State of Affairs Season 1 Episode 5 Review: Ar Rissalah
Krystal Sondel
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The gun that killed Aaron was the gun that Nick gave to Charlie to protect herself while in Afghanistan.
So that complicates things a little bit, huh? The message was quite clear – Charleston Tucker is in trouble.
Before we get to just how much trouble Charleston is in, let's back up to Cairo, Egypt. That's where State of Affairs Season 1 Episode 5 opens, as two men are captured by Omar Fatah. We learn that he captured an American journalist, Thomas Logan, and used him to get his Ar Rissalah (or message) out to the world via an exclusive interview with Logan.
I can't blame Logan for wanting to air a piece that would propel him into stardom, but it was a matter of national security. As Charlie and David bickered about how much they want to violate freedom of the press, I couldn't help but wonder how many times situations like this come up in real life. Would I, an American citizen, want to see it? Or, in some cases are we better off not knowing?
We could debate this topic for hours, but I'm inclined to leave this decision up to those in charge. It was clear terrorist cells all over the world were ready to join forces and create the largest terrorist network the US has ever seen. That's a scary thought. A very scary thought.
One of my favorite parts about State of Affairs has been the reveals through flashbacks. We had a chance to get back on the boat with Charlie, Nick and Omar Fatah. We learned just how Fatah came to be an asset for the CIA. It's hard to tell if Fatah was actually recruited, but there is no mistake now – Pegasus takes wing, and the CIA has a big task ahead of them.
Getting back to the gun that killed Aaron; it may have been registered to Nick Vera, but it was on Charlie during that trip. She got around to telling Constance aboard Air Force One and the expression on Constance's face was enough to know that her belief in Charlie was gone.
Constance: Did you love Aaron?
Charlie: I still do. Very much.
What a low blow – but fair question. From the flashbacks, it appears there may have been something going on with Nick and Charlie all along, but I'm still holding out hope it wasn't going on while she was with Aaron. I believe Charlie is telling the truth, and she does love Aaron.
Did you all catch the moment in Charlie's flashback to Kabul where an arm extends out and shoots Aaron? The scene is set up to see things from Charlie's point of view, and from the looks of the arm, it is small and dainty, perhaps that of a woman's. It's the flashback I'm going to watch over and over again this week.
Could it have been Charlie who shot Aarom? That would be quite the plot twist! I am not convinced it was Fatah, so who else could it have been? Could Charlie have been protecting Fatah from being shot by Aaron? At this point it's the best theory I have, though I'm having trouble believing it myself.
Things are starting to unravel for Charleston, and without Nick to help her, what will her next move be? With POTUS keeping a close eye on her now, how long will it be before the two truly face off?
Other quick thoughts:
- Did anyone else suspect Mr. Logan's time was limited when he was chatting on his phone in the car? He didn't just have a heart attack, right? So who do we think had him killed? Fatah? David?
- Speaking of David, he wants Charlie fired. I can't see Constance firing her; as the saying goes..."keep your enemies closer." Enemy might be too strong a word, but the two certainly are not close anymore.
- Mess with the President, Senator Green, and your state will fall into troubled times. Well played, Constance. Well played.
Things are really heating up! Don't forget you can watch State of Affairs online, and decide for yourself just whose arm extended out to pull the trigger and kill Aaron.
Can the trust be repaired between Charleston and Constance? Will we get to see Nick Vera any time soon?
Let me know what you thought of tonight's episode in the comments below!
Krystal Sondel is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
