QUANTICO SEASON 2: THE FULL COLLECTION, EPISODES 1-22
Quantico - 2x01 "Kudove"
"Alex enters the CIA's training facility The Farm, only to find Ryan has had the same offer. Now they must work together in secret at the behest of the FBI to uncover a suspected mole. In the future, terrorists plant bombs around Federal Plaza, and take hostage the President and First Lady, along with the ex-trainees."
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| Screenshot of the bombs exploding in Federal Plaza |
Alex Parrish's name is cleared but there's a new threat, as Federal Plaza is sieged by masked terrorists. The alternating timeline structure continues, although "Kudove" (understandably) chooses to focus much more on positioning its characters for the season and simply teases the future threat. One of The Farm's trainees, crime author Jeremy, is revealed as part of the terrorist group before he jumps out of a window to his death. Another of the trainees, Lydia, is revealed to actually be the trainees' co-instructor, and was put undercover to test them all; this twist was developed further when Lydia was revealed to be the daughter of Owen Hall, the main instructor. Hall, portrayed by Blair Underwood, is appropriately shady, although I don't imagine Quantico would be brazen enough to have the instructor be the terrorist twice in a row.
The surviving cast from season one seems principally comprised of Quantico Director Miranda Shaw, Shelby Wyatt (now a businesswoman) and Ryan Booth (still working for the FBI). Considering Shelby and Miranda will barely affect Alex and Ryan undercover in The Farm, they'll play heavy roles in dealing with the terrorist threat later on. On the other hand, Wikipedia suggests Caleb Haas won't be returning - which is a huge shame.
The final standout part of this premiere was Ryan's proposal, which was botched by his and Alex's calls to The Farm. When he later admitted he had been about to propose Alex told him to wait until after the mission. As such, I'm calling Ryan will die by the end of season 2.
VIEWERS: 3.61 (Matches the back end of season one. When this figure drops later on, I'll worry.)
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 1.0 (Down a quarter from the season 1 average: not good.)
VERDICT: Pacing issues stunted the episode as a whole and despite a plethora of plot parallels, "Kudove" was never going to be as explosive as Quantico's series premiere. But neither issue heavily impacted the high quality of the writing. A spot on, intriguing return. 8/10
Quantico - 2x02 "Lipstick"
"At The Farm, the trainees learn surveillance and anti-surveillance techniques. In the present day, Alex tries to contact Miranda and the terrorists block Raina's attempts to identify them."
I've read some interviews with Quantico producers about how it was far easier for them to learn details about the CIA than the FBI, and in the second episode of Quantico's second season that immense research paid off in the clever ways the terrorists acted. Holding over a thousand people hostage in Federal Plaza, in a huge open-windowed building, the hostages were used as a huge line of human shields - but not only that, the line was cycled in and out so the terrorists could slip out of their disguises and hide in plain sight among the returning hostages. Raina tried to identify the terrorists by marking their wrists, only for her to return after her cycle to find that everyone had been marked in the same way. I thought all of this was terrific, and a fantastic early obstacle to both the characters and the viewers.
Meanwhile, Alex tried to get contact to Miranda to let her know she was inside Federal Plaza. The guard she was helping sacrificed himself so Alex could achieve that goal - only for a cliffhanger ending to reveal Miranda alerted the terrorists to Alex's location. A giant, unimaginable cliffhanger at the end of a decent episode - one that throws everything we knew about Miranda out of the window.
Worth mentioning is the fact that Nimah and Shelby became Ryan and Alex's handlers for their undercover job in the CIA (so my prediction they would have little effect on that half of the storyline was incredibly off-base) and this episode's training at The Farm, how to surveil without being seen and avoid being surveilled themselves, was written in a fun and intriguing manner (although the original scene where Alex easily identifies four of her five tails was rather naff. Hard not to miss your tails if they're wearing big hats, coats and dark sunglasses and staring at you from the middle of the opposite street.)
VIEWERS: 3.57m (Barely down from the premiere; stability will help if it can last)
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 1.0 (Matches the premiere; still lower than season one)
VERDICT: Despite the writing hiccup with the surveillance drill, "Lipstick" offered just as much as the premiere. Trainees at The Farm are growing on me, and hell if that cliffhanger wasn't stunning. 7.5/10
VERDICT: As captivating, unpredictable and fast-paced as ever. Each episode grows more addictive. 8/10
There's no better place to start than the past: the recruits' training at The Farm. The exercise of the week saw recruits strapped with a biolink device that monitored their stress rates and fed that information to Owen's phone. It was a good lesson and a logical step for the recruits at this early stage of the season, and drew out at a perfect time a number of details of people's pasts. We know that Brit Harry Doyle had a friend who killed himself, Dayana struggles with the thought of being disgraced as a lawyer, Booth was manipulated when Lydia sent him a parcel supposedly from the Liam O'Connor (the terrorist in season one) estate, and Alex was outed for being such a self-doubter. It was all interesting stuff at just the right time for these minute details to be revealed - although why Harry met with Will Olsen will be answered at a later date. Also, Owen and Lydia begin a secret investigation into why his mission went wrong and he was sent to The Farm to instruct new recruits; their relationship is getting tasty.
Meanwhile the terrorism plot explodes. The hacker the terrorists demand be sent to them points Shelby in the direction of emails he planted in her company servers, emails that reveal to her Miranda is working with the terrorists. That twist had to come soon, too, and it will make the FBI side of things very precarious: an absolute joy to anticipate. Alex tries to stop the hostages being released - (because to force the terrorists to keep them creates numerous problems for them) but ultimately fails and the episode ends with a dozen heavily armed terrorists barging into the building where Alex is hiding. A stupendous end that is going to lead to an action-packed fifth episode.
Quantico - 2x03 "Stescalade"
"At The Farm, the trainees are taught to quickly analyse everything they see when they enter an unfamiliar setting; in the present day, Miranda's tip-off to the terrorists alerts them to Alex's presence."
Quantico took its chance to really hammer into the audience the reminder that we should trust nobody - in both timelines. At The Farm, the lessons on analysing unfamiliar settings were as intriguing as each trainee's individual performance, but it was Alex and Ryan's secret mission that served as the stronger reminder. Miranda gave them one bug to place inside The Farm to try and gather intel on the terrorist, because any more would alert suspicion. But that meant identifying the best candidate for the FBI to spy upon. They ran through the list, eventually settling on Leon, who had spent time for an unknown reason in a Mexican prison. Instructor Lydia also confronted her father Owen about how it was at his request she had been transferred from field duty to The Farm. Tearing these two apart could be very interesting indeed.
In the present, Alex was captured by the terrorists when Ryan's diversion accidentally revealed her identity. She was taken away to be killed but won out over her captor, who was revealed to be one of the instructors from The Farm - a predictable reveal at this point. Miranda continued her work trying to help the terrorists (for now), but she will soon get caught. In the most unexpected twist of the episode one of The Farm's trainees, Brit Harry Doyle, meets with Will Olsen, who we all remember as having been forced to work for the terrorist in season 1. Things really are starting to develop nicely.
Quantico took its chance to really hammer into the audience the reminder that we should trust nobody - in both timelines. At The Farm, the lessons on analysing unfamiliar settings were as intriguing as each trainee's individual performance, but it was Alex and Ryan's secret mission that served as the stronger reminder. Miranda gave them one bug to place inside The Farm to try and gather intel on the terrorist, because any more would alert suspicion. But that meant identifying the best candidate for the FBI to spy upon. They ran through the list, eventually settling on Leon, who had spent time for an unknown reason in a Mexican prison. Instructor Lydia also confronted her father Owen about how it was at his request she had been transferred from field duty to The Farm. Tearing these two apart could be very interesting indeed.
VIEWERS: 3.04m (series low)
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.8 (series low)
Quantico - 2x04 "Kubark"
"The FBI strikes a deal with the terrorists: one hacker the terrorists demanded receive a Presidential pardon in exchange for 1667 hostages. In the past, Owen and Lydia run a mission with the recruits to train them to handle themselves in all situations - by manipulating their worst fears."
