Recap / Criminal Case: World Edition - Case 56: The Darkest Hour

Ingrid: This is a disaster! The press got hold of the news, and people are panicking! If we don't find the President soon, and alive, we'll have chaos on our hands!

After being told that President James Hewett has been kidnapped, Carmen and the player rush to the Air Force One to look for clues regarding his whereabouts, only to find nothing of importance in the president's airplane. Then, things go From Bad to Worse when the Bureau is informed that a body has been dumped at the Times Square in New York City, which turns out to be the corpse of former COSMORUS head Natasha Romanova, who helped kidnap the president before having her throat slashed by the real captor.

Tropes:

• Amnesiac Dissonance: Baxter spends most of the case without remembering how he was used by SOMBRA to aid in the president's kidnapping.
• Amnesiacs are Innocent: Due to being brainwashed by SOMBRA and used by Sarah, Baxter avoids receiving charges for his involvement in the president's kidnapping, although he'll be required to attend obligatory psychological evaluations for the time being.
• Asshole Victim: Not only Natasha had already been arrested for aiding SOMBRA and almost letting them conquer the world back in Eurasia, but she escaped prison and willingly helped kidnap the President of the United States fully knowing the dire consequences it would bring. As such, not even her own daughter Marina mourns for her for very long.
• Award Show: During the Additional Investigation, the Bureau assists to a Unified Nations assembly where they're congratulated for their hard work and stopping World War III from happening, and such are granted with a peace award because of it.
• Back for the Dead: Natasha Romanova, who was last seen in Case 18 after being arrested for her ties with SOMBRA, returns as the victim here.
• Back for the Finale: Vice President Sarah Bennett, Leila Malak, and Olivia Hewett return as suspects in this case, which is the last one set both in North America and World Edition. There are also two other returns in the form of Baxter Fraser, last seen in Case 36, and Angela Douglas, who you arrested in Case 42.
• Big Applesauce: The entirety of the case takes place in New York City, where you're tasked with rescuing the President of the United States, putting a stop to SOMBRA once and for all, and prevent World War III from happening.
• Big Damn Heroes:
  • Dupont steps in to serve as a guide through the New York catacombs when Sarah escapes with the president there, since he's the only one with knowledge about the underground passages. Unfortunately, it comes with a big cost.
  • Thanks to the encryption key you find inside Sarah's USB stick, Elliot is able to finally access the SOMBRA files inside BØB's hard drive, where he finds a list of the location of every SOMBRA agent across the world, putting an end to the organization for good.
• Big Damn Kiss: Jonah and Marina share one when the former is released from the hospital.
• Big "NO!": Dupont shouts this when he sees the player about to be shot by Sarah, triggering his Heroic Sacrifice.
• Bittersweet Ending: President James Hewett is rescued unscathed, which prompts him to tear down the wall with Mexico, rejoin the United States to the Unified Nations, and prevent World War III from happening, and SOMBRA is defeated for good after an entire season of struggle when Elliot recovers a list of every agent scattered around the world. However, Dupont performs a Heroic Sacrifice to save the player's life and isn't able to see the change he helped create, not to mention Michelle's death and Angela's betrayal still being a sore spot for the team. Finally, the Bureau splits apart at the end of the case due to SOMBRA no longer posing a threat, putting everyone on their own path for the time being.
• Bodyguard Betrayal: Subverted. Baxter, who was now working as the president's bodyguard, helped SOMBRA kidnap him, but he was actually under mental control due to his Brainwash Residue.
• Boom, Headshot!: Sarah attempts to do this with Jack, though she only grazes his head and leaves his temple bleeding. Jack then offs Sarah with one of these after she shots Dupont.
• Bound and Gagged: During the president's rescue, you find Sarah has gagged him with his own tie.
• Brainwash Residue: Baxter still has traces of SOMBRA's brainwashing implanted on his brain, which Sarah uses to make him aid in the president's kidnapping.
  Jack: So you admit you were involved in the kidnapping!
  Baxter: Not willingly! The Vice President... she used my SOMBRA programming against me! She made me help her kidnap him!
• Cassandra Truth: Sarah accounts that nobody will ever believe that SOMBRA exists and they're the ones responsible for kidnapping the president instead of Russia, making World War III inevitable if she manages to complete her mission.
• Clear My Name: Marina gets wrongfully accused of cooperating with her mother in the president's kidnapping and is taken into custody by the FBI until you find the real captor.
• The Climax: For North America.
• Clothing Damage: After Angela plants a bomb in the Bureau's break room that Jonah only partially disarms, his shirt ends in tatters in addition to the damage on his body when it explodes.
