FBI: International - Close to the Sun - Review

Our flashback to start our episode showed a short take from last week where Tank was ill and having surgery, but focused largely on a case from Prague a few weeks ago. This recap becomes of great importance when we see some of the developments this week, so make sure to take note and refresh yourself about what happened in Prague.

When our episode opens, Scott is walking Tank. They are going slow, and when they arrive at the office, Raines says he is looking well. Scott reports that his bloodwork is good and his appetite is back and Raines asks if he is just waiting for his fitness for duty exam, and Scott says they will see. So all of our Tank loving fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief, as it seems he has come through his surgery like a champ and is on the mend. Whether he will be back to working cases soon is yet to be seen but we can rest easy that he seems alive and well.

Scott asks Raines where Vo is and Raines reminds him she is on a week long training course in Paris with the GIGM. Scott sees Jamie in a room with someone and asks Katrin who it is. She says his name is Agent Porter and he is from the Office of Professional Responsibility. Scott asks if there is a problem and Katrin says all she knows is that he had questions regarding the recent case in Prague and asks if there is something she should know and Scott shakes his head no. It is likely however from the expression on his face that Scott is asking himself that very same question because he asked Jamie the same thing recently, but she denied there being anything she needed to tell him.

We then shift to Jamie, who is being questioned, by Agent Porter. He is asking about Jamie and Ella taking the taxi to the bus station together. He asks if it is standard procedure to split a ride with a murder suspect. Jamie responds that she was not a suspect as her father admitted to the crime and also reminds him of the fact that they are obligated to help victims of crime. He asks what her history was with Ella, and she says there was none, that she met her as part of the investigation, and then Porter asks her if she assisted her to help cover up her crimes, and says if she is complicit he will find out. Jamie says they are done and starts to leave when Porter says the interview is not done. He tells her he saw that her sister committed suicide 8 years ago and asks if she felt that this history clouded her judgement on this case. She suggests he leaves and says she will not answer any more questions and he says he will get his answers and that he will be there for a week in Budapest and maybe she will rethink her answers. He threatens that if he finds out she is involved in something she will be kicked out of the bureau and suggests they pick back up after she has had a chance to collect her thoughts. When she leaves the office, Scott asks her is she is alright, and she shortly replies “Peachy”. It is clear Scott is concerned, not only as the leader of the team but as her boyfriend also. Jamie's body language also seems to indicate that she is upset and perturbed by the interview.

The scene then moves to a rainy brick road. The camera pans to a car, where there is a dead police officer on the ground, and a dead man in the car, and the driver door open. You can hear a voice on the police officers radio stating back-up is on route and that one suspect is still at large. The camera work and sound in this scene were absolutely stellar, and definitely what we have come to expect from a Wolf universe show. The lighting, angles of the shots and rain effects added to the suspense of what happened on the road and the search for this suspect.

We then move to the pursuit of a man who is running. He jumps a fence but is cornered by several officers and a police car, and he is arrested. Another office arrives and says it is him and that they have way to deal with cop killers. He says he will only talk to Jamie Kellett of the FBI.

Scott is on the phone, and when he hangs up, he lets the team know they have a case. A traffic stop in Belfast led to a shoot out with 2 dead. The first was Constable Brianna Quinn, who was killed in the line of duty but was able to return fire, leaving the shooter Daniel “Danny” Malloy dead at the scene. His accomplice, Liam Walsh, is being held as an accessory to murder and the authorities are angry. Liam asked for Kellett by name. Jamie explains that he is one of her informants and she states that she has told them before that some informants are “worth it”, and Liam is one of them, and briefly fills them in on the cases they have used him for before.

The murder weapon also traces back to a National Guard base theft in the USA. Katrin says that while they are there it is worth looking into if those guns have somehow made their way to Ireland. Raines asks if she is not going with them, and Katrin replies that Brexit has muddied up certain regions of the UK and that they will have to go to Ireland without her. Scott says to load up and that he wants to be in the air in twenty minutes, and the team prepares to leave.

