In our timeline, The First Lady is dead, the terrorists have set up a service block around the summit and lined the hostages to cover the windows (used them as human shields) while Alex searches for a way to contact the FBI.

At the Farm

Alex and Ryan look like anything but spies as they frolick around in the sheets. It almost seems like these two are more interested in being a couple than saving the world. In the middle of their - um bed activity, they get a code message from Miranda telling them she is on the way to get debriefed.
Turns out that would be the last time the super spy couple would be meeting with Miranda as she has the bright idea to give them separate handlers. In her words: “You may be on the same mission, but you are not on the same team”.

At the Spy School of Deceit and Lies, the trainees are taking yoga lessons and their super spy instructor Owen Hall confesses that he has his eyes on Ryan. After the yoga class, they learn the art of surveillance. The class is pretty much warned that they will always be followed and watched. Hall goes ahead to explain the counter-surveillance formations which includes the Rabbit (the person being followed), four Eyes (the ones doing the following) to form a square and the Trigger (the person close enough to watch you without arousing suspicion and still control the eyes). Seemed pretty simple – keep your eyes up and don’t trust the person beside or behind you. A lesson that was apparently too complicated for almighty Parrish.

Meanwhile, the only other girl at the Farm Dayana seems to have no interest in her surroundings and an emotional attachment to her phone. We kind of hoped for a juicy story behind that but its just boring (more on that later). Lydia gives her a pep talk about why she’s needed at the Farm and the need to keep her head up – literally.






Alex leaves to go set up her bank account later than everyone because she had no idea she was supposed to do that, Harry approaches her, does a little flirting and offers to follow her around. An offer Alex immediately says yes to because she’s so desperate for friendship despite being described as “distrustful of others”. Ryan tries to get information out of his photographer roommate Leon (with little success) when they get an assignment to tail someone – Alex.

On her walk with Harry, Alex observes that she is the Rabbit and spots four Eyes –Ryan, Dayana, Sebastian and Leon but fails to think of the Trigger. She suggests to Harry that they make the trip more fun by splitting up so they can lose their tail. She succeeds in evading her surveillance but only because Dayana was too busy receiving a phone call. Ryan decides to talk to Dayana about her glaring distraction and she says unlike the hide and seek they’re playing; someone’s life is in danger at work. After his pep talk with Dayana, a good townie tells Ryan that a man (Owen) has been tailing him for two blocks.  Owen realizes that he has  been made and turns around with Ryan on his heel. The latter loses Owen but gets a video to prove that not only was he being tailed, his movements were recorded.

Alex calls Harry to explain that she has lost her tail. Shelby walks out and tries to talk to Alex but she gives her a warning look as Harry approaches and Shelby pretends to be a super-fan with a Texas accent and instead asks for her autograph. Ryan confronts Owen about the video and Owen reveals he has figured Ryan out. His assessment is that Ryan doesn’t trust authorities because of his experience with Liam but he is not Liam and he has a lot to teach Ryan if only he would let him. He goes ahead to say that he sees potential in Ryan and that’s why he wants him at the farm. Ryan says “you want a former FBI agent who couldn’t spot a terrorist right under his nose for years” and Owen replies that he wants the Ryan Booth who follows “his instincts not orders”.

When Alex comes out of the bank, Harry reveals that he was the Trigger and she led him to her drop. Not quite smart Alex. Harry goes on to explain that he likes Alex but work is work. Alex is disappointed per usual as all she wants is to be someone’s girlfriend or bff. They get back to the farm for assessment and its Dayana’s name at the bottom.

Alex finds out that her new handler is Shelby as Ryan in a different location realizes that his is Nimah. Shelby says the idea is for them to have a handler who they are familiar with so they can be themselves for those few minutes. Alex explains that she is doubtful of the CIA as it seems to be teaching her nothing other than being a good liar. Shelby comforts her but has to leave when Ryan calls. Turns out Ryan can’t make the booty call as his handler is impatient. They both finally realize that they may be together at the Farm, but they are alone. Lydia has a talk with Alex as she heads back to her room and it turns out she doesn’t hate her, she just knows that Alex works better under pressure.

At the end of the day, Lydia has dinner at home with Owen, Dayana ignores a call from work, Leon hides something in a picture frame and Harry googles Alex and finds a picture of she and Shelby hugging. He then goes ahead to Google Shelby. Looks like things are about to get tricky for Alex at the Farm


Real time

At the Headquarters, Miranda is having a meeting with other heads of security agencies and ordering them not to react to the terrorist situation. She explains that the terrorists had always intednde to kill the First Lady and requesting the release of certain prisoners was just a distraction. Something feels off about Miranda, she doesn’t talk or act like someone who’s in charge. Either the problem is with  Anujuane Ellis’ acting skills or Miranda is hiding something.

 

Shelby tries to get hold of Alex but to no avail. She tells Miranda that Alex could be at the summit trapped with the others and Miranda says she should keep trying  to reach Alex so if she is there, they could use her intel. At the Summit, Alex finds the guard who recognized her at the Summit’s entry wounded and decides to use him to find a place where she could contact the FBI. Turns out there is an NYPD safe bunker in the building so they make for it while trying to avoid terrorists. As they get to the bunker, the terrorists become aware of their presence and approaches. The guard pushes Alex into the bunker as he says “they know one of us is here” and locks himself out. Alex bangs on the door as she hears multiple gunshots. What a hero.

Ryan and Raina are trying to figure out who the terrorists are among them as Ryan reveals that 5 of the agents he trained with at the Farm are at the summit. Raina points out that the presence of 6 CIA agents in one room is not a coincidence. Raina has a bright idea to cut one of the terrorists when she is been rotated so they can tell when a civilian is replaced with a terrorist. Her plan is thwarted however as when she gets back to the room, everyone in it has been cut where the terrorist was cut. These guys really are smart and organized. It’s not farfetched to suspect that Raina may be in on this attack as she has always sympathized with terrorists and also happens to be the only person in the room who speak their language. For all we know, they could be communicating via whatever language they are speaking.

Alex finds a working phone and contacts Miranda to give her the low down. The latter tells her to find her way into the middle of the action (ergo leave that very safe spot she found) and be their eyes. Miranda hangs up and sends a text to someone at the summit wearing the terrorists’ uniform. The text read “Alex Parrish is inside”.

Questions

  • Are we to believe that Miranda is in on the attack? Its too early to reveal the villain so its either she has infiltrated the terrorist group or she’s working with them against her will.
  • Does Lydia really like Alex or is she working an angle?
  • What did Leon hide in that picture frame? A tiny camera? A flash drive? An SD card?
  • Is Raina in on the attack too?
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