The San Lorenzo Job - Recap

In San Lorenzo, Nate is in the office of President Edwin Ribera. Ribera attacks him and knocks him down, and then Daniel Moreau punches him. Moreau asks if Nate thought he ever had a chance, and Nate admits that he didn’t.

One week earlier...

The team gathers at the bar, and everyone except Nate insists that Moreau is out of business. However, Nate warns that Moreau will wait it out in San Lorenzo and eventually return. He asks them this time, after admitting that he pushed them into it the last time. The team agrees, and Hardison reviews the files on San Lorenzo. Moreau has millions stacked up at his villa, and they consider cons. Nate warns that Moreau knows they’re coming and can anticipate anything that he knows. Eliot says he has a friend in San Lorenzo, General Flores, and tells Hardison to bring up the encrypted teleconference signal. Flores explains that they were making progress toward democracy, until Moreau backed Ribera, a minor security officer. Ribera bribed and murdered his way into the presidency, seizing the assets of anyone who opposed him. He’s running against Ribera, and is currently in hiding. Ribera’s men break in and arrest Flores, and Hardison warns that someone has hacked the signature. Moreau comes in and explains that he used Duberman’s Manticore program to hack the signal. He thanks them for locating Flores for him, and explains that they have UN inspectors and world media there. Once the election is over, he’ll dispose of Flores in a “car accident.” Nate makes a call and starts speaking in Italian.

In San Lorenzo, the Italian greets them at the airport and provides them with false identity papers. She warns Nate that he will never get Moreau out of San Lorenzo. Nate, Hardison, and Sophie then go to the San Lorenzo parliament and introduce themselves to the opposition political party as consultants. The only candidate who isn’t in jail is Michael Vittori, a schoolteacher. He’s not in jail because he’s so far behind in the polls that there’s no chance he’ll get elected. Nate already knows all about him, and assures him that he’s a man of the people, and Vittori agrees.

Moreau tells Ribera to rewrite the banking laws to favor him. When Ribera bridles at his commanding tone, Moreau says that Ribera isn’t the first president he’s bought. Ribera is nervous about Vittori’s announced candidacy, and informs Moreau that Vittori is holding a press conference.

As Nate takes Vittori to his first press conference, Parker and Eliot scout the area and determine that Flores is being held in The Tombs, a series of converted catacombs where the prisoners are held. They find a water pipe leading into the prison area and Eliot starts removing the pipe section.

Vittori gives his opening speech but stumbles over it. The press starts questioning him and he gets off the stage. As he complains to Sophie and Nate that no one has even paid him any attention before, much less asked questions, Moreau watches the broadcast and notices Vittori talking to Sophie. He’s surprised that Vittori’s speech was so good. When the press notices Sophie, they ask Vittori if he has a girlfriend or a hooker.

Flores is in his cell when a cell phone in a plastic bag pops up in his toilet. Eliot calls and tells him that they’re breaking him out, but Flores refuses unless they can get the rest of his cabinet. When Eliot admits that they can’t get the others out, Flores refuses to go.

When the press refuses to drop their questions about Sophie, she steps up and announces that she’s Vittori’s fiancée. Nate and Hardison watch, and Hardison notes that the Internet word is big on Sophie’s. Moreau comes by and asks Nate why he won’t leave him alone. When Nate accuses him of moving dirty money, Moreau insists that he’s a banker, and he invests in countries. He threatens to arrest Nate, but Nate says that Hardison has hacked into the video feed and will send pictures of any hostile actions to the UN inspectors. Moreau backs off and tells Nate to make it interesting, and then leaves. Hardison admits that he hasn’t hacked into the security feeds yet, and goes off to do it.

As the election continues, Vittori’s numbers continue to climb. Nate isn’t reassured, and tells Parker and Eliot to look into their other plans. Vittori has concerns about lying, but Sophie and Nate convince him to play along. As he goes to give a pep talk, Nate complains that Sophie jumped in, but she notes that Vittori would have ruined their plan if she hadn’t announced her engagement.

The campaign continues with both candidates giving speeches. Sophie gives tips on poise to Vittori, and Hardison creates posters. Vittori begins to climb in the polls, and Hardison tells Nate that he’s run campaign ads via the Internet, bypassing Ribera’s control of the media. Nate isn’t convinced, until he sees a child screaming in terror after meeting Ribera.

Next, Nate suggests that they come up with a scandal, something worse than money or sex. Later, Ribera is watching TV as Eliot is interviewed as an animal activist who has confirmed that Ribera engages in dog fighting with cute little puppies. Ribera considers cancelling the debate, but Moreau reminds him that he owns the TV station, and Ribera will still win in the close election, legitimatizing his presidency.

