Round Two: Counterpart

Counterpart: Season 1, Episode 2 “Birds of a Feather” (B+)

In episode two, this show continues to be interesting, not entirely clear on where it’s headed but definitely covering worthwhile territory on the way there. Introducing Baldwin’s counterpart in our world showed a completely different character, a talented musician who leads a lonely but far less violent life. Baldwin is resilient and thinks fast, calling in a hostage situation so that she could gain the upper hand and take her other self hostage. She decided quickly to reveal her face, which of course made the other Baldwin think that she was hallucinating and not experiencing a real but inexplicable situation. The authorization to take the shot which killed the wrong Baldwin was an unfortunate call, and now it’s just going to encourage Baldwin to go after both Howards with more resolve. It’s intriguing to see how Howard operates on his side, nearly brought in and then executed by operatives sent by his ex-wife, who wasn’t trying to kill him but harbors no positive feelings for the man. Stephen Rea’s Pope is an interesting addition, sharing wisdom about churches representing religion once upon a time and pulling lots of strings from his position. It’s good to see our Howard developing some personality and realizing how he can contribute to the world, and the highlight of the interactions between the two Howards in this episode was the finding of the tie that the other Howard lost decades ago and that our Howard hadn’t worn in decades. It’s those small moments that makes this show extremely compelling and watchable.