• Continuity Nod: The final conversation between the Bureau is full of references to the events of the season, such as Carmen meeting Sanjay and later adopting him, that time one of the triples tried to live with pandas, Jonah joining the Bureau, everyone being close to dying at SOMBRA's island, Jack and the player almost getting trampled by animals, and so on, and that's not counting the other events said throughout the case due to the returning suspects.
• Damsel in Distress: Marina gets arrested on the orders of Sarah Bennett for her supposed compliance in the president's kidnapping when Sarah was in fact the one responsible.
• Darkest Hour: Just in case the title didn't tip you off, this case starts on already high stakes due to the president's going missing, and it only goes From Bad to Worse until you rescue him.
  Jack: <Player's Name>, it's a tight spot. Marina's in jail, Jonah's in the hospital, the President's missing... but I know we can still win!
• Dating Catwoman: Olivia Hewett had an affair with Hector Montoya years ago, though she had no idea he was El Rey and SOMBRA's leader.
• Dead Guy on Display: Sarah dumped Natasha's body in the Times Square along with proof of her involvement in the president's kidnapping so the authorities would believe Russia was the one responsible for the whole ordeal, turning both countries against each other and igniting a spark that would surely lead to another world war.
• Dénouement: Due to President Hewett being saved at the end of Chapter 3, the Additional Investigation has the Bureau tying loose ends throughout the aftermath and delivering the last blows to SOMBRA to finish them off for good.
  Ingrid: Before we start talking victory, we still have some loose ends to tie up! <Player's Name>, let's make sure SOMBRA never recovers from this blow!
• Distressed Dude: President James Hewett spends the entire main investigation kidnapped by his Vice President, and almost gets killed until you, Jack, and Dupont come to the rescue.
• Dragon Ascendant: Sarah Bennett, the Vice President of the United States, was actually Hector Montoya's lieutenant in the whole SOMBRA ordeal, and she becomes the Final Boss of the season by executing El Rey's plan of kidnapping and disposing of the president so the United States would go in war against Russia and the rest of the world with SOMBRA in command of the country.
• Dying Moment of Awesome: Dupont considers his death as this, as he helped bring down Sarah, rescue the President, and prevent World War III from happening.
• I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin: Dupont gifts you the diary of his great-grandfather on his deathbed, which basically serves as as Sequel Hook for the next season as all of his adventures with another police department are written there.
• Ending Memorial Service: One of the case's last scenes is the Bureau attending Dupont's funeral and saying their farewells to him, including a solitary Ripley.
• Evil All Along: Vice President Sarah Bennett, originally introduced as a Reasonable Authority Figure who even received acclaim for being even more competent than the president, is revealed to be El Rey's second-in-command and the one responsible for kidnapping James in the first place.
• Evil Chancellor: Apart from being kidnapped by her, President Hewett reveals that it was Sarah who told him building a wall and leaving the Unified Nations would be a good idea when she was only following SOMBRA's agenda.
• Evil Costume Switch: Angela, who returns eviler than ever in this case, changes her white lab coat for a black jacket throughout her apparitions.
• Evil Former Friend: Angela makes it clear that the Bureau is now her enemy and she has absolutely no sympathy for any of them apart from Lars.
  Angela: SOMBRA taught us during combat training that you need to adapt to your circumstances fast. I adapted. You're my enemy now.
• Face Death with Dignity: Dupont refuses to stay alive on life support and instead decides to accept his death for what it is: a Heroic Sacrifice that helped you save the world.
  Dupont: I know this is a wound from which I won't recover. But my heart is easy as I prepare to leave this world, and I'm grateful for it.
• Family Extermination: During the main investigation, you find a newspaper article detailing how a missile strike issued by the president killed UN High Comissioner Leila Malak's entire family, which coupled with the fact that she arranged the meeting between Natasha and James makes her a potential suspect in the investigation.
• The Fellowship Has Ended: Two weeks after Dupont's funeral, Ingrid informs everyone that, since the Bureau was created as a special taskforce for fighting SOMBRA, it will be therefore disbanded and now, everyone is free to choose what to do next.
• Fire-Forged Friends: Jonah and Jack finally become true friends in this case after Jonah saves the Bureau's lives by risking himself deactivating Angela's bomb.
  Jack: Y'know, Jonah, all this time, I kinda... mistrusted you, but you really care about the Bureau, don't you?
  I guess I mean to say... thank you.
  Carmen: Figured that it'd take a literal bomb for you two to make peace at last.
• From Bad to Worse: Things slowly turn for the worse throughout the case when, in addition to the president's kidnapping, the Bureau also has to deal with Angela's return, Marina's arrest, Jonah almost dying, and the world being on the brink of war.