There's no better place to start than the past: the recruits' training at The Farm. The exercise of the week saw recruits strapped with a biolink device that monitored their stress rates and fed that information to Owen's phone. It was a good lesson and a logical step for the recruits at this early stage of the season, and drew out at a perfect time a number of details of people's pasts. We know that Brit Harry Doyle had a friend who killed himself, Dayana struggles with the thought of being disgraced as a lawyer, Booth was manipulated when Lydia sent him a parcel supposedly from the Liam O'Connor (the terrorist in season one) estate, and Alex was outed for being such a self-doubter. It was all interesting stuff at just the right time for these minute details to be revealed - although why Harry met with Will Olsen will be answered at a later date. Also, Owen and Lydia begin a secret investigation into why his mission went wrong and he was sent to The Farm to instruct new recruits; their relationship is getting tasty.
Meanwhile the terrorism plot explodes. The hacker the terrorists demand be sent to them points Shelby in the direction of emails he planted in her company servers, emails that reveal to her Miranda is working with the terrorists. That twist had to come soon, too, and it will make the FBI side of things very precarious: an absolute joy to anticipate. Alex tries to stop the hostages being released - (because to force the terrorists to keep them creates numerous problems for them) but ultimately fails and the episode ends with a dozen heavily armed terrorists barging into the building where Alex is hiding. A stupendous end that is going to lead to an action-packed fifth episode.
VIEWERS: 2.79m (series low)
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.7 (series low)
VERDICT: Full of cliffhangers and teasers, and sped everything up massively. A super episode, but that isn't reflected in the shocking ratings. 8.5/10
Never mind my earlier comment about NCIS LA being twisty: this was twisty. From the get-go. Will Olsen returned, apparently as Harry Doyle's unsuspecting boyfriend, before Miranda demanded Shelby bring him to her because he had the hacking skills to compete with Boyer, who had just committed suicide to stop the terrorists. And while Olsen told Shelby that Miranda was innocent, he gave Miranda a call to let her know he knew she was guilty but wanted in. Meanwhile, Alex was rescued from an ambush by Lydia, which left viewers reeling and wondering how she escaped.
In the past, things were even more complicated. Doyle took centre stage by attempting to find out who Alex and Ryan were and why they were undercover; their attempts to have him thrown out of the CIA by framing him for a murder at a crime scene manipulation test backfired when he revealed he was already MI6 and it had been him bugging their room all along. Meanwhile, Owen used Léon to blackmail an old friend for information about how his name was leaked years ago.
The whole episode was a mish-mash of top-quality drama. When everything seemed to be going one way, the rug was pulled out from underneath us and completely went the other. The drama is heightened right now to where it was this point last season - and yet there's less of a focus on the actual terrorism plot. That is impressive TV.
VERDICT: Stunning episode that opened up one of the more interesting recruits in Harry Doyle. The game is in some ways reset - but the game is still on. 9/10
Could anything more have been stuffed into this episode? "Aquiline" was a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and so full that I'm going to have to summarise rather than analyse the majority. In The Farm timeline on the anniversary of Simon Asher's season 1 death, Shelby continues her secret sexual relationship with Léon, Lydia tries to intimidate her father into backing off his investigation into why he was dropped from field work to The Farm, Harry continues to press Alex and Ryan on their mission and they have even more trouble identifying the AIC terrorist recruiter.
In the future, we are barraged with twists and turns. There's no Miranda complicating matters, but following on from last week, Lydia convinces Alex she is a victim and the terrorists are after hard drives containing decades of CIA surveillance intel, only to reveal she is on a secret CIA op to retrieve the hard drives and leave Alex handcuffed to a pole with terrorists on their way to her location. There was some interesting titbits here that relate to the conclusion of their time at The Farm, and we learn Alex was kicked out and Owen Hall has been imprisoned. Those outcomes look tasty.
But again in the future, Raina and recruits Harry, Sebastien, Leigh, Dayana and Léon fight and accuse each other of being part of the terrorists based on their connected travels since they left The Farm. Terrorists take Leigh out for interrogation and when they bring her back they activate her remote necklace, the weapon with which the terrorists have subdued their hostages, and it slits her throat, killing Leigh on the spot. Dayana and Raina are then brought out of the room for interrogation only for it to be revealed it was not Raina at all - she had been switched out and her twin, Nimah, working as part of the terrorists, had been trying to gather the intel. What a stunning move - although I chastise myself for not seeing it coming.
VIEWERS: 2.20m (Series low)
Quantico - 2x05 "Kmforget"
"Trapped inside the crisis zone, Alex tries to escape an ambush. At The Farm, Owen instructs the recruits on how to manipulate crime scenes."
Never mind my earlier comment about NCIS LA being twisty: this was twisty. From the get-go. Will Olsen returned, apparently as Harry Doyle's unsuspecting boyfriend, before Miranda demanded Shelby bring him to her because he had the hacking skills to compete with Boyer, who had just committed suicide to stop the terrorists. And while Olsen told Shelby that Miranda was innocent, he gave Miranda a call to let her know he knew she was guilty but wanted in. Meanwhile, Alex was rescued from an ambush by Lydia, which left viewers reeling and wondering how she escaped.
In the past, things were even more complicated. Doyle took centre stage by attempting to find out who Alex and Ryan were and why they were undercover; their attempts to have him thrown out of the CIA by framing him for a murder at a crime scene manipulation test backfired when he revealed he was already MI6 and it had been him bugging their room all along. Meanwhile, Owen used Léon to blackmail an old friend for information about how his name was leaked years ago.
The whole episode was a mish-mash of top-quality drama. When everything seemed to be going one way, the rug was pulled out from underneath us and completely went the other. The drama is heightened right now to where it was this point last season - and yet there's less of a focus on the actual terrorism plot. That is impressive TV.
VIEWERS: 2.43m (series low)
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.6 (series low)
Quantico - 2x06 "Aquiline"
"At The Farm, the recruits are taught to assess whether a drone strike is called for in certain scenarios, while in the future Alex and Lydia hunt for hard drives that the terrorists are searching for."
Could anything more have been stuffed into this episode? "Aquiline" was a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and so full that I'm going to have to summarise rather than analyse the majority. In The Farm timeline on the anniversary of Simon Asher's season 1 death, Shelby continues her secret sexual relationship with Léon, Lydia tries to intimidate her father into backing off his investigation into why he was dropped from field work to The Farm, Harry continues to press Alex and Ryan on their mission and they have even more trouble identifying the AIC terrorist recruiter.
In the future, we are barraged with twists and turns. There's no Miranda complicating matters, but following on from last week, Lydia convinces Alex she is a victim and the terrorists are after hard drives containing decades of CIA surveillance intel, only to reveal she is on a secret CIA op to retrieve the hard drives and leave Alex handcuffed to a pole with terrorists on their way to her location. There was some interesting titbits here that relate to the conclusion of their time at The Farm, and we learn Alex was kicked out and Owen Hall has been imprisoned. Those outcomes look tasty.
But again in the future, Raina and recruits Harry, Sebastien, Leigh, Dayana and Léon fight and accuse each other of being part of the terrorists based on their connected travels since they left The Farm. Terrorists take Leigh out for interrogation and when they bring her back they activate her remote necklace, the weapon with which the terrorists have subdued their hostages, and it slits her throat, killing Leigh on the spot. Dayana and Raina are then brought out of the room for interrogation only for it to be revealed it was not Raina at all - she had been switched out and her twin, Nimah, working as part of the terrorists, had been trying to gather the intel. What a stunning move - although I chastise myself for not seeing it coming.
VIEWERS: 2.20m (Series low)
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.6 (Equals its series low)
VERDICT: The biggest episode so far in both timelines and it was wonderfully executed. There is so much to expect from the rest of the season and it doesn't look set to disappoint. 9/10
After the twist-heavy "Aquiline", "Lcflutter" takes somewhat of a breather (it's funny cos the episode's about torture). The juxtaposition of the interrogation plots - Alex at the hands of the terrorists and Owen at the hands of the recruits - was both clever writing and nicely-timed in the overall plot, and the latter came with the decision to use Owen's daughter Lydia as a tool to get him to reveal his CIA alias, which worked. Lesson passed, and it was an intriguing lesson for the audience too.
