'Covert Affairs' recap: Blond ambition
Season four of Covert Affairs ended with Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) stepping over the dead body of Henry Wilcox. She picked up her phone, dialed Auggie (Christopher Gorham) and calmly discussed the best strategy of slipping past Chinese security agents waiting for her at the dock. One fancy yacht later, and a quick congratulatory call to Joan and Arthur (Kari Matchett and Peter Gallagher) on the birth of their son, and Annie is ready to emerge from her season of darkness. This includes both her CIA status, as well as her hair color.
Of course, everything isn't butterflies and rainbows now that Henry is gone. Season five opens with the obligatory undercover drama shot - a person concealed in a black hoodie. The figure stares into a security camera, removes the hood and shakes out perfectly coiffed blond hair.
Annie is back, people. I have no idea what's going on, but Annie is back.
She contacts Auggie to meet her at the National Mall to discuss secrets. I would be willing to bet every tree planted in the National Mall has some sort of recording device, but let's not get bogged down with details of discretion. Annie tells him she's ready to come back to Langley. She wants him to be her handler again, but this time she will leave all emotional attachments at the door. It's been four months, and she's ready.
Four months?
Auggie: 'You dropped off the map. Time passed. We're good.' Annie: 'Really?' Auggie: 'Why? Did you want to make out or something?'
Got it. Annie killed Henry, hopped on yacht and dropped off the grid for four months. The love connection between Auggie and Annie has magically disappeared, because Auggie has used the last 16 weeks to learn how to deal with his frustrations through judo. He's totally cool with everything going back the way it was before. Just like that. This makes perfect sense and does not raise any flags. Please note that I used a sarcastic font when typing that sentence.
Auggie brings Annie in and she's immediately hooked up to a polygraph machine. Calder (Hill Harper) and Auggie watch from another room. It's clear to both of them that Annie has not 'passed' the polygraph test, but she has in fact beaten it. Calder demands that she tell them what she's holding back, but she is saved by a voice message. CIA duty calls in the form of a bad guy from Annie's past.
Khalid Ansari is back on U.S. soil and is wreaking havoc in Chicago. Khalid is the guy who lived in the glass house, favored Western women and had a panache for throwing his daddy's money around before he killed him. Annie is put on the next plane to the Windy City where she meets Josh from the Chicago office. She warns him that something big is about to happen and their best bet is to check the fanciest hotels for a man matching Khalid's description.
Annie's hunch is correct. Within minutes, the hotel is surrounded. Annie and Josh storm his room, only to find Khalid holding a hostage, claiming that 'if these people can do this to me, what chance do you have?'
What people? Doing what to him?
Annie was wondering the same thing. As she advances on Khalid to get the truth out of him, Josh calls for a sniper across the street to take the shot. Khalid is dead. Annie is furious and Josh is confused. He's not the only one.
Joan meets with the DCI to see where she stands in the agency. Apparently that is behind Calder. She has been assigned back to the DPD. Neither she nor Calder are happy about the decision. Joan leaves in a huff and Calder is told he had better straighten up and get his affairs in order.
Well this is new. The writers' room mantra must have been to set up the entire season's various storylines for every major character in the first 20 minutes of episode one. Is Calder going somewhere to need his affairs in order? Are his affairs discombobulated? Does he never not look good in a suit? These are questions we need answered.
Back in Chicago, Josh's team broke into Khalid's safe and found a name: Borz Altan. We learn that he's a former veteran who now works for McQuaid Security. Annie tracks him down, assumes the alias of a woman from the Veteran's Affairs office and pushes her way into his house that he shares with his brother Mykola and sister Oksana. Annie notices a shrine with special occasion prayer rugs. She calls Josh and Joan to warn them that Borz and is family are mourning a martyr before an attack. Something big is going down today.
Annie waits outside of the house and then follows Borz down a path, a little too close for my taste. He could easily turn around and see her, but before I can yell at her through my television, she grabs her chest and slumps down a wall, unable to breathe. She stabs her thigh with an EpiPen. She dials a number and uses an alias name when her call is answered. She asks the receiver to please tell the doctor that she had another episode.
Was it a panic attack? Does Annie have a heart issue? Is it breaking because Auggie didn't grab her and kiss her after four months in the South Pacific? We just don't know.
Although he expected her to 'be a little more dead,' he is aware of Annie's reputation. He shares that Borz did some security work for him in Eastern Europe and expects she's asking questions because of Khalid's death.
Don't look at him that way. He's been cleared to know this information. Intriguing.
In the one conversation he had with Borz, McQuaid recalls that he loved Mustangs. Annie bids him adieu. He appreciates her directness and gives her his card.
Annie: 'What part of this conversation makes you think I would want to work for you?' McQuaid: 'None of it. I'm asking you out to dinner.'
I'm trying to decide if McQuaid is a bad guy. I'm also trying to decide if I care at this point. Once Annie has settled this matter of national security, I suggest she at least take the guy up on his dinner invitation. It's the least she can do.
Meanwhile, Annie is directed to inspect a Mustang in a parking lot near Borz's house. She pulls out her trusty slim jim that she keeps in her back pocket and pops the lock. She looks under the seats, in the glove compartment, under the hood and finally the trunk. I'm sure you can guess what was in there.
His name was Eduardo Cruz and he is an employee of the Chicago Board of Trade. We now have a location of where the attack will more than likely take place. Joan takes command of the operation and decides that the worst thing to do is create panic. The Chicago trading floor will remain open while Annie and Josh sweep the premises for someone matching the Atlan's description. It should be as easy as finding a needle in a haystack.
After profiling several Middle Eastern men, Annie spots Mykola on the stairs. She speaks into her sleeve and four dudes slam him up against the wall, looking for any trace of explosives or a detonation device. He comes up clean. He's hauled to the Chicago office for questioning in a dark, black van that screams CIA. Just before they pull into the secret garage, Annie spots Oksana in a car outside the building. Josh instructs her to see what's going on while he man handles Mykola.
As Annie creeps toward the car, Oksana makes a call, notifying the person on the other end that 'they are in the building.' Inside, Josh notices that Mykola's shirt is bloody. He rips it open and discovers a fresh scar across his abdomen. Cue Borz saying a prayer for his brother and then punching a device. The Chicago office explodes.
Annie is startled by the commotion, but doesn't take her attention off of Oksana. She warns her to step out of the car, but Oksana moves for a gun in the glove compartment. Annie takes her out with one shot to the head and then turns to see the Chicago facility going up in flames.
Everyone in the office died. Oksana surgically implanted an IED in Mykola. Borz is in the wind. It was a direct attack on the agency and clearly the person responsible had inside information, access and knowledge of Langley's playbook.
Just before the explosion, we find McQuaid heavily recruiting Arthur to ditch the Mr. Mom role and come work for him. McQuaid thinks Arthur deserves to be appreciated and well paid. Don't we all?
After hearing of the Chicago disaster on the news, Arthur is determined to make a difference in the world. He takes McQuaid up on his offer. McQuaid is pleased. Then he asks Arthur if he knows Annie Walker? Is McQuaid trying to get intel for a bad reason? Or is he trying to figure Annie out for a 'check yes or no' reason? My gut tells me we're supposed to think he's bad, but he's really good.
Auggie tells Annie that he is relieved she wasn't in the building when it blew. He is willing to be her handler again, but there has to be absolute trust for things to work as they should . He tells her if there is anything he needs to know about where's she has been for the past four months, now is the time to tell him.
She assures him that he knows everything. I assure you that she is lying.
Covert Affairs, rated TV-14, airs Tuesdays at 10/9 C on USA Network.
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