  Lars: I thought Angela trying to kill us would be the worst thing happening to us today, but now World War III is about to start!
• A Good Way to Die: For Dupont, dying by saving the player from being killed while rescuing the president and preventing another World War is this, specially since he gets to share his final moments with his fellow Bureau colleagues while giving them one of his most valuable objects.
• Great Escape: Both Natasha and Angela get busted out of prison by SOMBRA to further their own goals: Natasha so it appears that the Russians kidnapped President Hewett and Angela by planting a bomb inside of the Bureau's headquarters.
• The Greatest Story Never Told: Jack remarks how SOMBRA wasn't mentioned at all during the UN assembly, which means they will forever remain in the shadows where they belong with only a few people knowing about their existence. As far as the public knows, Sarah only kidnapped the president for her own goals.
• Gut Feeling: Before venturing into the catacombs to rescue the president, Jack says he's got a bad feeling about this, specially since Dupont is the one guiding them. His feeling turns out to be right.
• Had to Come to Prison to Be a Crook: While she acted more like a Well-Intentioned Extremist back in Africa, Angela returns having descended into full-blown villainy in this case, actually trying to kill the entire Bureau with a bomb without caring about Elliot and Sanjay also being present at headquarters and declaring the player her sworn enemy.
• He Didn't Make It: When you get informed about Dupont's condition after being shot, Lars says it's unlikely that he'll make it.
• Heroic BSoD: Downplayed. While Marina is understandably shocked by her mother's death at first, she quickly gets over it by the time she gets arrested, reminding everyone that her relationship with Natasha wasn't a good one.
  Grace: Poor Marina's holed up in her office. I tried to bring her some tea, but she said she wasn't ready to talk.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Dupont takes a bullet for the player after Sarah attempts to shot them during the president's rescue, and dies from his wounds at the hospital during the Dénouement.
• Holding Hands: Jack and Lars hold hands during the Bureaus' final speech while happily looking at each other, although what kind of relationship they have now is not made clear.
• Hostage Situation: Sarah takes James hostage during her arrest by threatening to shot him if you get close to him, only managing to rescue him when Sarah gets distracted shooting Dupont and getting herself killed by Jack.
• Hypocrite: Angela's speeches about how she would never harm a child is rendered moot in this case when she plants a bomb at the Bureau's headquarters with the intent of killing everyone sans Lars, including Elliot and Sanjay.
• If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...: When Angela shows at the Bureau's headquarters, Jack threatens her with hell if she tries to mess up with Lars' again, calling her an emotional manipulator who doesn't deserve being near him.
• Improvised Weapon: Natasha was killed with a presidential letter opener.
• Intrepid Reporter; Rick Murray, a reporter introduced in this case, is so intrepid that he got in problems with the president of all people, as he wrote articles about him without impunity.
• It's All My Fault: Jack blames himself for Dupont getting shot and being on his deathbed, but Dupont reassures him that he did nothing wrong and the only one at fault is the Vice President.
• Just Following Orders: The FBI agent that arrests Marina for being a supposed accomplice in the president's kidnapping claims that he's just following the Vice President's orders.
• Killer Finale: Dupont pulls off a Heroic Sacrifice in this case.
• Lack of Empathy: When you tell Angela about Dupont's condition, she says he was old and in no condition to be working for the Bureau anyway, something that Lars finds disgusting.
• Last Episode, New Character:
  • Rick Murray, an Intrepid Reporter who was in the Times Square at the moment Natasha's body was dumped, is introduced in this case as a suspect.
  • Charles Dupont and Maddie O'Malley appear during the Mental Time Travel that serves as a Sequel Hook for the next season.
• Last Request: Dupont asks you to find his great-grandfather's diary (which he dropped at the catacombs) and keep it as a memory of him.
• Lethal Letter Opener: This case's murder weapon.
• Let's You and Him Fight: SOMBRA and Sarah's plan involves pitting the United States and Russia against each other by making it look like it was Natasha and the Russians that kidnapped the president, eliciting another World War.
• Living on Borrowed Time: Defied by Dupont, who refuses to be connected on machines for the rest of his life so he can stay alive, claiming that he would rather Face Death with Dignity.
• Lonely Funeral: Dupont's funeral becomes this for Ripley, who decides to attend it by herself after the Bureau has left because she didn't want to intrude on their grief. There, she laments that things had to end like this and gives her farewells to him.
• Made of Iron: Jonah manages to survive a bomb explosion that badly damages him and shreds his clothes, only receiving a handful of non-crippling injuries as a result.
