Quantico last Sunday aired its final episode before the winter finale. Given that the finale will unveil who the bomber/terrorist/mastermind is behind the Grand Central Terminal attack, it is time to make the final theories and guesses who the terrorist is.
At Quantico, a hand-to-hand combat leads to Nathalie's fake scar falling off, which Alex notices. She confronts Nathalie, but Nathalie tells her to mind her own business. The weekly assignment involves the NATs choosing the recruits of next year. While they do background checks on the future NATs, Nimah goes to a recruit from last year to find information on Simon. The assignment is cut short when an emergency meeting of the new agent review board is called in. The subject of this meeting is Nathalie. The board has questions for her since one of the field counselors also saw the fake scar. Nathalie faked the scar to get custody of her child. The father of her child was emotionally abusive, but that didn't leave any scars. So Nathalie faked one to get a restraining order against her boyfriend and receive custody of her daughter. While the board and Miranda head out to discuss Nathalie's future, Nimah turns the class on Simon by telling them he is a war criminal. Simon admits that he was a translator for the Israeli Defense Forces, but he was asked to do more. He got close to women so they would reveal information about their husbands. However, his platoon leader had gone rogue and tortured these women. Simon breaks down and Nimah continues her rant against him until Ryan steps up for Simon. Ryan also reveals that he is an undercover FBI agent and that both Simon and Nathalie will make great agents. Miranda has heard enough and the board has decided that Nathalie can stay. However, Simon is thrown out because Miranda heard he attacked Ryan in one of the early episodes.
In the present, Alex rejoins her team, including Miranda, to find out who the real bomber is. Simon, Shelby, Nathalie, Caleb and the twins are going over their fellow NATs, while Liam, Miranda and Alex also spy on them. Raina heads out to see Hamza, the leader of the terrorist group she and her sister infiltrated. Simon visits his bomb maker friend Orin, but their conversation is out of reach to be overheard. Simon disappears after their little chat, and the other NATs on team Alex walk in to learn that they are being spied on. They get mad that Alex is watching them, but the subject changes when Simon walks in and confesses to having planned the Grand Central Terminal attack. Simon was upset with the FBI and America in general, so he planned two bombs: one at a temple and one at a mosque. A bomb threat would make sure everybody was evacuated and the bombs were not supposed to go off anyway. It was about making a statement that Israel and Palestine need to make peace. The bombs were intentionally flawed, but Simon says someone stole his plans, fixed the flaws and created the bomb. At that point, Simon, Shelby, Nathalie, Caleb and the twins all turn on Alex for spying on them and they all walk out. Alex goes to Simon's house and makes one last attempt to keep him as an ally, but Simon won't help her. He heads inside, where he is chloroformed by none other than Elias.
Character board
In this week's episode, we learned the following about the characters:
-Alex is quickly released from prison, but she and her team now have 24 hours to clear her name. However, she later loses all her allies that helped her along the way, except for Liam, Miranda and Ryan.
-Nimah continues her crusade against Simon to the point where she breaks him in front of the entire class.
-Raina heads to the hospital to visit Hazma, the leader of the terrorist group she and Nimah infiltrated, and she kisses him.
-Nathalie reveals to the entire class that her scar is fake. She used it to get a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend and to receive custody of her daughter.
-Ryan now officially leaves the academy, but not before saying his goodbye to Alex. He and Alex discuss their feelings and future, although they don't make a clear decision on the future of their relationship.
-Caleb helps Shelby seeing that she is being conned.
-Simon finally tells what he has been up to in Gaza. He worked for the IDF as a translator, but was asked to do more by his rogue platoon leader. Simon got close to women and, unbeknownst to him, his leader tortured these women.
-Elias chloroforms Simon when he walks into his house at the end of the episode.
-Miranda is finally set free from helping Alex escape, and she and Liam work with Alex to spy on all the NATs including her friends.
No new information on Brandon, Liam or Clayton this week.
Review
Well, this was the final episode before the midseason finale. We once again got a whole lot of answers, in particular about both Simon and Nathalie. The reveal about Simon is quite interesting. I believe Simon is at heart a good guy, who just wants peace between Israel and Palestine. However, he has been lied to by his platoon leader, who made him do things that traumatized him. He still wants that very same peace, but is now using rather unconventional methods to get the two nations to talk. While his methods are doubtful, Simon wants the best for both countries. Or at least, that's the way I see it. Nathalie's story is something I guessed a bit from a recent interview with the actress so it wasn't a huge surprise for me. It did make her a bit more likeable, though she's still not my favorite character or anything. As various of you suspect last week, Shelby is indeed being catfished so that made sense. I think the reason for Simon's exit from Quantico felt anti-climatic. I mean, it was this little incident from episode 3 and not because of some big secret or anything. He did leave the academy in disgrace, but still it feels weird to have him thrown out like this. Also, I am conflicted on team Alex getting mad at Alex for spying on them. I get that they feel like they've earned her trust and understand they feel betrayed. However, they are naïve to think they are not being watched after everything they learned at Quantico. Lastly, I have no idea why it was necessary to have Alex plead guilty. Liam's plan would have worked if they kept it a secret from team Alex, because then Liam and Alex (and possibly Miranda) would be able to investigate all fellow NATs. Now the plan is basically of nu use so if you ask, that's a plot hole.
