Line of Fire delivered another solid hour of television with Season 1 Episode 5, titled “Cul-de-Sac.”
Most importantly, the episode deepened the mystery surrounding Jack, while also introducing another one involving Mike Hollingsworth’s past.
They say the past always comes back to haunt you, and that couldn’t be more true for these two unfolding storylines, both of which threaten to upend the Hollingsworth family.
And amid all the twists and revelations, there was still room for a case of the week that potentially introduced a new love interest for Clare, complete with a classic enemies-to-lovers dynamic.
Jack’s Identity Is Revealed—Sort of
With mysteries like this, it’s easy to drag things out unnecessarily to keep viewers invested, so I was really hoping someone would finally figure out Jack’s identity.
That’s especially important because both Nia and Jane have been established as exceptionally intelligent agents. Jack’s training may allow him to execute federal agents without raising suspicion, but if anyone should be capable of outsmarting him, it’s these two.
When Nia informed Jane that Jack had left a paper crane at her apartment, she pointed out that very few people knew she was there on assignment. That meant Jack wasn’t just aware of her presence. He was close enough to be watching, waiting and following her every move.
Jane came *this* close to figuring out that the crawlspace above the secret office was compromised, but she didn’t follow through on that hunch.
Instead, the two decided the office was safe enough to bring Jane’s deputy marshal, Stevens, there for protection, even though he had been identified as the serial killer’s next target.
It seemed like a questionable decision. If you suspect there’s a mole or that your supposedly secure location has been compromised, wouldn’t you move somewhere else as a precaution?
Jane was also beginning to piece together a connection between the agents Jack was targeting. But before Stevens could explain how he knew Libby, the agent murdered before him, he was shot from above.
It was a brutal moment for primetime television, but I appreciate that the series isn’t afraid to raise the stakes and make the danger feel real. Jack clearly knows they are getting close and will do anything protect the truth from coming out. But how far is he willing to go? Would he hurt his family? Or is he protecting them in some way?
Stevens didn’t get the chance to reveal the full nature of his relationship with Libby, but he did manage to say they’d worked a case together. That should give Nia and Jane enough of a starting point and something concrete to investigate.
And while Jack is swift and always one step ahead of them, he didn’t anticipate that one of the dental assistants would identify him in a photo Nia possessed: a family picture of the Hollingsworths.
Just like that, his cover was potentially blown.
Now the biggest question is whether Nia will tell Jane that her son may still be alive—and that he didn’t die while carrying out his longtime undercover assignment.
The cat-and-mouse game just became more personal and dangerous. Jane deserves to know, but there’s no telling whether her instincts as an agent or a mother will take precedence.
Jane was right about one thing, though: This entire investigation feels like she’s chasing Jack’s ghost. He may not be dead, but the Jack she knew seems to be, as he’s a completely different person than she remembers.
The playing field has been leveled now—so may the better agent win.
Still, I’m not entirely convinced this man is Jack. Is it possible Mike has been hiding the fact that Jack had a twin?
And what about the case connecting all the agents Jack has been killing, with their deaths made to look like they occurred in the line of duty at the hands of suspects? What happened that was so damaging that everyone involved now needs to be silenced?
More importantly, could that case somehow connect to the new mystery surrounding Mike?
Mike Hollingworth Is a Hero—Or Is He?
Mike saved President Barnes (guest star Sam Waterston) from an assassination attempt six years ago, making him a hero in the eyes of the public.
But the details surrounding that incident have never sat right with him.
For years, Mike believed the wrong man had been convicted of the crime. Despite repeatedly revisiting the evidence, he could never prove his suspicions or find anything concrete to support his instincts.
Until now….
After Barnes announced plans to dedicate a wing of his presidential library to the Secret Service, he asked Mike to deliver a speech at the ceremony so people could see what a real hero looked like.
But Mike wasn’t comfortable accepting that honor, especially when he remained convinced that something larger had been at play and an innocent man had taken the fall.
Rather than participate, he decided to resign.
That prompted Micah and Russ to revisit the investigation, determined to prove to their father that the original findings were correct and no one else had been involved or pulled the trigger that day.
And while the evidence initially seemed to support the official account, a closer examination revealed that Mike, who has spent his career trusting his instincts, may have been right all along.
