The Confession - Recap

Dan arrives at a photo studio and exchanges sign and countersign with the owner. In the darkroom he picks up his briefing on Andreas Solowiechek, a member of a Communist trade delegation who has been arrested for the assassination of Senator William Townsend. Townsend’s extremist supporters, led by R.J. McMillan, are demanding the U.S. break off relations with the Soviet bloc. The IMF must determine who was truly giving Solowiechek his orders.

Dan assembles the usual team and in the briefing, they go over Townsend’s assassination by a fragmentation bomb at his home. Solowiechek had more money then he should have and it’s suspected that McMillan is responsible, making Townsend a martyr. Dan proposes they get Solowiechek out of jail.

At the jail, Rollin as a prisoner is put in Solowiechek’s cell. McMillan is giving a provocative speech and Cinnamon asks him for a private interview and McMillan eventually agrees. Meanwhile, Rollin tells Solowiechek to act as lookout then cuts the outline of a pistol out of a book’s pages. Solowiechek tries to warn a guard without success and Barney arrives as Rollin’s lawyer. He slips Rollin a gun, and Rollin hides it in the book. That night Solowiechek tries to get the gun and Rollin stops him, and the Russian tries to call the guard. Rollin threatens him with the gun, forcing Solowiechek to shut up.

The next morning Cinnamon meets with Townsend and notices a painting of the dead Senator that McMillan painted. Dan calls impersonating the governor and suggests McMillan be selected as a replacement. McMillan agrees but Dan swears him to secrecy. Cinnamon threatens to release the story but agrees to keep it secret if McMillan agrees to give them an exclusive and pose for a painted cover portrait.

The guard informs Rollin and Solowiechek that they’ll be transferred for arraignment at the same time. Rollin explains he plans to break out of the transfer van and Solowiechek needs to keep quiet. They’re escorted out where Willy is waiting as a photographer along with the other press. Willie slips tools into Rollin’s pocket as he’s escorted out. In the van, Rollin and Solowiechek are handcuffed together. Rollin draws a gun on the guard then knocks him out and takes his key. However, the key breaks off and Rollin is forced to take the Russian with him. Rollin uses the tools to break open the door and they jump clear. Solowiechek injures his ankle in the fall while Willy pulls up and drives them to the outskirts of town but drops them off because they’re too hot.

Rollin takes Solowiechek to a nearby shack while Barney rigs up an artist’s kit with a hidden camera. He then checks a pre-drawn portrait of McMillan and covers it with a white paint that will dissolve no matter which brush Dan uses. Rollin uses an old truck’s wheel to cut through the handcuff chain then tells Solowiechek to call his embassy so they can get passports.

Dan and Cinnamon meet with McMillan for his portrait while Dan and Barney pull up outside with a truck concealing a broadcast facility. Dan begins “painting” (actually removing the primer) while McMillan gets word that Solowiechek has escaped. Rollin dons a deliveryman uniform and Solowiechek reveals he didn’t kill Townsend on behalf of his Russian superiors. Rollin prepares to kill him but the Russian tries to promise him money from his “friend” while preparing to hit Rollin with a hidden pipe. Solowiechek misses and Rollin gets him to admit McMillan is his real employer. Impressed, Rollin take Solowiechek with him to McMillan’s manor.

Dan continues his work on the portrait until calling it quits for the evening. McMillan takes a look at the portrait then starts to touch it up a bit with yellow but gets green. He notices the phony paint job but Dan quickly covers, claiming the original painting had blue on it. McMillan buys his story and they go, leaving the artist’s kit on the table pointing toward McMillan’s desk.

Dan and Cinnamon go outside to the truck and watch the transmission from their hidden camera as Rollin busts in with Solowiechek. Barney switches the transmission over to the network as McMillan denies knowing the Russian. Solowiechek proves he’s been there by pointing the way to McMillan’s hidden safe. Rollin demands a big pay off and McMillan starts to open the safe, but another man enters the room: Townsend. They paid off Solowiechek to act as a patsy and faked Townsend’s death to frame the Russians. They plan to kill Rollin and Solowiechek but Rollin suggests they turn on the TV. They realize they’re being broadcast to 40 million people. Rollin leaves and drives out to join the rest of the team.

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