S01.E13: Clear

[formerlyfreedom]

This week the NATS learn how to source information from confidential informants, but when they test their skills in the real world, they soon realize being an agent is not as easy as it seems. Meanwhile, in the future, Alex and a fellow agent find themselves in a life or death situation when they are forced to provide classified information that could result in deadly consequences.

[wanderingstar]

How does this show manage to be both busy and boring as fuck? They introduce so many storylines and threads that I can't invest in or care about any of them.

[Free]

How does this show manage to be both busy and boring as fuck? They introduce so many storylines and threads that I can't invest in or care about any of them.

 

It's busy because they just dumped in a bunch of more new characters and subplots.  It's boring because none of it means anything in context, just more bland characters and more suspects to drag this reveal out.

[ketchuplover]

One Agent Will Die .......Her hair....off screen

[KaveDweller]

I'm confused about why Alex and the new girl failed the test. Because they told the marks they were FBI (which isn't really fair with new girl since the guy "guessed"). Or because they agreed to do the person a favor if they called? Weren't they told they should do anything to get the person to flip?

 

Also, why didn't Alex and Natalie just go to Booth (or anyone) in the FBI building and show them the explosive vest as proof there was another terrorist? Natalie was alone with him at one point. That seemed really dumb.

[dungeonwriter]

Is Simon still on the show? Because he was barely in the last episode and not in this one. 

[Free]

Is Simon still on the show? Because he was barely in the last episode and not in this one. 

 

Yes, he's in the promo for next week.

 

Also, why didn't Alex and Natalie just go to Booth (or anyone) in the FBI building and show them the explosive vest as proof there was another terrorist? Natalie was alone with him at one point. That seemed really dumb.

 

It really is, let's just create even more problems by hiding a bomb.

[Senna]

At least there were no stupid elimination games this episode!  I mean, other than the death (I had a feeling it would be Natalie) ... and whatever socially inept dude was doing in his underwear drawer ... (do I care?  Not really.)

 

I was wondering if the Chicago shooting could be the Chicago incident previously mentioned in the series, but I thought that might be too much continuity for this show.  They proved me wrong!  I'm almost a little bit proud ... except it apparently means Da Bears *immediately* joined up with the FBI after his girlfriend was shot (because that was near the end of 2014, and the attacks happen in July 2015 and I don't remember how long they've been in training, so is this even possible timeline-wise?  Unless the series is going into the future and the terrorist attacks happen in July of this year?  I don't know why I'm bothering to think about this.)

 

I think my favorite part of this episode was the reliance on Myers-Briggs personality types *specifically* (rather than just observing the subject and deciding on a course of action or whatever).  Probably because mine has been different each time I've tried it.

[henripootel]

I think my favorite part of this episode was the reliance on Myers-Briggs personality types *specifically* (rather than just observing the subject and deciding on a course of action or whatever).

Gah - it's a shame that shit like this ends up in the same genre and medium as The Americans.  That show is a textbook on agent recruitment, not a misreading of a wikipedia article on 'personality types'.   I cannot believe this show got renewed.

[Artsda]

Bye Natalie. Stupid of them both, they should have called the entire thing in once the bomb was defused and gone with swat to the location.

[torqy]

 ... and whatever socially inept dude was doing in his underwear drawer ... (do I care?  Not really.)

Does anyone actually keep socks in a drawer that way? (Other than Grace Brothers dept. store)

[thuganomics85]

Seriously, fuck these stupid "tests", that always have some kind of twist that causes everyone (or most everyone) to fail, and pretty much renders that particular story meaningless.  Honestly, I would love any of these cadets who just say "fuck it", and don't do it because they know it's pointless and just tell Miranda and Liam to go ahead and reveal it.  It would probably get them booted, but it would so be worth it if someone didn't play their games.

