Tonight’s recap of Covert Affairs proves not only is Richard Coyle far from the minds of the fans but the producers as well as his “steamer trunk” speech starts us off.
Annie is walked blindfolded and chained into a dank, drippy prison and into a dreary interrogation room where Alexis, the Russian interrogator does as his name would imply. Annie tries to play the “I’m a native card” but Alexis has her phone and knows who Auggie is. So why did he ask the questions if he knew the answers? “So I know how it looks when you lie to me.”
A man in the conference room back at the CIA nearly flirts with Joan as he reminds her of her potential job shift. Arthur walks in and starts the pros and cons list for getting Annie out of Russia. Joan lists a bunch of operations with odd and undecipherable names before the scene cuts to her barely containing her anger at the cold way Arthur handled the meeting. “Message received.”
Annie is given the white noise treatment in Russia that prevents her from sleeping. Alexis tries to psychoanalyze her and then brings up Simon. He wants to know what Simon told her about his mission. Annie points out that he keeps asking the same questions and she keeps giving the same answers.
Auggie walks into Arthur office angrily. He proposes that he knows where Annie is and how to get her out but Arthur reminds him that people have been working on it since she was taken. And as the Russians won’t even admit they have her, they’re fighting an uphill battle.
Alexis wants Annie to write down her knowledge because it’s easier so Annie tricks him into undoing her other handcuff by saying she’s left handed. He then presents his harsher methods of interrogation by threatening Simon’s sister. Back in her cell with blinky the light bulb, Annie paces until she hears gun fire outside. All of the sudden, a gas mask is thrown into her cell. She puts it on and who should her handsome rescuer be but Eyal. Who apologies for dropping in unannounced but “I didn’t have your phone number.” Annie embraces him with the gratitude he had well earned.
And her good friend Auggie is getting semi-yelled at by Arthur who almost seems like he wishes he thought of it. Arthur isn’t happy to hear Joan didn’t know about it but happier than if she had. Auggie informs him that they’ll be travelling by train and Arthur plans to have re-enforcements meet them partway there. After of course telling Auggie that if he was the head of the Russians he would have started
Annie tells Eyal about Simon’s sister being in trouble. He refuses. She insists. He swears in Hebrew before telling Annie she doesn’t owe Simon’s sister in perpetuity. “I owe her.” “You know a normal person doesn’t do this.” They haggle over the amount of time Annie has to help Simon’s sister.
Simon’s sister is prepared to make a fast exit. Annie swaps photos on their passports so that the sister can get out easily and out in the car Eyal is starting to get antsy. The sister gives Annie the key to the steamer trunk which doesn’t open anything but has always given her great peace. Annie says it belongs with family. “You are my family now.” Eyal is please to see that Annie has taken his advice to separate from the sister.
At the train station, Annie starts to wig about the Russian police before Eyal kisses her. As part of the mission of course. The FSB are getting closer to them though as they look for a private compartment. The leader of the FSB team is Alexis who might actually know what Annie looks like. He spots them and they distract him through the cunning use of trains. Annie throws him into the side of one she was hiding behind but fails to take him out. Eyal is nearly shot as she is surprised by his sudden appearance.
Back home Arthur is instructing the backup team to stay where they are because they just don’t know where they are. Joan walks in and is surprised to not know anything after Auggie tried to called her” what felt like half a dozen times.”
In Russia Eyal is unhappy that Annie gave away her go pack which is akin to giving away her lifeline which severely limits their opportunities to get out. Annie demands to talk to Auggie and Eyal tells her that it’s Auggie’s plan. Eyal tells her to get it together or he’ll leave her behind. Annie tells him she’s ready and their message board beeps that Auggie has another plan: They stowaway in the cargo hold of a plane as a favor to Arthur.
Eyal looks at a pocket watch Annie took from her interrogator as they drive to the rendezvous spot. Apparently his intel suggested that someone else was supposed to do it. Eyal asks about the sort of questions Alexis asked and Annie tells him about the want to know about Simon’s missions and her complete lack of knowledge on the subject. They find the heavily guarded air strip. “Somebody like to do things the hard way.”
Eyal lists the numerous fortifications to the air strip and says he’s open to suggestions on how to get in. Annie plays sick to get a jeep to stop and the pair of the them knock out the pair of soldiers, change, and take the van. Eyal offers to take her back to Israel so that she can fill out her borrow uniform.
In the back of the transport van Alexis informs Annie he knew he would get his gun back but was a little less certain about her. He commends her ability to inspire loyality and then insults her intelligence. Annie strikes a nerve by talking to her about the pocket watch his grandfather gave him. Annie accuses him of stepping in at the last moment to prevent her from telling his bosses that he’s a traitor. Eyal backs her and they offer Eyal’s passport in trade for him letting them go. Alexis asks why he doesn’t just shoot them and take the package so they bluff that if they’re not home in 24 hours his identity would be leaked. Alexis has the van pulls over and let them out so he can shoot them. Instead he shoots into the air and tells them about the nearest port. “May god help us all.”
They leave by boat.
Unless the title Rock n Roll Suicide relates to Eyal’s choice to go retrieve Annie, I think it would have pertained better to the previous episode “Let’s Dance.” Just juxtapose the Bowie and it would have made a little more sense.
Nest Tuesday: Annie’s back, Auggie’s hot, and will she betray Eyal as her bosses now instruct her to? As someone whose read Eyal will be in most of the remaining five episodes this season, I don’t think that’s a very good tease. Or improperly release info. Either way.
