There are two main mysteries at the center of Rubicon. One is on the level, the other is not, but both threaten to turn Will into whatever it is Ed Bancroft has become since his heyday as an analyst.
The mystery that Will is supposed to be focusing on has shifted from looking at what Yuri Popovich is about to honing in on George Beck. This decision was made thanks to Tanya's recommendation, but not before she is somewhat embarrassed by Miles, Grant, and even Will prior to her presentation to Spangler. Yuri, she proposes, is a bad man, but not one that is dangerous to the overall well-being of the United States. Beck, meanwhile, doesn't have the criminal resume that Yuri does, but he's all about potential. And by the episode's conclusion, Tanya appears to be proven correct as pictures surface from the Brits showing Beck meeting with a known terrorist financier.
The second mystery involves Will's investigation into the overall conspiracy that may or may not have led to David's death. Their are a few interesting aspects to this one:
1.) Will and Ed don't really know what they are looking for. Ed even says, their current goal is to find the narrative of the conspiracy, with its ultimate goal (and moral expenses) being an answer too far away to be even thought about yet.
2.) After tonight's episode, the conspiracy group is clearly well aware of Will's investigation and Will seems to be at least somewhat aware of this as well. Yet he trudges forward, ignoring Kale's veiled threats about avoiding "mayhem."
But Will chooses to trudge forward without Ed, who may or may not have blown a mental fuse by getting back into the obsessive lifestyle of an analyst. Will lies to Ed about a key detail in what they have found so far (the true identity of Donald Bloom), and, for not at least, cuts Ed out of the equation. When looking at Ed's compulsions, you have to think that Will wondered about his own future as a man who's too smart for his own brain to handle. His own breakdown (for lack of a better term) might not be far behind.
Of course, though, we learn that Donald Bloom is very real and Will even follows him to a meeting with none other than Kale Ingram (Kale's threats to Will come after he catches his subordinate spying on him through a restaurant window). It appears that Kale and Bloom had some sort of affair back in their CIA hitman days in Beirut and now Bloom is working an assignment for Kale (possibly related to oil, Ed surmises).
But Kale isn't completely up-to-date on Bloom's business, it seems. When Spangler meets with Maryland State Senator Clay Davis (or whatever his character is called on this show) in an abandoned school gymnasium to learn about Will's involvement with Ed, Bloom is also mysteriously in attendance. And Kale takes all of this in from his own secret hiding spot in the distance.
It seemed somewhat clear that Kale wasn't on the same level as the main conspiracy members that we have met so far (i.e. Spangler, Tom Rhumor, the guy from In The Loop), but I thought he maybe had some insight into the overall organization, but now I wonder.
Overall, "Connect the Dots" was a really strong episode that worked because it made both of the main mysteries even more intriguing over the course of the hour. The real question will be how the finale wraps this all together, but so far the journey has been so well-done, I don't feel like I need a mad rush to know everything. I'm becoming more and more confident that all will be revealed at the appropriate, necessary pace.
Lingering Thoughts
- Do we think the two mysteries will be connected in the end?
- So Tanya is a drunk. Fair enough. Not sure what this means for her (and the team's) overall arc.
- We were treated to the first meeting between Will and Katherine tonight at Spangler's wife's fundraiser. I'm going to guess this won't be the last.
- Speaking of Katherine, as strong as Miranda Richardson is in the role, I find myself much less intrigued by her storyline than by Will's. I'm hoping that changes quickly.
- Spangler stole the "White Paper" files and shredded them. Clearly the man is powerful because this is made to seem like a very difficult item to steal.
- Kudos to James Badge Dale who really holds this otherwise widely-ambitious show together with his nuanced but commanding performance.
OVERALL GRADE: A
*
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