• Make Sure He's Dead: The Additional Investigation focuses on delivering the last blows necessary to destroy SOMBRA for good, finding a way to track all the remaining agents all over the world and arresting them before they can make any more moves.
• The Man Behind the Man: During the UN assembly, President Hewett reveals that it was Sarah who suggested him build a wall along the Mexican border with the excuse that it would empower the United States, leading to the whole country leaving the UN fiasco.
• Man Hug: Jack and Lars hug each other when Jack returns to the headquarters after being shot.
• Manly Tears: Jack cries when visiting Dupont at the hospital during his It's All My Fault moment, and he does it again when Dupont finally passes away.
• Meaningful Funeral: During Dupont's funeral, everyone laments how they always made fun or were annoyed by him when he was willing to take a bullet for any of them, paying their respects along the way.
• Mental Time Travel: The season ends with Jack reading Dupont's great-grandfather's diary to the triplets, which transports the player to the city of Concordia during the late 19th century for their new adventure.
• Miscarriage of Justice: Marina gets wrongfully arrested on Sarah's orders due to being a possible accomplice in the president's kidnapping, and isn't set free until you manage to solve the case.
• Moving-Away Ending: Justified and Discussed. After taking down SOMBRA for good, The Bureau disbands due that the whole objective of this organization, being accomplished. All of the team now will be own their own. The Player is implied that came back to Grimsborough back to the Police Force right after the disband, given that the next game stated in the present is there.
• Never My Fault: Angela refuses to accept her responsibility for what happened back in Africa, claiming that the player and the Bureau turned their backs on her despite the fact that she killed someone and was a member of SOMBRA.
  Angela: You turned your back on me! You're the reason why I can't see my girls, why Lars is lost to me, why I can only sleep if I pop pills!
• New Job Episode: Baxter returns as the president's bodyguard in this case, since he saved his life and got hired as a result. However, it's implied that this was all part of Sarah's plan since she needed Baxter to kidnap Hewett, and he decides to become a martial artist teacher after Marina helps undo his brainwashing.
• Non-Fatal Explosions: Jonah manages to survive the explosion of a bomb left by Angela in the break room, although only because he managed to partially disarm it and make it less potent.
• Not Afraid of You Anymore: During the Additional Investigation, Lars and the player go to Angela's cell to see if she can be of any help tracking down the remaining SOMBRA agents, where Lars makes clear he's not afraid of facing Angela now that he's entirely over her.
• Obviously Not Fine: After Jonah gets hit by the bomb's explosion in the break room, he claims to be fine moments before collapsing from his injuries.
• Only a Flesh Wound:
  • Despite being shot in the temple by Sarah, Jack is good to go after a few bandages and even assists to the UN assembly to receive the peace award.
  • An even bigger example with Jonah, who survives a bomb explosion and has to spend days at the hospital but is present at Dupont's funeral only a few days later.
• The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: During the president's rescue, Sarah claims that the only reason she hasn't killed Hewett is because El Rey wants to dispose of him personally.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Given the stakes of the situation, Lars absolutely refuses to say any kind of joke during any of his analysis.
  Lars: <Player's Name>, given everything, I don't feel like joking. I'd best just tell you what I found on the murder weapon.
• Peace Conference: One is held by the Unified Nations during the Additional Investigation, where President Hewett reinstates the United States into UN and the Bureau is given a peace award for their hard work.
• Peaceful in Death: Dupont dies peacefully by just closing his eyes after giving his farewells to the team and gifting the player his great-grandfather's diary.
• Personalized Afterlife: During Dupont's funeral, Grace claims that his personal heaven would've been a giant library and that she hopes that's where he is now.
• Pet the Dog: Marina decides to help Baxter undo SOMBRA's brainwashing and vouch for him so he doesn't go to prison for his involvement in the president's kidnapping, finally giving him a chance at peace after everything he's been through.
• Pretext for War: The president apparently being kidnapped with Russian involvement is enough for the United States to declare war on them, which is exactly what SOMBRA wanted.
• Prevent the War: The climax of the case is preventing World War III for officially commencing by finding the president before any country decides to launch a first strike.
• Run or Die: Jonah yells everyone at the Bureau to run seconds before Angela's bomb detonates, although no one other than him gets hurt.
• The Scapegoat: Natasha (and by extension Russia) is this for Sarah and SOMBRA, who blame the president being kidnapped on them so they would start a war with the United States
• Season Finale: For World Edition.
• Sequel Hook: At the end of the case, the player performs a Mental Time Travel to the 19th century by listening to Jack's lecture of the diary left by Dupont, where they are greeted by Maddie O'Malley and Charles Dupont at the docks of Concordia.