Unfortunately for Alex, while her attempts to get close to Owen may have worked in the end, they didn't work quickly enough and Shelby is now going undercover as Léon's girlfriend. I like Shelby and Léon as a thing (though not as much as Shelby and Caleb in season 1), but I do wonder what direction this fake relationship will go now that Ryan has finally been accepted into the terrorist group dubbed the "AIC".
In the final loose thread, Miranda, who we know is working for the terrorists, plants her phone on her director boyfriend. She's just about managing to keep her involvement a secret, and it's great TV.
VIEWERS: 2.75m
Quantico - 2x07 "Lcflutter"
"Alex is captured by the terrorists, who torture Dayana in front of her to convince Alex to tell them where the stolen hard drives are. At The Farm, Owen teaches the recruits how to withstand torture techniques by letting them try to break him."
After the twist-heavy "Aquiline", "Lcflutter" takes somewhat of a breather (it's funny cos the episode's about torture). The juxtaposition of the interrogation plots - Alex at the hands of the terrorists and Owen at the hands of the recruits - was both clever writing and nicely-timed in the overall plot, and the latter came with the decision to use Owen's daughter Lydia as a tool to get him to reveal his CIA alias, which worked. Lesson passed, and it was an intriguing lesson for the audience too.
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| Owen watching Lydia being waterboarded |
In the final loose thread, Miranda, who we know is working for the terrorists, plants her phone on her director boyfriend. She's just about managing to keep her involvement a secret, and it's great TV.
VIEWERS: 2.75m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.7
(Both tick up slightly)
(Both tick up slightly)
VERDICT: Little bit of a comedown from last week, but paced well, cleverly written and perfectly positioned for the overall plot. 8.5/10
There's almost too much to talk about with Quantico's (rather early) midseason finale. The plot of creating covers for Thanksgiving were, much like the rest of this season, well-placed within the overall arc of the season, and also provided the perfect cover for the AIC to initiate its new recruits. We knew Ryan had been accepted after all his undercover work - but two others who turned up to be part of a man's murder were Léon and Dayana. Shocking? Perhaps not, but it's a big reveal nonetheless, and their blackmail suggests they may not after all be a willing part of the group.
Also sticking to Thanksgiving, Harry returned to London to visit his MI6 handler Charlotte. She was played by Lara Pulver (an actress I like to see even if in general she plays some dull characters), and we learnt Harry wasn't at the Farm as part of an MI6/CIA swap pilot program, but rather undercover making future connects for the British government in preparation for England to leave the EU. Bringing Brexit into the plot was clever as hell - and I like it. As was having Harry's ex Elliot transpire to be Charlotte's brother. We learn more and more by the episode.
In the future, the team's attempt to stop the terrorists' bioweapon leads to 3 things: firstly, the revelation that the bioweapon is actually a suicide failsafe in case the terrorists can't pull off their plan; secondly, that the whole group get caught; and thirdly, that in the future timeline Ryan is working with the terrorists. Why? How? When? We don't know, but it was a stunning end that perfectly sets up the rest of the season.
I cannot believe we have to wait nearly 2 months.
VIEWERS: 2.29m
Quantico - 2x08 "Odenvy" (midseason finale)
"In preparation for recruits returning to families for Thanksgiving, Owen instructs them all to create believable cover stories. Meanwhile, the AIC finally makes a move by auditioning its CIA recruits. In the future, Alex, Harry, Léon, Dayana and Sebastien try to destroy the terrorists' bioweapon."
There's almost too much to talk about with Quantico's (rather early) midseason finale. The plot of creating covers for Thanksgiving were, much like the rest of this season, well-placed within the overall arc of the season, and also provided the perfect cover for the AIC to initiate its new recruits. We knew Ryan had been accepted after all his undercover work - but two others who turned up to be part of a man's murder were Léon and Dayana. Shocking? Perhaps not, but it's a big reveal nonetheless, and their blackmail suggests they may not after all be a willing part of the group.
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| Dayana, Ryan and Léon get accepted into the AIC |
In the future, the team's attempt to stop the terrorists' bioweapon leads to 3 things: firstly, the revelation that the bioweapon is actually a suicide failsafe in case the terrorists can't pull off their plan; secondly, that the whole group get caught; and thirdly, that in the future timeline Ryan is working with the terrorists. Why? How? When? We don't know, but it was a stunning end that perfectly sets up the rest of the season.
I cannot believe we have to wait nearly 2 months.
VIEWERS: 2.29m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.7
(More violins. Violins everywhere)
(More violins. Violins everywhere)
VERDICT: Offered more answers than I expected, but in doing so opened just as many. And a good guest star too. What a way to go on winter hiatus. 9/10
A huge missing link in the story right off the bat is how did Alex escape the terrorists and end up in FBI custody? Unless I'm forgetting something, the midseason finale ended with her discovering Ryan was a terrorist, so with no explanation of the jump from that to FBI custody the jump itself is hard to swallow.
But if you can overlook that, the rest of the episode was a stunner, and it was jam-packed with twists and turns. The episode started off with a recap: Alex's interrogation enabled the writers to smartly remind the audience of everyone's position at this point, which also led to some clues about other characters. We already knew Owen was dishonourably discharged from The Farm, but did we know he was currently in federal prison? If we did, then clearly I'd forgotten, but if we didn't how did he get there?
But that interrogation also led to the revelation that the AIC was not a terrorist group but a black-ops unit working outside of the law, and was in fact the target of the terrorist attack not the perpetrator. Shut the front door! As stated "so one group of rogue agents was taken hostage by another group of rogue agents?" I can get with that!
And then Miranda pulls Alex from custody and tells her this: "I am one of the terrorists. And after the conversation we're about to have you will be too." Ohhhhhhhhhh boy.
In the past, The Farm's lessons about seduction lead Léon to nearly burn Shelby's cover Jane before she convinces him Jane isn't a falsehood. But then he spots Nimah, Shelby's handler. And Harry learns about Ryan's secret AIC phone - but Alex only wanted Ryan to think it was his? What is this glorious madness?
VIEWERS: 2.90m
VERDICT: This was one hell of a way to return from a midseason break, and it turned everything on its head at the right moment. 9/10
After a game-changing return, Quantico kept the pace going. In "Jmpalm" (in the past timeline), Harry's manipulation of both Alex and Ryan reaches an all-time high as they both begin to turn against each other, and even though they ultimately stick together it's not expected to last. This throughout a task of manipulating a Venezuelan official into giving up confidential documents by whatever means necessary, which Dayana struggles with.
Meanwhile, Léon decides, after figuring out Shelby is FBI, to work with the FBI by confronting her handler (which is an interesting and typically unexpected development), while Alex shows her cards to Owen too early - and learns that he isn't involved with the AIC. But as the real AIC meet - including some recruits from ... other agencies? ... who is running the meeting but Owen's daughter, Lydia, who promptly claims they are the real CIA. Every time a new piece of information is revealed things get murkier - and it's delicious.
And in the future, Shelby tries to convince President Haas, who is struggling with a personal crisis considering she has become the first female President by default, that she shouldn't go through with the air strike; Haas eventually accedes and calls it off. Which means that, after Miranda tries to use Alex as leverage to find Lydia and the incriminating hard drives, Alex escapes and goes in to save the hostages. Miranda's "big twist" that she will convince Alex to join her hasn't happened yet - but I'm sure there'll be meatier stuff on this coming up.
VIEWERS: 2.76m
Quantico - 2x09 "Cleopatra"
"Despite no longer being undercover at The Farm, Alex tries to assimilate her way into Owen's good books; the recruits are tasked with learning how to seduce and recruit an asset. In the present, Alex is interrogated by the FBI after escaping the terrorists."
A huge missing link in the story right off the bat is how did Alex escape the terrorists and end up in FBI custody? Unless I'm forgetting something, the midseason finale ended with her discovering Ryan was a terrorist, so with no explanation of the jump from that to FBI custody the jump itself is hard to swallow.
But if you can overlook that, the rest of the episode was a stunner, and it was jam-packed with twists and turns. The episode started off with a recap: Alex's interrogation enabled the writers to smartly remind the audience of everyone's position at this point, which also led to some clues about other characters. We already knew Owen was dishonourably discharged from The Farm, but did we know he was currently in federal prison? If we did, then clearly I'd forgotten, but if we didn't how did he get there?
