Quantico – Turn

By: Alex Steele

After fifteen episodes in their opening season, is anyone still trying to work out who the terrorist might be? It is safe to say whenever we get close to having an idea of who it is, the writers and creative team do a beautiful job of delivering sucker punch twists that have us suffering from a glorious case of television whiplash. And that isn’t a bad thing as it a sign of fantastic writing and storytelling. But is anyone just wanting one little solid clue or answer to their questions? Has anyone else noticed that each week, in the “Quantico” storyline, one NAT will say a specific line that the terrorist in future days drops as well? Talk about creating mystery upon mystery. Regardless of getting answers or not, the gripping nature of this series is what keeps us coming back and that was no different for this week’s episode. Titled Turn, this week’s episode was heavily set during the NATs time at Quantico, while future events saw Alex (Priyanka Chopra) and Simon (Tate Ellington) trying their best to outsmart the terrorist.

Opening the episode in Alex’s apartment, it is her and Simon are in stealth mode as they attempt to decode whatever new lead they’ve got from their expedition to uncover the terrorist. Speaking of, the secret tormentor calls Alex instructing her to take a package to the field office. What is she to do when a hidden figure, threatening to kill all those you love, tells you to do something? You do it. When she arrives, after another hilarious confrontation with Hannah (Eliza Coupe) (the shade this chick throws is the absolute greatest), Alex is called with her next instruction. Opening the package to reveal a bottle of pills with the name “Claire Haas” on it, she is told she must switch them for the ones found in the Senator’s handbag. She has five hours to do so or she fails. That’s code for bad things will happen. This week the NATs in the current timeline are undertaking defensive tactics and with both Drew (Lenny Platt) and Liam (Josh Hopkins) refusing to leave the FBI, the tension between the two is huge. Claire Haas (Marcia Cross) also features in this storyline, as the enrichment speaker whose job is to enlighten the NATs on hate crimes. As the class is broken up into groups, their assignment is to decide whether their “crimes” constitute a hate crime. Iris (Li Jun Li) becomes increasingly annoyed at Shelby’s (Johanna Braddy) lack lustre attitude to training. Needing something to snap her out of it, she approaches Will (Jay Armstrong Johnson) [Mr. Robot], who divulges all things “Mark Raymond” and secret envelopes. Iris, being the sneaky genius she is, sneaks into Caleb’s (Graham Rogers) room, retrieves the envelope and gives it to Shelby. With hopes that this will break Shelby out of her funk, Iris is even more surprised (pissed of) when she reacts speechless and haunted. What was in the envelope you ask?

Just as Shelby runs from class crying (understandably), a white van has pulled up at the front gates of Quantico. After refusing to answer the questions posed by security guards (and an ominous view of gun-wielding individuals crammed into the back of van) gun shots sound and the academy goes into lockdown. With agents jumping to attention it is confirmed that a terrorist attack is taking place and that the students are to remain where they are. The assailants have spread out through the woods of Quantico and after Intel from Raina (Yasmine Al Massri), they have been identified as the cell that Charlie (J. Mallory McCree) was a member of. Uh-oh. With the NATs on lockdown and Shelby missing in action, Caleb, Will and Iris slip out to go track her down.

Meanwhile, Liam and Drew are continuing their feud and top-dog battle with Alex positioned perfectly in the middle. Having about enough of Drew’s immature ways, Liam locks and loads his gun and exits Quantico to “do his job.” Elsewhere, Raina and Charlie have pulled over on the side of the road where Charlie admits to having staged the entire kidnapping. He says that stabbing Miranda (Aunjanue Ellis) was not meant to happen, but the others believed it would make it look more realistic. Not only that, the plan’s goal all along was for Charlie to get into Quantico, scope out the campus and come back to the terrorist cell with details. Talk about jaw-dropping moments!