• Shout-Out:
  • The case's title comes from the film of the same name.
  • Rick Murray strongly resembles Samuel L. Jackson.
  • In the Air Force One scene, there is a can of "Bubble Cola" parodying Coca-Cola and a replica of the Statue of Liberty.
• Slashed Throat: How Natasha was killed.
• Skewed Priorities: Rick is shown to be happy by the president's abduction due to finding him incompetent and how it will benefit him as a reporter.
  Rick: I gotta say, being abducted is Hewett's best move in years! You should see the hit count on our news page!
  Carmen: Your hit count? Is that what you're worried about, Rick? It's the US President we're talking about!
• So Proud of You: One of Dupont's last words before dying is telling the player how proud he is of them.
• So What Do We Do Now?: Two weeks after Dupont's funeral, Jack decides to make the Bureau this question, which is responded by Ingrid telling them that The Fellowship Has Ended.
  Jack: Honestly, I've been feeling a bit at loose ends lately. It's like... we've saved the world. Where do we go from here?
• Somebody Set Up Us the Bomb: The reason why Angela was released by SOMBRA was because she was assigned to plant a bomb at the Bureau's headquarters by casually walking inside the break room, which would've killed everyone if not for Jonah partially disarming it.
• Spanner in the Works:
  • One of the FBI agents accompanying Sarah indirectly screws over her plan when he tells her in front of the player that their leads indicate the president has been taken to New York City's cloisters, giving the Bureau a new lead about where to go.
  • Baxter later also does this after his amnesia wears off and he remembers that the president was taken to the catacombs, allowing you to rescue him.
• Spy Cam: You find a hidden camera inside of a clock at the president's airplane, where you see a recording of him arguing with his wife and she telling him he's a bad president, making her a potential suspect.
• Taking the Bullet: Dupont does this to save the player when Sarah shots them, giving Jack enough time to shot Sarah back and kill her.
• Tap on the Head: Natasha was knocked out with a candlestick before being murdered by her killer.
• Tunnel Network: One of the crime scenes are the catacombs below New York City, and that's where Sarah hides the president after kidnapping him. Fortunately, Dupont's expertise on the matter allows him to guide Jack and the player without getting lost.
• Unfit for Greatness: Rick Murray saw President Hewett as this, calling him incompetent due to building that wall in Mexico and taking the United States out of the Unified Nations.
• Villain with Good Publicity: Apparently, the news of Natasha's arrest hadn't reached the UN's ears this whole time, which allowed her to pass as a Russian diplomat asking for a meeting with the president that Leila approved.
  Carmen: Natasha Romanova's no diplomat! She's affiliated with SOMBRA!
  Leila: What? But her credentials seemed impeccable!
  Ms Romanova approached me to arrange a meeting between her and President Hewett to discuss tensions between the US and Russia...
• Villainous Breakdown: Although brief, Hector has one of these when Carmen and the player go to his prison cell to rub in his face that SOMBRA's been defeated now that Elliot has a list of every agent scattered around the world.
  Hector: You... you weak, worthless creatures! How dare you foil my plans! I'm the strong one! I'm the one who wins!
  Carmen: Nope, you're the one who fails! Cause <Player's Name> destroyed SOMBRA!
  Hector: You fools! SOMBRA would've remade the world! You destroyed everything I've worked for!
• Villainous BSoD: During Angela's final talk, Lars' words about how he's over their marriage and he won't allow her to see their daughters again is enough to push Angela over the edge, leading to some Broken Tears on her part and bitter farewell between each other.
• Why Won't You Die?: Angela says a variation of this when she discovers the bomb she planted on the Bureau's headquarters didn't kill you.
  Angela: <Player's Name>, what a... disappointing surprise. SOMBRA won't be pleased you're still alive.
• Wound That Will Not Heal: While Dupont survives being shot by Sarah, the surgery takes a toll on his elderly body, and he passes soon after.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: During one of her interrogations, Sarah blames herself for allowing the president to be kidnapped since she denied a request for higher security, calling it her greatest mistake. Of course, having lesser security guarding the president was all of her plan, as she's the one who kidnapped him.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Natasha gets promptly killed by Sarah after she helps her kidnap the president, as SOMBRA needs her dead to pin the blame entirely on Russia without anyone interfering.
• You Have to Believe Me!: Baxter says this when he claims he's not working for SOMBRA anymore and didn't take any part in the president's kidnapping.
• Your Days Are Numbered: Dupont's only given a few hours to live after his surgery, and he promptly passes away after the UN's peace ceremony.