 

Wow, and I thought the introduction for the new agents was rough and one-dimensional.  Now we find out that jock was a former football player who quit and tried to sue the NFL after he got a concussion, social awkward hacker really does act like an alien or android (can't believe I'm agreeing with Caleb about anything), and female agent/Li Jun Li automatically tries to use her sex appeal in their first mission.  These three don't feel like characters at all: just tropes in human skin.  Whatever major issues I have with the original Quantico folks, they at least resemble something that looks like human beings and provoke some kind of reactions.

 

Good grief, it turns out that Shelby's fake sister was playing her again, and now has got $5 million of Shelby's money.  Shelby now just wants to hunt her ass down, but Caleb bails on her.  But wait!  Li Jun Li is offering to help!  I'm sure something is coming out of all of this, but like I give a fuck at this point.

 

Alex and Natalie try to figure out who the terrorists are by uploading a virus to those files they wanted, only for the terrorist to blow it up, apparently killing Natalie.  I mean, sure, she was right beside it when it happened, but until I see her burnt corpse, I'm going to wait and see on this.

 

Booth makes no fucking sense to me.  He suspects that Alex and Natalie were up to something, but instead of telling his superiors, he just calls Alex over and berates her.  I mean, what if in theory, those two were up to something really bad?  Then again, the who thing really was too easy.  I hope the real-life FBI headquarters has better security then that.

 

Nimah and Samar are having trust issues.  Um, I guess that's bad?

 

Liam really is developing feelings for Alex, huh?  Sheesh...

 

This show really needs to give up on trying and go full-blown crazy.  I want to terrorist to be someone so insane, like the Mormon guy who blew his brains out.  Just have it all be one long-ass con, and he's the guy behind the entire thing.  Because so far, I can't see this not ending in disappointment.

[mertensia]

Do we have proof Natalie is really dead?

"Find an informant at the bar". Oh whatever. What's with the emphasis on training tasks you are 100% going to fail, anyhow?

God how dumb is Shelby?

[mtlchick]

At this point I really wished this was a self contained season and not renewed.  Because I have lost track of who is new, what the weekly test is supposed to be and who is under minding who. The only person I feel bad for is Renata if her mom was indeed killed.

[Primetimer]

Assessing the impact of the third bomb, and other burning questions.

Read the story

[Guest]

I'm not sure if I'm just too dumb for this show, or if it is just too convoluted and not interesting enough to keep my attention.  I'm going with option B.  I spent most of the episode (once I remembered it was on) confused about what was going on.  

[Free]

Seriously, fuck these stupid "tests", that always have some kind of twist that causes everyone (or most everyone) to fail, and pretty much renders that particular story meaningless.  Honestly, I would love any of these cadets who just say "fuck it", and don't do it because they know it's pointless and just tell Miranda and Liam to go ahead and reveal it.  It would probably get them booted, but it would so be worth it if someone didn't play their games.

 

They're not actually learning anything useful so it's just a waste of time, none of these lessons apply to their current situations.

 

 

I'm not sure if I'm just too dumb for this show, or if it is just too convoluted and not interesting enough to keep my attention.  I'm going with option B.  I spent most of the episode (once I remembered it was on) confused about what was going on.  

 

Definitely B, it's the show that's dumb and convoluted.

 

Wow, and I thought the introduction for the new agents was rough and one-dimensional.  Now we find out that jock was a former football player who quit and tried to sue the NFL after he got a concussion, social awkward hacker really does act like an alien or android (can't believe I'm agreeing with Caleb about anything), and female agent/Li Jun Li automatically tries to use her sex appeal in their first mission.  These three don't feel like characters at all: just tropes in human skin.  Whatever major issues I have with the original Quantico folks, they at least resemble something that looks like human beings and provoke some kind of reactions.

 

That's exactly who they are, just pointless character tropes meant to pad out screen time and add more useless suspects to drag the mystery out.

[dolphincorn]

I wonder if I'd still be watching this show if the cast wasn't so pretty?

[preeya]

I'm not sure if I'm just too dumb for this show, or if it is just too convoluted and not interesting enough to keep my attention.  I'm going with option B.  I spent most of the episode (once I remembered it was on) confused about what was going on.  

