Peter brings POTUS up to speed after a sting operation. A lethal cat-and-mouse game unfolds at the home of a reluctant source. Peter's visit to an exclusive hunting lodge turns into a fight for survival. Chelsea's concerns grow when a White House statement doesn't add up.
"Dark Matters" was written by Seth Fisher and directed by Adam Arkin
FBI agents ran the same training exercise until they got it right. The purpose was to prepare them for the field. They made their mistakes then so they would never have to deal with the weight of losing someone on the job. That still happened. Peter mourns Catherine. She was killed by Jacob. The chaos forces Peter and Mosley to update President Hagan on everything that's been going on. They don't have a name for the intelligence broker. Hagan does. He knows Jacob was trying to sell information to him about his opponent's connection to Foxglove. In the end, Jacob released it in the hopes of gaining control over the most powerful man in the world. Knowing how the government is potentially compromised forces Hagan to share the truth with his wife. They present as a team. She's in lockstep with every decision he makes. She's also bonded to Chelsea as part of their security detail. Chelsea runs into Peter again. They don't have much time to catch up. Instead, she gets pulled into an engagement. She's excited. She also notices when someone attacks the First Lady. She kills the assailant. No weapon is recovered. As such, the stakes quickly elevate in that corner of this world. Chelsea is a reliable ally for those who need help. She also finds herself in a new situation where she doesn't fully understand what's going on. It's unclear if the broker is even involved at all.
FBI agents ran the same training exercise until they got it right. The purpose was to prepare them for the field. They made their mistakes then so they would never have to deal with the weight of losing someone on the job. That still happened. Peter mourns Catherine. She was killed by Jacob. The chaos forces Peter and Mosley to update President Hagan on everything that's been going on. They don't have a name for the intelligence broker. Hagan does. He knows Jacob was trying to sell information to him about his opponent's connection to Foxglove. In the end, Jacob released it in the hopes of gaining control over the most powerful man in the world. Knowing how the government is potentially compromised forces Hagan to share the truth with his wife. They present as a team. She's in lockstep with every decision he makes. She's also bonded to Chelsea as part of their security detail. Chelsea runs into Peter again. They don't have much time to catch up. Instead, she gets pulled into an engagement. She's excited. She also notices when someone attacks the First Lady. She kills the assailant. No weapon is recovered. As such, the stakes quickly elevate in that corner of this world. Chelsea is a reliable ally for those who need help. She also finds herself in a new situation where she doesn't fully understand what's going on. It's unclear if the broker is even involved at all.
Jacob's busy cutting ties with Freya's financial institution. He was promised secrecy. He chose this bank because reports into his shady transactions would never be produced. Now, he can't operate with that certainty. The only way to restore trust is to meet another client. That won't happen. And so, Jacob sticks to his exit. Nothing can change his mind. His appearance has changed though. Peter saw that in their brief interaction. It highlights his humanity. He may be sick just like anyone else. That makes him vulnerable. He refuses to let his guard down. Peter's only lead is teaming up with Isabel. It takes awhile to gain her trust. That only comes with certainty that this story will be published. His involvement will be mentioned in the story. Peter can't make that deal. She pushes for answers he can't disclose. Nevertheless, he saves her life. The Father targets her. Vernon and Mike have already been killed. Someone's insuring this story doesn't leak any further. She wants to hold the financial institutions supporting terrorism accountable. She can't let their involvement go. She and Peter are quickly flung together out of convenience. Peter even suggests time will forge a strong bond. It did with Rose and Catherine. He can't depend on those relationships anymore. A new partner has been forced unto him without any warning. He can't go rogue even though that's how he frequently operates at his best. That only leaves him in a compromised position. As a team, he has to consider how everyone else handles the drama.
Grade: B-
"Orion" was written by Eileen Myers and directed by Adam Arkin
Chelsea and Theo met fifteen months ago. He asked her out because her suggestion for Jenny's speech worked. He had nothing. He was impressed. In the White House, she remains with the Secret Service while he serves as Press Secretary. They are engaged. Yet they have different responses to sharing the news of Jenny's attack. The story doesn't completely line up for Chelsea. She needs to investigate further. It's important the truth gets out. It serves no one to try to spin this to make everything seem better. That's Theo's job. He wants to honor Chelsea's actions. She prevented the situation from getting worse. Chelsea's furious her name was revealed in the midst of an active investigation. It goes against protocol. These details are crucial. They matter. They dictate what actually happened in that room. She needs to know why a career staffer at the White House suddenly became violent. She realizes Jenny took her attacker's phone. It's a mystery. When Chelsea presses for more details, Jenny shifts to still being traumatized. A moment prior, she bragged about her ability to compartmentalize. That doesn't serve her well here. Being too distraught over what she experienced ensures Chelsea doesn't push too hard. Jenny then aims to distract by inviting Chelsea and Theo to a private dinner with the President. A lot occurs in this story without being too obvious with the various twists.
Chelsea and Theo met fifteen months ago. He asked her out because her suggestion for Jenny's speech worked. He had nothing. He was impressed. In the White House, she remains with the Secret Service while he serves as Press Secretary. They are engaged. Yet they have different responses to sharing the news of Jenny's attack. The story doesn't completely line up for Chelsea. She needs to investigate further. It's important the truth gets out. It serves no one to try to spin this to make everything seem better. That's Theo's job. He wants to honor Chelsea's actions. She prevented the situation from getting worse. Chelsea's furious her name was revealed in the midst of an active investigation. It goes against protocol. These details are crucial. They matter. They dictate what actually happened in that room. She needs to know why a career staffer at the White House suddenly became violent. She realizes Jenny took her attacker's phone. It's a mystery. When Chelsea presses for more details, Jenny shifts to still being traumatized. A moment prior, she bragged about her ability to compartmentalize. That doesn't serve her well here. Being too distraught over what she experienced ensures Chelsea doesn't push too hard. Jenny then aims to distract by inviting Chelsea and Theo to a private dinner with the President. A lot occurs in this story without being too obvious with the various twists.
Peter and Isabel's adventure at the hunting lodge doesn't actually produce a lot of progress. Senator Lansing reaches out to Isabel only in the hopes of convincing her to drop the story. He sees how determined she is. He wants to share the truth. He was oblivious for far too long. He knows that sharing what he knows will only get both of them killed. He points a gun at the reporter. Peter saves her. The Senator is killed before anything else occurs. Everyone was being closely watched in this environment. It's striking how the Father is present for every important moment of Peter and Isabel's investigation. He's watching them as they're watching the Senator. Meanwhile, he's also trying to be a parent to his son. It's incredibly reckless to bring him into this environment. The Son is curious about what his dad does for work. They are both obviously smart. That intelligence and curiosity complicates things. It all largely comes across as humanizing details for the man hunting down the protagonists. It doesn't immediately connect to the larger conspiracy. It's just preventing the truth from being exposed. The show provides details to create a more fulfilling world. That aims to make up for the lack of progress in the investigation. The final sequence of Peter and Isabel being hunted down in the woods is thrilling. It establishes that Adam was also nearby watching. That could make everyone feel powerless. They grapple with so much more than what they could perceive. It's also just an effective way to keep the main characters alive at this point.
Grade: B-
