Tex and Tom are taking on board the evil ship of the evil
Russians who are evil and Tom gets to see Quincy’s family and says nice things
to Eva, his daughter. Russian Admiral (ok, I’ll use his name, though that would
suggest far more characterisation than he has had) Ruskov makes a big thing
about how wonderful and kind he has been to Kelly and Eva and how
unappreciative they have been. Ruskov tries to play nice villain, Tom responds
with name, rank and serial number. Ruskov mocks the idea that the Geneva
Convention still applies in a world where Geneva doesn’t even exist.
I do like one thing he mocks - Tom’s pride and need for glory. Why else would he personally lead the team to rescue Bertrise? Why indeed.
On the ship, Mike & co can’t find the Russians but
think if Ruskov has Tom, he will call to trade him for Rachel and her work. Rachel
is showing Betrise the science behind the vaccine (a partial explanation to
illnesses she’s had in the past as well) and introduces her to Mason – one of
the communication people who heard her call.
Ruskov calls and makes all the usual threats and demands.
But the call does all Mike’s com’s officers to find the Russian ship. Which is
twice their size – but they intend to send a rescue mission (Danny wants to
lead it because he’s Big Damn Hero #2). Rachel interrupts the planning with the
happy news that she has a vaccine! And she’s willing to trade that for Tom or,
since all they need to do is replicate the formula, willing to trade herself.
They try to talk her out of it but she knows it’s the only way to stop him.
They agree to the demands but are obviously planning more
since Danny and Cosetti are going through plans of the Russian ship (which is,
as they remind us, nuclear so breaking it has to be a careful affair – which requires
Cosetti’s presence). Burk who fulfils some undisclosed role on the ship but
seems maybe to be in charge of the armoury, gives Rachel a big gun and a suppressor
to hide in her medical box. Before she goes, she asks Quincy to work on the
cure. Mike even has a respectful goodbye for her
She’s taken to the Russian ship where they search her but
don’t find the gun (it’s under virus samples so no-one wants to jog them too
much). They take her to the admiral and the prisoners are brought up – and Rachel
greets Tom with a passionate kiss. Ok, slightly unexpected so I vote for
ulterior motive.
Rachel is taken to see their scientist, Neal Sorenson (he
with the dodgy experiments from last episode). He’s infected, kind of – he’s
the one who added the human gene to the virus – who “weaponised” it. In a way
it worked – it made him completely immune to the virus. It also made him a
carrier. Rachel is outraged, his tinkering is what made it so hard to actually
create a vaccine – and he not only did this but then refused to come forward
and admit it when there were still functioning governments. And he doesn’t even
get to cure it now, because she’s already cured it. He has a tantrum when she
refuses to involve him.
When Ruskov arrives with her and some men, Neal claims
the vaccine won’t work without him. Roskov decides to test it by vaccinating
one of his minions and put them in Neal’s isolation room.
In the prison Tom takes the note out of his mouth that
Rachel planted there. It has a time and a place. Roskov wanders in to tell them
about his childhood in a tiny room because we needed to throw in more Russian tropes
here. He’s also there to be evil, threaten death and try to get Tom to be a
loyal pet or have everyone killed. Tom is a big damn hero and says “no” while
the dramatic music plays.
Throw in a random dramatic speech from Mike on the ship
about getting Tom back because there are dairy farmers less cheesy than this
scriptwriter. Jeter, being Jeter,
praises him. Because his job is to praise the white guy in charge.
Tom and Tex escape and fight their way through several
guards (BIG DAMN HERO that’s why). They meet up with the rescue team (who also
fought their way silently and without taking injury past several Russians). As
they move through the ship Cosetti sets several charges. They rescue Quincy’s
family and then Tom leads the rest of the men further into the ship to rescue
Rachel.
The Russians know they’re there but decide not to set the
alarm – Ruskov does have someone collect Rachel. She shoots him – but doesn’t
managed to get the suppressor on so it’s loud. Tom and team arrive to rescue
her and Tex is a little stunned that Rachel killed someone.
Cosetti sets off the explosives and Tom realises they’re
rumbled so manages to psychically avoid an ambush. They get Quincy’s family to
the rescue boat (need I note that Tom should have been in that group rather than
leading the other?) and we have a classic firefight where, despite being
outnumber, a small number of Americans, without injury, kill lots of Russians.
More explosions, more angry Russians.
In all the confusion (even Ruskov has dropped his evil calm), Neal has also left his isolation cell and is now wandering around, presumably infecting people.
The good guys escape in the boat while the rest of
Cosetti’s charges go up – and destroy the Russian ship (or at least severely
damage it). Costti is redeemed. So then
collapses from a wound we didn’t see he had because REDEMPTION HEROISM! He dies
of course.
Quincy gets to see his family again.
Lots of hero music for Tom returning – the cheese levels
are now perilous to the lactose intolerant.
Can we take the evil Russian storyline as done now, then?
Though I’m sure Neal is going to show up in the future – and equally sure he’s
probably right about the vaccine.
Also I’m equally sure that Tom will have learned zero
lessons from this and will continue to lead from the front.
Other than that – boom boom, bang bang, not much to say.
Except I still don’t remember exactly what it is Cosetti did that required him
to redeem himself.