Me too.

Edited March 14, 2016 by preeya

[henripootel]

I'm not sure if I'm just too dumb for this show, or if it is just too convoluted and not interesting enough to keep my attention.  I'm going with option B.

I'm pretty sure watching this show is making me dumber.  The problem with trying to follow this nonsense is that you learn to think like an idiot.

[piequinn35]

Another stupid exercise or test...

 

RIP Natalie, yes that was too dumb for them to go there alone.

 

Is episode 16 the last one for this show? 

[KateeBar]

This show. I can't quit it, somehow, but it's also not a good hate-watch, really. The Bachelor is much better for that.

The scene where Alex just lost it...I rolled my eyes so hard, it was so overwrought and over-acted.

I'll just assume Natalie is still alive, because this show just loves a trope.

[Chicago Redshirt]

One time I would like a show/movie with characters put in situations like Alex/Nat to just run the math/basic logic.

 

1. The chances of the terrorist(s) letting me go on with my life after s/he/they are done is approximately zero.

2. The chances of the terrorist(s) doing something terrible with whatever information/materials is approximately 100 percent

3. My life and the lives of my immediate friends and family<the lives of dozens if not hundreds if not thousands that the terrorist(s) plan to take.

4. Therefore, screw helping the terrorist(s)

5. I work with the FBI and should be able to clue them in that the terrorist(s) are trying to pressure me to do X and get them to start to investigate.

 

In terms of the exercise, I think the only reason it should be considered a fail is because neither Alex nor Iris bothered establishing what either the quid or the quo might be before agreeing to it. If they had asked and given a more non-committal answer of "I can't make any promises, but I'll look into it." I think that would be more fair.

[Dowel Jones]

So, we can assume that there are absolutely no CCTV cameras anywhere in the FBI building, especially by the server room?  Because that's the only way I can see Natalie and Alex waltzing right up to the door, thinking that no one will ever know they were there.  And, of course, the FBI would never review any footage after a bomb threat, especially after two successful attacks in the city.

 

I mean, sure, she was right beside it when it happened, but until I see her burnt corpse, I'm going to wait and see on this

 

.That was my immediate thought, too.  Natalie is in on the fix, and set up the explosion by sending Alex around the corner.  Why else would two NATS stand around a computer setup that is just screaming "I'm a bomb!  You've been had!"  (Don't answer that.)

 

Don't they do psychological checks on agent recruits before they ever get hired?  I get the plot requirements, but, jeez Louise, this group is starting to scare me with the idea that they could actually be in charge of national security and law enforcement.

[chaifan]

I have a problem with Natalie and Alex bringing bomb-strapped Natalie into an office building.  She should have been sitting in the middle of a field/forest/lake where she couldn't hurt anyone if the bomb actually went off.  So I'm with the other posters that think Natalie is not really truly dead, and is in on the whole thing.  That's the only way I could forgive the character for placing so many other lives at risk. 

 

I promise myself every week I'm going to not watch anymore, but there's a gaping hole in Sunday night programming at 10pm. 

[Tarasme]

So, for a reason beyond logic my Directv receiver blacked out AMC last night during *that* show and shows following. As I struggled with my DVR, I started through my local channel line up and saw "Quantico." I turned on "Quantico" to see if my ABC channel was experiencing the same issues as AMC- it wasn't.

 

I watched through Alex in the red dress at a bar with some other people that apparently are a former football player and an Asian woman (really show- you think good banter between agent and mark is- in summary- "You speak good Spanish." "For an Asian woman?" "No, for a Fed." Criminy.). I paused the show, left it paused, and watched the last twenty minutes of Friday's "Grimm" on my iPad while I hoped whatever technical difficulties I was experiencing with AMC were magically resolved. 

