Recap / Criminal Case: World Edition - Case 55: Down to the Wire

Carmen: I don't believe in coincidences. Stone's killed seconds before we show him proof of SOMBRA's schemes... And I'll be damned if El Rey isn't responsible!

The Bureau goes to Montreal, Canada, to attend a peace-promoting hockey match between the country and the United Kingdom being held by Canadian Prime Minister Jason Stone, since they need to inform him about SOMBRA and El Rey's presence in the city. Unfortunately, Carmen, Jonah, and the player are put on hold until the match is over by Jason, who then gets promptly murdered in his skybox while everyone is distracted.

Tropes:

• Amicable Exes: By the end of this case, Asal and Jack have put their differences aside after learning that the Mossad and the Bureau were on the same boat all this time and every agent had the truth hidden from them, which led to the conflict in the first place.
• Assassination Attempt:
  • Prime Minister Jason Stone is successfully assassinated by El Rey to stop him from talking to the Bureau about SOMBRA, though this ends up with him being caught anyway.
  • During the Additional Investigation, you learn that a SOMBRA recruit named Peter Walker went crazy and started babbling about a "a powerful order hell-bent on world domination" and that "the Eagle would fall at the hands of the King", which lets the Bureau deduce one of El Rey's missions was assassinating the President of the United States, which you prevented by arresting him in this case.
• The Atoner: It's revealed that the reason why Chief Ripley formed the Bureau was because she wanted to fix her mistakes involving SOMBRA's creation.
• Awful Truth: The Reveal that Chief Ripley and the CIA were the ones who helped create SOMBRA is seen as this by the Bureau, who remain either depressed or in denial during the Additional Investigation until they see Chief Ripley's video message confirming it.
• Bald of Evil: During his arrest, Hector removes his wig to show his horrifically burned scalp free of any hair.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: During both his first appearance and this case, Hector presented himself as a polite goodwill ambassador decided to help the Bureau if they ever needed him. Of course, all of this ends up being a facade when he reveals himself to be El Rey.
• Body Horror: As described in Bald of Evil, Hector's scalp is full of horrific and gross scars that he sustained after escaping from the fire that killed his parents when he was just a child.
• The Bus Came Back: Arsenio Castillo reappears during the Additional Investigation to serve as a Mr. Exposition.
• Call-Back: Prince Rupert, Ronin Ozawa, and Hector Montoya reappear as suspects here after being absent for some time. Asal Hawaa, who you just saw in the last case, also becomes a suspect here again.
• Card-Carrying Villain: As previous members exposed before him, Hector presents himself as a proud member of SOMBRA who doesn't care about bragging the horrible things he and the organization have done in the past.
• Cliffhanger: The case ends with Elliot informing you that President James Hewett has been kidnapped.
• Continuity Nod: As every suspect is someone you've met before, previous events related to them are mentioned throughout the case, such as Hector acquiring interest in objects belonging to SOMBRA or Ronin being set free after all the evil things he did for SOMBRA.
• Create Your Own Villain: During Arsenio's Mr. Exposition moment where he uncovers The Reveal, you learn that, back in the 1980s, Chief Ripley and the CIA funded SOMBRA with massive amounts of money so they could become "an enemy" and invade lesser countries that the United States would then use as an excuse to "save" them and steal their oil, meaning that the USA helped create SOMBRA. Of course, they didn't actually expect them to grow out of control and become the massive global threat they're today.
• The Cuckoolander Was Right: During the Additional Investigation, you find a CD of a SOMBRA recruit that went crazy and described how "The Eagle will fall at the hands of the King", which the psychiatric doctors assumed were the ramblings of a madman but the Bureau deduces it was actually a plan to harm the President of the United States. Then right at the end of the case the president gets kidnapped...
• Deadly Deferred Conversation: Jason's last words with the Bureau are this.
  Jason: I have a few concerns of my own I'd like to discuss. Let's talk in private after the game.
• Decapitated Army: According to Hector, his arrest won't be end of SOMBRA by a long shot, as there's still agents out there willing to continue the organization's plans. And judging by how the case ends, he appears to be completely right.
• Delighting in Riddles: When you interrogate Hector during the Additional Investigation, he gives you some riddles so you can get the information you're looking for regarding Chief Ripley, telling you to "rise above your anger and change your perspective" (meaning that he wants you to investigate the skybox where he killed Jason).