But that interrogation also led to the revelation that the AIC was not a terrorist group but a black-ops unit working outside of the law, and was in fact the target of the terrorist attack not the perpetrator. Shut the front door! As stated "so one group of rogue agents was taken hostage by another group of rogue agents?" I can get with that!
And then Miranda pulls Alex from custody and tells her this: "I am one of the terrorists. And after the conversation we're about to have you will be too." Ohhhhhhhhhh boy.
In the past, The Farm's lessons about seduction lead Léon to nearly burn Shelby's cover Jane before she convinces him Jane isn't a falsehood. But then he spots Nimah, Shelby's handler. And Harry learns about Ryan's secret AIC phone - but Alex only wanted Ryan to think it was his? What is this glorious madness?
VIEWERS: 2.90m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.8
(Monday's tick up looked a lot better before the adjustment down from a 0.9. An improvement, but it still might not be enough.)
(Monday's tick up looked a lot better before the adjustment down from a 0.9. An improvement, but it still might not be enough.)
Quantico - 2x10 "Jmpalm"
"Alex's position inside The Farm becomes tenuous when Ryan is told to force her out; meanwhile their task to get information from an asset by manipulation is a struggle for the recruits. In the future, Shelby tries to stop an air strike."
After a game-changing return, Quantico kept the pace going. In "Jmpalm" (in the past timeline), Harry's manipulation of both Alex and Ryan reaches an all-time high as they both begin to turn against each other, and even though they ultimately stick together it's not expected to last. This throughout a task of manipulating a Venezuelan official into giving up confidential documents by whatever means necessary, which Dayana struggles with.
Meanwhile, Léon decides, after figuring out Shelby is FBI, to work with the FBI by confronting her handler (which is an interesting and typically unexpected development), while Alex shows her cards to Owen too early - and learns that he isn't involved with the AIC. But as the real AIC meet - including some recruits from ... other agencies? ... who is running the meeting but Owen's daughter, Lydia, who promptly claims they are the real CIA. Every time a new piece of information is revealed things get murkier - and it's delicious.
And in the future, Shelby tries to convince President Haas, who is struggling with a personal crisis considering she has become the first female President by default, that she shouldn't go through with the air strike; Haas eventually accedes and calls it off. Which means that, after Miranda tries to use Alex as leverage to find Lydia and the incriminating hard drives, Alex escapes and goes in to save the hostages. Miranda's "big twist" that she will convince Alex to join her hasn't happened yet - but I'm sure there'll be meatier stuff on this coming up.
VIEWERS: 2.76m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.7
VERDICT: Everything is a twist as the plot swerves this way and that. Beautiful stuff. 8/10
The little shown terrorist attack is reaching its conclusion as Alex, along with the recruits, helps free the remaining hostages. But not before the terrorists begin interrogating those hostages, trying to figure out who is actually the terrorist. Because the terrorists are not the terrorists, but they're trying to find the terrorists. Who is a terrorist and whether the AIC is bad or good is getting harder and harder to define, and accordingly this review gets harder and harder to manage, as the multiple timelines and complex plot demands a lot to be unravelled when only some of the cards have been shown. But then that's part of the fun.
At the end, Alex's mission to free the hostages works - but with a sting: the "terrorists" have shed their disguises and are now happily blending with the crowd. They could be anyone - and they were just let free.
But most of the action takes place in the past. An important lesson in safe exfiltration of an asset in danger merges into a meltdown from Owen (after he finds out Lydia is working for the AIC) and Léon and Dayana get their next AIC mission, one Léon stops Dayana from completing because he didn't know that the target deserved to die. In the meantime, he continues to work for the FBI as their undercover asset.
Everything's a bit of a mess at the moment - there are so many questions left hanging and everything is so unclear and hazy - but this is the halfway stage so that's natural. In a few episodes the multiple timelines will clear up and we'll focus on the aftermath of the attack, and that back third of the season should answer our questions nicely.
VIEWERS: 2.68m
Quantico - 2x11 "Zrtorch"
"In the past, Owen teaches the recruits about exfiltration by putting himself in danger in Munich. In the future, Alex continues her mission to free the hostages."
The little shown terrorist attack is reaching its conclusion as Alex, along with the recruits, helps free the remaining hostages. But not before the terrorists begin interrogating those hostages, trying to figure out who is actually the terrorist. Because the terrorists are not the terrorists, but they're trying to find the terrorists. Who is a terrorist and whether the AIC is bad or good is getting harder and harder to define, and accordingly this review gets harder and harder to manage, as the multiple timelines and complex plot demands a lot to be unravelled when only some of the cards have been shown. But then that's part of the fun.
At the end, Alex's mission to free the hostages works - but with a sting: the "terrorists" have shed their disguises and are now happily blending with the crowd. They could be anyone - and they were just let free.
But most of the action takes place in the past. An important lesson in safe exfiltration of an asset in danger merges into a meltdown from Owen (after he finds out Lydia is working for the AIC) and Léon and Dayana get their next AIC mission, one Léon stops Dayana from completing because he didn't know that the target deserved to die. In the meantime, he continues to work for the FBI as their undercover asset.
Everything's a bit of a mess at the moment - there are so many questions left hanging and everything is so unclear and hazy - but this is the halfway stage so that's natural. In a few episodes the multiple timelines will clear up and we'll focus on the aftermath of the attack, and that back third of the season should answer our questions nicely.
VIEWERS: 2.68m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.7
VERDICT: The show is becoming harder and harder to follow. We need some clarity soon. Still, each episode on their own is an enjoyable maze. 8/10
The multiple timelines have become so complex that I'm left wondering now whether the things I consider new information are actually new or if I have a poor memory. Such was the case when Carly, whom in the past Sebastian began dating, was revealed to be married to Sebastian by the time of the terrorist attack - but involved with the terrorists when she takes Harry hostage. Sebastian makes a hard choice in shooting her, and takes a bullet from her in exchange.
But that's not even the biggest reveal here, because what the FBI learn is that the AIC isn't even a rogue terrorist group: the group led by Lydia are a sanctioned CIA black ops squad. So now the question of who even are the terrorists has morphed into is anyone even a terrorist at all?
A little headway towards answering their purpose came in the past timeline when Owen, armed with the knowledge that the AIC want something from the NSA, organises a lesson in the recruits wiping their identities from technological existence by having them infiltrate the NSA, and it's revealed that the AIC want to tap NSA servers to receive their information. But anyone who fails to get out of there cleanly is kicked out of The Farm - and the victim of that is Léon Velez, leaving the FBI with no undercover informant.
We finally see the full story with Harry's mysterious ex Elliot; Lydia is revealed to be running hostage recovery in the future; and the terrorist who kidnaps Will Olsen turns out to also have possession of the incriminating hard drives. And according to Lydia that person is - Dayana Mumpasi.
Quantico - 2x12 "Fallenoracle"
"Owen manipulates a Farm lesson to counter an AIC mission; in the future, the terrorists try to gain the upper hand while Alex leads the hostages out of the building."
The multiple timelines have become so complex that I'm left wondering now whether the things I consider new information are actually new or if I have a poor memory. Such was the case when Carly, whom in the past Sebastian began dating, was revealed to be married to Sebastian by the time of the terrorist attack - but involved with the terrorists when she takes Harry hostage. Sebastian makes a hard choice in shooting her, and takes a bullet from her in exchange.
But that's not even the biggest reveal here, because what the FBI learn is that the AIC isn't even a rogue terrorist group: the group led by Lydia are a sanctioned CIA black ops squad. So now the question of who even are the terrorists has morphed into is anyone even a terrorist at all?
A little headway towards answering their purpose came in the past timeline when Owen, armed with the knowledge that the AIC want something from the NSA, organises a lesson in the recruits wiping their identities from technological existence by having them infiltrate the NSA, and it's revealed that the AIC want to tap NSA servers to receive their information. But anyone who fails to get out of there cleanly is kicked out of The Farm - and the victim of that is Léon Velez, leaving the FBI with no undercover informant.
We finally see the full story with Harry's mysterious ex Elliot; Lydia is revealed to be running hostage recovery in the future; and the terrorist who kidnaps Will Olsen turns out to also have possession of the incriminating hard drives. And according to Lydia that person is - Dayana Mumpasi.