 

I'm sad that those two and half minutes watching Quantico were so desperately wasted.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Tarasme

[KaveDweller]

So, we can assume that there are absolutely no CCTV cameras anywhere in the FBI building, especially by the server room? Because that's the only way I can see Natalie and Alex waltzing right up to the door, thinking that no one will ever know they were there. And, of course, the FBI would never review any footage after a bomb threat, especially after two successful attacks in the city.

Also, why wasn't anyone searching the building for this bomb? My office had a bomb threat last year and they sent in bomb sniffing dogs and people authorized to check if there was a real danger. And I don't work for anything half as important/dangerous as the FBI. Was the FBI planning in just sitting around outside until something exploded and then calling it a win since no one died this time?

Edited March 14, 2016 by KaveDweller

[Anela]

They kill Natalie, just as I was starting to really like her. 

 

This episode was boring, though. I stopped paying attention, and knew that Natalie would be blown up.

 

They need to just give some answers.

[ForeverAlone]

Yeah, the writing has gotten super convoluted. I can't really understand why Alex does such stupid things of never involving the actual authorities who would likely believe her this time since Natalie had a bomb strapped to her chest, or why the hell the terrorist has such a hard on for Alex. I'm going to keep watching it, but it is drifting into hate watch territory for me. 

[Free]

That's the only way I could forgive the character for placing so many other lives at risk.

 

So much for that bomb lesson in Quantico, it's certainly paying off.  /s.

[ParadoxLost]

That was my immediate thought, too.  Natalie is in on the fix, and set up the explosion by sending Alex around the corner. 

 

That was I was thinking initially.  Natalie was way to calm for someone with a bomb strapped to her chest.  Then the cell phone with no signal sends Alex out alone to get a signal (I'm not certain that call wasn't the trigger).  Then Alex has an epic freak out and runs the other direction without checking to see if there is any chance Natalie survived.  She went like a bat out of hell and frankly that was so out of character and so out of nowhere that its nothing but plot contrivance.

 

But the only thing that makes me thing Natalie is actually dead is that they are suddenly friends in the flashbacks and Natalie was given leave from the training until she got her home situation sorted out.  That smells to me like they have released the actress from the show.

Edited March 14, 2016 by ParadoxLost

[Netfoot]

I have a problem with Natalie and Alex bringing bomb-strapped Natalie into an office building.

 

According to earlier episodes, FBI procedure requires as many people as possible, to crowd around the bomb in solidarity.  So those killed by the blast will have lots of company.

 

I've got this episode on my hard drive, but I haven't felt the inclination to watch last week's episode yet.  Maybe I'm over this crap show?

[Lebanna]

I thought Ryan's reaction to Alex at the end was so ridiculously melodramatic. 'Hey, you seem really upset, should I check you into a mental hospital?'

At least offer the girl a nice cup of tea first.

[NorthstarATL]

I really hope there's an evaluation of the instructors at the end of the course, and the recruits pull a "twist" on them that pays them back for all these "gotcha" scenarios! I don't believe that Natalie is dead, nor that the bomb was real. It's going to be a conspiracy of Ryan's exes out to get Alex because she exists and has better hair than they do. Shelby, whom I liked initially, has horrible taste in guys and no common sense. PLUS, if she's so rich why is she not utilizing THOSE resources to uncover the catfishing? Or just to get her through this training thing? Or to have better hair? New guy is creepy. he's probably a red herring with the sock drawer, but he could be another Elias.

  I have a wacky theory. Bear with me on this. Quantico is an ABC show, and George Stephanapolis, who used to work for the Clintons, is high up in the news division. The FBI is investigating his old boss, who is running for Prez. And his network is airing a show that makes the FBI look like the most inept organization on the planet. Like I said: Just a theory.

[Free]

I really hope there's an evaluation of the instructors at the end of the course, and the recruits pull a "twist" on them that pays them back for all these "gotcha" scenarios!

 

The gotcha scenarios have been more of a detriment as it hasn't helped them out at all, everyone is still just as incompetent and unprepared after their so-called training.

