Countdown to Thirteen: The Assets: Episode 4 – “What’s Done is Done” (2014)

My interest waned a little on this one, if only because I’d rather hear about the investigation into the mole than the mole themselves, and they’re heavily featured here (also, given all the generally-tense behavior and their shifty facial expressions in reaction shots, I find it difficult to believe they could convince anyone they’re not hiding something major.)  The other plot threads are the main draw for me here.

With the arrival of Jean, a topnotch CIA officer brought in to head the investigation into the mole, said mole is thrown into a panic.  As the noose seems to start tightening, they look for an exit strategy.  Sandy clashes with Jean, and the defector is forced to deal with the fallout of a decision he made at the end of the last episode.

Like I said, the mole themselves don’t do much for me.  I’m all about watching smart agents try to root them out and a lot less so about watching them sweat.  But that’s a lot of what we get in this episode, both in the present-day and in the flashbacks (which breaks the pattern of the flashbacks exploring minor characters instead of those in the main cast.)

So far, Harriet Walter’s Jean basically feels like who Sister Ursula (her character from Call the Midwife) would be if she were an American CIA officer in the ‘80s:  a hard-edged stickler who feels she’s there to save the poor fools (i.e. the CIA) from themselves.  It’s clear that Sandy is no fan of hers, if only because she tends to bulldoze over everyone else’s hard work.  It remains to be seen whether the story will be about Sandy proving herself at Jean’s expense, proving herself and winning Jean’s approval, or learning to get past her differences with Jean and teaming up to find the mole together.  I feel like it’s gotta be one of the three, but I’m not sure which yet (although, given that the series was inspired by a book written by the real Sandy and Jean, I’m leaning towards a resolution in which they work together.)

Overall, though, not a lot for Sandy to do, which is disappointing.  After starting strong on her character, I feel like she’s getting a little lost in the shuffle.  Here, she mainly trades veiled barbs with Jean and has some ancillary involvement in the subplot about the defector (my favorite plot this episode, but that’s more about how it shakes out in general and less about Sandy’s involvement specifically.)