At the debate, Sophie shows Vittori how to act confident and get people to answer “yes” in their head so they’ll agree with him. She shows him how to reach forward and gain someone’s trust, and he goes out on stage. Moreau’s press gives Ribera easy questions, but he begins to stutter and sweat. Nate explains to Sophie that he had Parker steal Ribera’s watch, put nicotine cream on the back, and then return it to him. Nicotine cream causes symptoms similar to drunkenness, and the press assumes that Ribera has been drinking. Vittori follows Sophie’s advice and wows the crowd. Afterward, Hardison says that the numbers indicate that it’s anyone’s game, but Nate warns that Moreau will kill them as soon as the polls close.

On the day of the election, the candidates cast their votes and the election begins. Nate sends Hardison to work on their other plan, and then tells Sophie to cut Vittori loose if shooting starts. She refuses, admitting she might take a bullet for Vittori and for the people of San Lorenzo.

Moreau angrily confronts Ribera, who in turn blames Moreau for letting Nate stay in the country. The president admits that his security force may not be able to handle a riot in the streets, and Moreau notes that they do control candidate security.

As Vittori’s win is announced, Nate tells the rest of their team to go to work. Parker cuts into a steam vent, while Hardison finishes his work on the Internet.

The press announces the win and Flores is interviewed. Using the phone that Eliot sent him, Flores claims that he’s been released and that he and his people are going to Parliament to declare their support for Vittori. Ribera sends his security forces down to confirm that Flores is in his cell, and kill him if he is. As Nate sneaks through the building, security men capture him and take him to Ribera’s office. Others offer to take Vittori to the presidential building to make a joint statement with Ribera. More security forces take the elevator down to the Tombs.

Moreau puts a freeze on the TV and radio stations to prevent announcement of election results. The guards bring Nate in, and Ribera attacks him.

Sophie tries to get Eliot to deal with the guards taking Vittori away. When he says that he’s out of position, she takes them out with a champagne bottle and tells the unwitting Vittori that they need to get him into the crowd.

Moreau asks Nate how he thought he had a chance to pull it off, and Nate admits that he didn’t.

Sophie gets Vittori into the crowd as the security forces pursue them. As Sophie starts to announce that they won, two helmeted security men open fire on Vittori. Sophia leaps in front of him and takes two bullets to the chest. The crowd stares in horror as Sophie dies in Vittori’s arms.

In his office, Ribera denies ordering his men to shoot Vittori, and asks if they can kill Nate. Moreau insists he can fix the whole thing, and Nate hands Ribera a warrant for the arrest of Moreau. He says that Moreau is just another bastard in a suit for all his money. The people go out onto the streets and the press report on it, and report the rumors that Vittori has won. Nate explains that he was running an American campaign, and all he did was declare victory at the start and stuck to it. He tells Moreau that Hardison sent e-mails out to everyone in the country, and more people get their news from the Internet. All they needed to do was get everyone to believe the same lie for ten minutes. Flores is on the air and Ribera calls his people. Nate explains that he stole his security men. Parker got into the Tombs via the steam vents, took out the cameras, and freed Flores and his cabinet. Hardison and Eliot infiltrate Ribera’s security team and took them out from behind. Eliot and Flores then set up the fake attack on Sophie, inspiring a bloodstained Vittori to step up and become the President that everyone wants him to be. He asks the security men closing in on him if they’ll go down in history as assassins or heroes, and they join forces with him.

Moreau tells Ribera not to lose his nerve, but Nate warns that the people believe they have won and nothing can change that belief. Ribera can either try to run the country with everyone out to get him, or he can resign peacefully and get a pension and a nice estate. Nate suggests that Ribera seize Moreau’s assets, including his villa, since the law allows him to take the assets of a political prisoner. Moreau figures that Flores and Vittori won’t go for that, but Ribera signs Nate’s warrant and has his men take Moreau away. Vittori and Flores come in, and Ribera assures them that he’ll peacefully concede.

Moreau is taken to the tombs and the Italian is there to watch as he is locked up. He begs her to extradite him, but she informs him that San Lorenzo doesn’t recognize extradition treaties. She leaves with Nate, as Moreau still tries to figure out who Nate is.

As the country mourns the loss of their first lady, Flores addresses the press and assures them he will be Vittori’s advisor. Sophie shows up for her own funeral, and is happy that they’ll be naming a school after her and putting her face on the currency. She’s happy that they’ve done something good, and Nate admits that they’re a good team. Sophie says that now they’re working as partners in crime, and they’re friends with something real. Nate asks her out for a friendly drink.

Later, Hardison is packing some souvenirs. Parker has a crate filled with her own souvenirs: Moreau’s gold bars. When Eliot knocks on Nate’s door and doesn’t get an answer, he kicks the door in. Nate is in bed, and says that he was up late drinking. After Eliot leaves, a naked Sophie emerges from beneath the covers.

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