VIEWERS: 2.54m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.7
VERDICT: The terrorist mystery is hitting its crescendo as it comes to an end - but by God if it isn't more confusing than ever. I'll be glad for answers. But still, this was a cracking episode full of twists and turns, and is ever unpredictable. 8/10
So there we have it. The AIC aren't terrorists: they're a safety net, one created to preempt terrorist attacks, one called upon by the First Lady when she discovered the G20 was going to be attacked. So who are the real terrorists? After all that, simply, the Islamic Front. The AIC took the G20 hostage under the guise of the Citizens' Liberation Front to try and out the real terrorists, but went rogue and killed the First Lady.
But what's on the drives the terrorists want? Not information about agents, but information about the countries involved with the G20, information about how each government reacts to terror attacks. With that knowledge, an enemy could implement attacks that governments couldn't prevent or stop. These US scenarios were thought up by Jeremy Miller, an ex-Farm recruit from the beginning of season 2. I don't think I ever mentioned him here because why would I? A recruit not making the cut past day one isn't new to this series and wasn't important last time. How wrong I was.
Lydia being the terrorist to release the drives was predictable too. There was bound to be one last reveal after we suspected Dayana of treachery and she was the only likely suspect. And despite Will Olsen's attempts to stop it, the information escaped - it's out there just waiting for someone to find it. President Haas's reaction: create a team of our main cast to work to track down the info and stop it falling into enemy hands. Who's their boss? Caleb! He'll be back next time - what a cliffhanger! (I also hope Harry returns; his meltdown at the Farm and exit after the terrorist attack isn't a comfy conclusion for his character. Surely us Brits have to be involved somehow?)
And we also learn why Owen was arrested in the past: Lydia's AIC wire tap on the NSA - a federal crime - was discovered by FBI, and he took the fall. Oh how differently this might all have gone had Owen not covered for Lydia here.
Quantico - 2x13 "Epicshelter"
"The hostage situation at the G20 summit concludes as Alex finds the terrorist."
So there we have it. The AIC aren't terrorists: they're a safety net, one created to preempt terrorist attacks, one called upon by the First Lady when she discovered the G20 was going to be attacked. So who are the real terrorists? After all that, simply, the Islamic Front. The AIC took the G20 hostage under the guise of the Citizens' Liberation Front to try and out the real terrorists, but went rogue and killed the First Lady.
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| Miranda explains her involvement in the "terrorist" attack |
Lydia being the terrorist to release the drives was predictable too. There was bound to be one last reveal after we suspected Dayana of treachery and she was the only likely suspect. And despite Will Olsen's attempts to stop it, the information escaped - it's out there just waiting for someone to find it. President Haas's reaction: create a team of our main cast to work to track down the info and stop it falling into enemy hands. Who's their boss? Caleb! He'll be back next time - what a cliffhanger! (I also hope Harry returns; his meltdown at the Farm and exit after the terrorist attack isn't a comfy conclusion for his character. Surely us Brits have to be involved somehow?)
And we also learn why Owen was arrested in the past: Lydia's AIC wire tap on the NSA - a federal crime - was discovered by FBI, and he took the fall. Oh how differently this might all have gone had Owen not covered for Lydia here.
VIEWERS: 2.57m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.7
VERDICT: And now it all makes sense - and looks to head in an excellent direction for the remainder of the 22-episode season. There are some character questions now (who will return and who shan't), but the mystery of the G20 terrorist attack, befuddling as it was, was stunningly concluded. 9.5/10
Quantico went away for a few weeks after dropping the resounding cliffhanger that Caleb would be returning - well, after the cliffhanger that the new team would work with President Haas's son. As it turns out, she has two of them (maybe I knew that in season 1) and what we get is actually Clay Haas rather than Caleb. Am I disappointed? Yeah - Caleb was one of the best parts of season 1 - but Clay looks like he can stand up in place of him (he made some cutting remarks to Shelby about her sleeping with their father), although his man management is poor.
Clay lets the team fall into disarray as they search for the perpetrators of a cargo plane crash in attempts to discern if said perpetrators were funded by the information on the hard drives. During the typical undercover op at a gala, it took the return of Harry Doyle - who is not part of the team yet - to help Alex work it all out, and by the episode's end they have the first name in their hunt for all the terrorists. I'm glad to see Harry back (I was concerned he wouldn't be involved now the G20 had concluded), and it was interesting to learn he had been kicked out of MI6 well before the G20 summit, of course because of his breakdown at the end of The Farm training. All his appearances in the present back then had been without British government backing. Very interesting.
The rest of the drama focused on the team dynamics, something that hasn't really been a part of the second season yet (and something it has really missed since season 1). Nimah and Shelby had their moments while both acclimated to their unfamiliar surroundings and Owen was released from prison to help the team he doesn't trust, although a final subplot came in Léon's paranoia that members of the old recruits are being secretly killed. Alex and Dayana didn't believe him, but for the cliffhanger Léon is kidnapped. Tasty.
VIEWERS: 3.31m
Quantico - 2x14 "Lnwilt"
"The Farm recruits meet with their new boss after the G20 summit and begin the hunt for those who collaborated with Lydia to retrieve the hard drives."
Quantico went away for a few weeks after dropping the resounding cliffhanger that Caleb would be returning - well, after the cliffhanger that the new team would work with President Haas's son. As it turns out, she has two of them (maybe I knew that in season 1) and what we get is actually Clay Haas rather than Caleb. Am I disappointed? Yeah - Caleb was one of the best parts of season 1 - but Clay looks like he can stand up in place of him (he made some cutting remarks to Shelby about her sleeping with their father), although his man management is poor.
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| Clay (left) shows the team to their new base of operations |
The rest of the drama focused on the team dynamics, something that hasn't really been a part of the second season yet (and something it has really missed since season 1). Nimah and Shelby had their moments while both acclimated to their unfamiliar surroundings and Owen was released from prison to help the team he doesn't trust, although a final subplot came in Léon's paranoia that members of the old recruits are being secretly killed. Alex and Dayana didn't believe him, but for the cliffhanger Léon is kidnapped. Tasty.
VIEWERS: 3.31m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.7
VERDICT: Quantico's first procedural episode didn't look too bad. It may not be as twist-heavy now, but it still knows how to shock us. 8.5/10
The introduction of the procedural format following the closure of the G20 summit terrorist attack plotline hasn't dialled down the drama or the intrigue, but it has caused it to lose something of the magic. Every main character - each with hidden agendas, secrets and personal struggles - being under suspicion of having an involvement with the rogue CIA group lent every scene an unavoidable tension, made every scene one you had to pay attention to. Without that lure, with these characters just banding together to find your typical spy story villains, Quantico has lost a bit of its identity, a part it will likely never rediscover.
Positives have come from this format shift, however. The main plus side to the characters no longer being under suspicion is that we now have a cohesive group working together towards a common goal, and therefore the dynamics of that team can be intricately explored. It's this exploration of the dynamics that fuelled "Mockingbird", for the team were not yet that cohesive unit Clay Haas desired.
His authority was not respected because of Owen's presence and the fact that his divisive leadership style was poorly received, whilst Nimah found herself having to prove her value even to be included since Clay simply didn't trust her. Meanwhile, Harry eventually works his way into the team (after failing to convince MI6 to take him back) following some home truths from Alex (Harry gets all the best emotional scenes), and even Ryan and Alex's currently in-limbo relationship had time to be discussed.
This built around an episode that saw the team put the second of eight faces involved in the leaked documents on their board - one that also revealed Léon Velez's kidnap had ended in his bloody demise. The team might be coming for those involved in the terrorist attack, but someone is coming for the team too. And I doubt if everyone will make it out alive.
Quantico - 2x15 "Mockingbird"
"The team struggle to work together as they investigate a fake news story that hides the real reason government operatives evacuate a small town."
The introduction of the procedural format following the closure of the G20 summit terrorist attack plotline hasn't dialled down the drama or the intrigue, but it has caused it to lose something of the magic. Every main character - each with hidden agendas, secrets and personal struggles - being under suspicion of having an involvement with the rogue CIA group lent every scene an unavoidable tension, made every scene one you had to pay attention to. Without that lure, with these characters just banding together to find your typical spy story villains, Quantico has lost a bit of its identity, a part it will likely never rediscover.