They are met at the PSNI Station by Chief James Burke, who says they are stepping into a mess as his department is mourning, and his team is already stirred up and says they are concerned an American presence will slow things down. Scott offers his condolences on their loss, and assures him that will not be the case. Constable Quinn’s partner, Inspector Henry, arrives and calls Jamie “the bastard’s lifeline”, and Scott tells him to take it easy. Chief Burke introduces him and Jamie offers her condolences and he tells her to save it, and he knows she is only there to protect her source. He tells them they can’t have him, and Henry says he is the only one who saw Brianna die and that they need to put that murderer in a hole. Jamie says Liam is not a killer and is an active asset and a productive joint source for the FBI and Scotland yard and they are going to hear him out.

Jamie and Scott go in to see Liam and she says that with two people dead and one being a cop, the police are out for his blood. Liam says it was Danny who was the one who killed, and he had nothing to do with it. He tells them he was simply driving him home. He says Danny was drunk. Last night Danny was celebrating a big job, and was buying rounds so he took his keys. He says he wasn’t driving fast enough he guesses, they got pulled over and they smelled the beer, and when they tried to get them to get out of car, Danny started shooting. Liam says he is no killer so he ran.

Scott asks about the gun and Liam asks if they have heard about the iron corridor, and tells them that about 100 semi-automatic rifles, grenades and anti-tank weapons are in Belfast on their way to the European black market. He has heard a deal is happening soon. Scott asks where he got the intel and he says he was not directly involved but was helping Danny, and he is willing to share what he knows but he says that he wants immunity, but Scott says that will be impossible. He reminds Jamie that she said this was a two way gig, and asks her to see what she can do for him.

Jamie speaks to Scott outside and tells him that Liam needs to believe she is on his side, because he is their only connection to the guns. Scott is worried he is shining them on, but Jamie tells him that the big narco trafficking bust a few years ago with the McCarthy syndicate was possible because of Liam. Scott then out of the blue asks her why the FBI is looking into her, and she says it is a fishing expedition. She says she is not asking him to trust Liam but asks Scott to trust that she knows what she is doing.

Jamie goes back and tells Liam that if he helps to recover the weapons and lock up those involved, they will help with reducing charges, but Liam says he cannot be locked up because people rely on him. He tells Jamie he has a child who is living with his ex, and she says to play this right so he can see her again. Liam agrees and says he will do whatever it takes.

Inspector Henry confronts Forrester and Raines, and says the only reason Liam requested them is because Jamie is soft and he can play her. Scott replies by saying that he is sorry for his loss but angering and insulting his team is not helping anyone.

Liam gives them a lead for the location of the gun stashhouse where they are modifying weapons to make them fully automatic and Chief Burke tells armed response to suit up. Henry reminds Jamie that Liam is an accessory to murder which is a life sentence in Belfast, and Jamie says their main objective is keeping the guns off the street, and there is a much bigger criminal enterprise in the cross hairs here, and they need to catch the shot caller. He says his main object is justice for a cop killer.

Scott asks armed response to lead the way when they arrive. As they pull up the building is on fire, and Raines wonders if they were tipped off that they were coming. Suddenly the building explodes and there is a hail of bullets and they all take cover.

They are all examining the scene once the fire is out and Raines says the fire was because of a timed incendiary device and was set on purpose. Scott and Raines discuss that someone was trying to cover their tracks and destroy evidence and Jamie says the guns were all cleared out before the fire. They split in a hurry and left some ammo behind which cooked off in the fire and was the reason for the bullet storm when they arrived. Chief Burke is concerned that Liam was leading them into an ambush but Jamie and Scott say with him stuck behind bars for now, he doubts he was trying to kill them.

Scott says he wants to take a crack at Liam, but Jamie asks for one more chance and for Scott’s help to get the Belfast police off her back long enough to figure out what happened. Raines calls them over and says he found something.

Liam asks about chatter on the police scanners, as he says this crew always listens in but Scott says there was radio silence and it was not possible. Liam asks about their phones and says in northern Ireland, the cops are all up in your phones. He says that widens the possibility to if there is someone on the take, and Scott says he did update Katrin from his phone. Scott asks where the guns are now and Liam says he would tell him if he knew. Jamie reminds him they are the only thing standing between him and the Belfast police, so if he has nothing else to offer, to tell them now.

