Ep 4. John's To-Do List 5/18/12

John Tavner is an intelligence officer who is on a mission to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. He assumes the identity of a mid-level employee at a piping firm in order to get close to the company that is helping Iran with the weapon. His job is to ensure that the piping company continues to provide their service, while at the same time gathering information about their activities.

In episode 4 of season 1, John's To-Do List 5/18/12, John is busy with a list of tasks that he needs to complete in order to stay on top of his mission. The episode begins with John meeting with his boss, Steven, who gives him a new assignment. John must attend a conference in Amsterdam and make contact with a Saudi Arabian official who is attending the conference. Steven wants John to try and persuade the Saudi official to support the United States in their efforts to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

John arrives in Amsterdam and quickly realizes that the Saudi official is being constantly monitored by his own security detail. John decides to try and gain access to the official by befriending his security detail. John pretends to be a tourist and approaches one of the guards, who is drinking alone at a bar. John strikes up a conversation with the guard and soon discovers that he has a daughter who is sick and needs expensive medical treatment. John agrees to help the guard pay for his daughter's treatment and the guard agrees to help John gain access to the Saudi official.

Meanwhile, John's brother, Edward, is back in the United States and is dealing with his own set of problems. Edward is a folk singer who is not very successful. He is trying to record a new album but is having trouble because his producer is pressuring him to make his music more commercial. Edward is struggling to balance his artistic integrity with the need to make money.

Back in Amsterdam, John meets with the Saudi official and tries to persuade him to support the United States. The official is skeptical but John manages to use his charm to win him over. However, just as the official is about to agree to help, he receives a phone call. It is his security detail, who have discovered that John is not a tourist but is in fact an intelligence officer. The official becomes angry and storms out of the meeting, leaving John to deal with the consequences.

The episode ends with John returning to the United States and meeting with his father, who is also an intelligence officer. John's father is concerned about the security breach in Amsterdam and wants to know what went wrong. John is forced to admit that he made a mistake by trying to befriend the Saudi official's security detail. His father is disappointed but tells John that he will have to find a way to fix the situation.

Overall, John's To-Do List 5/18/12 is a tense and exciting episode that highlights the challenges that John faces as he tries to complete his mission. The episode also introduces some interesting subplots, such as Edward's struggle with his music and the strained relationship between John and his father. Fans of the show will enjoy this episode and will be left eagerly anticipating the next one.