• I Didn't Tell You Because You'd Be Unhappy: One of the reasons why Chief Ripley didn't tell anything to the Bureau about how she and the CIA helped create SOMBRA was because she didn't want to distract or discourage them from their main mission, which was bringing down SOMBRA in the first place.
• Distracted from Death: Jason gets killed by El Rey besides Carmen and the player while they're distracted with the hockey game and Jonah is texting Marina.
• Dodgy Toupee: Of the Played for Drama variety. During his arrest, Hector reveals that his hair is actually a (pretty convincing) wig he uses to hide the horrific scars that he sustained during the fire that killed his parents.
• Don't Celebrate Just Yet: Hector tells you that, just because he's behind bars, it doesn't mean the Bureau has won the fight against SOMBRA, and this proves to be true when Elliot rushes to the party to tell you that the president has been kidnapped.
• Driven to Villainy: Hector was drawn into SOMBRA and their ideology after his parents were killed on a fire and he "understood" that they died because they were weak and he survived because he's strong, which made Arsenio see potential in him and declare Hector his successor.
• Engineered Heroics: Arsenio explains that, back in the 1980s, the CIA funded SOMBRA so they could become a credible threat that they would use to attack lesser countries so the United States would swoop in and "save" while stripping them out of their resources, such as oil.
• Every Scar Has a Story: Hector reveals that, under his wig, there are countless scars of that time he escaped from a house fire that killed his parents, which served as a proof that he was a strong survivor who had earned life and made Arsenio take interest in him.
• Evil All Along: Hector Montoya, originally introduced as a goodwill ambassador with a dash of Reasonable Authority Figure, turns out to be El Rey's successor, the current leader of SOMBRA, and the real Big Bad of the season.
• Fangirl: Carmen is this regarding hockey, as she's seen cheering and excited during the match.
• Figure It Out Yourself: When Hector reveals that Chief Ripley was involved in SOMBRA's rise of power, she tells you that her hands are tied and cannot explain anything (because you later discover she made a deal with the Mossad and they couldn't disclose information about SOMBRA), and you'll have to seek your own answers before leaving.
• Gadget Watches: El Rey killed Jason by strangling him with a garrote watch while Hand Gagging him with a handkerchief so the Bureau wouldn't notice his screams while they were distracted.
• He Knows Too Much: Peter Walker, a SOMBRA recruit that went crazy and tried to warn the world about SOMBRA and their plan to harm the president, "mysteriously" appeared full of stab wounds some time after his interrogation.
• Hopeless with Tech: During the investigation, Jonah tries to analyze a camera by himself without knowing how to use it, which ends with him accidentally breaking it.
• If I Wanted You Dead...: When you accuse Asal of being El Rey, she says that she could've easily killed you anytime she wanted since Jack had granted her easy access to the Bureau.
• Instantly Proven Wrong: When Carmen suggests going to the press to inform them about SOMBRA and how they murdered Stone, Chief Ripley prohibits it due to them not having any proof that SOMBRA did it. Then Elliot appears.
  Elliot: We do now! I've intercepted a SOMBRA transmission...
  And it says El Rey was the Prime Minister's killer!
• Interface Spoiler: The fact that there's one case left on the map should be your first clue that, even with Hector's arrest, your problems will be far from over in the meantime.
• It Has Been an Honor: Chief Ripley's video message ends with her telling the Bureau and the player that has been a honor working with them.
• It's All My Fault: Chief Ripley blames herself for SOMBRA becoming the massive threat they're today as she was the one who recruited Arsenio so the CIA would fund the organization and use it for their personal gains. It's even the reason why she created the Bureau in the first place.
  Chief Ripley: I was arrogant and ambitious. I thought SOMBRA would be a convenient enemy to exploit, a decoy I could dispose of when they were no longer useful.
  But I underestimated them, and the world has paid the price for my mistake.
• Knowledge Broker: Ever since he left the yakuza, Ronin has been working as an informant who sells important data and classified information for a price.
• Master of Unlocking: One of the killer's traits is that they know lock picking, since they intruded inside of Jason's apartment to steal a bunch of files about SOMBRA
• Mistaken for Betrayal:
  • Chief Ripley is believed to be a member of SOMBRA when Hector reveals she aided them in the past and she refuses to tell you anything, although the truth ends up being quite different.
  • This case also reveals that the reason why Asal has been so hostile towards the Bureau was because she learned the truth about Chief Ripley and the CIA helping create SOMBRA, and she thought the Bureau also knew about it and were protecting Chief Ripley from her mistakes when in fact no one had any idea. Thanks to this making itself clear, Jack and Asal manage to make amends and become Amicable Exes.
