Quantico’s latest episode is an example of a show that’s been so dumbed down that it fails to evoke even the slightest emotion or interest in the viewer. The writing, direction and performances here are so mediocre, it sort of explains why ABC has pulled the plug on the series.
The Alex Parrish - Ryan Booth - Shelby Wyatt love triangle is so laboured and ineffective at the same time. Ryan’s attempt to kiss Alex in the previous episode is described as a “mistake” by him as he requests Alex to keep it a secret from Shelby. Will she, won’t she... who cares?
Meanwhile, a big drug kingpin, Culebra, is being brought to trial and one of the star witnesses is murdered shortly before. Since the federal law enforcement agency of US Marshals failed to keep the first witness alive till he reached court, the elite force is brought in to protect and transport their new witness, Charlie, to the trial.
Now Charlie is also a horologist - someone who’s an expert at clocks. Now, why is this prime witness a horologist? Obviously because, Alex Parrish has an old clock that needs repair which she is emotionally attached to, also then Charlie and Alex can talk in puns about what keeps people “ticking” and finally Charlie can leave a crucial piece of evidence in Alex’s clock. Simple.
By the way, Charlie is also a bit of a mind-reader. Between escaping attacks from the drug cartel, he’s perceptive enough to note that there’s something awkward brewing between Alex and Shelby. Witness ho to aisa!
After the team’s second choice for a protection house is attacked, the elite team makes Alex’s home their new safe house (giant facepalm), because that’s the last place a well networked drug cartel will look, right? It’s clear that there’s a mole in the law enforcement agency and the elite force decides to go on the offensive to find out who the mole is.
Time for another bout of suspension of disbelief. Since one of drug don Culebra’s chief men is gay, the two newbies on the elite force, Jagdeep Patel and Celine Fox, post photoshopped images of their boss Owen Hall and Ryan Booth on a gay dating website to bait Culebra’s man, Dolfo Raza, without their knowledge. Really?!!
This scene is followed by Ryan being “dressed up” to entice Dolfo at a gay bar, the elite force at this point of time act like a bunch of college kids who’re shooting terrible PJs at Ryan which border on being homophobic.
Ryan goes into a gay bar to trap Dolfo, the whole operation is so badly planned that Ryan ends up being stabbed and Dolfo is mysteriously shot dead by a sniper after he is cornered by members of the elite force. Yes, the mole is at work again.
The US Marshal team lead, Joel Akers, and elite force top man, Owen Hall, have a war of words on who’s slipping up more. Before either teams can make more of a mess, it’s time for Culebra’s trial and prime witness Charlie is taken on his last stretch to the court. But he’s accompanied by just one member of the elite force - Shelby. Ummm... why wouldn’t they put their entire force with him in anticipation of a last minute attack?
Charlie’s parting note to Alex leads her to discover that he’s left her bunch of evidence in a pen drive in the clock that he repaired for her, including the fact that Joel Akers is the mole and that Charlie was Culebra’s sister’s lover and is bent on killing Culebra because he brutally burnt his own sister to death.
The climax plays out between Akers on a rooftop taking a shot Charlie in the courtroom, and Charlie himself taking a shot to kill Culebra. Who aces whom with the help of Alex Parrish is anybody’s guess. But if you really want to put your brains and patience to test... subject yourself to 40 minutes of torture with this episode of Quantico.
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