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| Léon is revealed to have been murdered |
His authority was not respected because of Owen's presence and the fact that his divisive leadership style was poorly received, whilst Nimah found herself having to prove her value even to be included since Clay simply didn't trust her. Meanwhile, Harry eventually works his way into the team (after failing to convince MI6 to take him back) following some home truths from Alex (Harry gets all the best emotional scenes), and even Ryan and Alex's currently in-limbo relationship had time to be discussed.
This built around an episode that saw the team put the second of eight faces involved in the leaked documents on their board - one that also revealed Léon Velez's kidnap had ended in his bloody demise. The team might be coming for those involved in the terrorist attack, but someone is coming for the team too. And I doubt if everyone will make it out alive.
VIEWERS: 0.7
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 3.15m
VERDICT: Bringing the team together after 2 episodes was imperative: headway is being made towards the season's endgame. With 7 episodes left, 6 faces to add to the board and the team being hunted, the drama will continue to rise. 8.5/10
Quantico - 2x16 "Mktopaz"
"The cache is accessed by a wealthy socialite who specialises in helping people forge connections with each other."
This has to be the best of the three procedural Quantico episodes so far, for its storytelling, the emotional focuses and the sheer number of horrifying plot twists.
Dealing with those in order then, I have first to talk about the odd cold open: to use a Firefly descriptor "two-by-two, hands of blue", we saw the two faceless assassins that killed Léon preparing a kill room for presumably someone else on the team. Following that, we lead into the mission of the episode, which is that a wealthy socialite Rebecca Sherman has accessed the cache to try and find a way around US Passport Control. It transpires she's being blackmailed; she and her contact, Thomas Roth, are both killed by a sniper during their meet. This was a fairly average scene until the entire team was forced to leave Sherman to bleed out for fear that attempting to save her would expose their mission - but with their deaths, that's two more faces on the board.
Then there was the amazing emotional subplots, the main focus being ... Clay? He's hardly flavour of the month even with the audiences, and insight into his character isn't the keyhole we desired to see through, but in having his lies exposed to his fiancée and his relationship thrown into disarray Quantico makes a very critical point: that the few relationships the team members do have are important. That's why Shelby contacts her con artist "sister" in Riyadh, that's why Owen visits Lydia in prison and that's why Nimah continues to call Raina, who is cold shouldering her.
But that's where the story makes an impressive return to its cold open: we see Raina entering the room the assassins set up earlier, but as caller ID tells her it's Nimah calling she is attacked and overpowered by the assassins. Is she killed? And if not yet, will she be? And if that wasn't enough, the biggest shock of them all was the reveal that the sniper who shot Sherman and Roth was Sebastian, who then holds Harry at gunpoint and forces him to call Alex and explain he is leaving the team. I'm not sure if I'll enjoy this sidebar (Harry is one of my favourite characters), but hell if the show can't produce stunning twists without its original alternate timeline format.
VIEWERS: 2.96m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.6
VERDICT: Perhaps one of the better episodes of the season, even with an unwanted focus on Clay. The stakes grow higher and the suspense builds. 9/10
With "Odyoke", Quantico took a breath from the fast-paced episodes that have come before, although in pace only; in topic, with a Muslim Registry bill (the passing of which is the next step in evil Speaker of the House and terrorist collaborator Henry Roarke's plan), Quantico continued to hit the high notes, whilst also giving us an insight into Clay's professional life. I love every chance I get to use the phrase "hot button topic", and this was another chance.
I could discuss the bill, but the most salient point (made through Nimah) is the fact that there shouldn't be a need for this discussion at all. However, its use as a plot device cannot be understated: though the team made efforts to convince (the wrong) politicians to switch their vote to "no", the bill passed - only to be vetoed by President Claire Haas. That's the result we all hoped for, but with Roarke lurking the point is made very clear that if another attack occurs because Claire vetoed the bill then the blame will fall squarely upon her shoulders. And after her impeachment, a terrorist collaborator would assume the Presidency.
I say "another" attack, for the episode opens with Raina having escaped her captors, who frame her for a shopping mall bombing. The little emotional meat goes to her and Nimah's less-than-cordial encounters, until Nimah offers to take the fall and pretend to be Raina until Raina is cleared. These two have had almost no scenes together all season, but their coming together here drove both A- and B-plots to their conclusions.
Meanwhile, Sasha, the reporter Ryan had been grooming as an asset (and also becoming involved with romantically), is revealed to be a suspected FSB spy, but more interestingly Owen, for all his talk of being robbed of a great career, froze at the crucial moment during a gun battle. Perhaps therefore he's more at risk of dying before the season ends. And there is trouble brewing: after kidnapping (and killing?) Harry Doyle, Sebastian follows Alex and Owen getting in a taxi. What is he up to?
This has to be the best of the three procedural Quantico episodes so far, for its storytelling, the emotional focuses and the sheer number of horrifying plot twists.
Dealing with those in order then, I have first to talk about the odd cold open: to use a Firefly descriptor "two-by-two, hands of blue", we saw the two faceless assassins that killed Léon preparing a kill room for presumably someone else on the team. Following that, we lead into the mission of the episode, which is that a wealthy socialite Rebecca Sherman has accessed the cache to try and find a way around US Passport Control. It transpires she's being blackmailed; she and her contact, Thomas Roth, are both killed by a sniper during their meet. This was a fairly average scene until the entire team was forced to leave Sherman to bleed out for fear that attempting to save her would expose their mission - but with their deaths, that's two more faces on the board.
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| Sebastian holds Harry at gunpoint |
But that's where the story makes an impressive return to its cold open: we see Raina entering the room the assassins set up earlier, but as caller ID tells her it's Nimah calling she is attacked and overpowered by the assassins. Is she killed? And if not yet, will she be? And if that wasn't enough, the biggest shock of them all was the reveal that the sniper who shot Sherman and Roth was Sebastian, who then holds Harry at gunpoint and forces him to call Alex and explain he is leaving the team. I'm not sure if I'll enjoy this sidebar (Harry is one of my favourite characters), but hell if the show can't produce stunning twists without its original alternate timeline format.
VIEWERS: 2.96m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.6
VERDICT: Perhaps one of the better episodes of the season, even with an unwanted focus on Clay. The stakes grow higher and the suspense builds. 9/10
Quantico - 2x17 "Odyoke"
"The taskforce take to Washington to try to stop a Muslim Registry bill."
With "Odyoke", Quantico took a breath from the fast-paced episodes that have come before, although in pace only; in topic, with a Muslim Registry bill (the passing of which is the next step in evil Speaker of the House and terrorist collaborator Henry Roarke's plan), Quantico continued to hit the high notes, whilst also giving us an insight into Clay's professional life. I love every chance I get to use the phrase "hot button topic", and this was another chance.
I could discuss the bill, but the most salient point (made through Nimah) is the fact that there shouldn't be a need for this discussion at all. However, its use as a plot device cannot be understated: though the team made efforts to convince (the wrong) politicians to switch their vote to "no", the bill passed - only to be vetoed by President Claire Haas. That's the result we all hoped for, but with Roarke lurking the point is made very clear that if another attack occurs because Claire vetoed the bill then the blame will fall squarely upon her shoulders. And after her impeachment, a terrorist collaborator would assume the Presidency.
I say "another" attack, for the episode opens with Raina having escaped her captors, who frame her for a shopping mall bombing. The little emotional meat goes to her and Nimah's less-than-cordial encounters, until Nimah offers to take the fall and pretend to be Raina until Raina is cleared. These two have had almost no scenes together all season, but their coming together here drove both A- and B-plots to their conclusions.
Meanwhile, Sasha, the reporter Ryan had been grooming as an asset (and also becoming involved with romantically), is revealed to be a suspected FSB spy, but more interestingly Owen, for all his talk of being robbed of a great career, froze at the crucial moment during a gun battle. Perhaps therefore he's more at risk of dying before the season ends. And there is trouble brewing: after kidnapping (and killing?) Harry Doyle, Sebastian follows Alex and Owen getting in a taxi. What is he up to?
