Hostages - Episodes 1.04 and 1.05 - Review and Preview

No, I had not forgotten to review episode 1.04 ("2:45 PM") of the series Hostages. I just hadn't gotten around to do it yet, for which I apologize. However, after seeing promos and photos for next week's episode ("Truth and Consequences"), I decided to combine this review with a preview of next week.

In short, this week's episode covered the escape plan that Brian and Ellen had mapped out. Brian acted as a decoy so Ellen could get out of the hospital. The kids also escaped but not after getting rid of their chips. Sadly, Brian could not get away from Duncan and Archer and at the end of the episode we saw Duncan shooting Brian, forcing Ellen to choose between leaving the country and saving Brian.

Hostages continues to be fast-paced in this episode. The suspension is high and there is a lot at stake. I do kind of hate that we have to wait another week for a new episode, but I guess that is exactly the goal. Of course, Ellen will choose to save Brian as the press release already says she has to perform emergency surgery in her own house. Besides that, if they escape, they won't be hostages anymore.

There is, however, something else about next week's episode. The promos say that somebody won't survive the episode. I am very curious as to who it will be, and I hope you are too. As a preview, I will rank who of the main cast is likely to die and who isn't (1= very unlikely to die, 2= unlikely to die, 3=toss-up between likely and unlikely, 4=likely and 5= very likely). I don't rule out the possibility of a recurring character dying (e.g. co-conspirator Quentin, Brian's mistress Samantha, FLOTUS, soon-to-be father Boyd or maybe Angela this time for real), but I assume when the promos announce a death, it will be a main character. Please note that I haven't seen any actual screener/footage (besides promo) of the episode, so this article will be fully my own opinion.

Ellen: 1
I don't see them killing of the lead character. Plus, if she dies the entire plan would fall apart which would probably mean that every cast member will die in return.
Duncan: 1
He is the leader of the hostage takers so he won't die. He will probably be the one to kill somebody.
Brian: 2
Brian got shot and the promos clearly see him getting CPR, so he would be an obvious choice. For that reason, though, I think he is unlikely to die. There are also promotional photos that show him clearly alive but with some blood on his shirt.
Sandrine: 4
The photos see Sandrine getting in trouble because she owes money to a certain Victor so tt could very well be her who won't survive the next episode. Plus, she let the kids slip away during a bomb threat - is that too much of a mistake for Duncan?
Kramer: 2

Brian attacked Kramer to escape the house, which is something that Duncan for sure will not like. However, Kramer is Duncan's brother-in-law, so I don't see his death happening anytime soon.
Archer: 5
Archer didn't make that much of a mistake in the escape plan. Instead, he chased Ellen's car and even managed to get the upper hand. Still, the Secret Service is on to him as they have a picture of him. Also, since Duncan now knows that Angela's body hasn't been found yet, he might think that Archer didn't actually kill her (and I am 100% convinced she isn't dead either). Moreover, the press release also says that "Duncan demands answers when Archer tells him that an innocent person in their plan has become a victim". That might be just the last mistake for Duncan to get rid of him.
Morgan: 1
No, Duncan will not kill on of the children. I just don't picture him doing that. Plus, he knows Morgan is pregnant and he has a daughter himself too.
Jake: 2
Again, Duncan is not a children killer. But if one of the children will die, he is more likely to die than Morgan.
President Kincaid: 1
Are you serious? If the president is dead, so is the show.

What did you think of episode 4? And who do you think will die in next week's episode?