What I’m Watching: Counterpart

Counterpart: Season 1, Episode 5 “Shaking the Tree” (B+)

What an ending! This episode clearly demonstrated that not everything on this show is meant to thrill and create intrigue, but sometimes there is simple, powerful drama to be found in the human relationships that can exist between those on one side and either their others or the people in their others’ lives. When Howard told the other Emily that she knew him better than anyone else, she was quick to remind him that she isn’t the same as his Emily. And Anna, who I just now saw is played by Sarah Bolger, who I first encountered fifteen years ago in “In America,” was furious with her father for all of a sudden trying to take an interest, to which he smartly and emotionally asked her to pretend that he wasn’t her negligent father and to just tell him what he’s missed all these years. It’s going to be tough for him to go back when they do finally switch sides again, and fortunately his other is making some progress at determining who the players in his immediate vicinity are, while Pope is playing all sides and creating confusion for our Howard and their Emily. Heinrich found himself in a precarious position in this episode and doesn’t seem to be headed anywhere good, while Aldrich showed a gentler side of himself as they met both Alices. Emily also handed us an important piece of information about their side, which is that seven percent of the population was wiped out by a flu, which explains some of their lack of technological advances and certainly why there is less shopping.