And here we are with the final terrorist wall! I will do this last one a bit different than usual. I still go through all the characters, but I won't give them a ranking this time. Instead, I summarize what we know about the character so far, if they have the means to make a bomb and frame Alex, and theorize what their motives could be for bombing Grand Central Terminal. Then, I make a final guess if the character is innocent (of the bombing, that is), if the character looks suspicious or if he she is definitely guilty of the bombing.
-Alex
What we know: Shot her own father in self-defense. Spent 10 years in India after that, one of which she spent in Pakistan and Iran. Of the people she met during that time, ten have been killed. Hooked up with Ryan at Quantico.
Means: Seems to have fallen out of contact with most of her fellow NATs in the present timeline. Presumably she knows some people from her year in Pakistan and Iran, but nothing that has been officially confirmed. Was chloroformed on the morning of the bombing.
Possible motives: Maybe something to do with those people that were killed during that year?
Final verdict: Innocent
-Shelby
What we know: Her parents were killed in 9/11, or so she says. Believed she had a half-sister to which she donated some large sums of money, but was apparently catfished. Was in love with Caleb, but later had an affair with his father. Owns a company and the C4 wire from the Grand Central Terminal bombing came from that company.
Means: Owns an entire company and a lot of money from her deceased parents.
Possible motives: There is still this unrevealed truth about her parents. Did they actually die in 9/11 or is there something else to their deaths? Maybe Shelby wants revenge? And as for framing Alex, there was some sort of falling out between the two.
Final verdict: Suspicious
-Nimah
What we know: Is the less religious of the twins and has a lot of fun with all the other girls at Quantico. Hates Simon with a passion, leading her to reveal the truth about him to everyone. Infiltrated a terrorist cell with her sister. One of the twins was seen near Grand Central Terminal days before the attack.
Means: Uhm, an identical twin sister? Other than that, she has infiltrated a terrorist group so she could always use them for her own good.
Possible motives: Maybe the terrorist group forced her to bomb Grand Central Terminal? Does not have seem to have any kind of grievances against Alex.
Final verdict: Innocent
What we know: Is the more religious of the twins. Fell in love with Simon and also kissed him. Infiltrated a terrorist cell with her sister, only to presumably fall in love with the terrorist leader Hazma. One of the twins was seen near Grand Central Terminal days before the attack.
Means: Uhm, an identical twin sister? Other than that, she has infiltrated a terrorist group so she could always use them for her own good.
Possible motives: Could be working with the terrorist group that she infiltrated. Maybe she bombed Grand Central Terminal to impress the group's leader? Does not have seem to have any kind of grievances against Alex.
Final verdict: Innocent
-Nathalie
What we know: Used a fake scar to get full custody of her daughter. Later lost the custody to her ex-boyfriend when she joined the FBI. Hooked up with Brandon at Quantico before later switching to Ryan.
Means: She is a former cop so she might have some connections.
Possible motives: Is Alex' direct competition at Quantico, who had a relationship with her current boyfriend Ryan. Maybe she wanted to take her out by framing her for the bombing.
Final verdict: Innocent
-Ryan
What we know: Took the blame for an operation in Chicago that went wrong at Liam's hands. Was sent undercover to Quantico by Liam to get close to Alex, which he successfully did. The operation was later accidentally blown by Liam. Left Quantico and hooked up with Nathalie at some point. Was shot by an unknown person in Alex' apartment the morning of the bombing. Was later shot again and tortured.
Means: I'm not sure if Ryan has the means for a terrorist attack, but he certainly does have the time after leaving Quantico. Shared rooms with Simon so could have taken pictures of the bomb plans.
Possible motives: None. I have no idea why he would bomb Grand Central Terminal or frame Alex, whom he clearly loves. However, I still put him as suspicious since he seems like the least obvious suspect.
