(S01E04) - Lives are more important than livelihood.

A major political leader's daughter has been kidnapped by militant insurgents and only one government insider can save her. Throw in a pair of electric nipple clamps hooked up to a car battery and a ticking clock, and it sounds like you've got an episode of 24.

This, however, was last night's Kings. Episode four takes a seemingly innocent decision to give Port of Prosperity to rival Gath and almost turns the whole affair into the white hot embers of a growing civil war within Shiloh.

King Silas' decision to give Gath the Port of Prosperity returns to bite him in the ass when its residents don't like their leader's use of eminent domain. So Silas puts our hero David Shepherd back in the spotlight to quell the growing insurgency and test his loyalty.

It's no coincidence that Port of Prosperity is also part of his family's land, part his father died protecting in Shiloh's last war. Lil' Davey has to choose: be a company man for the king or a man for his family. His answer does more damage than good, which is like comparing World War II to a child's birthday party where the clown shows up two hours late and drunk.

Meanwhile, Jack still wants to undermine his father for ignoring him all this time with the help of his aptly named brother-in-law, William Cross. This time, he wants to take control of the nation's major news media network that has been under Silas' thumb. Jack aims to turn the tables on him by airing more fair and balanced news that makes his old man look bad like airing footage of the growing turmoil in Port of Prosperity in between footage of that chipmunk that can water-ski and the latest Paris Hilton sex tape. After all, this is a cable news network.

He accidentally broadcasts footage of Michelle, his sister, walking into a hostage situation with David's brother, Ethan, who created a groundswell of support for his protest against the king just as David arrives to quell the fire. That's going to make their next Thanksgiving get-together awkward.

And where is mighty King Silas in the middle of all this? Is he spending time with his mistress and illegitimate child in the hopes of achieving "Serenity"? No he gave them up to save face with his queen. Instead, he's out fishing. Is this guy the King of Shiloh or the Sheriff of Mayberry?

This episode defines Kings' strongest ability. It took some tied-up ends from previous episodes and unraveled them into completely new problems. Kings has really surprise me with the way each episode finds new issues and plotlines for their characters out of previously solved ones. Each episode might have a happy ending, but it will end up being a happy ending that will take more than a towel to wipe away.