What I’m Watching: Counterpart

Counterpart: Season 2, Episode 8 “In from the Cold” (B+)

It’s extraordinary to think about all the layers embedded within this episode, all of which come to unspool by the end of the hour. Their Howard was talking to our Emily, and his face gave away plenty when she started remembering that she had traveled to the other world and spent time with the daughter she didn’t know, along with the bit she doesn’t remember about her relationship with this very Howard, who had to pretend that he was shocked by everything she was saying. He seemed to love helping her work through the decoding process, but the magic ended the moment that he brutally stopped an assassin from getting inside, demonstrating instantly that he was not the Howard that she had loved for so many years. On the other side, Emily chose to read her daughter in so that they could save our Howard, and her reaction was one of wonder and satisfaction, somewhat delighted to know that she had been right all along about them being heroes. It’s hard to know what will come of the multiple plans that both Emilys and Howards have for contacting Management, but let’s hope it’s not too late for the most surprising change of heart to come in handy. After Peter helped Clare to realize that she had been radicalized and lied to, bringing her to Nia and introducing her as Shadow was pretty much the clearest display of transparency he could have made. Let’s just hope it’s not too late to stop the crossing from being destroyed before Howard can make it home.