A deeper dive revealed a mysterious individual wearing red gloves that day, an agent later identified as Sam Antasca, whose presence Mike had personally authorized and who was also expected to attend the upcoming library celebration luncheon.
Would he try to finish the job then?
And could this be the very case Jack wants buried? Was he somehow involved?
I’m growing increasingly suspicious that these two mysteries are connected. It would make sense for the series to bring its biggest ongoing storylines together, particularly given how deeply both are rooted in the Hollingsworth family’s past.
And did the president know more than he was letting on?
He spoke so casually about Mike’s longstanding belief that someone else was responsible for the assassination attempt. Yet he didn’t seem particularly concerned about getting to the bottom of it, as if he wanted it to remain untouched and was relieved when Mike said he was letting the burden go.
Is it part of a larger conspiracy?
One thing that did bother me, however, was how quickly Russ and Micah uncovered information that had somehow eluded Mike for years.
We’re talking about a man who had spent an extraordinary amount of time examining every detail of the case, convinced he’d missed something. He’s also far better connected than either of his sons.
Are we really to believe they could uncover such significant evidence in a matter of days when Mike couldn’t find it over several years?
And wouldn’t their requests for old footage and case files raise some red flags for whoever went to such lengths to keep the truth buried?
There’s also the fact that a woman, Emily, was trying to flirt her way into Mike’s life, which is an automatic red flag to me. While he pushed off her advances, clearly dedicated to his ex-wife, when Jane finally reminded him she wasn’t his wife and that he wasn’t her priority, Mike finally took off the wedding ring and gave Emily his number.
LINE OF FIRE — “Cul-de-Sac” Episode 105 — Pictured: (l-r) Sam Waterston as Barnes, Peter Krause as Mike Hollingsworth — (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/NBC)
Clare’s a Married Suburban Wife in Her Undercover Life
Meanwhile, Clare tackled a case of a federal witness whose cover kept getting blown.
The man, Cassali, was preparing to testify against a CEO accused of stealing his employees’ pensions. Without his testimony, the entire case could fall apart.
Clare was assigned to work alongside another agent, Raul, whom she met at the shooting range. Unfortunately, their first interaction didn’t exactly go smoothly, so posing as a married couple hit a couple of snags.
The two were tasked with determining whether Cassali was inadvertently exposing his location and allowing the CEO to repeatedly track him down and make attempts on his life.
The fact that they couldn’t get along or even nail their undercover story was far from the problem, as a shooter opened fire, forcing them to abandon their cover almost immediately.
But Cassali wasn’t the intended target of that assassination attempt, as Jane discovered a paper crane and realized Stevens was the real target.
Unfortunately, the chaos surrounding the overlapping investigations caused Clare and Raul to let their guard down. As their bickering intensified, Cassali slipped away.
Clare eventually figured out how Cassali’s location kept being compromised. He had been forwarding packages from his previous alias to his new address, unintentionally leaving a trail that made him easy to find.
After hours of searching, Clare and Raul finally located him back at the house, but the CEO found him first and was threatening his life.
Clare and Raul jumped into action, putting their “fighting newlywed” shtick to good use, and taking down the CEO once and for all, this time, with federal agents as witnesses to his crimes, including attempted murder.
In the end, the case taught Clare something she clearly needed to hear: She has to start trusting people again. Understandably, she was shaken by her boyfriend’s death, especially realizing that he was also an agent, but being a lone wolf doesn’t help in many situations.
And judging by the romantic sparks between her and Raul, I have a feeling this won’t be the last time we see him.
There were a lot of moving parts in “Cul-de-Sac,” but I’m increasingly convinced they’re all pieces of a much larger puzzle, especially as every case somehow connects to Jack or finds him at the scene of the crime.
Between Jack’s apparent survival, the suspicious deaths of federal agents and the conspiracy surrounding the assassination attempt on President Barnes, the Hollingsworth family’s past is becoming impossible to escape.
And now that Nia has identified the “serial killer” as Jack, it’s only a matter of time before the family discovers that the son and brother they’ve spent years mourning may actually be alive.
What did you think of the episode? Do you think Jack poses a threat to them, or is the case actually to protect them? Was he involved with President Barnes’ assassination attempt? Share your thoughts in the comments, and let us know how you’re enjoying the NBC drama so far!