We do negotiate, and give in to, criminals demands. Yeah, I know, it's only a TV show, but still..... If the writers are going to be totally ridiculous, one solution was brought up early on. Shackle the drug lord and sit him down next to the bomb. The employee may be blown up, but so will Vargas. Another solution, have a volunteer agent sit down next to Vargas with a gun to his head, with orders to pull the trigger when the bomb goes off. Sure, they are ridiculous solutions and would most likely never happen. But so what? If the writers can portray the FBI as Milquetoasts who will cave under threats, then the writers can also let them have some guts and put the ball in the bad guy's court.
The episode was actually dramatic, but I gave it a 1 for painting the FBI as cowardly and easy to threaten.
Review of Liar's Poker