• Mood Whiplash: This case is filled with them: the Bureau's Hope Spot of informing Jason about SOMBRA and gaining an ally is rendered moot when he's murdered before anything can be said, Hector's arrest is undermined by the fact that he reveals Chief Ripley used to be in cahoots with SOMBRA, and the Bureau's celebration party at the end of the case is ruined when Elliot rushes in to inform you that President Hewett has been kidnapped.
• Mr. Exposition: Arsenio decides to give you "a quick history lesson" that completely ties all loose ends regarding SOMBRA's creation and rise to the power, finally giving you the full answers you've been seeking since South America.
  Arsenio: Back in the 1980s, there was a little-known monarchy called Grenadia, on the southern border of Colombia. Nobody cared about it, until they struck oil!
  Suddenly everyone wanted a piece of Grenadia, the US included. But they needed an excuse to enter the country... a made-up enemy. That's when the talented Mrs Ripley came on the scene.
  I don't know how she found us. SOMBRA was still a small group of intellectuals lacking funds to put our ideas into practice.
  But she offered me a deal. The CIA would give SOMBRA funds, and in exchange SOMBRA would threaten Grenadia.
  The US then stepped in and "saved" Grenadia from SOMBRA's attacks, basically invading them in the process.
  Carmen: So the CIA used you to get their hands on Grenadia's oil?! And then what, they let you walk away?
  Arsenio: Hardly! They used us for a few more operations, then they tried to wipe us out!
  But erasing SOMBRA from their records wasn't enough! They destroyed our headquarters, sent assassins after me! They razed us to the ground!
  I managed to fake my death, transfer our remaining funds and the title of El Rey to young Hector. SOMBRA went underground.
  Carmen: So Ripley thought SOMBRA was destroyed!
  Arsenio: Yes, she and the CIA underestimated us. We were already much stronger than they'd ever anticipated, and Hector made us stronger still!
• My Greatest Failure: Two instances regarding the team in this case.
  • Jonah gets this when he allows Jason to be killed on his watch, since he was distracted texting Marina instead of bodyguarding him like Carmen had requested to.
  • An much bigger example occurs with Chief Ripley. After Hector and Arsenio reveal that she helped create SOMBRA by funding them in the past, Chief Ripley leaves a video message explaining how it's all her fault the world has suffered so much because of it.
• Never Got to Say Goodbye: Chief Ripley leaves the Bureau without directly saying goodbye to anyone, although she leaves a video message that somewhat covers up for it.
• One of Our Own: Jonah becomes a suspect in this case after Jason is killed on his watch.
• Operation: [Blank]: During the Additional Investigation, you find a classified CIA file named "Operation SOMBRA", which involved funding the organization so they became credible threat that the United States would then "fight" in different countries, giving them an excuse to invade them and steal their oil. Of course, they didn't expect SOMBRA to rebel against them...
• Poor Communication Kills:
  • When you discover Chief Ripley knew all this time about SOMBRA's origins and El Rey's identity, Elliot says that, had she disclosed that information before the Bureau went to Colombia, Michelle's death could've been avoided.
  • Asal's antagonism and hostility towards the Bureau that lasted almost the entire season could've been easily avoided had she decided to talk with Jack, the player, or any other agent about Chief Ripley, since she believed the Bureau was protecting Chief Ripley's secrets involving SOMBRA when in fact none of them knew about it.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Hector taunts the Bureau with this after you arrest him, claiming that not only SOMBRA isn't defeated yet, but even if they were, their plans would still be in motion anyway.
  Hector: Look at the destruction we've caused already! I've brought the world to the brink of war, and putting me away won't change that!
• Reading The Enemy's Mail: Elliot manages to intercept a message from SOMBRA revealing that El Rey is the one who killed Jason, raising the stakes of the case up to eleven.
• Resigned in Disgrace: Chief Ripley decides to step down of her chief position after Hector reveals she helped create SOMBRA decades ago, although her video message implies that she actually did it because she promised the Mossad her resignation once El Rey was captured.
• The Reveal: Chief Ripley and the CIA are the ones who aided SOMBRA on their rise for power back in the 1980s, as they gave them the money and resources necessary to become a threat for their own purposes but got out of control before they could stop them.
• Revealing Cover Up: Hector's attempts at preventing the Bureau from talking to Jason and exposing SOMBRA end up backfiring when he's arrested and exposed as El Rey.
