We’re eight episodes into CIA’s first season, and there’s finally a sense of consistency and emotion.
CIA Season 1 Episode 8 delivered a tense, action-packed episode that not only forced Bill and Colin to trust each other but also showed us what other members of the team are capable of.
Gina is thrown into the intricacies of a mission, but I can’t help but feel that this is too little too late.
Yes, CIA Season 2 is confirmed, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
It’s all about the mole arc, which has to come to a conclusion in two episodes, but we don’t know the characters enough to really care who it is — as long as it’s not Colin.
No, Canadians Are Not Polite
I’ll admit I chuckled at the line about Canadians being viewed as polite.
It certainly connects to current world views, as people learn that Canadians are partly responsible for the Geneva Conventions (or the checklist, as many on social media like to joke).
This was added to show just how fragile relations between the United States and Canada are right now, and I appreciated the inclusion.
If word got out about the nuke so close to Canada, of course, it was going to be viewed as an attack.
It meant that the Fusion Cell had to get to the bottom of it.
While a few other cases felt like they should have been regular FBI cases, CIA Season 1 finally made it clear that the CIA was needed, which meant everyone had to work together.
I would have preferred this installment to be the FBI crossover event rather than CIA Season 1 Episode 7.
It would have made more sense considering the multiple other threats coming in throughout the episode and the inclusion of Jonah, a former government agent who had been ousted.
At the same time, it worked without being a crossover, because we got to see more of Bill realizing he can’t just rely on his own training.
He had to start thinking like a spy when it came to getting a bug into a room to listen in on Matteo’s conversations after stealing the nuke.
When Bill was abducted, he had to work out what was going on. He realized that people who sell out aren’t necessarily terrible people. They’re put in difficult situations, and they can redeem themselves.
We Finally Meet Bill’s Fiancée
While we knew from the beginning that Bill was engaged, we’ve never met this woman.
CIA Season 1 Episode 8 finally changes that, and while it was exciting, it just felt off.
There was almost this setup that we were supposed to know who she was, and I couldn’t help but feel like a scene was missing earlier in the series.
I keep going back to CIA having a major problem with showrunner changes. I’ve said it in previous reviews, and it still holds true at this point.
At least we finally get to meet Kate, and she even clearly knows what Bill does. Well, the job that he’s supposed to do.
However, I’m not sold on this relationship.
If she drives around the city and knows where Bill works, why is this the first time we’ve ever met her? Why is there no sign in Bill’s apartment that they even spend any time together?
Was Kate added later and had to be retconned in? That would explain a lot, and I hope CIA Season 2 fixes this disjointed arc.
I feel like we were supposed to feel the weight on Bill as he lied about where he was going to work, but without the buildup of his and Kate’s relationship, there’s no real emotion there.
This is sure to be a bigger issue during the second season, but we will need to see more of Bill and Kate interacting together and get a feel of the love they have for each other — since they must do if they’re getting married — for us to even care about it, let alone be convinced by it.
CIA Seems to Be Setting Up Gina as the Mole
After spending seven episodes behind a computer screen, Gina gets the opportunity to go out in the field, and she quickly gets involved in the case.
Not only does she get Matteo’s room number, but she also tries to keep the Russian threat occupied.
Of course, things go wrong, just as they always do in TV shows like this. Gina is made, and it’s the men who need to step in to help.
There’s certainly an annoying stereotype of the patriarchy in here, but that’s not the most annoying element of the whole thing.
It’s more so that Gina is likely the mole.
It can’t be Colin, and will it really be the director? That seems a little too obvious.
Gina is the one always behind the computer screen, and she could likely cover her tracks easily, passing on the information.
On top of that, suddenly, we’re getting some backstory and seeing her in the action.
That’s often a sign that writers have realized they need to do more with a character quickly to make the twist pay off.
With this move, Gina has gotten closer to Colin. Now he has to keep some sort of secret, as he doesn’t want Nikki to find out that he put Gina in harm’s way.
Yet, all of this is still too rushed. Gina getting involved in a case should have happened much earlier in a 10-episode season.
I don’t know enough about her to really care if she is the mole or not. It wouldn’t be too much of a shock if she were.
It’s not like it would change too much of the team, considering we haven’t seen enough of them working together to care.
Part of me feels like this mole arc needs to go into CIA Season 2, but that’s not going to happen.
This is the whole purpose of the first season, but everything feels too rushed as we finally get into the story’s action and purpose.
The only person the mole can’t be is Colin, despite the trailer for the penultimate episode suggesting he is. There is no show without him, so it’s a pointless red herring.
However, Colin likely knows there’s a mole, and he may be slowly closing in on Gina. Could this latest hour have included something that’s given that away for him?
In short, I just wish we had more time. We need more episodes.
The back half of the season has been stronger and more consistent than the front half, and now I feel like we’re just getting to know the characters so we can care about them.
We want to hear from you!
The only way independent journalism can continue is through your connection and interaction. Drop us comments below to share your thoughts about and insights from this episode of CIA! Have you figured out who the mole is, and how has the season been for you?
-
CIA Season 1 Episode 8 Finally Brings Storylines Needed from the Beginning
It’s only taken eight episodes, but we finally get a consistent and an intense episode of CIA. Is it too little too late?
-
Characters of the Week: NCIS: Sydney, CIA, Doc, & More Deliver Growth and Emotional Payoff
Emotional payoff, growth, compelling arcs, our Characters of the Week delivered. From Doc and CIA to NCIS: Sydney and The Pitt, check it out!
-
CIA Season 1 Episode 7 Finally Delivers Much-Needed Emotion and Honesty
While CIA Season 1 Episode 7 was touted as an FBI crossover, it really did work as its own episode, finally bringing much-needed honesty.
The post CIA Season 1 Episode 8 Finally Brings Storylines Needed from the Beginning appeared first on TV Fanatic.