Warning: Spoiler Alert
Chandler circles back without breaking eye contact with the Brits and their new pawn to meet with his undercover crew. Ravit updates him on the count of hostiles on site. Chandler breaks eye contact to suggest that if the guy in the blue shirt (Ned) makes him, they will have problems and in a hurry. Based on the loose information that the previous 11 in the line of succession actually did die in the bunker, this Jeffrey Mitchner actually would be the President. Even if Mitchner is compliant against his will. The newer more immediate mission is the extract their new Commander and Chief out from under the oppressive thumb of Sean and Ned.
Meanwhile, in the back Green and Tex keep up their cover while Wolf watches from a distance via rifle scope. Wolf and Green relay their coordinates to XO Slattery. They find an area large enough to land a helo, which is great news for Slattery. His priority being to keep the Commander alive.
Sean and Ned have another of their lopsided conversations. Sean enthusiastic about the turnout and not worried at all about the sub. Ned freaking out about the sub not caring about the dog and pony show inside. Sean orders Ned to accompany Niels on his next little ‘magic trick’.
Ravit uses her feminine wiles to distract a patrolman on duty. Burk moves inside to get a closer look on the operation inside the loading stations. Green makes his way around the building to discover Niels working on something. The man in charge (I use that term very loosely) of the unloading catches Green spying but with one gesture, Green makes it appear as if he’s relieving himself. Upon a second look, Chandler believes that Mitchner’s body language reveals that he not completely a hostage. He may need some convincing to be removed from his current position.
Chandler: I don’t know how deep in he is, but he has drunk some of the Kool-Aid, that’s for sure.
Burk: We have to do this quietly.
Chandler: If he’s here of his own free will he has power, if he has power, he can be manipulated.
Dr. Scott, with the help of the Engineering department of the crew, has developed a machine that will act like a large inhaler for the mice. Going back to last week, Dr. Scott believes Dr. Hunter had created a way to make the cure airborne. This machine may just accurately test such a feasibility.
The team is positioned inside the next stump speech location. Burk walks in and casually drops a book bag. He then locks the door behind him. Ravit locks the doors on her side. Burk then acts like a concerned citizen to a strange woman next to him. Playing the role of protecting the new President from a bag that appears to be ticking. The woman unwittingly does her part shouting “there’s a bomb in here”. Burk runs the other way demanding Mitchner get him out of there. Chandler then punches Burk to get him off the President. Chandler stands over the President to protect him.
The President brings Chandler into a room. Call it the lion’s den because that’s what it is. Ten feet from Sean Ramsey. Sean offers his hand and they shake. Then Chandler respectfully interjects that “here in the US of A, we guard the President with more than two men”. You could cut the tension with a knife. It takes a moment, but Sean concedes. He adds a third man, but the President wants an American. He wants Chandler. A realistic demotion, but it works for their immediate plans.
Sean asks Chandler for some background. Chandler has the advantage here as he knows who Sean is, but Sean doesn’t know Chandler. Chandler plays right into his soft spot. Calls himself Tommy. A bodyguard for the rich. Was guarding one of those pop stars in Miami when the virus broke.
Chandler: People started dropping like flies, but I’m still standing. Until I met one of your boys and I found out why. I was chosen.
The awkward standoff between men continues. Sean trying desperately to catch “Tommy” of guard or in a lie. Tommy is unflappable. As the Commander of a Naval Destroyer should be. Eventually, Sean hands over a side arm to Tommy and welcomes him as a brother.
Elsewhere, Ravit walks in on Burk in his least manliest moments of the series thus far. Head tilted back pressing a bloody towel over his nose. “He didn’t have to break it”. Ravit mentions that the transition is still on schedule according to her source. Despite, the moment lacking masculine prowess, Burk shows a little jealously about this guard source of hers. She slowly and very seductively walks closer to him eventually standing right on top of him. She slowly leans in and begins kissing him. Effectively. Burk is completely lost in the moment. Then she suddenly snaps his broken nose back into place.
Ravit: Only a job, so…that was just anesthetic.
In the President’s room, Chandler looks for an opening. The President is working on his “Just as Noah in the old testament” speech, Chandler finds that opening. He suggests the group clear the courtyard of people so the President can get some fresh air.
Ned’s caravan comes to a stop. Niels has made a solution that he has stuffed into a teddy bear. The idea being, someone hands the bear to kid in a nearby trailer park, the solution gets soaked into the fur and the child as well as everyone he or she comes in contact with gets infected. With the exception of the ‘chose ones’. Ned won’t do the deed and Niels doing it would be redundant. So Lt. Green volunteers.