[blackwing]

I thought this week's episode was the spring return, then found out it was last week and my DVR recorded shows with higher priority haha.  All caught up now.  I can only surmise that they had to add a few new agents because Ryan is gone, Simon was kicked out, and Elias was kicked out a while back.  I do like the added diversity  with a Hispanic male and an Asian female.  But I'm still puzzled at the "one month ahead of you" class that is now combined.  The FBI starts two classes one month apart?  If so, why isn't there a class one month behind that the original class got to vett?

 

Watching this show truly requires suspension of disbelief.  I know we only see "our" 6 or so agents plus the 3 new ones, but they sent the entire class of 50 agents into the same bar?  That bar didn't look particularly crowded for a bar that is supposed to be frequented by Washington insiders.  Seemed obvious there'd be more NATs than "real" people there.

 

Why wouldn't Alex just tell someone about the bomb?  Surely the FBI has bomb disposal experts.  And wouldn't Alex and Natalie be trained that one life is not the life of all of those agents on the data they were giving the guy?

 

I know she is supposed to be a pill, but I can't stand Ryan's ex wife.  Not sure why we needed this character.

 

Did Miranda wear the same dress two days in a row?  The black one with the blue diamond in the middle.  She was wearing it when she told people to psych profile each other.  Usually these assignments like this last more than one day.  To expect a profile within a few hours isn't reasonable. But she was in the same dress when she announced the results and the bar assignment.  So maybe that was a really quick assignment.

[statsgirl]

I gave up on this show but then I heard it was renewed so I thought I'd check in to see if it got any better.  It hasn't.

 

Nothing about this episode made sense.  How did it get so popular?

 

Quantico owes Meyers and Briggs a huge apology.  The whole point of the Meyers-Briggs (which I've found very useful professionally in personal therapy, family therapy, and general existential angst) is that it gives you insights that you can't tell from just looking at the person and profiling them.  Looking at someone and coming up with their type is doing exactly the opposite of what the test was created to do.

 

Not to mention, profiling fellow students is a huge invasion of privacy.  And sending the trainees into a bar and telling them to turn people into informants in a couple of hours is ridiculously doomed to fail. Why would people tell secrets to a stranger?

[Free]

Nothing about this episode made sense.  How did it get so popular?

 

It actually doesn't seem that popular, it's just there perse.

[Chicago Redshirt]

But I'm still puzzled at the "one month ahead of you" class that is now combined.  The FBI starts two classes one month apart?  If so, why isn't there a class one month behind that the original class got to vett?

 

Watching this show truly requires suspension of disbelief.  I know we only see "our" 6 or so agents plus the 3 new ones, but they sent the entire class of 50 agents into the same bar?  That bar didn't look particularly crowded for a bar that is supposed to be frequented by Washington insiders.  Seemed obvious there'd be more NATs than "real" people there.

 

 

Alex's class did have as one of their exercises vetting the class after them IIRC. 

 

I'll fanwank that they sent the agents to the bar in shifts. So it wasn't like 50 NATs and whatever civilians. It was like 12 NATs and 40+ civilians.

 

Not to mention, profiling fellow students is a huge invasion of privacy.  And sending the trainees into a bar and telling them to turn people into informants in a couple of hours is ridiculously doomed to fail. Why would people tell secrets to a stranger?

 

These agents care about privacy about as much as the writers care about coherent plots and character development. 

 

In terms of the exercise, people tell strangers secrets all the time, especially when alcohol has helped loosen their tongues. The exercise, in retrospect, seemed meant to have people spin their wheels and wait for two suckers to approach the plants and then get tricked into agreeing to a quid pro quo that in the trainers' eyes would make the agents be compromised.

[Dowel Jones]

Which brings up another question.  You send your students into a bar, give them free reign to drink as much as they want (unsupervised), and then let them find their own ways home, etc.?  No liability assumed there, right?  Not to mention, what if the gNATS start gabbing while they're in the bar?

