Quantico - S2E20 - GLOBALREACH

Previously on Quantico, “MHORDER

GLOBALREACH is a CIA cryptonym for the organization’s analytical tools that is specifically designed for federated querying metadata records to be shared with the NSA and its Five Eyes partners. An appropriate title as Alex tries to ingratiate herself with this global conspiracy. 

The Good Son

Clay is broke again, y’all. Senator Roarke has exposed the task force and Ryan and Shelby’s covers are blown so they’re confined to the bunker. Raina is still pretending to be Nimah and her “we’re all immigrants” speeches have been working to get Felix to help her track down her sister. But basically, the team has fallen apart and Clay is blaming himself for his mother’s impending impeachment. It’s hard not to feel for him. Although he came in cocky, he has a true love for this country and he believes his mother is the right one for this job. He’s the Chelsea Clinton to her Hillary and to watch his mother be demonized by the very person who is setting everything up is harsh.

Because he can’t trust anyone, he and Shelby devise a plan to use Raina and Felix’s budding friendship to set him up and take down Roarke by association. Obviously, Raina blows the operation because they’re working without her and Clay also ruins his already tremulous friendship with Felix. By the end of the episode, Clay has disbanded the team yet again. Felix is an interesting character though. He understands that his boss is a Muslim-and-immigrant-hating, rich white man but he refuses to help Clay bring him down unless it’s completely aboveboard. It’s an interesting contradiction and it feels more like Felix is justifying his own guilt by association.

The New Kid

Alex has to prove herself to the Collaborators. They want her to convince her CIA and FBI contacts to get behind Roarke’s regime for “the greater good”. With the CIA this means ousting Matthew Keyes (Henry Czerny), the man who recruited her. It’s a hard mission for Alex and Owen gives her a pep talk and a deutschmark as a token to remind her that she’s not alone.

It’s all very touching and it seems like their double-cross is going well until Ryan won’t. stop. calling. He doesn’t want to believe Alex would turn on them (which is right) but he also keeps trying to rescue her from herself (which is wrong). As annoying as Alex’s self-righteousness can be, she’s a good agent. Though this mission is hard for her and she’ll probably be backed into a lot of corners, she’ll always make the decision that’s best for the mission and saves the most lives. Owen may play dirty and Ryan might be a Boy Scout but Alex knows how to straddle the line between both. 

Who’s Sexin’ Whom?

[Usher’s U Got It Bad plays hauntingly in the background] Clay is shook! Despite Shelby’s “indiscretion” with Caleb, he still wants her. To be honest, I’m baffled by it because his fiancée seems to be smart, attractive and incredibly interesting. Not that Shelby isn’t those things but when you add in the baggage Shelby comes with it’s a no-brainer. Ryan and Owen are pulling Alex in two different directions but so far it seems to be about the work. That could change at any moment with this trio.

Every week I look like that Webay gif from The Wire. How did this show get so good in just a few episodes? Making the show more topical and reactive to what is happening with our current political climate has upped the ante. Alex’s heel turn and Raina’s push/pull with Felix is forcing the show to ask big questions about these women’s identities and religion and where it conflicts with their work. And while Shelby’s entanglements with the Haas men has the potential to feel tedious, Hunter Parrish pulls the audience in with his performance. He truly is the good son trying to help his mother and retain his morals and he believes in the greatness of America despite seeing everything that would prove otherwise. I don’t know if the Collaborators can be taken down in the next few episodes (it feels like this kind of conspiracy is too big to take down easily) but I’m really invested in seeing where this season ends.