The men have cleared the courtyard and Chandler has signaled to Burk and Ravit who are in position. Wolf spots Chandler with the man Wolf doesn’t know to be the President. He relays the confirmation to the Nathan James regardless.
While the caravan waits, it appears Niels recognizes Tex. Tex pulls the ‘you’re creeping me out’ card and it seems to work. Only momentarily. Niels pops from around the corner intending to blackmail Tex. Tex, cool as ice turns the same concept back on Niels. Niels is the man behind the curtain. Niels is responsible for all of this. If Niels is outed, their entire belief structure falls apart and Tex knows it.
Green escorted by a duo of Ned’s men who are about as smart as a box of crayons. They find only one person in the trailer park. Green tries to shrug off his escorts and convinces the girl to run. Instead of chasing after the girl, the goons are focused on Green. Green tries to explain they are helping Ned to infect innocent people to draw out immunes. They make the mistake of pursuing further. Green takes them both out with minimal effort. A shot rings out. Tex strong arms Niels as Niels tries to out Tex to the group.
Tex is in the middle of a caravan wide fire fight. Ned goes down and Niels takes a shot to the abdomen. Tex throws Niels into the back of a van and continues to exchange rounds with others in the caravan. He peels away then comes to an abrupt halt to pick up Green en route.
All the pieces are in place. Chandler plus two of Sean’s men escort the President down the halls towards the courtyard. Green, Tex and Niels are at the rally point. Slattery has eyes on the sub. Ned was hit but not out. Midway to the courtyard an alarm goes off. News of the caravan hit has made its way back. They need to get the President back to the sub. Chandler thinks quick and redirects them back on track, because the President could get mobbed the other way.
Burk and Ravit take the kitchen. This is the drop point. Burk and Ravit take out the first of the President’s detail, Chandler turns on a few others with the President cowering in the middle. Low on ammunition, Burk and Ravit use anything they can get their hands on in the kitchen. Meat tenderizers and carving knives later, they take the kitchen leaving no one but the President vertical. Upon hearing their true identities, the President tries to evade them. He only gets about 3 inches away before meeting the end of Ravit’s sidearm.
Outside, the group moving the President are met with hostiles but mow past that obstacle quickly. They are on their way out (in a truck) before Sean even gets the news about the position of the Nathan James. At that moment, the truck with Chandler, Burk, Ravit, and the President speeds off. Sean yells out to stop them then instructs the sub to ‘blow that ship out of the water’. All the while, Wolf is picking off their pursuers one kill shot at a time.
To recap, the Nathan James is moving (slowly) to a location where they can send the helo to the rally point. Chandler, Burk, Ravit, and the kidnapped President head to the rally point where Wolf will meet them. At the same time, the sub is in a position to fire on the Nathan James, potentially putting a hex on the whole darn thing.
The literal moment that the Nathan James is far enough out for the helo to take off, the sub instantly loses them on radar.
All three elements of the tact team are in position as the helo lands. Problem is, Sean’s reinforcements are on their way. Close enough that they must see the helo. Burk and Wolf cover the helo as the rest of the team are secured on the helo. As efficiently as we would expect, the team gets into the air with no real consequence. Tex tells Chandler they grabbed Niels just in case he and the Dr. might want to have words with him. Tex then gestures to Mitchner.
Tex: Who’s that?
Chandler: Jeffrey Mitchner. Commander-in-Chief.
Tex: Come again boss?
Chandler: HE’S THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
(Silence in a loud helicopter)
With the team safely on the ship and Niels being tended to, Green briefs Slattery. When asked if he destroyed all of the toys, Green says, “Yes sir. All but one”. Tex places that one teddy bear in front of Dr. Scott and strongly suggests she take a seat before he explains what it is.
Sean meanwhile is angrily tearing apart the hotel room. This is the time that Ned decides to poke the bear. For the first time since we were introduced to this pair of brothers, it seems that Sean is more than happy to direct his efforts towards destroying the Nathan James first and foremost.
Chandler and Slattery meet in a quiet spot on the deck of the ship. Chandler knows they have something on Mitchner. Beyond that, he explains that the people are buying what Sean is selling. Then a very angry POTUS is forced passed them by Burk and Ravit yelling the entire way. “You can’t do this to me.”
Slattery: Our Commander In Chief doesn’t seem too pleased to be with us, does he?
Chandler: Well, that’s something we’re going to have to change.
Slattery: Won’t be easy. He really is one of them.
Chandler: This country needs a leader almost as much as it needs the cure. Ramsey was going use the President to win the hearts of America. (Turns to stare down the corridor) Now that’s exactly what we’re going to do.
