317 One Hour

I don’t have to trust them, it’s their job to trust me …


Summary:  The FBI has one hour to find a kidnapped boy; Don is unavailable in a therapy session

Original air date
: February 23, 2007 (US)

Written by
: Ken Sanzel

Directed by
: J Miller Tobin

Opening numbers:

1: Hour
60: Minutes
3600: Seconds
1: Moment

Episode presented in a “real time” format


Family Concepts: (character development)

  • Don has had his team for five years
  • Don’s thoughts on his team members:
    • Megan: in charge when Don isn’t around, smart, fast on her feet, tough
    • David: Been with Don three years, there’s nothing Don can’t ask David to do.  Don worries David may one day realize he’s seen too much and leave the FBI.
    • Colby: Don doesn’t know what he saw overseas, and can’t imagine what he went through
    • Charlie: Don admits he grew up in Charlie’s shadow and hated it.  He also says many of their arguments today are still over how they were as kids. Don respects what he does, however.
  • How Dr Bradford interprets Don’s answers:
    • Megan: too compassionate
    • David: too close to the book
    • Colby: has seen too much
  • Don has control issues and is afraid he’s really not necessary in the grand scheme of life.

Episode Quotes:

  • Amita: I thought you liked the analogies.
    Megan: Any other day.
  • Che Lobo: You people been tryin’ to get in here for three years.
    Colby: How do you know we haven’t been?
  • Che Lobo: What if you find something, maybe some weed, maybe a gun?
    Colby: Well, I’ll probably faint from the surprise.
  • Colby: I don’t look good in gold chain and a pimped SUV.
  • Amita: That is some really cool math, Charlie.
    Charlie: Thank you.  I’m glad somebody noticed.
  • Colby: I’m gonna lock him up and you’re gonna let me.
  • Colby [to David]: next time you’re running and I’m driving.
  • Charlie: We don’t have time for me to be sure.

Episode Synopsis:

Eleven year old Joe Santiago is kidnapped in broad daylight while on his paper route.  While working the scene David and Colby receive a phone call on a cell phone used by one of the boy’s now dead bodyguards; Joe is the son of Che Lobo Santiago, a record producer and former member of the 18th Street Mexicali gang. The voice on the phone tells David they have one hour to do exactly what they are told to do, or Joe will be killed.

Che Lobo doesn’t want the FBI involved with the case.  It seems he is being investigated for a number of crimes and doesn’t want any sort of police presence on his property.  Megan convinces him however that the FBI isn’t worried about other cases at the moment, their sole concern is getting Joe back.  Che Lobo agrees and Colby is assigned to stay with him, while David and Liz work as support when they have more information.

Don is in a therapy session and ordered to turn off his phone, he doesn’t know anything about the kidnapping case.  He is talking to Dr Bradford about the people on his team and how Don thinks of them as individuals.

Megan calls in Amita and Charlie to help when she finds out the kidnapper is using a VoIP service to make the calls to the FBI.  Amita finds out the bodyguard only recently had software installed on the cell phone to allow it to be a VoIP carrier, thus making any calls to it impossible to trace.  Colby also finds evidence in Rico’s, the surviving bodyguard, room that the men in charge of protecting Joe were really in on the attempt to kidnap him.

The kidnapper calls back demanding $3.2 million dollars.  Colby offers several banks that can help gather the money, Che Lobo says he doesn’t need the help and gets the money himself.  Charlie is curious as to why the number 3.2 was selected for the ransom sum and works out the kidnapper is really after $1.65 million dollars, the amount Che Lobo used to start his record label.  Confronted with this information, Che Lobo admits the money was ill gotten gains he and another gang member, Nacio Duque, earned from knocking over rival gang stash houses.

Duque calls Che Lobo with details on where to drop the money.  As Colby takes the money to follow the instructions it becomes clear Duque is leading Colby around in order to spot the FBI surveillance. Charlie spots the pattern as a type of maze and tells Megen to send everyone back to Disney Hall where the initial call was made.  There Colby makes the money drop and sees Joe is still alive.  Colby is able to get the boy to safety while David arrests Duque who is hiding in the balcony with a rifle aimed at Colby and Joe.

Don realizes through his therapy session that he has control issues.  He doesn’t really trust his team and is afraid he doesn’t matter in the scheme of things.  Dr Bradford convinces him he is important to his team and Don needs to start enjoying his life more.