Season 4, Episode 14
Think Tank
"So Let Me Get This Straight... You joined this organization, didn't bother to check if they were legit, and then you gave 'em ideas about how to kill one of your idols?"
Directed by Stephen Surjik
Written by Steve Franks and Andy Berman
Shawn’s been in a bit of a slump as of late. His most recent case nearly ended with him accusing the wrong man of murder, and Henry had to come in and bail him out at the last second. This doesn’t stop him from being recruited by Walter Snowden, of a private security firm, to work in a think tank. The tank consists of himself and Gus, a retired secret service agent named Fred Collins Boyd, a former KGB assassin named Svetlana Progoyovic, and crime statistician Alan Zenuk. They are tasked with figuring out every attempt an assassin could use to kill billionaire businessman Ashton Bonaventure, during his upcoming trip to Santa Barbara – it seems someone has made a very clear threat on his life. Unfortunately, actively foreseeing potential crime from a distance isn’t really Shawn’s thing, and he and Gus go to Lassiter for advice. Lassiter has never heard of Snowden’s company, and Shawn soon figures out what’s actually going on: “Snowden” is the real assassin, and he wanted ideas to have Bonaventure murdered during his imminent trip to Santa Barbara… and Bonaventure has already arrived…Tropes:
- Assassination Attempt: What the Think Tank was brought together to prevent, against billionaire Ashton Bonaventure. At least, it seems that way until halfway through, when it’s revealed they were brought together to come up with ideas for the real assassin.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Shawn has been dialing this up in recent episodes. It's gotten to the point that Henry has to interrupt The Summation in the Cold Open to stop Shawn blaming the wrong man. At the end of the episode, Chief Vick tries to hire Henry as a part time consultant to keep a closer eye on Shawn, but he declines.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Bonaventure admits that he’s spent so much time in and out of courtrooms that he can’t figure out which of the many enemies he’s made in his career would make a serious attempt at killing him.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Shawn is always this, but he proves to be a particularly acute case here. He’s apparently utterly worthless as a member of the Think Tank, and his sole suggestion is a vague “attack from below” after everyone else has come up with more legitimately effective strategies. However, he becomes far more useful when he gets to actually accompany the target and scout out the area, and saves Bonaventure from his own “attack from below” suggestion as a result.
- Chekhov's Gun: Shawn’s air horn that he got from Snowden – he pulls it out on occasion to annoy everyone around him. At the end, he uses it in a car to startle Boyd so badly that he drops his gun, letting him and Bonaventure flee.
- Crusading Widow: This turns out to be Snowden’s M.O. His wife worked in a Bonaventure factory where the unsafe working conditions apparently led to her death. He got over a million dollars settlement from the court case, and used it to finance his revenge.
- Femme Fatale: An antiheroic example with Progoyovic.
- Irony: Boyd mentions they used the money from the court settlement after the death of his sister (who was also Snowden’s wife) to finance Bonaventure’s murder. He feels it’s ironic that Bonaventure’s own money would lead to his death.
- The Mole: Halfway through the episode, Shawn realizes Snowden only brought the Think Tank together to get ideas for assassinating Bonaventure. A rare example of the group’s leader being the mole.
- Running Gag: Shawn keeps trying to get Bonaventure to invest in his idea for a comb that works while you sleep.
- Sniper Rifle: The assassins ultimately decide to use these to take down Bonaventure. Twice, once from a nearby drainage grate, and once from inside an Air-Vent Passageway.
- Spoof Aesop: Gus notes the lesson of not to spend money before you know if it is good or not.
- Token Evil Teammate: Progoyovic seems to be this at first; she intimidates everyone a little due to her past as a KGB assassin, and her blunt description of past actions (including using a plastic baby to get close to targets and get their guards down). Turns out Snowden was the real villain of the group. As was Boyd.
- Unnecessary Combat Roll: Shawn does a roll to get out of a limo with a killer in it. It is not explained why he could not just scramble out, nor where he learned that skill.
- Wrong Assumption: Shawn jumps to a few bad conclusions in this episode, due to his slump. The first we see is in the Cold Open, where little Shawn’s book report on Charlotte's Web turns out to be Entertainingly Wrong when he tries predicting the end of the book by reading the back cover and first chapter. Somehow, Henry’s suggestion that he’ll take Shawn to Disneyland if he aces it doesn’t tip Shawn off.
- Xanatos Gambit: The second assassination attempt. If Snowden missed his shot during Bonaventure’s presentation, Bonaventure would obviously flee to his limo and let security comb the place – so Boyd hides in the limo and waits for him.
