Quantico Season 2 Episode 15: MOCKINGBIRD Review

If you would like to read my review of the last episode, click here.

Synopsis: While their newly appointed leader gets familiar with the team of CIA and FBI agents, Owen leads an investigation into the strange world of fake news. But hunting down the publishers of a fake story might lead to deadly consequences.  (Quantico Wiki)

Writers: Cameron Litvack and Cami Delavigne

Director: Patrick Norris

Rating: TV-14

Running Time: 42mins

The last episode had the new team catch its first collaborator but it still has its issues to contend with. Clay is still new to the team and doesn’t quite know everybody just yet, Shelby excluded. For help, he asks Owen for some background on them. Because he is new, the rest of the team doesn’t see Clay as their leader which made him feel threatened by Owen. Even though he asserts his position over Owen and the others, he hasn’t earned their respect. In an attempt to undermine Owen, he plays a video of Owen’s background in front of the others thus putting his thoughts out in the open.

The case of the week involves a chemical explosion in a suburban Virginia town, evacuating all of its residents. The team quickly figured out that the explosion was not really an explosion but just an elaborate hoax, fabricated by fake news spreading Russian trolls, a lead provided by Harry who happened to work a case involving the same group of trolls. This fake information spiraled out of control, leading to the evacuation of the town. All the government agencies appeared to find nothing wrong but it just went on anyway.

They later learned that these trolls were payed to spread this information in order to clear out the town so they can look for something unnoticed. We later learned that this something was a someone, a woman who worked as a media advisor for a United States Senator. She was ironically responsible for spreading fake news to benefit her employer. One instance led to the death of many innocent people. Fearing that if were connected back to them, this would tarnish the senator’s reputation. Because of this, he wanted to eliminate any loose ends with the last being her.

While this was happening, the reporter who was looking into Ryan managed to find him and wanted a meeting. She was looking into what he and the task force were doing which he obviously couldn’t say anything about. Despite his denials, she threatened to go forward anyway if he couldn’t get her anything better. He did get her something better and gave her a story about the senator and the fake news spreading. He also offered to help her and asked her out on a date. However, it wasn’t the senator who was responsible for orchestrating the ruse to get the woman, but a higher ranking member of his political party who was responsible. He is now their government collaborator on their board.

Clay and Owen may have been butting heads during the mission but Clay finally came to terms with what Owen told him at the beginning of the episode. He realized he may not have the experience but he wanted Owen to help him and give him the chance to learn how to do his job. They still couldn’t go after anyone as it would alert the AIC so Clay needed to tell the team something to maintain the morale. Owen told him that he should lie and tell them they had a win.  Clay and Nimah weren’t getting along either since he saw her as a terrorist for what she did before. Nimah was frustrated but she ultimately proved herself to him and he finally acknowledged her as part of the team. Continuing with this new behavior, he let Harry join the team and joined everyone at the bar.

The episode ended with Shelby calling Leon but on the other side, people in masks were walking away from a bloody man with Leon’s phone ringing nearby. Maybe he’s dead?

Overall, I’m still not convinced on the new direction of the season. It feels like two different shows at this point. This part was probably the way the whole season should have gone with the terrorist subplot during the first half being an extended prequel. I hope there’ll be some payoff as this doesn’t seem to be leading to anything.

Score: 7.5/10

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.