Façade
Episode Summary
Daniel Ryan, a freelance bomb maker whose bombs are impossible to defuse, destroys a bank in Belfast to get the attention of The Covenant: if they do not make a deal with him in 48 hours, he'll bomb a target in the US to attract buyers from other terrorist groups. The CIA picks up Ryan and sets up an elaborate scheme to try to convince him that they are The Covenant. Ryan is still skeptical, but Lisenker appears and vouches for them. Ryan agrees to the deal if Sark will meet his associate on a certain flight to get the details. Lisenker agrees. To get the real Sark on the flight, the CIA spreads word of Ryan's offer; it works, and Vaughn reports that Sark is on board. However, during the flight, Ryan's associate never shows up. Trying to find out why Ryan wanted Sark on the plane, Syd calls Sloane - who is sleeping with Dr. Barnett. Sloane reveals that Ryan's brother was killed by the Covenant. Seeing the man's picture, Syd realizes that she was the one who killed Ryan's brother, to make them believe she was Julia Thorne. On the plane, Vaughn arrests and handcuffs Sark. Vaughn finds the bomb and tries to deactivate it following Marshall's instructions over the phone, but he has to free Sark for help. Syd goes to Ryan, confessing that she is CIA. Trying to relate, she tells him how the Covenant tortured her to try to convince her she was Julia Thorne. Syd begs Ryan to deactivate the bomb and save the man she loves, who is on the plane. Ryan seems to understand, asking for a phone to dial in a code. However, he lied: the code activates a timer on the bomb on the plane - and on the plasma charge in Marshall's office! Ryan knows that Julia Thorne killed his brother, and this is his revenge. The CIA starts to evacuate their building: Jack approaches Ryan, choking him until he's nearly lifeless. He revives Ryan, demanding the real deactivation codes and a shaken Ryan agrees. On the plane, with the danger from the bomb over, Sark attacks Vaughn, but Vaughn fights back and knocks Sark out. Sark is turned over to the French authorities, and Vaughn returns. Finding Syd crying in the CIA garage, they embrace.
Quotes
Jack: Actually, Ryan alerted local authorities, gave them time to evacuate the building.
Weiss: So he's a humanitarian bomber?
Vaughn: He wanted the bomb squad called in?
Marshall: Well, maybe because he knew there was nothing they could do.
Weiss: What, I can't ask my buddy--
Vaughn (angrily): The marriage is fantastic.
(Vaughn leaves in a huff.)
Weiss: Yeah, I can tell.
Weiss: That was good, right? It's called method acting: I was shot in the neck once - I can do it again.
Vaughn: I still think it would just be easier to sic your father on him.
Sydney: We have twenty-seven hours before Ryan sets off another bomb. Our best chance to prevent that is to let him know that his first demonstration convinced us to buy every weapon he can produce.
Vaughn: Us, being the Covenant, based on intel received from someone we may or may not be able to trust.
Sydney: Your product demonstration in Belfast was impressive: we'd like to purchase your new weapon.
Ryan: Yeah. While I appreciate . . . your hairstyle . . . as I said, I do business with Andrejev.
Lisenker: Daniel, I know about Belfast. Your extraction was cleared to the highest levels. Emma saved your life. You should kiss her . . . whatever she wants.
Lisenker: Sark has never met Ryan.
Jack: Are you sure of this?
Lisenker: Yes.
Sydney: That wasn't a "yes," that was a "no."
Sark: Doesn't it bother you?
Vaughn: What's that?
Sark: A bombmaker arranges for a meeting on a plane and then doesn't show up. I don't know about you, but that concerns me.
Marshall: Okay, first of all, I didn't touch anything, I swear! But the bomb's been activated!
Jack: We know. We just spoke to Vaughn.
Marshall: No, not on the plane, in my office! The bomb in my office has been activated!
Ryan: Don't tell me. We've come to the point where you coerce me into cooperating.
Jack: Not exactly.
(Jack grabs Ryan by the neck and starts to strangle him.)
Comments
* Shocking: for once, Sark did NOT escape!
* Lisenker asking Syd about Vaughn is very suspicious: methinks this explains how Tarantino, er, um, Cole knew about Syd and Vaughn.
* Syd is losing her touch: in season one, Francie observed that Syd has excellent poker skills.
* We still don't know why The Covenant wanted Ryan's brother dead: I can't believe they did it so Ryan would seek revenge against Sydney.
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