After an almighty explosion at an airport, Parker is sent back in time to retrieve the weapon destroyed in the blast. But it was the weapon that caused the explosion, and it's in the form of a 12-year-old child named Taylor.
There seems to be an obsession on Seven Days with putting Frank in the company of a young kid that's about the same age as his son, so he can say, 'Oh, he's just like my son/me at that age.' And sure enough we get both. The kid with the ability to make things (including people) heat up to spontaneous combustion or explosive levels is played by a pretty good young actor, but he's not given a vast amount to work with, spending most of the story being sullen and silent. When he's given the chance to interact more with the cast he comes across rather well, as proved by the strong feelings of sympathy evoked when he decides he mustn't hurt anyone again and tries to self-destruct at the end.
Parker is fun to watch throughout, one step away from a Homer Simpsons-esque 'Why you little...' at a couple of points, and as the writers are aware that the kid can be irritating as well, it covers them nicely. It also papers over the cracks in the story to some extent, which consists of a series of government agencies and two kidnappers of random origin and motive who are all after poor Taylor. As such most of the story consists of Parker punching people out while Olga tries to protect Taylor. Their parenting skills are also called into question again, demonstrating it seems that the writers have forgotten (probably wisely) about last season's X-35 Needs Changing. The sexual tension between them also seems to have evaporated somehow, making them more friends than anything else. As such their relationship isn't as sparky as it used to be, but maybe it's a sign that Olga is coming to terms with her feelings and is less easy to be upset by Frank. Then again, maybe they're just not getting on, as reports recently have suggested. Still, it's a low-key but emotional episode that works well up to a point and has some strong scenes.
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