Quantico – Care

By: Alex Steele

Shock! Big reveal! Are you serious? All words and phrases to describe how fans I’m sure are feeling after this week’s episode of “Quantico” titled Care. This instalment may have involved one of the most unexpected reveals of the season. But I’ll get to that later…

The episode starts out (surprisingly) with Ryan (Jake McLaughlin) sitting in a bar with Simon (Tate Ellington). Initially, we’re all thinking “What the,” but as the scene progresses we learn that Simon and Alex (Priyanka Chopra) are trying to gather evidence regarding the CIA asset the terrorist is after. Simon swiftly places a tracking device and a microphone on Ryan, giving him and Alex the upper hand for most of the episode. Can anyone trust anyone on this show? As we fast approach the season finale, it seems more and more likely that alliances aren’t really something you can rely on – at all.

This week at Quantico, the NATs have the opportunity to rank and pick the field office they hope to be stationed at upon graduation. Among other things, Caleb (Graham Rogers) and Alex continue to encourage Shelby (Johanna Braddy) to reach out to her parents. Will (Jay Alexander Johnson) is still committed to infiltrating Systemics. Drew (Lenny Platt) and Alex continue their flirty banter. The twins (Yasmine Al Massri) are trying to stop the FBI from ending their “twin project” and Ryan is now the new staff counsellor. Talk about interesting! Their assignment this week is based around human trafficking so everyone must be on their “A” game, especially seeing as they are tasked with returning to the United States from Canada – without their passports. Oh, this is going to be fun!

Back to the future, Ryan is briefing Liam (Josh Hopkins) who is the new interim Deputy Director of the FBI after his meeting with Simon. Little do they know, Alex and Simon can hear everything. After tracking down the CIA asset Simon had mentioned to him, Ryan with the help of Liam organise a meet to find out just who the terrorist is after and why. Too bad Alex and Simon are already on their way and when they are successfully let in to see the asset, bombshell number one for the week is dropped. The asset is, wait for it, Will Olsen!

Checking back in with the NATs, each team is having difficulty returning to the United States. Well, all of them except Raina and Nimah who are using their identical twin status so well. Caleb has other plans though as he has organised a meet for Shelby and her parents. Johanna Braddy has been absolutely stellar throughout this season, but specifically through this entire story arc she has had our hearts breaking and hanging on her every word. And when the reunion finally occurs, and she is face to face with her parents, the emotional power she brings to Shelby continues. It is here we get an explanation from her parents about their disappearance: On September 11^th they were on a plane scheduled to depart after the one that flew into the World Trade Centre. But that’s not the kicker – they were involved in the selling of weapon software that ended up in the hands of the Taliban. Talk about reveal after reveal!

Simon and Alex, shocked and in awe that it is Will being held by the CIA, continue to question him. He has been held as an asset for seven months, obvious by his dishevelled appearance and physicality. With only a window of opportunity to act, Alex and Simon break Will out successfully. Not only that, they learn why he is being held as an asset – Will cracked the NSA encryption software.

It has become known that the last minutes of a “Quantico” episode always leave our minds scrambled and this week’s ending was no exception. In Quantico current time, Shelby and Caleb are still in Canada. After overhearing her parents’ plot to con Shelby once again, Caleb makes a move to protect her once and for all. He confronts them and their reasons aren’t convincing at all – they need to stay hidden. Caleb makes a deal with them, he will give them $5 million to stay away, to leave Shelby be. And, of course, they accept. When Shelby questions Caleb to as to where they are, he lies. But the positive out of this situation? He has scored them a private jet – on behalf of daddy dearest – to get them back to Quantico.

Elsewhere, Drew and Alex finally acknowledge the tension between them, leading to a fireside hook up. Iris and Will resort to public indecency to get them deported. Therefore, with everyone back at Quantico successfully, Liam announces the winner – Raina/Nimah – especially after their orchestrated smooth, switcheroo.

In future days, Simon and Alex have are back at her apartment with Will in tow. Anxiously waiting on the terrorist to call or put into play their next move, Will suggests that they do, in fact, hand him over to the terrorist. That way they’ll have an inside man he is committed to helping them and he wants to stop anyone else from getting hurt. With an agreed upon drop site, we cut forward to see the three of them standing in the dark. As a black SUV pulls up, Will walks towards it and hops in upon the request of the terrorist. But what follows next is the moment that leaves all our mouths dropped – the voice askes for Simon. Um, no. Alex is obviously not having any part of this, but with a few reassuring words from Simon, he walks to the car. That isn’t it, though! The terrorist has one more request – hand the phone to the driver. Cue the sound of shock and the united “WTF” screams for us fans as the window slowly goes down it reveals none other than Shelby. Yes, that is right, Shelby! Add to that she looks badass and pissed so it is safe to say that twist is another one we didn’t see coming. So do our theories change on who the terrorist is?

Other key points:

• Do you think Shelby’s parents factor in to the terrorist plot?
• Can we trust Will? Simon?