Human Target Episode 1.02 Rewind

Christopher Chance bursts into an airliner's cockpit. The plane's on fire, the pilot and co-pilot are unconscious, and he is the passengers' only hope -- as soon as he gets past Laura, a suspicious flight attendant.

She demands to know who he really is. Climbing into the pilot seat, he explains he's a private security agent protecting a client. He needs her help. She shrugs off her jacket and heads for the co-pilot seat.

Outside the cockpit, Winston grapples with an armed air marshal, and a passenger is shot. He gets a young blonde woman to help the guy. She asks, "Are we gonna make it?"

Six hours earlier, cyber-security expert Tennant tells Winston that one of his freelance hackers, known only as Casper, has created a "skeleton key" to the Internet that can bypass any network's security, any firewall, any password. Casper's flying from San Francisco to Tennant's Seattle headquarters to deliver this dangerous key. But last night, a deadly intruder stole Casper's flight information. Tennant can't warn Casper, because he doesn't know who Casper is.

Chance relays the mission to Winston and Guerrero: "Board the plane, ID the principal and the threat, save the former, neutralize the latter." Easy.

Chance will fly as Martin Gill, ace insurance salesman. He borrows Guerrero's handy syringe disguised as a pen, loading it with a powerful tranquilizer to subdue the kidnapper. Now he just needs backup. Guerrero snickers, amused that the very annoyed Winston's going along -- as a flight attendant.

In flight, Chance and Winston discuss which passengers are Casper and the kidnapper. Winston IDs the air marshal, and phones Guerrero to check out some passenger info. Suddenly, they're changing course to Portland because of a minor electrical problem. This is the kidnapper's plan: Don't let Casper get to Seattle.

Guerrero calmly intimidates data-mining expert Sergei into finding the kidnapper (probably another hacker). He tells Winston he can't ID Casper. Dude, maybe the hacker didn't board in San Francisco. Or maybe he forged a boarding pass, says Winston.

As Chance discovers a sabotaged circuit panel, a gunman attacks. Shots go through the floor, rupturing lines below deck. Chance finds a novel use for a spork, subdues the thug, and promises Winston no more surprises.

Flames explode deep inside the fuselage.

Winston realizes Casper isn't a "he" Casper's this blonde woman (whom we first saw with the gunshot guy). She forged her boarding pass to say London, not San Francisco. He explains she's in danger, but it's under control. Well, it will be once Chance gets out of handcuffs; the marshal busted him searching the attacker. Winston slips a paperclip to Chance, who says a message on the thug's phone shows a second kidnapper's on board.

They smell smoke. Chance, now free, offers his help, but the marshal pulls his gun. The fight is on! Laura gets the marshal's gun and backs up Chance. The marshal goes for his second weapon, but Winston stops him. Laura exchanges a meaningful look with the captured kidnapper and follows Chance into the cockpit.

This is where we started: Winston battling the marshal, and Laura confronting Chance. But now, as Laura climbs in beside him, we see her cover the gun hidden at her back. Chance says that to put out the fire, they have to increase airflow through the plane by speeding up, then opening the landing gear doors and cabin pressure vents.

But that's not enough, so Chance decides to FLIP THE PLANE to get the airflow they need. It's crazy ... and it works! The fire goes out. They're on course ... but the computer's locked on autopilot. They're cruising upside down, ten minutes away from storm clouds that will rip the plane apart.

They need a new computer. Casper, aka Brooke, uses her skeleton key to download the flight software to her laptop. Chance and Laura head to a wheel well at the bottom of the plane -- which is currently the top of the plane -- to plug it in.

Laura says she doesn't even know his real name. "It's Christopher Chance," he says. "Is it?" He smiles, slightly. After they hook up the laptop, she goes for her gun ... but Chance has already disarmed her. Laura won't go to prison ... but he's not suggesting that. She scoffs that she can't, like, work for him or something. She's a killer -- too far gone. He says, "You're not as stuck as you think you are. There's another way."

Laura and Chance fight as the plane rolls upright. She's prying him off the landing gear when he sticks her with Guerrero's special pen. Chance grabs her arm to pull her up, but she uncurls her other hand from the wheel support, putting all her weight on his arm. "Tell me your name," she implores, but he doesn't. And she falls.

Chance sits back, shaken.

It's over. Thanks to Sergei, Guerrero and an associate nab the other hacker. On the ground in Portland, another Guerrero associate picks up Chance, Winston, and Brooke, who finally meets Tennant.

Chance asks if Winston remembers what he told Chance when they first started this. His partner says, "Yeah, I told you, you weren't as stuck as you thought. I told you there was another way." Chance asks how Winston knew he'd go for it. Winston says he didn't. Furthermore, Winston growls, he's never going into the field with Chance again. Ever.