As Caleb and Will search the woods for Shelby, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible, they come across a lone gunmen and an unaware Liam. Finding Shelby huddled behind a tree, we learnt that the information Caleb has been hiding involves her parents – more specifically that they are alive. Yes, another bombshell! They are alive and well and have been using Samar to con Shelby into handing over all her money. Johanna Braddy is powerful in this episode, with a mix of vulnerability, disappointment and strength. She’s definitely a NAT to watch moving forward. Trying to get Liam’s attention and warn him of the gun-wielding terrorist behind him proves more difficult than first thought and when we see a frantic Caleb runs and stops with the sound of a gunshot, we think the worst. But as we cut back to the scene, Drew is revealed as having shot the gunman, saving Liam’s life.

On to future days now, after failing to place the pill bottle in the Senator’s handbag, Alex and Simon come up with an alternative plan – what if we get the Senator to come to them? Their plan involves sending a text saying they know where Caleb is, (who at this point hasn’t been seen since the bombing at the FBI command centre) but they will only agree to offer up the information if she meets Alex privately. Before Alex can even begin to explain where Caleb is, Claire calls her bluff. She knows where Caleb is and has all along. She smugly says that this latest stunt of Alex’s is enough to have her officially thrown out of the FBI. As Claire leaves, Hannah enters and we know it can’t be good. Alex is at her wits end – an emotion that Priyanka Chopra has perfected throughout this whole arc – and reveals all the information regarding the second terrorist to Hannah. Playing Alex like a fiddle, even after she agrees to help with the pills, Hannah asks for Alex’s badge and gun, ensuring her that soon enough there will be agents on her doorstep ready to arrest her.

As Miranda arrives home, Raina and Charlie are seated in the living room. Miranda tells Raina to leave them and that Nimah is waiting in the car. Before she can even exit the house, the van passenger from earlier walks out of the shadows wielding a gun. Agitated and feeling betrayed, he takes all hostage, but not before Raina has called through to Nimah – she can hear everything. In one of the most heartbreaking scenes from this season, the gunman urges Charlie to take a gun from him and shoot his own mother to prove his loyalty and his faith. With attempts to calm the situation from Raina failing, Charlie raises the gun to Miranda. Pop. A shot sounds and the screen goes blank.

Returning after the commercial, Charlie is continuing to dissolve. He didn’t shoot Miranda, but his ex-terrorist buddy. Now concerned with that he’ll be arrested, he won’t put the gun down and with nothing Miranda or Raina do helping the situation, extreme measures must be taken. A sniper laser is aimed at Charlie’s chest, but before that shot is fired Miranda shoots him. Yes, Miranda shot her own son. And as the sniper fires the second shot, Charlie falls to the ground. The events of the day have everyone on edge and emotionally spent. As Caleb returns to his room, he thanks Will for going after Shelby with him. Will says it’s the least he could do after being responsible for the situation at hand. The two seem to have found common ground, and with a possible newfound trust Will asks about Mark Raymond. Caleb simply responds, “What would you like to know?”

Miranda, Liam and the twins wait anxiously as Charlie is still in surgery. An utterly broken Miranda is seen sobbing and blaming herself.

Cutting back to future days, Alex’s time is up. Knowing that she failed to do what the terrorist asked, when the call eventually comes through she does her best job to apologize. Yet, there was no need – Alex succeeded. The terrorist says they will be in contact with her next assignment. What the? No sooner had she received this information then a knock on the door sounds. And with another twist in the “Quantico” game, Hannah walks in rambling. As she continues with the word vomit, we find out that after getting Alex’s admission about the terrorist, Hannah may now believe Alex is telling the truth – even if it does make her skin crawl to admit Alex is right. I, for one, am super excited for Alex and Hannah to team up especially with the powerful chemistry between Priyanka and Eliza. I wouldn’t want to take on these two so maybe it’s time for Alex to get the upper hand? It’s time, right? It has to be.

Other key notes:

• Alex and Ryan go their own way during the Quantico storyline