Quantico – Drive

By: Alex Steele

The finale is fast approaching and Alex (Priyanka Chopra) seems to be hitting her stride. She has Shelby (Johanna Braddy) at her side and Caleb (Graham Rogers) doing his best to also support the determined detective. However, are they going to be enough to help Alex evade the powers of Ryan (Jake McLaughlin), Nimah (Yasmine Al Massri) and Miranda (Aujanue Ellis) or is she going to be caught again?

This week’s episode Drive opened with a group of SWAT agents, led by Ryan and Nimah, bursting into Alex’s apartment. Too bad she isn’t there. What they do find is a filthy, disheveled looking Caleb. I have to say Graham Rogers has delivered some of the greatest moments this season. His power across the spectrum of human emotion has been flawless and his witty, recovering drug-addict banter is next level. As he sits, not having moved an inch, he offers another one-liner while eating cereal. So, Alex isn’t at her apartment. But then where is she? Cut to the church from last week, we see bomb techs scoping the building with a hidden Alex looking on. On the phone to Shelby, who is at the hospital with Will (Jay Alexander Johnson) as he’s in the ICU, Alex is searching for other unregistered “John Does” as she is desperately trying to find a still missing Simon (Tate Ellington).

In Quantico days, the NATs are starting off their week with some good ol’ close quarters combat. First, it’s NAT vs. NAT and I have to say, it was kind of fiery. But that was just the warm up. Next up the class counsellors, including Liam (Josh Hopkins) and Ryan, are the NATs next challenge. Obviously since last week, Ryan and Alex have rekindled their flirtation, clear by the banter and somewhat sexual nature of their close quarters combat in which Ryan wins. Elsewhere in Quantico, the twins lay down the law to their new handler who seems to be taking it easy on them and Shelby has changed plans and is applying for field offices closer to her parents and the Canadian border. Iris (Li Jun Li) passes this information on to Caleb (who is still being shut out) and upon hearing the news, implores Iris to try and stop Shelby as it is a huge mistake.

Back in future time, Alex and Shelby have arrived at the hospital to check in on their registered John Doe. Walking into the room, we are met with a brown-haired body turned away from view, but with a swift move of their body, the John Doe is revealed. It’s Drew (Lenny Platt). Yes, that’s right, DREW. Not even saying hello, all he says is, “Is it over? Did you get him?” Alex questions him as to who and he replies “Ryan.” GASP! Drew goes on to say he received a call from an unknown number shortly after leaving Quantico where he was told to rent a van. From there the voice continued to ask him to do things and if he refused, his family was threatened. He continues with the most recent development, he drove a van with the nuclear fuel core to Yonkers where he waited close by to see who would show up and it was Ryan with Will. He encourages Alex to grab the flash drive out of his pocket and look into Ryan. After the conversation, both Alex and Shelby are reluctant to believe Drew’s tale, but somehow it all seems to be adding up. With only one way to prove the truth, Alex heads to the FBI to plug the flash drive into Ryan’s computer. And with a little help from Shelby, she burns the computer system to cause a fire while Alex is inside. Seems pretty easy, that is until Ryan shows up with his gun loaded, ready and pointed at Alex.

Once the NATs are done beating each other up, they are off to field offices for the day for some work experience and by that I mean alphabetizing files and making cold calls. The twins; however, are tasked with identifying their contact without being made themselves. Can they do it? Caleb and Shelby are paired together in the file room and it’s as awkward as you predict while Alex, Brandon (Jacob Artist) and Iris are tasked with cold calls. Alex uncovers a lead and when invited along to question the witness has some problems with how Special Agent Kent (Patrick Labbe) goes about it. Not following through, Alex takes it upon herself to look into “Walker” more and uncovers that he has a history in child pornography. Unfortunately, Alex’s go get em’ attitude once again gets her in trouble as she jumps the gun getting Brandon to sit on his house when in fact the FBI are already investigating Walker. Admitting to the mistake is a good play because Brandon ends up being held hostage, knife to throat and all, but with a little bit of heroism from Ryan all is well that ends well.

What is a pretty hectic, insane, crazy, brutal, fight scene, Alex and Ryan go at it. Putting their “close quarters” skills to work, the fight is pretty even throughout. I’ve got to say at times I gasped and looked away from Priyanka Chopra and Jake McLaughlin. if they did in fact do the stunts themselves, they were absolutely killer in this scene. Not to mention, they have on point acting, both emotionally and passionately trying to convince one another of the truth. Alex, countless times, tries to tell Ryan the truth, but he isn’t budging one bit. You can tell that up to this point he is done with her games that her words cannot be taken seriously. I feel for Alex because out of everyone she always believed Ryan would give her the benefit of the doubt. As tensions continue to rise, Alex gets a break in the confrontation when Ryan falls the ground and she doesn’t hesitate to kick him in the head to knock him out (and handcuff him to the desk).

Finishing up at Quantico this week, Iris breaks the news of Caleb’s lies to Shelby and what ensues is another heart-breaking confrontation between the blonde-haired lovers. Caleb can’t seem to catch a break and the news of this is just too much for Shelby. He should have believed in her. Johanna Braddy is powerfully, soul-crushing in this scene, but within a short amount of time is on the phone to Clayton Haas (Mark Pellegrino), turning her parents in. Uh oh. Nimah returns from her date, somewhat drunk (?), somewhat in pain (?) and avoiding any conversation with her sister. Yasmine Al Massri does a nuanced job of distinguishing the twins and the subtle pain or vulnerability seen by Nimah is this scene is intriguing. Regardless, whatever happened at dinner was enough to solidify them their assignment within the terrorist cell that attacked Quantico.

After successfully knocking Ryan out, and escaping to the staircase, Alex receives a phone call and this time there is no voice modification software used. And the terrorist (or so are to believe) is confirmed – Drew. Asking what the flash drive was for, Drew uncovers that the manifesto for all things Grand Central and bombings have now been uploaded onto Ryan’s computer, implicating him as the terrorist. It was either Alex or him and now all Alex has to do is support the narrative. Does anyone feel like this is Drew’s jealousy talking? Or is that discounting his motives? Either way, this plan is elaborate. Instructing Alex to move to the car garage, she does and when she arrives she finds out the car, in fact, is Ryan’s. Inside is the infamous nuke Will mentioned last week and it is now up to Alex to drive. If she resists, he will kill Simon and set the nuke off. Um, what? Yeah, “Quantico” just stepped it up, again.

Other key notes:

• We find out that Ryan covered from Liam in Chicago – he was drunk in a bar when he was supposed to be at the raid
• The twins in fact failed their test – do you think their handler will find out?
• Did Nimah actually sleep with Garnett?
• Is Drew acting alone?