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Skeleton Crew
Original Air Date: Oct 25, 2012
Vincent C. – TwoCents Reviewer
Vincent@thetwocentscorp.com
“A pair of chimpanzees could do what you two failed to do.” Ah yes, the age of quip of an irate supervisor. Defense Secretary Curry arrives on Sainte Marina in an attempt to negotiate with Marcus Chaplin and Sam Kendal. While the Colorado’s captain and XO are occupied in negotiations, Grace Shepard is tasked with a mission and takes command of the sub for the first time.
The episode starts with Marcus and Sam wearing their classy dress white uniforms. They practice a mock debate to prepare for meeting with Curry. After practicing, Sam goes out to the balcony where Sophie joins him and they flirt a little bit. Sam admits to feeling like an ice cream delivery guy. Sophie thinks the uniform looks cute. One of the sonar arrays surrounding the island goes dead. Sophie says it’s probably just a dead battery. Sam tasks Grace to take the sub with a small crew and fix the sonar array.
Grace goes to the island bar to ask James who the best SEAL diver is. She’s going to need a diver to help fix the array. James volunteers for the mission. Sophie tags along. Cahill, normally the communications officer, is now the navigator. I wonder if Chaplin and Sam gave Grace and Cahill the missile launch keys. It seems that they might’ve, but Grace may have also been bluffing the launch later on.
Secretary Curry arrives on the island with White House negotiator Straw and Admiral Arthur Shepard. Curry takes a hard line with Chaplin and Sam. All they had to do was turn their keys and press a button. Now, they are charged with sedition, treason, and terrorism.
On the Colorado, Sophie briefs James on the sonar array. James needs to use a drill to fix the array, but it will make a lot of noise and draw the other submarines to their location. Grace reluctantly agrees, since there is no other way to fix the array.
As the Illinois is closing in on Colorado’s position. COB recommends they dive. Grace orders the dive. Sophie tells James over the radio to cut his tether to the submarine, or else he’ll be dragged too deep with the submarine and he will perish. He manages to cut the tether and returns to the array to repair it. After the Colorado dives, it must stay still or else be discovered.
Chaplin has a little bit of success pushing Curry’s buttons. Chaplin knows that the Navy could use the 20 ships that are currently assigned to blockading Sainte Marina. More importantly, Chaplin either knows the SEAL mission in Pakistan, or bluffs pretty well. Either way, that rattles Curry enough so that Curry offers Sam a deal from the president. Curry offers amnesty for the crew and also Sam and Grace Shepard in exchange for the submarine and the SEALs. Sam agrees. Afterward, Chaplin reveals the he purposely instigated the event because he knew that the best deal they could get from Curry would be if Curry felt that he “won” by peeling Sam away from Chaplin.
As Curry hands Sam the papers involving the deal straight from the President, negotiator Amanda Straw rips up the papers. Curry is irate, but Straw says that the Illinois has a fix on the Colorado. As Straw is about to order the Illinois to fire, Admiral Shepard grabs a pistol and shoots Straw. Two subs are awaiting orders to fire on the Colorado, but Grace acts first and orders two torpedoes fired. For a split second, you think she fired on one of the other subs, but she fired on an undersea rock formation which kicks up debris. The Colorado moves into that debris and is masked from the other subs’ torpedoes.
The Colorado opens its missile doors and Grace warns the surrounding submarines that if they do not back away, she will fire four missiles at Washington, D.C. The warning is successful, but the clock shows that James’ air reserves have run out. COB is sympathetic and tells Grace of the time he once lost a bet to a Navy diver who was able to hold his breath for a remarkably long time. COB implies
James could probably do it. The sonar operator picks up some tapping and it is James tapping morse code on the sonar array. The Colorado retrieves him. Grace has finally earned COB’s respect, with him calling his men to attention and grunting “officer on deck!” to Grace’s satisfaction. This was a little bit reminiscent of the last scene in the movie “A Few Good Men,” when something similar happened to Tom Cruise’s character.
Meanwhile, back in DC, Kylie caught a glimpse of Sam’s wife Christine on the evening news on tv shouting at the tv cameras that she wants the truth and so should the reporters. Kylie pays Christine a visit, explaining that she thinks Sam was set up by the President’s administration. To Kylie’s surprise, Christine believes everything Kylie is saying. Christine has also figured out that Sam’s friend Paul is a government agent. Paul had earlier tried to convince Christine that Chaplin and Sam attempted to sell the submarine to China, but Christine knew that Sam would never do such a thing.
Sam wonders about the repercussions of the day’s events, but Chaplin is convinced that the White House will treat this as if nothing happened.
The Colorado arrives back at the island, and Chaplin has the sad duty to inform Grace that her father was shot while he was protecting the Colorado by preventing Straw from giving the fire order.
James arrives back at the island bar and passionately kisses Tani. Not surprisingly, coming within an inch of dying kicks up the desire to be with the person you’re attracted to.
We’re still left wondering about the SEAL mission in Pakistan. What did you guys think? If Chaplin knows anything, should he just broadcast it now and get it over with? What is Kylie up to?
TheTwoCents 
I’m not sure Chaplin knows anything about the Seal mission. I don’t believe for a second they’d violate orders by telling him what they were up to. I think he was bluffing. A good bluff, but bluffing nonetheless.
Thanks for your thoughts! I was thinking Chaplin was bluffing as well. A part of me wonders whether COB knows anything about the SEAL mission. He seems to have been more in the loop and if he was, I thought maybe he would be willing to tell Chaplin some bits. I doubt the SEALs would, but I guess if James is drunk enough, loose lips and all.
James has barely been aboard long enough to tell anyone anything. COB is still pissy about the disobeying of a direct order, so I don’t really see him telling Chaplin much. I think all will come out in good time, but I still think they are pretty in the dark for now. Just my humble opinion.