'White House Plumbers' Episode 3 Review: Paris remains a dream as Hunt's poor judgment lands him in prison
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The Plumbers are not fixing the leaks but taking the pipes apart, one piece at a time. The latest installment of HBO’s political satire, 'White House Plumbers', sees President Richard Nixon’s men give their all wit and power to break into the offices of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) at the Watergate Complex. E Howard Hunt and Gordon Liddy, the two faces of this operation have a team of Cubans assisting them in the biggest political heist of the century but all their attempts eventually turn out to be futile. When anyone asks, the team is forbidden to talk about the numerous made to break into the offices of the DNC. In case anyone’s wondering, they were able to successfully infiltrate at the fifth attempt, only to be arrested.
The third episode titled, 'Don’t Drink the Whiskey at Watergate', is true to its name. Hunt mentions that all six buildings of the Watergate complex are interconnected. The team can bypass the security at the lobby security by entering through what Hunt refers to as the “backdoor.” The members split in two and go their separate ways. Hunt and Villo, his accomplice stay back in the banquet hall but are unknowingly locked in by a security guard and are forced to spend the night in a cupboard filled with half-empty whiskey bottles. Unfortunately, to relieve themselves, the duo urinate in those bottles. The second team led by Liddy fails to convince an insider who has a change of mind and backs out of the plan. The first attempt is gone for a toss. But never mind, Hunt and Liddy aren’t done yet.
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Fifth time’s a charm
The second attempt to break sees the 'White House Plumbers' make it to the office door of the DNC but the man responsible to break the lock doesn’t have the right tools. They are in Miami, he says. Jim McCord, one of the members of the Liddy and Hunt team is recognized by a security guard but fortunately, the two know each other and McCord comes up with an excuse that saves him. The third attempt should have worked like a charm since the 'Plumbers' managed to finally break into the office and install all the bugs successfully to eavesdrop but back at their headquarters, John Dean, the former White House Counsel and a member of the re-election committee of President Nixon berate them because none of the bug machines work except one.
The fourth attempt is extremely crucial as Liddy is told to fix the bugs and photograph the contents of Larry O’Brie’s desk drawers. This is coming straight from the President. But this attempt fails as McCord’s tape at the backdoor to break in is removed by a security guard. Hunt was now tired. He didn’t mean to go for the fifth attempt, instead, he had planned a trip to Paris with his wife. Liddy talked him out of it by mentioning that the President might just make him the Director of the CIA. Hunt should’ve never listened to Liddy. The 'Plumbers' break into the offices of the DNC and are caught by the police. Hunt and Liddy who were monitoring the situation from the nearby hotel, rush to save themselves but the men caught have something that links them to Hunt.
Hunt should have listened to his wife
Throughout the episode, Hunt was pestered by his wife to take a trip to Paris with the family. Although, he was hesitant at first but eventually agreed, just before the proposition of the fifth attempt came into the picture. He was in it for traveling to Europe. He fought hard with Liddy to make his case but ambition clouded his judgment when Liddy mentioned that Hunt might just become the Director of the CIA if he does this job well for President Nixon.
His gut was against breaking in again but he caved. This led to Hunt’s downfall who will now be jailed when he’s soon caught in the upcoming episode of the show. If Howard Hunt had decided to leave Liddy behind and travel with his wife to Paris, history would have remembered President Nixon in a different light.
