Allegiance: The O’Connors Have A Way Out, But Alex Gets In The Way

Courtesy of NBC

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Last week Alex and Prado were extremely close to getting their hands on the means to access the SVR files. The very moment before a sniper took a shot that would inevitable end Alex’s life, Katya shot the sniper instead. Alex was able to get some of the password to access the files but Vaso’s light faded first.

Finding Mikhail’s laptop is paramount. Alex will work through his issues from plugging a man’s chest with his finger as he died, but in the meantime we find him in a tile store. He gets one of each sample in the store. Then sniffs them. Everyone looks on curious to know why the quirky analyst is sniffing stone samples. They go back to Mikhail’s apartment. Alex sniffs one of this old jackets.

Prado: Ok. You gonna tell me why we came all the way over here?
Alex (under his breath): Philadelphia City Hall.
Prado: What?
Alex: The egg. The laptop with the SVR files, Mikhail hid it in Philadelphia City Hall.

Alex begins to describe just exactly how he was able to discern that the laptop was hidden in Philadelphia City Hall. Then the Director of the FBI decides the best course of action is to get a warrant for that location. Alex interjects and lays out a very impressive plane to remove the files and replace it with a laptop that holds low-end SVR files as to bring relief to the SVR. They’ll assume the breach wasn’t what they were led to believe it was. They won’t change their behavior at all and US government will have the ball. So to speak. The FBI Director stone walls the idea suggesting it would be too difficult.

Brock (speaking to Alex): You’re crazy.
Luttrell: Two days ago you were lecturing us that there was no time to put surveillance on Mikhail’s apartment with the specter of an SVR attack looming over us. And today, suddenly, the government doesn’t work weekends Bill…? That laptop auto-deletes in 36 hours. And every hour from now until then is another hour the Russians could to beat us to it.

The receiver in the shirt button Alex is wearing transmits all of that to Arkady. They need to get a team in there to secure the laptop before the Americans do. There simply is no time to get a new team read for something like that. Arkady’s solution? Use the O’Connors.

They are angered by yet another mission that they are not supposed to be required to do. As long as Alex is in play there will likely be no end in sight for Katya and Mark. Unless… Mark notices an old Mason underground tunnel from a church to city hall. By accessing the tunnel they can come from underneath, then move from court room to court room never stepping foot into a hallway that will certainly have guards and cameras. They make their way to the vault, boost the laptop and depart. It’s a brilliant plan, but riddled with risk.

Natalie takes Sarah out of school as a cover to travel to Philly and scout the Masonic Temple and specifically the entry point to the tunnel. Meanwhile, Luttrell gave Alex some instructions on how to ‘cultivate a relationship’ with Prado. When Prado asks what’s going on as they sit at a lovely rooftop restaurant overlooking the White House and Washington Monument, he tells her. Word for word what Luttrell suggested.

Natalie, playing up the ‘sisters on vaca’ bit, gets a text from Katya to meet her downstairs immediately. Victor is in the room along with Mark and Katya. The government is moving faster than the SVR had hoped. They can no longer wait until the next night. They have to go as soon as possible, which as it turns out is 6am the morning of the city’s anniversary. The Mayor will be giving a speech 40 feet from the target. But again, if Alex gets to the laptop before they do its game over.

Katya and Natalie head to the roof to ‘have a cigarette’ and Katya lays into Natalie about the sense she has that Natalie is with Victor, romantically. Once that unnecessary and painfully awkward moment is over, Katya transitions into what’s next. They plan to double cross Victor tomorrow, but they will need Natalie on board. The plan involves making a duplicate of the laptop drive in transit remotely. Getting the laptop into the hands of the SVR. Then, trading their copied drive to the FBI for immunity. The only way to get out. Even if it means the death of Victor.

They know Sarah is nearby. That complicates everything. Katya picks the lock of the Masonic Temple without tripping an alarm. Natalie navigates them through turn by turn. A naked arch reveals a secret door that leads them to the underground tunnel. They run into a snag when the passage is locked by something Katya can’t pick. Just as they get through, Victor gives word that the FBI has clearance to execute Alex’s plan. They left 30 minutes ago, but not by car. They will arrive eminently.

The O’Connor’s get into the vault, but there are no electrical outlets. The tool used to break open the safe requires electricity. Mark goes to open an access door and it trips an alarm. A guard is tipped to the alarm and he advances towards Katya’s location. Looks through the crack between doors and leaves. Mark gets the device working and they wait for it to pop the door open. Meanwhile the FBI team is already following a similar path to that of the O’Connor’s, through courtrooms.

THe O’Connors get to the laptop first, but as they walk away Katya can hear the sound of someone picking the outer lock. The Feds are busy trying to open the empty safe while the O’Connors make their escape. When the safe door pops for the second time and there is no laptop, Alex moves to the next idea. The SVR must have gotten there first and very well might be in the building still. Alex moves through the access door and shines a flashlight upwards. The light is mere feet from where Katya and Mark are standing.

I wish there was more, but that’s where NBC chose to end this episode.