USA Network Synopsis
In an abrupt attack, one of Section One's substations is destroyed,
and even Section One comes to the brink of destruction when its self-destruct
sequence is remotely activated. At first it seems that a newly resurgent
Red Cell is responsible, but when two of Red Cell's substations are also
destroyed within hours of the hits on Section, it dawns on Operations
and Madeline that a mysterious third party is at work. In order to fight
this new threat, Operations and the head of Red Cell agree to work together
by swapping their top two tactical operatives -- this way, neither side
has an advantage over the other. However, Operations decides to secretly
use the truce as an opportunity to cripple Red Cell -- and his plan may
force Madeline to sacrifice her life.
My Synopsis
"Madeline proves that she is as worthy in the field as she is behind
the desk as she works for Red Cell for forty-eight hours in an attempt
to find a random who has been attacking both organizations." This is
another episode where I am completely torn. I loved it because it had
some kick ass Madeline scenes, but the writer obviously had NO CLUE about
characterization of Operations. There is no way on this planet or any other
that he would put her life in jeopardy like he did. Hello, can we say Gambit,
Inside Out, Mandatory Refusal, Last Night, I Remember Paris... You may
hate Operations, but you cannot deny the fact that he loves Madeline
more than life. So there is NO WAY he would have done this. Now, some
say that he tips her off ("You'll be the first to see it" when she won't see
anything), but how do you explain the evil glare at the end? I know how
to explain it: bad writing! Even in the episode, he's sending his "most
valuable" operative, so naturally he would choose Madeline. And I think
he looks genuinely happy to see her when she returns. But the rest of it
is a mystery. I'd like to have a conference with the writer on this one.
But moving on...this episode has my two favorite sequences in LFN history.
I LOVE the scene in the stadium when Satin and Madeline change places. The
music was fabulous, and you could just see Madeline size her up in the two
seconds they were eye-to-eye. Fantastic! And I loved the way the ending
was filmed, with Madeline walking back into Section. I personally think
she should have been carrying a gun, heheh. The White Room scene was
amusing, and I loved the part where Madeline beats up the Red Cell guy.
You go, girl! All in all, if I re-interpret the stupid scenes, this
episode is fantastic.
Other Intel
*This episode marks the first appearance of Quinn, Birkoff's replacement.
She was named after LFN fan Katherine Quinn, who won the namesake at a
convention.
*Apparently, Alberta kept the rockin' leather trench coat that she wore in this episode. :D
*The song playing during the stadium exchange is "Modern Crusaders" by Enigma.
Favorite Madeline Quote
"Good! Then you should enjoy yourself." (to Red Cell SOTW who said "For some, pain is pleasure.")