• Rugged Scar: Hector's scalp burns are nothing but proof that he's a survivor from the house fire that claimed his parents but left him alive.
  Hector: Don't make the mistake of thinking these scars are a weakness, <Player's Name>. They're a daily reminder that the truly strong, like me, are rare!
• Samus Is a Girl: Carmen's conclusion when she ends up assuming Asal might be El Rey's successor.
  Carmen: We know El Rey's someone we've met, <Player's Name>. We always assumed it'd be a man... what if we're mistaken?
• Scars Are Forever: Hector, who is 49, has had his scalp burns ever since he was a little child.
• Shipper on Deck: In his last conversation with Asal, she tells Jack that she hopes he'll be happy with Lars, although Jack claims he has no idea what she's talking about.
• Shout-Out:
  • The victim is a parody of Justin Trudeau.
  • In the Rooftop Terrace scene, there is a hockey mask strongly resembling Jason's mask and the statue of David
• So Proud of You: In Chief Ripley's last message, she claims she's proud of you and the Bureau for bringing down SOMBRA, even if she can't celebrate with you due to being exposed as the one who helped create SOMBRA in the first place.
• The Social Darwinist: As many other members of SOMBRA, Hector has this kind of mentality and ideology, which is why Arsenio decided to make him his successor in the first place.
  Hector: I was tested by fire as a child. My parents died in the flames like the weak creatures they were... but I survived! That's when I realized life was not a gift, you have to fight for it!
  Carmen: Great... Even as a boy, you were a sociopath!
• Superior Successor: According to Arsenio, Hector managed to make SOMBRA even stronger than it was when he was still its leader, and as such can't blame him for "chewing more than he can handle" as it's probable he's got a few tricks up his sleeve.
• There Are No Coincidences: As seen in the page's quote, Carmen refuses to believe Jason's death doesn't have anything to do with SOMBRA, and she's proven to be right when Elliot intercepts a message revealing that El Rey is the one who murdered him.
• Third-Person Person: Prince Rupert continues speaking like this, much to Carmen's annoyance.
  Carmen: You could have told me how annoying the Prince was, <Player's Name>. Who talks about themselves in the third person?
• This Cannot Be!: Carmen's reaction when Hector reveals Chief Ripley helped create SOMBRA and Ripley stays quiet throughout the whole ordeal, confirming that what Hector's saying is true.
• Victory Through Intimidation: Just like their previous encounter, Jonah gets Ronin to talk about the information he has regarding SOMBRA by threatening to punch him in the face.
• Video Wills: While she doesn't actually die, Chief Ripley decides to quit the Bureau without telling anyone, leaving only a video message explaining how creating SOMBRA was her greatest failure, how she tried to atone for it, and telling the Bureau how proud she's of them now that they've apparently defeated SOMBRA.
• Villain Respect: During your last talk with him, Ronin congratulates you and says he's impressed you managed to put El Rey behind bars, even giving you a gift to show there's no hard feelings.
• Wham Episode: Hector Montoya AKA El Rey is exposed and put behind bars after all the damage he has done to the world, Chief Ripley is revealed to be the one who helped SOMBRA grow out of control decades ago and decides to quit her position, and at the end of the case you're informed that the President of the United States has been kidnapped.
• Wham Line:
  • Hector delivers this during his arrest, leading to a lot of exposition during the Additional Investigation.
    Hector: Look at you, thinking you're so clever. You know nothing, <Player's Name>!
    You don't even realize your own Chief Ripley helped SOMBRA from the beginning!
  • Then there's this one that happens right at the end while the Bureau is celebrating SOMBRA's apparent defeat.
    Elliot: Listen to me! President Hewett... he's been kidnapped!
• What the Hell, Hero?: Carmen berates Jonah throughout the investigation for allowing Jason to die on his watch, as he was distracted texting Marina. As a result, he's flagged as a suspect.
• We Will Meet Again: Hector's final words to you before he's put behind bars for good.
  Hector: Enjoy your victory, <Player's Name>. We'll see each other again! Of that I'm certain!
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Right after discovering the body, Hector appears to say his condolences and lament how terrible is that the Canadian Prime Minister has been murdered.
• You Are in Command Now: Chief Ripley leaves Ingrid in charge of the Bureau after quitting.
• You're Insane!: Carmen calls Hector completely insane after his Delighting in Riddles moment where he refuses to directly tell you anything.