Scott shows Liam what Raines found at the fire. It is an IRA pin. The police have confirmed there is a bar known for handing them out called Rory’s, and Liam tells them it is owned by Danny’s step-dad Patrick Ferrell. He says that must be how Danny got involved. Katrin is keeping tabs on any chatter about shipments of guns, and Raines lets her know it also includes grenades and anti-tank weapons also. She says she will bring her contacts up to speed.

Raines tells them he was able to pull blueprints of the pub from city records. Chief Burke fills them in on what he knows about Rory’s and their connections to the IRA. Scott says the guys in this place are battle tested and Burke says they do not like strangers. The team wants to use Liam to distract the step-dad while Kellett looks for the guns in the back.

Jamie and Scott go to see Liam’s ex-wife and meet his daughter. She says he is a good man and a good co-parent and Jamie asks her how long he has been working with IRA and she says never. She asks if he had to choose between working for the cause or his family, what would he pick. She says he would pick Amelia, his daughter and she would bet her life on it. She says he would think the same about her and that if he needed her she would show up.

Jamie says that she thinks that she is still in love with him. Scott also noted that they were all ready to run, and Jamie wonders if he was in to deep and wanted to use money from this heist to run away and there would be some way that they could all be together. Scott says that she knows Liam is playing her and she is still going ahead with the operative, and Jamie tells him she wants the guns off the street, and that Liam will be the last one to ever know what she is thinking or doing.

The team is getting Liam set up, and gives him a wire/camera. Jamie reminds him to not push to hard and tells him that his nickname is Icarus at bureau because he flies to close to the sun. Liam says he understands.

Inspector Henry is upset and tells Chief Burke his partner deserves better. Raines and Forrester think that there is something off about Henry and he is performing too much, and is hiding something. Henry was the one who said he did the sweep for cameras at the scene of the shooting, so Scott sends Raines back to grid search for cameras. Raines finds a transport company and asks for the footage from all their cameras.

Liam says she may be right, and Jamie says she has his back and to focus on getting the guns off the street. Liam goes in the front, and Jamie checks in with the Chief and goes in through the back. Liam goes into the bar and Danny’s step father is upset and asks what he is doing there. Liam says he needs to talk to him and it is important. He asks if it is about Danny and if he was with him.

Jamie sneaks in through the back door and one of the men from the bar asks what she is doing and he has her at gunpoint. Liam appears and tells the man she is his cousins roommate from the states and to please put the gun down. Ferrell tells the man with the gun to get Liam and Jamie out of there and they leave.

Raines returns to the station with a video of the shooting and he shows it to Scott. He says Inspector Henry has been lying about what happened. Inspector Henry storms over and wants to know why this is the first he heard about a video, and he watches the video with Raines and Forrester. He says he wasn’t sure but Raines says you can take all the classes in the world but nothing prepares you for real bullets flying at you. Raines says this is why he has been coming at them since they arrived. Scott then says he is the reason his partner got killed and make Henry watch the video with them. He says that he recognized who was in the car and jumped, and that Brianna recognized it as danger. She pulled her weapon, the passenger pulled his, and while the gunfire was exchanged, he ran and hide. Scott and Raines said that he made himself available to Liam to pass along messages and asks him who he recognized (Liam or Danny).

Scott calls Chief Burke and he says “she got the message and the plan is a go”. Liam says he got a lead and word is the guns are at a farmhouse and he wants it to just be him and Jamie to go out and keep the cops out of it. He says they are a team and he wants her to keep him safe one more time and he will help her and then he is out of the game. Jamie agrees and says to give him a minute. Jamie speaks to Chief Burke, saying Liam is the best chance to find the stolen firearms and the guns are US property and there are people higher up than them who would not want to hear he impeded them getting the guns back. Chief Burke he says they are on their own, and Jamie tells Liam this is his last chance.