[blackwing]

Which brings up another question.  You send your students into a bar, give them free reign to drink as much as they want (unsupervised), and then let them find their own ways home, etc.?  No liability assumed there, right?  Not to mention, what if the gNATS start gabbing while they're in the bar?

Well, Liam and Miranda were in the bar as well, so I assumed they all took a big FBI school bus there.  I also think that many or all of the "real people" at the bar were in on the exercise.  The guy that Alex was talking to was clearly an FBI guy, he showed her his ID and said she failed after she agreed to make his DUI go away.  The Hispanic busboy was probably a plant as well.

 

While I am glad that the show added a character of East Asian descent, I wish this character would have been male.  The female cast is already so diverse... Miranda, Alex, Nimah/Raina, Natalie.  On the male side there is a black character Brandon who is kind of second-string.  And now we have a new Hispanic male.

 

Then again, maybe it's better that this show didn't add an Asian male.  They would have stereotyped him as the nerdy math geek who is also good with computers.  I find the character of Iris to be a bit stereotypical.  She seems to act like a know-it-all "gunner" but then transforms into the sexpot in the flimsy top.  Also, I do wish they had named her something other than "Iris Chang".  "Iris" is a very stereotypical name for a Chinese-American female.  Not to mention that there was a great contemporary Chinese-American writer named Iris Chang who wrote histories about the Chinese and Chinese-American experience.  Sadly, she suffered from mental illness and took her own life a few years ago.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_Chang

[txhorns79]

According to earlier episodes, FBI procedure requires as many people as possible, to crowd around the bomb in solidarity.  So those killed by the blast will have lots of company.

 

I completely forgot that it was actually considered a "lesson" that everyone be blown up together out of some bizarre form of solidarity regardless of how many people would then unnecessarily die. 

[henripootel]

I completely forgot that it was actually considered a "lesson" that everyone be blown up together out of some bizarre form of solidarity regardless of how many people would then unnecessarily die.

My favorite part of these lessons is when Miranda explains at the end the real lesson was ... some bullshit, while Dime Eyes nods a little.  Like 'how is it that you super-duper know-it-alls don't know this?'  They could just as easily have hired the actual guy from Arrested Development to say 'And that's why we all crowd around the bomb when it goes off'.  Would make no more sense but at least it'd be funny.

Edited March 16, 2016 by henripootel

[mythoughtis]

Please someone explain why we are still watching this?   The only people that I even like are the non-hijab wearing sister, and Caleb.    Yes, I know most people don't like him, but he actually seems more honest about himself than the rest of them.  I have decided the reason he went to the bank at the end of last season is that he has info about Shelby's con-artist 'sister' in  the deposit box.  

 

Alex is like Harry Potter was... she thinks she is the only person capable of doing anything, and therefore, will never involve 'the adults', or in this case, her superiors. 

 

These FBI agents remind me of the ones on The Following, and I anticipate the same result.   I also cannot believe that 3/4 of the recruits would have passed a real background check. 

[Dowel Jones]

Don't confuse them by using fractions.

[Free]

These FBI agents remind me of the ones on The Following, and I anticipate the same result.   I also cannot believe that 3/4 of the recruits would have passed a real background check.

 

It reminded me of that too.  They failed background check back in episode 1.

 

I completely forgot that it was actually considered a "lesson" that everyone be blown up together out of some bizarre form of solidarity regardless of how many people would then unnecessarily die.

 

The importance of increasing the death count, I guess.

[ToxicUnicorn]

and female agent/Li Jun Li automatically tries to use her sex appeal in their first mission

I wish they had found another actress for this role.  This one bugs me enough on Minority Report.  What's the matter, was Ming Na busy?  (eyeroll)

 

The Jewish guy has a kick-ass action past, the WASP girl can speak Arabic, and the Muslim twin is a highly motivated American patriot.  We have an Indian-American heroine.  But the Asian girl basically looks and acts like a cutthroat martial arts dragon woman.  I guess the casting director finally fell into the NATS stereotype pit.

 

Blech.