VIEWERS: 2.57m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.6
VERDICT: A procedural episode that worked within the canon, pushed the overall plot in a horrifying direction and had some good twists to boot. 9/10
Five pings alert the taskforce to an impending act by the collaborators, and they eventually work out that a murder case in Cleveland is being manipulated towards a guilty verdict because the loophole was missed in a gun rights bill previously passed by President Claire Haas; Roarke's plan was to then step up and undermine Haas. Fortunately, Haas was alerted to this by the taskforce and managed to rescue favour of the protesters outside the courthouse, despite the guilty verdict. It was a fun step away from a typical high-stakes terror attack, and one that gave us an insight into Miranda's whereabouts following the G20 we didn't realise we needed: she's remained at the FBI, but barely.
Meanwhile, Clay's disillusionment acts as a ploy to bring Caleb back, and Caleb has fun both winding up his brother and, later, shredding Shelby with some cutting remarks. He also reminds her not to get the full male Haas set by starting anything with his engaged brother (she slept with Caleb and his dad in season 1). I hope we see more of Caleb.
Elsewhere, the taskforce figure out Nimah and Raina swapped and that Raina has remained working with the taskforce while Nimah is being held as a terrorist; Chen is revealed to be working under the directive of Director Keyes, but towards the same purpose as the taskforce (and puts the final few faces on the board of collaborators); Harry's fate is revealed (Chen told him to disappear, which Harry duly did; this was a weak cop-out since Tovey couldn't be on the show any longer, but there wasn't a better way to properly write him out); and Sasha, Ryan's Russian reporter lover, was killed in a car bomb just as their relationship and her ambiguous loyalty was getting juicy.
Quantico - 2x18 "Kumonk"
"The taskforce put the rest of the collaborators' faces on the board."
Five pings alert the taskforce to an impending act by the collaborators, and they eventually work out that a murder case in Cleveland is being manipulated towards a guilty verdict because the loophole was missed in a gun rights bill previously passed by President Claire Haas; Roarke's plan was to then step up and undermine Haas. Fortunately, Haas was alerted to this by the taskforce and managed to rescue favour of the protesters outside the courthouse, despite the guilty verdict. It was a fun step away from a typical high-stakes terror attack, and one that gave us an insight into Miranda's whereabouts following the G20 we didn't realise we needed: she's remained at the FBI, but barely.
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| Caleb returns to Quantico |
Elsewhere, the taskforce figure out Nimah and Raina swapped and that Raina has remained working with the taskforce while Nimah is being held as a terrorist; Chen is revealed to be working under the directive of Director Keyes, but towards the same purpose as the taskforce (and puts the final few faces on the board of collaborators); Harry's fate is revealed (Chen told him to disappear, which Harry duly did; this was a weak cop-out since Tovey couldn't be on the show any longer, but there wasn't a better way to properly write him out); and Sasha, Ryan's Russian reporter lover, was killed in a car bomb just as their relationship and her ambiguous loyalty was getting juicy.
VIEWERS: 2.76m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.5
VERDICT: Quantico took the mystery and deepened it, which is ironic given the game is now much clearer since all the faces are on the board. Some bad writing in there, but nothing to overt. 9/10
I'm not typically a fan of galas or upper-class parties as a setting for undercover work unless it's actually unavoidable due to plot (which it usually isn't). However, in "Mhorder", the only way to get the surviving collaborators together and attempt to turn them was with an invitation from the President to a hastily arranged engagement party for Clay and Maxine. Of course, it never seemed like it was ever going to work: the collaborators were aware of the ploy and had already prepared steps to avoid incriminating themselves or even being in the presence of taskforce members for too long. And the one time it did look like it had worked (with Ryan successfully blackmailing a mercenary called Alice Winter), she reversed the blackmail by exposing the taskforce to the media as an unsanctioned black ops unit and fronting it with video of Ryan heading for a secret meeting. That means the President could be impeached, which I forgot was a thing the collaborators could push for. Juicy.
Meanwhile, Clay's burgeoning feelings for Shelby were cut off at his request, though I doubt he wanted to see Caleb and Shelby come down from their room, having pretended to have sex to hurt him. But I reckon Caleb enjoyed hurting his brother as much as he enjoys his unceasing remarks about Shelby; job done, Caleb is now taking his leave. I'll miss his character.
And Alex has now gone rogue with Owen, in what they see to be the only way of stopping the collaborators: by having Alex go in undercover. But to win the collaborators' trust, she's wiped all the evidence the taskforce had on the collaborators, leaving the taskforce completely screwed, almost broken and on the verge of complete exposure.
Quantico - 2x19 "Mhorder"
"The taskforce tries to turn one of the collaborators."
I'm not typically a fan of galas or upper-class parties as a setting for undercover work unless it's actually unavoidable due to plot (which it usually isn't). However, in "Mhorder", the only way to get the surviving collaborators together and attempt to turn them was with an invitation from the President to a hastily arranged engagement party for Clay and Maxine. Of course, it never seemed like it was ever going to work: the collaborators were aware of the ploy and had already prepared steps to avoid incriminating themselves or even being in the presence of taskforce members for too long. And the one time it did look like it had worked (with Ryan successfully blackmailing a mercenary called Alice Winter), she reversed the blackmail by exposing the taskforce to the media as an unsanctioned black ops unit and fronting it with video of Ryan heading for a secret meeting. That means the President could be impeached, which I forgot was a thing the collaborators could push for. Juicy.
Meanwhile, Clay's burgeoning feelings for Shelby were cut off at his request, though I doubt he wanted to see Caleb and Shelby come down from their room, having pretended to have sex to hurt him. But I reckon Caleb enjoyed hurting his brother as much as he enjoys his unceasing remarks about Shelby; job done, Caleb is now taking his leave. I'll miss his character.And Alex has now gone rogue with Owen, in what they see to be the only way of stopping the collaborators: by having Alex go in undercover. But to win the collaborators' trust, she's wiped all the evidence the taskforce had on the collaborators, leaving the taskforce completely screwed, almost broken and on the verge of complete exposure.
VIEWERS: 2.59m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.5
VERDICT: You knew the gala ploy was never going to work, but it failed in a much less predictable and satisfying manner. Caleb's wit punched through the seriousness of the episode, and giant twists rounded off another stunning entry. 9/10
Things were already hot in Quantico, but with "GlobalReach" they hit boiling point. Alex's actions with the collaborators not only broke her relationship with CIA Director Keyes, but subtly saved six FBI agents from death despite her having no option but to allow them to be poisoned in the first place. Meanwhile, Clay tried to bring down Roarke by framing Roarke's assistant Felix behind Raina's back, but Raina, not fooled, blew their op in hopes of using Felix to free Nimah. The problem is that Raina blowing the op caused Felix to resign, leaving Nimah in an even more troublesome situation and the taskforce with even fewer ways to bring down the collaborators.
But the disunity was a detriment to the quality of the episode. It was, of course, necessary for the characters, broken apart as they were, to try and take matters into their own hands, but that really didn't marry well with their endgame of bringing down Roarke. Fortunately, Clay has resigned as leader of the taskforce, passing control over to Owen - hopefully this signals a reunion of sorts, although Alex will of course remain undercover with the collaborators.
However, President Claire Haas's impeachment cannot be stopped, leading her to the heartbreaking decision to resign before that becomes necessary. In doing so, she passes the Presidency to Speaker of the House and collaborator Henry Roarke. So what will happen now with the ultimate antagonist ascending to one of the most powerful positions in the world?
Quantico - 2x20 "GlobalReach"
"Alex infiltrates the collaborators. Clay comes up with a plan to take down Roarke."
Things were already hot in Quantico, but with "GlobalReach" they hit boiling point. Alex's actions with the collaborators not only broke her relationship with CIA Director Keyes, but subtly saved six FBI agents from death despite her having no option but to allow them to be poisoned in the first place. Meanwhile, Clay tried to bring down Roarke by framing Roarke's assistant Felix behind Raina's back, but Raina, not fooled, blew their op in hopes of using Felix to free Nimah. The problem is that Raina blowing the op caused Felix to resign, leaving Nimah in an even more troublesome situation and the taskforce with even fewer ways to bring down the collaborators.
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| President Haas resigns live on TV, as seen from the taskforce bunker |
However, President Claire Haas's impeachment cannot be stopped, leading her to the heartbreaking decision to resign before that becomes necessary. In doing so, she passes the Presidency to Speaker of the House and collaborator Henry Roarke. So what will happen now with the ultimate antagonist ascending to one of the most powerful positions in the world?
