What I’m Watching: Counterpart

Counterpart: Season 2, Episode 4 “Point of Departure” (B+)

I’ll admit that I’m having trouble following who is who, or rather which version of each person we’re seeing. Their Emily, flashing back to memories of her mother trying on new identities, is conducting her own investigations, but ours is also immersing herself in the field in a way that’s extraordinarily detrimental to the man she believes to be her husband. Clare was able to swiftly determine that Lambert wasn’t going to expose her, but they still thought taking care of him was best, and Baldwin had her own plans for both him and all of Howard’s crew. That turn of events coinciding with Emily going to the library to meet with the other Lambert was almost dizzying, and made for a formidable ending when Peter was brought in by Naya to see Lambert grinning at him, telling him that he looked like he’d seen a ghost. One of the best and subtlest moments in this episode was Clare asking Peter not to smoke in the car because their daughter rides in it, a reminder that, whatever she has done, Clare remains the mother of their child who theoretically loves her much more than anyone else. Howard isn’t having much luck appealing to the others of people that he knows in prison, but Yanek seems to be warming to him. Seeing a much meeker, far chattier version of Peter is truly disorienting, and the explanation that he’s so submissive and compliant because they grabbed him so young is extremely interesting.