- Title: Covert Affairs – Rock ‘N Roll Suicide
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“Let me get this straight, you staged an unsanctioned, off-book, one-man jailbreak with an operative from a competing spy service?”
Annie (Piper Perabo) may have tracked down Lena (Sarah Clarke) and exacted some vengeance for the death of Simon (Richard Coyle) and the attempt to kill and destroy Annie’s career, but as Covert Affairs returns from its mid-season hiatus the plucky young CIA agent has a long road home. Captured, and thrown into a Russian prison, Annie will need all the help she can get – including the unexpected assistance of an old friend.
As Annie’s interrogation begins at the hands of an agent (Goran Kostic) of the FSB, Arthur (Peter Gallagher), Joan (Kari Matchett) and a group of suits begin to put together a contingency plan should Annie break under the pressure and reveal any damaging information about classified operations the CIA has in play. Two weeks into her incarceration Auggie (Christopher Gorham) pitches Arthur a risky plan to retrieve his friend from an underground, fortified government facility that no prisoner has ever escaped from alive.
As with all the other suicide plans people have presented him with over the past two weeks, Arthur turns down Auggie’s proposal. However, luckily for both Annie and Auggie she has a friend in Israeli Intelligence (Oded Fehr) owing her a favor and willing to take the risk. Eyal manages to break a shaken Annie out of prison, but until they are safely out of Moscow there’s little Arthur can offer them in way of support. Annie’s determination to make sure Simon’s sister (Agnes Bruckner) is protected only further complicates their escape.
With their planned train escape compromised and learning Annie gave away her lifeline to the sister of her dead boyfriend, Eyal begins to wonder whether Annie is emotionally ready to make a final run at a trip home aboard a Polish cargo plane in the middle of an airstrip surrounded by fencing and guard towers and protected by more than 30 soldiers. One unexpected turn later and Annie finds herself in the position of relying on one of her greatest strengths, her ability to read people and make snap decisions, and make one final play to earn the spies their freedom.
The episode provides several tense moments, and I thought the late twist worked well as I thought we might be seeing Annie and Eyal’s stay in Russia extended for another episode. I was also impressed that the episode allowed Annie to be visibly shaken by the experience but find a way to balance her trauma with her stubborn streak, training, and the help of a couple of good friends to make it home. Once again the show reminds us of the relationship and trust Annie garners from those around her including Auggie and Eyal who risk everything on an unsanctioned suicide mission to save the life of their friend.
When they stopped the plane I about died. I’m not complaining but the show came back faster than usual. I love Eyal but I want more Annie and Auggie now.