VIEWERS: 2.65m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.6
VERDICT: The separate plot strands didn't work in the Quantico world (where all ops failed), or the real world, where everything just felt a little bit all over the place - just not in the good way. 8/10
Quantico - 2x21 "Rainbow"
"The collaborators try to commit a 9/11-type terror attack to win public support."
Quantico went as far with this shocking storyline as a 9/11-esque terror attack orchestrated by a President. It was nail-biting stuff for 28 minutes as the taskforce raced to get the names of on-board Muslims being made patsies, and use the FAA to stop them. This required Alex to give up her in with the collaborators, meaning the penultimate episode has reset everyone to square one.
Almost.
Following the taskforce's prevention of the terror attack, Roarke requests the entire team to come to a public address, where he exposes them as an undercover group working against terrorism, making it sound as if they were his friends and not his enemies. (Given this nuclear move, you do have to wonder if the collaborators actually wanted them to foil their plan rather than let it happen. Both outcomes benefited the collaborators.)
But this was all done towards the end in an episode that finished the main arc after just 28 minutes. The remaining quarter hour spent time on characters reflecting about their lives and worrying about how to move forward and fight the collaborators, with Alex coming to the one terrible, brilliant, amazing conclusion: they have to be terrorists.
But those terrorists will be a woman short, after Raina gave herself up to the collaborators to provide the taskforce a distraction earlier in the episode. So as the taskforce takes on Roarke, it's 7/8 people against the might of the American government.
Bring it on.
(Also, it's nice to see Will Olsen again. If there's one thing I love about Quantico, it's how it utilises its wider character base effectively.)
VIEWERS: 2.87m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.5
VERDICT: Heart-pounding, stomach-churning action mixed with pure horror at the eventual outcome. A truly magnificent episode and a stunning set-up to the finale. 9/10
A dramatic finale didn't quite scale the heights I had expected, perhaps due to time constraints. After all, the actual Hail Mary had to be discovered inside 40 minutes, between a failed Hail Mary (of course the taskforce hadn't managed to escape the watchful eyes of the collaborators in the 100-day lead-up to the Constitutional Convention), the confrontation and all the emotional wrap-up a finale needs.
The failed Hail Mary worked for showing how things were changing - a combined intelligence agency for whom the taskforce were forced to vet agents - and a plan the taskforce had to stop the convention: blackmail the swing votes. Of course, that would have been too easy and it failed, so the next move is for Clay to listen to Caleb's advice from episodes ago and think outside the box: if Peter Theo had dirt on everyone necessary to help the collaborators win, wouldn't he also have dirt on the collaborators?
Will Olsen and Iris Chang (Iris of season 1 fame), return to sting Theo and access his home computer; again, this was a little too easy but again, time constraints. And once the dirt was retrieved, it was up to Alex to pass it along to the Russians to later prove at the Constitutional Convention that Roarke was working at least in part for the Russians.
And then came the exit strategy: Alex's fake shooting, for which Miranda will now serve time in a white collar prison. But the rest? Roarke killed himself; Clay got married to Maxine after Shelby finally pushed him away; Raina and Nimah were released; Owen became Deputy Director of the CIA; Shelby went back to working at Quantico; and Alex fled the country - only to be joined by Ryan who, in the final scene, reenacted their first meeting, with a few emotional lines to account for the present situation.
I was surprised at this: given the season 3 renewal, I expected a cliffhanger. But I'll take this, since it ends the season story not only very well, but also gives a clear path for a season 3 return. Other thoughts: the 100-day lead-up to the Convention took half the episode, a strong amount of time and more than I expected. If Iris had only appeared in one scene - her lambasting Alex for seemingly giving up all the ideals they shared at Quantico and uniting the intelligence agencies - I would have been happy with her cameo; but the fact she got called in to help the taskforce was even better. Clay's motivational speech "it's just us against America" reminds me of Root's speech to Finch about "it's just us vs Samaritan". And what about Roarke's speech to Clay following his defeat? They muddied the extent of his villain status with his passion for America and his belief in his actions. Smart move.
VERDICT: Not as dramatic as I'd hoped for, but still a hectic, full climax. And a wonderful ending. 9/10
Quantico went as far with this shocking storyline as a 9/11-esque terror attack orchestrated by a President. It was nail-biting stuff for 28 minutes as the taskforce raced to get the names of on-board Muslims being made patsies, and use the FAA to stop them. This required Alex to give up her in with the collaborators, meaning the penultimate episode has reset everyone to square one.
Almost.
Following the taskforce's prevention of the terror attack, Roarke requests the entire team to come to a public address, where he exposes them as an undercover group working against terrorism, making it sound as if they were his friends and not his enemies. (Given this nuclear move, you do have to wonder if the collaborators actually wanted them to foil their plan rather than let it happen. Both outcomes benefited the collaborators.)
But those terrorists will be a woman short, after Raina gave herself up to the collaborators to provide the taskforce a distraction earlier in the episode. So as the taskforce takes on Roarke, it's 7/8 people against the might of the American government.
Bring it on.
(Also, it's nice to see Will Olsen again. If there's one thing I love about Quantico, it's how it utilises its wider character base effectively.)
VIEWERS: 2.87m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.5
VERDICT: Heart-pounding, stomach-churning action mixed with pure horror at the eventual outcome. A truly magnificent episode and a stunning set-up to the finale. 9/10
Quantico - 2x22 "Resistance"
"The taskforce make one last stand to topple Roarke."
A dramatic finale didn't quite scale the heights I had expected, perhaps due to time constraints. After all, the actual Hail Mary had to be discovered inside 40 minutes, between a failed Hail Mary (of course the taskforce hadn't managed to escape the watchful eyes of the collaborators in the 100-day lead-up to the Constitutional Convention), the confrontation and all the emotional wrap-up a finale needs.
The failed Hail Mary worked for showing how things were changing - a combined intelligence agency for whom the taskforce were forced to vet agents - and a plan the taskforce had to stop the convention: blackmail the swing votes. Of course, that would have been too easy and it failed, so the next move is for Clay to listen to Caleb's advice from episodes ago and think outside the box: if Peter Theo had dirt on everyone necessary to help the collaborators win, wouldn't he also have dirt on the collaborators?
Will Olsen and Iris Chang (Iris of season 1 fame), return to sting Theo and access his home computer; again, this was a little too easy but again, time constraints. And once the dirt was retrieved, it was up to Alex to pass it along to the Russians to later prove at the Constitutional Convention that Roarke was working at least in part for the Russians.
 |
| Alex addresses the Constitutional Convention |
I was surprised at this: given the season 3 renewal, I expected a cliffhanger. But I'll take this, since it ends the season story not only very well, but also gives a clear path for a season 3 return. Other thoughts: the 100-day lead-up to the Convention took half the episode, a strong amount of time and more than I expected. If Iris had only appeared in one scene - her lambasting Alex for seemingly giving up all the ideals they shared at Quantico and uniting the intelligence agencies - I would have been happy with her cameo; but the fact she got called in to help the taskforce was even better. Clay's motivational speech "it's just us against America" reminds me of Root's speech to Finch about "it's just us vs Samaritan". And what about Roarke's speech to Clay following his defeat? They muddied the extent of his villain status with his passion for America and his belief in his actions. Smart move.
VIEWERS: 3.00m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.6
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
WEEK TWO --- Keyes: "Calling this a challenge is the understatement of the century."
WEEK THIRTY-ONE --- Roarke (on America): "Our definition of democracy is a first draft written centuries ago."
WEEK THIRTY-TWO --- Caleb (singing to and about collaborator Roarke): "This white man / Old fascist / He wants Muslims on a list / With a knick knack Paddy whack, send them all back! / Soon he'll cooo-ooome for the Jews!
WEEK THIRTY-ONE --- Roarke (on America): "Our definition of democracy is a first draft written centuries ago."
WEEK THIRTY-TWO --- Caleb (singing to and about collaborator Roarke): "This white man / Old fascist / He wants Muslims on a list / With a knick knack Paddy whack, send them all back! / Soon he'll cooo-ooome for the Jews!
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