The team barely escapes an FBI trap. Now they're on the run from the feds, an arms dealer, and Sterling.

The team runs to the hotel where the feds have stashed Culpepper, reasoning that they'll never expect the team to go there. After they get into a room, thanks to a Stripperiffic distraction from Tara, they commence their no-equipment plan to take down the mayor and Kadjick.

• Anguished Declaration of Love: Desperate, at the end of his rope, Nate calls Sophie and begs her to come back, not for the team, for him. Even then, he Cannot Spit It Out.
• The Big Damn Kiss: Nate finally plants one on Sophie.
• Breaking the Bonds: Kadjic's goons learn the hard way that a plastic zip-tie is not enough to keep Eliot restrained. He simply roars and snaps it with raw brute strength.
• The Bus Came Back: Sophie appears unexpectedly on Kadjic's ship, posing as a buyer for his weapons in order to come to the team's aid.
  • Also counts for her alias, organized crime queenpin Annie Croy, which she also used in the first episode of the season.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Elliot starts it, then Parker joins in; Nate's not the Nate they came back for if he's doing this for pride. He needs to be the cold mastermind.
• Cannot Spit It Out: During his long phone call with Sophie, Nate says everything he feels, but stumbles over the L word. "I lo- I lo- I lo- I lo-".
• Deal with the Devil: For a certain degree of "devil," of course. Sterling claims he'll let Nate go if Nate a) brings Kadjic out where he can be caught, and b) turns in his team. Nate rigs a different one in his favor - he destroys all the evidence the FBI has on Kadjic, so that Nate's testimony is the only way they have to put Kadjic away.
• Despair Event Horizon: Nate hits it when he goes back to his condo for the picture his son drew, only to be caught by Sterling and told the only chance he has is to sell out his team and hand Kadjic to Sterling.
• Dirty Cop: Culpepper and Kadjic have cops on the payroll, and the feds are willing to overlook Kadjic's weapons smuggling because Culpepper keeps throwing them dirty politicians.
• Dress Hits Floor: Towel hits floor, in this case. In order to get the crew into a hotel room, Tara steals a newspaper and a towel from housekeeping. Cut to a room service waiter discovering her wearing only the towel, pretending to have locked herself out of her room when she stepped out for the paper. When the waiter hesitates, she lets the towel fall to her feet giving him (and Eliot and Parker) more than an eyeful.
• Epic Fail: Rappelling down to the room next to the mayor's, Hardison somehow gets tangled up in his rope like he's into shibari. (rope porn)
• Failed a Spot Check: Sterling repeatedly misses the team by just that much as he moves through the hotel.
• Foreshadowing: Holy crap. Where did Nate get the cuffs he used to cuff himself to the railing of the ship when he negotiated with Sterling? He kept the cuffs they used when Kadjic had him taken away at Sophie's request; you can see him holding them when he's shocked at Sophie's return. You can also see him grasping his chest after Kadjic shoots him a minute later, and still holding (wearing) the cuffs when Tara pulls her Screw This, I'm Outta Here.
• French Maid: The hotel where they've stashed the mayor is so classy their maids dress like this. Parker even puts on a French accent as part of it.
• Heroic Sacrifice: At the end of the episode. Instead of his team going to prison while he goes free, Nate goes to prison while his team goes free.
• Hide Your Pregnancy: Gina Bellmon is still heavily pregnant in this episode and they do their best to hide it with a heavy coat and only shooting her from the shoulders up. Even then, they have to film her in full at times, and they have to try and hide her behind Nate during those shots. Nevertheless, you can still see how big she is.
• High-Altitude Interrogation: Parker, to Tara.
• I Have Boobs, You Must Obey!: The point of Tara's towel-hits-floor maneuver; the sight of her naked short-circuits the poor bellhop's brain to the point that he can't think straight enough to question her story and simply lets her into the hotel room. (Given that it's Jeri Ryan you can't really blame the poor guy.)
• It Has Been an Honor: Nate's final speech to the team before they get on the escape helicopter.
• Major Injury Underreaction: Nate takes a bullet in the gut. It doesn't seem like the others even notice, because he holds it together so well. Subverted in that he collapses almost immediately after they're gone.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Eliot. He counts thirteen armed guards, counting down as he knocks them out one by one. By the time he meets up with Hardison, he's reached "one."
• Oireland: Hardison once again decides to use an unnecessary accent when pretending to be someone else, this time using a terrible Irish accent when he's threatening to torture Mayor Culpepper.
• Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: "Thirteen."
• Product Placement: As per usual, the Hyundai Genesis and its onboard GPS.
• Right Under Their Noses: The crew hides out in the same hotel where the FBI has hidden their witness (the mayor), the logic being that said hotel is the last place anyone would look for them. It works.
• Shout-Out: When he’s about to blow up Lucille, Hardison paraphrases Spock’s death speech from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
• Suddenly Shouting: Sterling walks into the Mayor's room, then immediately walks out.
  Sterling: Name's Bob, right? You've been here the whole time, Bob? And nobody's walked in or out? Then do you mind explaining WHERE THE HELL THE MAYOR IS?!
• Tragic Keepsake: Nate has a drawing his son made, that he goes back to his apartment for. Unfortunately, Sterling is there waiting for him.
• Tranquil Fury: Parker, when she thinks Tara betrayed them.
• With My Hands Tied: Before Breaking the Bonds, Eliot beats down three of Kadjic's mooks with his hands still bound together.