Counterpart - S1E9 - No Man’s Land, Part 1

Previously on Counterpart, “Love the Lie”

So much went down in the penultimate episode of Counterpart’s first season that I can’t imagine what they have planned for next week’s finale.

Clare is absent from the plan she helped set in motion because she’s still confined to her bathroom. Peter removes the cuffs from her wrist only to shackle them to her foot. This does allow her to answer her hidden burner phone when he leaves the room, and she instructs Baldwin to forget about killing Emily Silk — for now — and take out Howard Prime posing as the Howard she met. With her work (mostly) done, Baldwin hands off the Guests’ IDs after killing their counterparts.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ian confronts Pope about using Kaspar. Pope, smooth as hell, doesn’t deny it and warns Ian to get to Kaspar before he does. Oh, and he also tells him about the Howard switch, but it turns out Ian already knew and has been waiting for Emily to be honest with him. Considering each Emily lies to everyone, he shouldn’t hold his breath.

They save Kaspar from Pope’s men and learn he was feeding Pope information in exchange for a new life on the other side, one in which he’d be able to be with his son who died on their side. He also confirms that Pope was behind Emily Alpha’s car accident. All of the death and lies make Howard realize he should probably take his ass home. That’s probably not going to be easy…

The three Guests take their place within the company — including Ringleader’s (Lotte Verbeek) role as Roland Fancher’s assistant. Angel Eyes uses his position in the mail room to smuggle in weapons, and the three of them methodically massacre people in various offices. Though two are killed, a wounded Angel Eyes makes it to the crossing where Aldrich and Cyrus can’t touch him.

Other Mysteries and Questions

Peter turned on Howard (no surprise), but luckily Aldrich is too smart to believe Howard is the mole. But he’s not smart enough to figure out that Peter is covering for his wife, the daughter of the head of Diplomacy? Come on.

Peter drives his car, with Clare in it, into a tree. Didn’t see that coming. We know Clare at least survived the trip to the hospital when her father gets the call, but no word on Peter.

Angel Eyes made sure to position himself on the border of the two worlds. Since they didn’t kill Fancher (and I don’t believe for a second it was because he’s Clare’s father since Clare isn’t supposed to care about him), it appears as though they’re trying to start a war.