Episode: Sanctuary 4.04 – “Monsoon”
Original Air Date: October 28, 2011
Screencaps by rawr_caps.
Helen Magnus gets her “James Bond” on in the action-packed Sanctuary Episode 4.04, “Monsoon”.
Magnus flies to a remote island off the coast of Africa to meet the person she hopes will become the Sanctuary’s new financial advisor, but finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a hostage crisis. Meanwhile, on their own, Will and Henry track a missing abnormal and meet an unexpected someone also searching for the creature. If you haven’t seen the episode, spoilers abound.
Helen has flown to meet financier Richard Feliz about new funding for the Sanctuary network. Feliz operates off the grid, even living on his plane. For the meeting with Magnus, he’s chosen a remote island off the coast of Africa and sent the coordinates 24 hours in advance.
Will discusses plans with Henry for a romantic dinner with Abby, to celebrate her promotion to Special Agent.
While waiting at the small airport, Helen makes the acquaintance of her fellow travelers — an online poker expert, Canadian journalist, a Russian cage fight promoter, and a research scientist. As they pass the time, a small plane lands. Three people get off and start shooting. When Helen asks the leader for an explanation of their actions, he tells her their purpose is “to rob you all blind.”
Abby is excited about her promotion. Caught up in the moment, Will lets slip an “I love you.” The admission shocks both and has them quickly backpedaling to safer subjects. Abby is impressed with Will’s effort on the romantic dinner.
The criminals demand the passengers’ bank account numbers and set up computerized wire transfers. They check the travelers for weapons, finding a gun and a knife on Magnus. The leader tells them they were chosen as targets because the only reason they would be in Africa during the rainy season is to do business under the radar which means they all have access to large amounts of cash.
Magnus willingly gives up her account numbers because, in all of her accounts, she is worth less than $300. The online poker expert pulls a gun and shoots the criminal leader. From the way they defend themselves and recapture him, Magnus discovers the three high-tech thieves are abnormals.
The tech expert has x-ray vision, the female thief has a sonic scream that can knock others unconscious, and the leader has a super-resilient epidermis, handy for taking at least three bullets to the chest without being harmed.
The leader notices Magnus is not freaked out by the demonstration of their abilities. He tells the accomplices who worked at the airport to find the hidden plane. Magnus figures out all the passengers are there to meet Feliz and the abnormals know this. Feliz is the real target.
Will and Abby are caught in a compromising situation by emergency calls from work. Abby says hers is a budget crisis, and Will’s is a monster on the loose.
The two accomplices enter a hangar and find a state-of-the-art jet. As they approach, guns lower and begin firing at them. In the terminal, Helen disarms one of the culprits and takes charge. As she leads the other passengers to safety, the two thugs in the hanger set off an EMP pulse to disable the plane, causing a massive explosion. The plane belonged to Magnus and was the escape route. All the passengers except Magnus are retaken.
On the way to the Beijing Sanctuary, there was a shipping container mix-up and a stenopelohabilis escaped. Henry and Will are called to search for it. Knowing what happened the last time they had a run-in with one (2.03 – “Eulogy”), they are reluctant about the mission.
Magnus attempts to send a mayday from the control tower, but the call is intercepted by the bad guys. She gives an ultimatum: Let the others go and she’ll let them leave alive. She searches the wreckage of the blown hangar and finds the EMP generator.
Searching the sewers for the steno, Henry picks up a signal on the tracker. Cautiously, they go around a corner and come face to face with Abby and her new partner, Gavin. Abby’s new top-secret assignment is investigating any suspicious sightings or reports pertaining to the unexplained, which Will interprets as meaning abnormals. Will is offended that Abby didn’t tell him. Her reason is because it was top secret and the Sanctuary is on the outs and considered out of the loop. They argue over jurisdiction, with interference from Gavin, who’s a complete doofus.
A computer search on Magnus turns up no information for the criminal abnormals. All information about her has been wiped clean. They decide to do a search on all the travelers and discover the poker guy is really an undercover CIA agent. They “question” him, then decide to take Charlotte, the research scientist, for questioning. Magnus knocks out one of the captors and frees the scientist. Charlotte is impressed by Magnus’ knowledge and skill. “You keep saying.. you’ve been through worse, you’ve seen worse — you sound like an old woman”. Magnus, the Doctor of Butt-kicking, replies, “I am an old woman.”
Abby comes to the Sanctuary looking for Will. Her department received an anonymous tip on where the steno was hiding, but when they arrived, a nasty type of abnormal bat was there instead. Abby accuses Will of being the tipster. He admits he did it, but it was for her safety, telling her “it’s business, not personal”. Abby tells him they are done and storms out. Henry has a new location on the steno.
Feliz’s plane comes in on an approach. Magnus devises a plan to stop the plane landing, with Charlotte’s assistance. They create a burning X on the runway to warn the plane it was dangerous to land.
Will and Henry locate the steno. It turns violent, attacks Henry, and runs away. Abby and Gavin arrive on the scene, to Will’s chagrin.
The airplane veers away but goes into a circling pattern around the airport. Everyone realizes there is something on the ground the plane isn’t willing to leave without. The scientist confesses to Magnus that she hasn’t just been studying lemurs; she’s been studying a deadly virus that could cause catastrophic results if released. She planned to give it to Feliz to hide so it couldn’t be used as a biological weapon. The rogues discover her case containing vials of an unknown substance.
Magnus returns to the terminal and surrenders. She warns the thieves that millions will die if the virus is released. But her strategy backfires causing them to realize it could be worth millions. The abnormal team prepares to leave with the suitcase of vials.
Will uses himself as bait for the steno. As it chases him down the sewer, gaining with every step, Abby stuns it. They decide a spirit of cooperation is better than competition.
The robbers take off in their plane, but the plane explodes. The vials didn’t contain the virus but pure nitroglycerin. The virus exists, but Charlotte is carrying the dormant strain in her bloodstream. The Russian cage fighter promoter turns out to be Mr. Feliz. Impressed with Helen, he agrees to provide new funding for the Sanctuary. Helen also makes another friend from the group, the kind with benefits, resulting in a bit of unanticipated action.
Next episode, Tesla is back. I’m certainly anticipating that action come Friday. Let the countdown start.