Liam was right that Belfast police were on their phones according to Scott. But this allows Scott and Raines to be able to monitor Jamie as she heads out with Liam. Liam and Jamie are going to a farmhouse. Liam is shaking his knee and seems very nervous. He says he is taking them to betray his own and he is of course nervous. Jamie says something has been bothering her and she couldn’t figure it out. She says she likes to go back to the beginning, and says she was thinking about why northern Ireland. She says the IRA is here and well established and they could hide them, but IRA had their own way of doing things. She says that in terms of screw ups, shooting a cop is at the top, and that the IRA was known for making examples out of screw ups and if he was working an alliance with them, he would need to be worried about retribution, but he was not worried about being back out on the street and wanted back in the bar. And she thinks that the step-father overserved Danny and he was there to tell him how to clear his debt, and that they got out of the bar way to easy. Jamie says he is the shot-caller, and that likely what he told Danny’s step-father to do had to do with an FBI agent he was leading straight to them.

Raines and Scott are listening and state that ambushing her and running off was the plan all along, and it was brutal but simple. As a car approaches behind them, Liam says nothing has actually happened yet and she doesn’t have the guns yet, and Jamie says her hunch was confirmed when his wife and daughter called an Uber to airport, and her colleagues picked them up instead. Liam is upset and said they were a team. She says that just in case she had to bring anyone with him, he likely gave the instructions to the people at the farmhouse ambush to shoot anyone but him. So the only phone he has to call ahead to protect his family is one that the police are monitoring, which means if he makes the call, the recording is a legal confession, fully admissible in court.

Liam’s ex-wife and daughter join them in the car and his ex-wife asks what is going on and Jamie says that she said she would bet her life that he would pick his family over the cause and she says she is testing that theory and starts to drive to farmhouse again. His ex-wife asks him to tell her what is going on and Jamie says if they are going to make a deal then they are safe to pull up. She says however if he is setting her up, which pisses her off, and Liam interrupts and says she is bluffing, and then his daughter Amelia says she is scared. They approach the farmhouse and Jamie says perhaps she owes him an apology but then he tells her to stop the car and he calls and tells them to abort the mission because the cops are on the way, and to save themselves. He hugs his daughter and tells her he loves her and she tells him Officer Henry sold him out, and they have had everyone in custody for an hour. She says the family was never in danger, but they got to see him make the right choice. His ex-wife however says letting them go home is not going to make her stop hating her and she says she knows.

She tells him he fooled her at first but at the end of the day, he does not have the killer instinct.

Chief Burke says losing one of his own was hard enough but losing another one he was not expecting, but Scott says that he brought Brianna Quinn justice that day.

Scott asks Jamie if she is worried about anything that happened in Prague and she says maybe. Internal Affairs wants to interview her again when they get back.

Porter tells Jamie that the truth always comes out and it is better to be honest sooner rather than later, and she says she just gave that advice to an informant. Forrester comes in and says she is his subordinate and he wants to stay. He has a photo that he says looks like her, on a bridge in Prague near where they found the gun dropped. Kellett says it is a grainy photo taken at night and she can see why he might think that. Porter says if she did conceal evidence it would not just be dismissal from the Bureau, it would be felony charges. Forrester says this is ridiculous, that the case they just closed would not have happened without Agent Kellett and he is busting her chops over a bad photo. He says based on time stamp, they were together. Porter asks in what capacity were they together, and he says as two colleagues who had just completed a very rough case.

Jamie says he didn’t need to do that, and he shouldn’t have to answer for her actions. He says he would take a bullet for her, and Porter is just fishing. Jamie is worried about if the DOJ looks into their relationship, and feels he is emotionally compromised. He says they do great work together but she says maybe they need to take a break. She says they need to play this right and she will not be the person to drag him down with her.

Scott asks Jamie if she wants a break and she says it is for the best. She kisses him and leaves. Scott looks so sad as the camera zooms in on him before the show ends, and one can only imagine what must be going through his head and what he must be feeling.

This episode definitely had it's highs and lows, and took us on an emotional journey as only Dick Wolf and his team of writers can. It is so wonderful to have the relief of Tank being okay, but now viewers will be left hanging with regards to Kellett and Forrester and how Jamie calling for a break may affect the entire fly team and the working dynamic. As always, the writing team does a good job of keeping us on the edge of our seats until next week.

Let us know what you thought about this episode in the comments below.