Ballistic Advantage

Season 1, Episode 9

## Image Gallery

**Ballistic Advantage** is the ninth episode of the first season of USA Network's *Shooter*. It aired on January 10, 2017, at 10/9c.

## Plot

Bob Lee must broker a dangerous exchange in order to save his family. Nadine struggles to balance her allegiances to Bob Lee and the FBI. Isaac strikes a tenuous deal for his freedom.

## USA Recap

Bob Lee Swagger (Ryan Phillippe) prepares to rescue his family by any means necessary. Agent Nadine Memphis (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) cautions him: “You can’t save your family by killing everyone who comes between you and them.” Swagger doesn’t seem to agree. But he has one fewer adversary to worry about; Grigory Krukov has grown tired of Hugh Meachum (Tom Sizemore) and his inability to wrap things up, and the last we see of Meachum? He’s wrapped in a tarp.

**Righting a Wrong**

Swagger calls Isaac Johnson (Omar Epps) and demands a meeting. Johnson is with Jack Payne (Eddie McClintock) and Lon Scott -- who are apparently over the betrayal and extortion that came between them. A van carrying Julie (Shantel VanSanten) and Mary pulls up. Johnson goes to meet Swagger and Memphis, who keeps a gun on Johnson just in case. Scott wants the Annex B files in exchange for Swagger’s family. Johnson says he wants to atone and agrees to help Swagger.

**Bygones**

Back at Scott’s mansion, he and Krukov share a polite evil chuckle over the fact that they both made deals with Swagger to let him kill the other. Neither is mourning Meachum after Krukov dispensed with him. With Payne guarding the Swagger ladies, they turn their attention to Johnson, who returns from negotiating with Bob Lee Swagger. Swagger sets up on the long gun outside Scott’s mansion and watches the windows for Johnson’s signal that they have a deal. As much as he wants to take out the men who have ruined his life, he resists, not wanting to put his family in more danger.

**Plan of Attack**

Johnson, Swagger, and Memphis meet in an empty FBI front building. Memphis traces the number as Swagger calls Payne and talks to Julie and Mary. The trace leads to a warehouse that Anhur Dynamics owns. Johnson thinks Swagger is jeopardizing the deal by involving the FBI, but Swagger reminds Johnson that he doesn’t get a say in the matter. If everything goes the way Swagger intends, he gets his family, Memphis gets the evidence, and Johnson can take the diamonds and disappear. “One way or another, this ends in blood,” Swagger says.

**Plan of Attack 2.0**

Payne reports to Scott that Swagger “took the bait” and was on the phone long enough to run a trace. Scott reminds Payne to lead Swagger to the right room. Scott packs up his Black King. He agrees to Krukov’s request to send some of his men along. Scott doesn’t really care about the Annex B files, he’s blind to everything but the idea of proving he’s a better shooter than Swagger.

**Ballistic Advantage**

Swagger asks Johnson to requisition equipment from the FBI, including a thermal scope and .50 caliber gun. Outside the Anhur warehouse, Memphis uses the thermal scope to ID guards as Swagger and Johnson make their way into the building and up to the top floor, where Memphis sees heat signatures of 10 guards, but not Swagger’s family. As Swagger and Johnson take out the guards, Scott sets up on his Black King from the building across the street. He gets impatient and shoots one of the guards through the window, tipping off his position to Swagger and Johnson, who realize they’ve been set up. Swagger is stuck behind a partition, but uses one of the dead guards as a decoy to draw Scott’s fire. After Scott shoots the guard, he has no shot while Swagger runs for the exit.

**Blame Game**

After the failed trap, Krukov tells Scott his obsession with Swagger is clouding his judgment. Krukov calls Payne to vent about Scott, but Payne knows he’s lucky to be alive and isn’t in the mood to cross Scott again.

**Plan of Attack 3.0**

Memphis, Johnson, and Swagger regroup back at the FBI front building. Swagger furiously makes bullets as they argue over what to do next. Memphis wants to call in the FBI but Swagger and Johnson agree that would mean Swagger never sees his family again. Swagger says has another plan.

**Sitting Duck**

Swagger walks up to Scott’s mansion unarmed and announces himself. The guards put him in zip-ties and march him in. Once inside, Swagger kicks out a guard’s knee, grabs another’s gun with his hands behind his back, and shoots the guards in their Kevlar vests, knocking them down. He cuts the zip-tie on a decorative sword. He tells a scared secretary he’ll be in Scott’s office. When Scott joins Swagger there, he takes the opportunity to brag about his skill again. He gives Swagger a phone and lets him see video feed of Mary and Julie. Finally, Swagger makes Scott an offer he can’t resist: once Julie and Mary are safe, Swagger will stay put and let Scott take shots at him.

**Fore!**

After everyone confers, they head for the golf course and hostage exchange. Swagger waits near a fairway for Payne and his family, with Johnson providing cover from a rooftop on the .50 caliber long gun and Memphis trying to act as spotter. But Swagger knows Scott could be set up from a mile away and she’d never see him. Memphis notices a van pull up alongside an SUV out front, and goes to get a look. Doors open and close but she can’t see what’s happening. Then Payne drives the van onto the golf course and texts Swagger to come out.

Only Julie is inside the van; Mary was switched to the SUV. Payne has rigged a shotgun, hanger, and lots of duct tape to his hand, and he puts the hanger noose around Julie’s neck -- if he’s shot and falls over, his dead weight will either shoot her or strangle her.

Swagger demands to know where Mary is as Scott lines up to take a shot at Swagger from thousands of yards away. Swagger and Payne hear a shot whiz by them. Scott realizes his rifle has been fiddled with (flashback to Scott’s office and Swagger messing with his Black King before Scott arrived). As they all stand out in the open, Julie pleads with Swagger to leave and find Mary, but he urges her to trust him as another shot zings past. Swagger waits for a third shot -- instead, there’s an explosion.

**‘I’m a Swagger’**

Flashback to Swagger in Scott’s study, not only messing with the Black King, but replacing Scott’s ammunition with a bullet he made. Scott’s gun explodes in his face when he pulls the trigger, taking half his head off. Lon Scott is no longer a threat. But Payne still has Julie. Swagger waits for Johnson, then watches as Payne’s arm is shredded from the .50 caliber shot, severing the hand taped to the shotgun. Swagger grabs the shotgun rigged around Julie’s neck and frees her as Payne falls to the ground gripping his stump. Julie grabs the shotgun from her husband and aims it at Payne, demanding to know where her daughter is. Payne doesn’t take her seriously, laughing that she’s just a housewife. “I’m a Swagger,” she says. Then she shoots him.

**Russian Soil**

Johnson joins the Swaggers on the golf course. Julie is furious to see the man who framed her husband, but he assures her he’s trying to make things right. Memphis calls. She followed the SUV that drove off carrying Krukov and Mary, but she’s gone as far as she can. Krukov took Mary inside the Russian Embassy.

## Trivia

Coming soon.

 **Season 3** | "Backroads" • "Red Meat" • "Sins of the Father" • "The Importance of Service" • "A Call to Arms" • "Lines Crossed" • "Swing Vote" •"The Red Badge" • "Alpha Dog" • "Orientation Day" • "Family Fire" • "Patron Saint" • "Red Light"