige. Walter insists Paige goes before him thus negating the mathematically derived order. The helicopter almost pancakes Walter on the ground.
Sylvester is strategically left behind with the pilot who can’t walk anyway. Sylvester will attempt to fix the damaged radio. Just before they cut away, we see (while Sylvester does not) that the helicopter is leaking fuel. Anyone who’s ever seen an action flick knows what’s up next.
The rest of the team advances. Toby takes a friendly shot at Walter’s chivalrous move earlier, then Happy informs them that the scientific approach just hit a snag. Then Paige silences everyone and tells them which direction to head in.
Happy: How do you know?
Paige: It’s very scientific. I heard them.
They find the hikers shortly thereafter. Back at the crash site, Sylvester works to fix the radio. And it works for a moment but then fades. While Sylvester attempts to apologize to the pilot, fire is revealed. Behind Sylvester but dangerously close to the helicopter. Our primary group also finds fire. A series of brush fires spread out around them.
Happy and the group plan to rope swing it across a ravine en route to the basin that has become the next rendezvous point. Meanwhile Sylvester has rigged a ‘litter’ to drag the pilot. Problem is, the fire is moving faster than they are. Plan B is to use the titanium helicopter door to shield them from the fire as it passes. The pilot on multiple occasions has employed the drill sergeant approach of motivation, which absolutely will not work with Sylvester. Eventually Sylvester gives up the information that his father was very military. They press on until the pilot decides there’s nothing left to do. He wants Sylvester to leave him.
The group is trapped within the walls of the fire when Cabe’s helicopter arrives overhead. The chopper leaves the area. Then Walter, knowing one guy was planning to propose, grabs his engagement ring. Then takes the large boron rock out of the backpack of the rock hound kid. When combined and thrown into fire, it creates dark green smoke. For our military/war movie fans, think “Pop green smoke”.
Believing that Cabe has left for good, they begin to embrace the inevitability that this might be where it ends. But we know better. The newly engaged couple pull in closer. Then in a moment of self-realization and bracing for the finality of it. Walter needs Paige to know how he ‘feels’ before the end. He slowly extends his hand and clutches hers. Just before the cavalry arrives, Toby decides to make his own emotional statement.
Toby: Happy, I’m not going to apologize for what I did earlier, because I wanted to protect you and I thought you’d know why but in case you don’t know, I want my last words to have some meaning, so, Happy Quinn…I am in love wi—(gets sprayed in the face with fire extinguisher foam)
All seems well until Walter realizes Cabe does not have Sylvester. Both Walter and Cabe refuse to leave him behind. They are frantic for his safety and Walter even suggests that he thinks like they do. Then the camera focuses on a wall of smoke. Moments later, Sylvester emerges from the smoke. HOLDING THE PILOT OVER HIS SHOULDERS (‘fireman’s carry’ for those playing at home).
Before the Paramedics can fly the pilot out of there, Sylvester runs over. And the predictable yet beautiful exchange we’ve been subconsciously waiting for happens.
Sylvester (to the paramedics): Please, be careful with him!
Pilot: Sylvester…
Sylvester: You’re going to be OK.
Pilot: You’re one tough son of a bitch.
(Sylvester looks on glowingly)
Pilot: I’d be proud as hell to call you my kid.
In the aftermath of tonight’s events, two of the three parties of romantic interest have dealt with it. The newly engaged (by way of Paige’s ‘costume jewelry’) and Happy and Toby wagered another bet. This time no matter who wins, they both end up at dinner. Walter, in typical Walter fashion continues to reject the idea. He sits alone with Toby’s dry erase board and erases all of it. Except the image of a male and female stick figure outlined with a red heart shape.
