Covert Affairs - Into the White

Given her assignment by Henry Wilcox (Gregory Itzin), Annie (Piper Perabo) returns to Colombia to determine how great a threat is Arthur's (Peter Gallagher) illegitimate son Teo Braga (Manolo Cardona), who Arthur reveals is actually acting as a double-agent inside the terrorist organization, and prevent a terrorist attack on an American target in Colombia. Joan (Kari Matchett) agrees for two days to hide the second-half of Annie's mission, to bring Tao back in from the cold, but both she and Auggie (Christopher Gorham) suspect the man may have spent too long undercover.

When Tao refuses to leave on his own, Annie enlists the help of Calder Michaels (Hill Harper) and his local team to take down an ALC stronghold in exchange for Braga. Although the raid is successful, Calder reneges on the deal and begins torturing Tao for information about the ALC's target which, much like the subject of his extraction, he refuses to discuss. Unable to get Tao to abandon his mission and return to the U.S., Annie does the next best thing by turning the man into her new long-term asset and, much to Calder's continued consternation, helping to facilitate his escape from Colombia.


Back in D.C., Joan begins interviews for Arthur's own job and accepts the responsibility to clean the crime scene of Seth Newman's (Tim Griffin) apartment from anything that could lead back to Annie or the CIA once Auggie breaks the news about her old friend working for Wilcox and his untimely death. Both missions are successful as Joan, with a little blackmail courtesy of Wilcox and Newman, becomes the first woman to be named Director of Clandestine Affairs for the CIA.

Although Annie's actions don't make an enemy of Calder they certainly don't engender any feelings of friendship or respect, especially after Tao escapes. As a series regular, especially now with Tao out of Colombia, it will be interesting to see how the show keeps the character involved in the season arc (will he be hunting Tao on his own, or is he possibly connected to Wilcox in a way that has yet to be shown?). Another confrontation between Auggie and Arthur suggests there is still plenty about Tao that Annie doesn't know, some of which may finally come to light in next week's episode.