Counterpart 1.05

Shaking the Tree

A team of three agents (2 men, 1 woman) come over from the other side. They obtain an apartment, kill the guy who leases it to them, and await orders.

Howard Prime runs into and plays Go with Andrei. Howard almost beats Andrei but Howard makes a fatal error as the game is winding down. Howard goes to see Emily Silk after the game. She is still in a coma. He talks to her like she can hear him. He is frustrated.

Heinrich, Howard Prime's friend who runs a butchery, gets approached by Claire. She knows that he recently spoke to Howard Prime. She wants to know what Howard told them. He refuses to tell her anything. He looks as though he knows his fate is sealed.

Howard Silk goes looking for Anna without success. He stops by the riverfront spot where he usually plays Go with Andrei. There is no one there when he arrives but then Alexander Pope shows up. Pope knows that Howard is not Howard Prime. He warns Howard about Emily before going on his way. 

Quayle has a chat with Aldrich while the other housecleaners are sweeping the office looking for evidence. Quayle tells Aldrich what he knows about the mole. Aldrich thinks about it for a moment and then takes Quayle with him, to a place far outside of town.

Howard Prime is at the hospital when he sees Andrei, from a distance. Howard learns that Andrei was there to see Emily and that his real name isn't Andrei. He tails Andrei to an apartment and then waits outside until Andrei leaves.

Howard Silk goes to see Emily Prime. He tells her about his meeting with Alexander Pope. She tells him that she believes that Pope is the one who put her in the hospital. She tries to gently push him away but he insists that he wants to help. 

Baldwin gets some help in the form of a free bowl of soup from a young waitress at a café.

Aldrich and Quayle meet with Alice, a defector from the other side. She had information about a possible high level mole but not much in the way of details.

Emily Prime takes Howard Silk for a walk. She tells him about her world. There was a flu epidemic in the early 1990s. Seven percent of the world's population died. She wants Howard to meet with Edgar, who looks up to Howard Prime. She hopes Howard can get the delivery address of secret documents from Edgar.

Howard Prime breaks into Andrei's apartment after he leaves. He finds a duffle bag filled with cash and documents. He studies the documents and waits for Andrei to return.

Howard Silk talks to Edgar. He tries to get the address from him but Edgar gets spooked and tries to run. Emily and Howard catch up to him, corner him. Emily gets Edgar to reveal the address using subtle threats.

Alice tells Alrich and Quayle what she knows about a program on the other side. It is called the School or Indigo. It's role is to prepare sleeper agents to infiltrate this side. It is fueled by money from private interests on the other side and the belief that this side caused the flu epidemic in the Prime universe. The possible mole is a person known as Shadow.

Quayle meets Alice's counterpart before he and Aldrich leave. Alice and her counterpart live with a man who looks like he must be Aldrich's counterpart, or his twin. They seem very familiar with Alrich.

Andrei returns and Howard Prime confronts him. Howard learns that Andrei had been having an affair with Emily Silk for 10 months. Howard has a gun on him. Andrei wets his pants and apologizes. Howard takes the duffle bag and leaves.

Claire visits the three agents in their apartment. They are packing things up. She gives them their assignments. She is spotted, as she leaves, by Baldwin who is standing in the shadows across the street.

Howard Prime goes to see Emily Silk once again. He talk to her unconscious body once again.

Howard Silk escorts Emily Prime home. She discourages him from trying to stay the night. She tries to tell him that she isn't his Emily. He gets the message and leaves. He gets back to his counterpart's apartment and finds his daughter waiting for him. He tries to make things better between himself and Anna. She seems ready to leave. He begs her to stay and talk.

Thoughts

This episode really got into my head. It seemed longer than it actually was. I watched it a second time as I made my notes about what happened in it. There were things I missed or didn't fully understand the first time around. It helped to watch it again. 

Howard Silk still doesn't know that his Emily had a secret life she kept from him. Howard Prime does and now he knows even more about her secret life. Does Emily Prime know or suspect things about her counterpart's life. I think she does and that there was already evidence of that a couple episodes back.

What's the deal with Aldrich? He seems like a more complex character now. So many questions.

Baldwin must come from Indigo. I think that is a safe assumption. I also think it is likely that she is the one who tried to kill Emily Silk with a car. What does she want to do now? Get revenge on Claire. What role will Baldwin play in the second half of the season?

I don't regret having to watch this episode twice. It held up on the second viewing. It also made more sense. I look forward to seeing more of this series but I'm still not sure that it won't disappoint me in a major way at some point down the line.