Warning: Spoiler Alert
Toby slept through the dinner date he’s worked so hard for. To apologize, he brings happy a bouquet of wrenches and chocolates with nuts, as in bolt nuts. Totally not kidding. Happy is not going for it though. Suffice it to say, Happy is not happy.
Tonight’s job deals with an attempted homicide of a mob accountant trying to testify against her former employer. An organized crime group commonly referred to as “the DL”. The issue comes from the transport of this witness. Sylvester and Walter suggest a new strategy that flies in the face of the U.S. Marshall’s standard operating procedures.
En route, Walter questions why there is an empty school bus in a bad neighborhood. It’s an ambush. They successfully take care of most of the decoy vehicles. Then out of nowhere the bad guys t-bone the one specific vehicle with the target they’re looking for. My first instinct is to say the driver is in on it as he is unfamiliar to me. After shooting bulletproof glass, a hammer is the next tool to remove the accountant.
Walter uses shotgun shells in a plastic bag, stuffed in the air duct of the dashboard. Then by flooring the gas, it warms the engine enough to create an explosion. Knocking out the driver, US Marshall and the mob enforcers outside the vehicle.
A new vehicle, specifically a non-government issue vehicle is required. Toby takes to negotiating with ‘Earl’, who looks exactly how you might expect running a used car lot. Toby then does his thing breaking down Earl’s situation and at the same time paralleling Earl’s remorse for a one time love and turning that towards Happy. Toby eventually convinces Earl to swap his $2000 1970’s conversion van falling apart at the seams for a brand new government issue Suburban.
With a lull in the action, Paige tries to convince Happy to give Toby another chance and it’s not going well. Elsewhere the enforcers pull up on a used car lot with brand spanking new black Suburban. They squeeze Earl for information.
The van overheats and barely makes it to a gas station. On the way in, the accountant (who has been a pill the entire time) swipes a box of chocolate covered pretzels. Paige follows her into the ladies room where she lays out that this Maya (the accountant) is pregnant. 11 weeks. While the two ladies are safely in the restroom, Hector and his goon enter the store. Happy recognizes them and yells out to Cabe. A gunfight ensues.
Happy pushes Maya and Paige into a dark corner. Then utilizes a CO2 canister, a paper towel roll, and a package of urinal cakes to MacGuyver a cannon sending the urinal cake straight into Hector’s partners Adam’s Apple. At the same time Walter and Toby rig a temporary fix for the coolant issue using malt liquor and a random hose. Then drive the van into the convenient store, knocking Hector out.
As it turns out, finding the bathroom supplies was one of multiple examples that leads Sylvester and Walter to deduce that Maya is actually a genius, like them. Thus, the poor attitude or at least social shortness she’s exhibited the entire episode.
Maya guides them to a location of a DL hacker who spends all of this money on exotic cars. Lamborghini’s are nice but not big enough to carry seven passengers. Then Happy notices an Aerosmith type tour bus. Breaking in is not an option. They need muscle, but instead Walter suggests that Lambert (the owner of the cars) doesn’t know that and they proceed accordingly.
Guard: Mr. Lambert, these men claim to have some business with you.
Lambert: Who the hell are you?
Walter (in a cool, calm light L.A. Hispanic meets his natural British accent): The organizations that hire me call me Mr. Green. This is my associate (Walter gestures to Cabe and intentionally doesn’t give him a name).
Unnamed Cabe: Afternoon…
Walter: I’ve come on behalf of Hector Menjivar. I believe you know him. Someone you owe in a substantial way, I suggest you invite us in.
Lambert: Yeah, sure thing. I don’t want any trouble.
Using their coms, Walter says exactly what Maya tells him painting the picture that Lambert owes Hector a quarter of a million dollars. The two geniuses bounce back and forth effortlessly. In the end, Walter gives the ultimatum of collateral or Lambert’s left hand. He gives up the tour bus quickly. As they try to leave, Lambert calls Hector. At which point, Cabe backs the bus into a rock. Eventually they get out just as Lambert’s security give chase.
Maya continues to play the “this will never end” card. Walter and Sylvester come up with an idea. The feds need Maya to testify because of what’s in her head. Instead, they will fabricate a ledger whose contents will reflect everything in Maya’s head, thus removing her from testifying.
With Happy at the wheel Toby decides to take this opportunity to try to patch things up with her. Meanwhile Lambert, with Hector in the room, hacks the bus’ on-board computer and takes control. The bus is not accelerating on its own. In this Speed scenario they are approaching 90 mph and a long straight away followed by an abrupt turn that they will not successfully make at that speed.
Naturally, Walter’s mind goes to regaining control of the on board computer. Happy can’t access it from inside fast enough. So now we employ the skateboard and a rope trick at 90 mph. Happy and Walter separately use the skateboard to get under the bus. By accessing the computer manually they can remove Lambert’s ability to control the bus.
Safely stopped on the side of a rural highway in the California mountains, Cabe puts in a call to the local Sheriff’s department. Hector and his goon race towards them. The bus swerves at a high-speed but they don’t lose the pursuers. The bus leans left, allowing Hector’s truck to pull right. Revealing a police barricade. The two thugs are arrested immediately and Scorpion + Maya walk away unscathed.
With the ‘ledger’ built and a promise to keep her safe, Cabe and Scorpion are letting Maya walk. Technically she’s getting in a Sheriff’s police cruiser and being driven to Vancouver where she will assume a new Canadian identity. Then she will receive and turn over a package, the ledger. As well that ends well. I get the impression this is not the last we’ll see of Ms. Maya.
Back at HQ, risks are being considered. Happy says goodnight to all at once and Toby is alright with that for now considering the risk he took in trying to make things right. Sylvester found another container of his expired yogurt. Toby takes it and eats half of it recklessly then slams the container down to illustrate that Sylvester needs to take risks.
Toby (pointing his finger in Walter’s face): If you don’t take a risk my man, Drew is going to take Paige.
Walter: Paige is not yogurt.
Toby: No she’s a risk, one you need to take. So you need to get in your car, drive to her house, knock on her door and tell her how you feel.
Surprise, surprise. Walter hesitates for a second and then runs off, car keys in hand. Just at the moment when all of your feels and motivation to see this romance begin, the show runners from Scorpion drop the Acme anvil on your head. Walter walks up to see Paige feeding Ralph. Then you get the distinct displeasure of seeing Drew walk into the frame.
