Mikes Film Talk

In “Quantico: Fast”  the flashback theme is all about doing your duty, which equates to turning in your fellow NATs for failing to disclose a medical condition. This means that the nearly ejected Drew Perales (Lenny Platt) finally leaves the academy.  

Present day sees Shelby Wyatt turns back up but in the capacity of her company doing an upgrade for the bureau. 

Caleb is going through withdrawal and still playing a game of some kind, as he claims to have no contact with Wyatt (Johanna Braddy) yet attempts to keep Alex from going to the bureau where he knows Shelby will be. 

When Alex spies Wyatt she tells Miranda about the woman’s  parents still being alive and Shaw halts the upgrade.  In a closed room meeting, Parrish (Priyanka Chopra) and Shelby talk with the former agent reacting angrily to Alex while sending her a message via morse code.   

“I am on your side.”

Back at the academy, it is career day and all the soon-to-be agents speak to the various branches of the FBI to  see what offers they may receive. The twins are introduced to the only option open to them and meet their new handler Marshall Freed (Daniel Kash). It does not end well. 

Each flashback to Quantico features a look at Perales (who may now be a suspect presumably) as well as Caleb, Shelby and Clayton Haas (Mark Pellegrino) along with Sistemics and its leader Dan Berlin (Ari Cohen). There is plenty of misinformation to be found and different stories being told by different players. 

Caleb tells Shelby that he is infiltrating the organization and Clayton Haas lies to Wyatt saying his son is back in with Sistemics.

In the present, Wyatt reveals that her parents have now actually died while still sending Alex a message to meet her at the stairs. Miranda is not pleased with Parrish and says so.

Shelby and Alex work together to  trap the terrorist after Wyatt reveals that  she was forced to drive the SUV and pick up Simon and Will. She also reveals that Caleb is working with her to catch the terrorist.

However it appears that Caleb is still working both sides against the middle.  It is looking more like Haas is either in league with Sistemics or he is working on a hidden agenda that is not on the up and up.

Haas has been the joker in the deck since the beginning, even more than Simon Asher (Tate Ellington) who has always been a “dark horse” and who was oddly absent from this episode. The third  “suspect” Will Olsen (Jay Armstrong Johnson) turns up dying at the church where Shelby and Alex go to catch the terrorist. 

The undercover operative that Caleb beat to a pulp last week (who was being held  by the CIA until Alex had to hand him back to the terrorist)  seems to have radiation poisoning after building a “nuke” with his “own hands.” With blood pouring from his nose and mouth Will collapses after telling Wyatt and Alex that they have to find the device.

“Quantico” with this week’s flashbacks  seems to indicate that Shelby can be trusted but nothing in the past or the present indicates that Caleb can.  Ryan Booth (Jake McLaughlin) takes action when Vasquez’s mother approaches him with the news that she has not heard from her daughter and cannot reach her.

Booth goes to Miranda who tells the special agent to get Alex.

The academy flashbacks end with Liam (Josh Hopkins) telling the NATs about Perales’ leaving and that the training center is not turning out heroes but FBI agents.  At the end of the episode it now appears the Parrish must  find a live nuclear device and convince Booth and Miranda of the threat. 

Sidenote: The scene at the start where Caleb Haas is going through withdrawal seems to be a homage or at least  nod and a wink  to “Old Boy” (the original not the Lee remake) where Oh Dae-Su  sees ants crawling out of the skin on his forearms. It so, this was a splendid touch and could go toward showing that Caleb is, in fact, working alone despite apparently teaming up with both Shelby and Alex. (Oh Dae-Su hallucinates the ants out of loneliness.)

“Quantico” airs Sundays on ABC. Tune in and see where Alex goes next in this complex and slightly confusing storyline.