Eliot and Hardison: Captured, but not defeated.
In an attempt to salvage the finances of people who have been duped by con men claiming to be IRS agents, the team ends up going against a well armed group of woodsmen who are funded by a crooked banker (Clancy Brown).
Tropes:
- Bluff the Impostor: Whitman suspects Sophie is lying when she claims she came from his old area in the IRS and asks about his old friend from the area. Nate, being savvy, tells Sophie to reply the man has died. This is the correct answer.
- Chained Heat: Eliot and Hardison spend much of the episode handcuffed together. Since one of them is black and the other is white, this is likely a Shout-Out to The Defiant Ones.
- Cutting the Knot: After their cover is blown, Nate, Parker, and Sophie don't have the time or equipment to hack the security system and make an exit. Nate just yanks the fire alarm, letting them walk out with the crowd.
- Drives Like Crazy: Parker hits 140mph. In a sedan. Sophie shakily tells her never to get behind the wheel of a car ever again.
- Foreshadowing:
- Early in the episode, while posing as IRS agents for their visit to the mark's bank, Eliot and Hardison use the aliases "Brody" and "Quint." These are the surnames of two of the main characters of Jaws, and an early hint that Eliot's plans for a fishing trip are not going to end well.
- When Sophie first goes into Whitman's office, she notices a grenade on his desk, which is an...unusual decoration, but hints at Whitman's involvement supplying weapons for a right wing militia
- Hollywood New England: The episode averts the idea that Western Massachusetts doesn't exist by having Nate, Sophie, and Parker re-route a train on its way to Fitchburg, a city in North Central Mass.
- Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot: The group goes after a guy running a fake IRS scam. They wind up foiling a major homegrown terrorist plot and taking down an anti-government militia.
- Noodle Incident: Played darkly when Eliot states that he's "done this before" - "this" being escaping through the wilderness from people trying to kill him while handcuffed to another person.Hardison: This, right here? I—in the woods, handcuffed to a man?
Eliot: Yes, I have, okay? It was easier last time, though.
Hardison: Why?
Eliot: 'Cause he was already dead. - No-Sell:
- After forcing Hardison to his knees, a militiaman tries to do the same to Eliot. Eliot does not budge.
- Later in the episode, militia leader Chester punches Eliot in the face. He hurts his hand more than he hurts Eliot, who remains unfazed.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: The militia view themselves as freedom fighters taking on a corrupt government. However, they see no problem with killing innocent people for their agenda. As Eliot points out, they are willing to sacrifice other people to protect their rights making them no better than the corrupt government they rail against.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Elliot delivers a cold one when the militia leader tries to explain away killing innocent civilians as part of a soldier's duty."That's the difference between a real soldier and this Halloween outfit you have going on. You'd kill to protect your rights. A real soldier would die to protect someone else's."
- Right-Wing Militia Fanatic: The villains of the episode.
- Talk to the Fist: The mook that is about to shoot Eliot and Hardison when they're going for the train gloats about how their militia can't be stopped, that they get new recruits every day. Then Hardison and Eliot both kick him in the face.
- Undercover Cop Reveal: Invoked by Nate. He uses a radio to send a communication for the militia leaders to hear that Whitman is a cooperating witness. This causes them to turn on him.