Final verdict: Suspicious
-Caleb
What we know: Was admitted to the FBI because of his parents. Drove fellow recruit Eric crazy to the point of killing himself. Returned as an analyst, and after graduating as an analyst he became a NAT again. Hooked up with Shelby at Quantico. Has an alias by the name of Mark Raymond. Was part of an organization (a cult) that his father saved him from.
Means: His father is the Deputy Director of the FBI, his mother is a Vice President candidate, he has an alias and he was part of an organization/cult. He has plenty of means.
Possible motives: It would definitely have to do something with his mother. Maybe he wants to help her nomination or something. A potential second bomb was said to be at the Democratic Convention. Maybe Caleb wants to make his mother President right away. No motive to frame Alex, though he could have just chosen her at random.
Final verdict: Suspicious
What we know: Lied about who he was. Worked with the IDF and went to Gaza, where his rogue platoon leader tortured the women Simon delivered to him. Knows a bomb maker. Falls in disgrace at Quantico and receives blueprints of all train stations in New York from that bomb maker. Was planning on using those to make statement. Left Quantico, but was later recruited by the Deputy Director.
Means: He knows a bomb maker and he might know some more people from his time at the IDF.
Possible motives: Has motives to plant a bomb, but not to let one go off. No apparent motive to frame Alex either.
Final verdict: Innocent
-Elias
What we know: Is gay and took an interest in Simon that got a bit stalkerish. Was a lawyer before Quantico. Left the academy after failing the final test for analysts. Got back to being a lawyer and returned as Alex' legal counselor. Chloroformed Simon in his own house.
Means: He had already left Quantico when Simon received the bomb plans. Attacking Simon makes Elias suspicious, but I don't think he's the bomber.
Possible motives: I'm blank on this one.
Final verdict: Suspicious
-Brandon
What we know: Virtually nothing. Hooked up with Nathalie at Quantico, but apparently later broke off. Helped Miranda with the explosive mid-term exam.
Means: None that we know of.
Possible motives: Again, I've got nothing on him. I will be quite disappointed if it's Brandon, because we don't know anything about him.
Final verdict: Innocent
-Liam
What we know: Was part of two operations that went wrong: one in Chicago that also involved Ryan, and one was a cover-up of a bombing in Omaha in 1993 with Alex' father. Sent Ryan undercover to get close to Alex. Has a romantic past with Miranda. Has a daugther that he doesn't talk to. Fell in love with Alex sometime in the nine months. Has a drinking problem.
Means: If he covered up a bombing in 1993, he could sure have the means for another bombing. He is also the Assistant Director at Quantico in the present timeline, replacing Miranda for unknown reasons.
Possible motives: Maybe Alex wanted to go public with that cover-up of the 1993 bombing? Other than that, no reason to bomb Grand Central Terminal.
Final verdict: Innocent
-Miranda
What we know: Has a son named Charlie, who was involved in a gang and planned to attack his high school. She stopped him from doing so, but he later got parole. Recruited the twins so they could infiltrate that very gang her son was a part of. Was stabbed in her own house while her son went missing. Has a romantic past with Liam. Her (ex-)husband died.
Means: She could have infiltrated her son's gang. Also, she is still the Assistant Director in the Quantico timeline.
Possible motives: She was the first ally to Alex, so I don't see any reason why she framed her. The bombing could have something to do with her son, maybe to get him back or something.
Final verdict: Suspicious
-Clayton
What we know: Is a very bad father and an disloyal husband. Wanted Caleb to drop out of Quantico, but did not succeed. Cheated on his wife with Caleb's girlfriend Shelby. Covered up evidence that another agent accessed the New York office using Alex' credentials.
Means: He is the Deputy Director of the FBI and his wife is a Vice President candidate. His son and daughter are both FBI agents.
Possible motives: Could have something to do with his wife, but since he's cheating on her he doesn't seem to care much about her. Has no apparent motive to frame Alex.
Final verdict: Innocent
Final guess: This is really difficult and honestly, I still have no real idea who the terrorist is. But if I have to make a final guess, I'd say it's Caleb. My second guess is Ryan.
Poll
Below, you can vote in the poll who you think is the bomber. The poll options will be in a fixed order so you won't see who's on top before voting.
What did you think of "Quantico"? Are you happy we finally know Simon's complete story? Do you think he is at heart a good guy? What did you think of Nathalie's backstory? Do you believe team Alex was right to get made over them being spied on? What do you think was the purpose of Liam's plan to have Alex plead guilty? And lastly, but definitely the one I'm most interesting in hearing, what is your final guess as to who the terrorist is? I would love to hear your theories, no matter how crazy, along with your opinions in the comment section below.
Quantico airs its Winter Finale this Sunday at 10/9c. Watch a promo for the episode below. The review for episode 11 will likely come later in the week than usual.
